2011 is well underway and we are so thrilled to publish our second January edition of the Green Building Journal. The arrival of the new year, also known as the year of the cat, has us all ready to pounce on new, exciting, and innovative technologies for green building, from the basics to the more advanced.

Following up the success of our online event series and virtual conference, the team at Green Building Pro is looking forward to offering our community members exciting new educational opportunities. In partnerships with industry thought leaders, we will be delivering new fully interactive live events with relevant and timely topics. We will also be expanding our vibrant online community that allows us all to reach out, ask questions, respond and engage like-minded green building enthusiasts.

The January edition focuses on the developing world of building information modeling, or BIM. Although this has been around for some time, it has only recently begun to make a name for itself among the many professions in design and construction. We hope you enjoy the breadth of articles presented, and look forward to your comments.

Several of the pieces in this edition deal with standards, and how organizations are banding together to share BIM information. The first comes from Stephen Roth and the gbXML schema, and discusses their attempt to create a “universal language for all things ‘green building.’” Green Building Studio, now a part of Autodesk, in particular created this schema with funding from the California Energy Commission and PG&E.

Our next contribution comes to us from the buildingSMART alliance and authors Deke Smith and Birgitta Foster. Both discuss the current effort to implement a national building information model standard and how important it is to educate professionals on BIM. Both authors will be presenting a live webcast on this topic on January 27th, at 10am PST, and answer questions on the initiatives set forth by the buildingSMART alliance. Attendance is free, and you can register here.

This month’s Journal is not all about creating a universal standard however, and several pieces outline BIM’s benefits. Juan Rodriguez, in his article Building Information Modeling Benefits, discusses a range of positives for several professions if they choose to use BIM. From decreased project time to budget reduction, there are several key points that should help drive adoption. Leo Salce takes a unique discussion method, in describing the ‘engagement’ between BIM and LEED, and how each complements the other. He describes the common goals sought by them, and how pairing BIM with your LEED project will help you achieve your goals.

While this is a snapshot of what you can find in the journal, dive in and enjoy the articles, blogs, videos and news. Explore the Green Building Pro social media community, engage with other members, and contribute your expertise to collaborate and communicate with other green building professionals.

Green Building Pro is gearing up for 2011, and we want your input on the Green Building Expo Online Event Series. Every month we are offering a new live multi-hour event to educate the community and highlight the latest green products. By participating, you will reach a community dedicated to the green building and design industries. From panel discussions and individual presentations, to the networking lounge and sponsorship hall, the Green Building Expo environment provides a space to learn and connect with like-minded professionals.

We welcome you to join us in our community and attend our monthly online series, either as an attendee, sponsor, speaker or all of the above. Feel free to contact me with your input on our community and Journal editions. I look forward to joining you online in the Green Building Pro community.

Jenica Egan
Editor in Chief
Green Building Journal
Jenica.Egan@SparkInteractive.com
Follow us on Twitter @buildgreenpro

Broadcast Date: Thursday, January 27th, 2011
Time: 10:00 AM PT / 12:00 PM CT / 1:00 PM ET
Duration: 50-55 Minutes

Speakers:
Deke Smith, Executive Director of the buildingSMART alliance™
Birgitta Foster, Assisting Director for the buildingSMART alliance™

The facilities world is undergoing a profound transformation. New buildings are being delivered in less time and significantly under budget largely because of Building Information Modeling (BIM). Analysis tools for energy and LEED are now available that use the information in the model instead of having to load data for each tool separately. The model is more valuable because it contains all the information about the buildings in one organized place and can be delivered to the Facility Owner. While all these capabilities can be realized, they are not yet fully implemented. There are still far too many stovepipes where information is created and not made available to others. Implementing standards will go a long way to improve this.

You have an opportunity to determine just how “Green” the National BIM Standard (NBIMS-US™) will be. If it is your desire that green be integrated into NBIMS-US in a way that all the sustainable issues are included such as energy, water, raw materials, product information, and operations and maintenance life cycle costs, then get involved. The bottom line is, wherever the facility will end up, in a landfill or re-manufactured into another facility, it is up to you. This session will outline how you can make a difference for future generations.
[ Register Now ]

BIM is a process, not a thing and not software, even though certain BIM software vendors would like you to think that their products ARE the only true way to BIM. The term is Building Information Modeling, not Building Information MODEL. It is a verb – Modeling for Building Information.

