BIM Forum

When Does Design End and Construction Begin?
Date: 7/19/2011, 8:00 am – 7/20/2011, 12:00 pm
Chicago, IL

The following is information from http://bimforum.org/events/?event_id=38. Please go to the Website to register for the conference.

A consensus is emerging about the benefits of tapping the expertise of consultants, contractors, and facility managers during the early phases of a BIM-enabled project. The intent is to achieve design decisions that are both early and well informed to avoid costly later revisions. But does this necessarily imply that all design effort should be concentrated exclusively at the start of a project? Are late design decisions necessarily detrimental to budget, schedule, and quality? Are changing client requirements and construction volatility such that early decisions are not only impractical but also to be avoided?

The July BIMForum will focus on how BIM is used to find the optimal balance of allowing the best decisions to be made at the most appropriate time without impacting construction costs and schedules and how this is shifting when design ends and construction begins. The conference will address some of the following important questions:

• How does BIM technology affect the cost and schedule implications of late decisions?
• Do late design decisions always adversely affect a project budget and schedule?
• Can all factors that affect design and cost be known early in a project?
• Are legacy project phases applicable in integrated design and construction?
• Are clients willing to pay for additional early design effort by “non-designers”?
• Where does traditional design leave off and spatial coordination begin?