Therefore, if an architect uses the BIM process to derive faster, more accurate, complete and integrated CDs, than he is leveraging the BIM process by creating a “virtual building model” to deliver his part of the design/build/operate process – and in most cases that includes paper drawings. But more and more owners and contractors want the virtual building model from which the CDs are derived. And yes, one day I believe we will be submitting BIMs to building departments to get approval; it will happen. The process of electronic code checking and BIM quality validation is already possible today, with software like Solibri. For now, we need paper….but my point is, architects can at least get to paper information better and faster via the BIM process.
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BIM creates efficiency and users will get several benefits. You will realize some of the greatest value of BIM through its potential to cut down on rework, such as re-keying information into models or making changes in the field. As users become more proficient, the opportunities to improve productivity are more pronounced.
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Sustainable design and Building Information Modeling (BIM) are the hottest topics in the AEC industry today. They are simultaneously reshaping not just how we design, but our entire approach to it. As traditional workflows are reshaped, the software tools we use rapidly evolve (and increase in number) to meet new demands in the design process.

Sustainable design changes how we work in two ways: First, the design and validation of energy reduction measures necessitates more frequent and complex analysis such as energy modeling, daylighting simulation, and life cycle cost analysis. Second, a successful sustainable design requires an integrated multi-discipline approach. These two events require more tools and an increased need for those tools to communicate and share data effectively.
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The facilities world is undergoing a profound transformation, yet many practitioners are just becoming aware of this fact. New buildings are being delivered in less time and significantly under budget. Some of this streamlining is certainly based on the economy, but far more can be attributed to adoption of Building Information Modeling (BIM) tools during design and/or construction. BIM promotes more opportunities for modularization and pre-fabrication with pre-tested systems, reducing the time needed for commissioning activities. Manufacturers are able to pre-fabricate components directly from the BIM because the models of the building are truly representative of the completed facility. Incorporation of “green” strategies, which affect the environmental life cycle of the facility must be incorporated into this transformation to the information age. Analysis tools, including those for energy usage and LEED, are now available to work with a BIM, so designers can use the information in the model instead of having to load data for each tool separately. In fact, models are becoming increasingly more valuable because they contain all of the information about the building in one organized place, which can be delivered to the facility owner as part of the project handover documentation.
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You can’t have a discussion about the building industry today without the topic turning towards “going green.” New green building products and techniques are being developed and utilized every day.

The green trend has also hit the software sector, where more and more green-centric software products are being designed. No technology has had a greater impact on green initiatives in the software market than Building Information Modeling (BIM).
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One can almost liken the current state of how a Building Information Modeling (BIM) model compliments a sustainable design process to a couple's engagement. Out of undeniable compatibility and a shared desire to attain similar long-term goals, they form a partnership that promises future long-term commitment to one another.

The concept of BIM has been around for a few years now. But not until recent years have people realized the full potential of a database-driven virtual model, which can not only reduce coordination errors and allow clash detection across different disciplines, but also capture vital information to help make better decisions for a more efficient building not in the later stages of design, as was done in the past, but in as early as the conceptual and schematic phases.
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With the beginning of the new year, construction management professionals are looking for ways to improve the build process and enhance productivity. This month our focus is on building information modeling, or BIM. Using BIM can provide for better model management, enhance communication between team members, and reduce or eliminate blueprints. BIM and Construction Management, by Brad Hardin, presents this information and much more to help you successfully integrate BIM into every construction project.

Stemming from his construction management and architecture background, Mr. Hardin knows what he’s talking about. From hands-on tutorials to coverage of software packages, he makes sure to address most if not all your pressing questions over integration. While reading the book I learned great methods for tracking in-field RFIs and shop drawings. Before, I had only dabbled with software packages like Google SketchUp and NavisWorks. This book helped me explore these offerings in depth, and learn how to properly apply them to projects. Bear in mind however, that it does help to be a little familiar with the applications that it addresses, as this will help with understanding takeoff concepts.
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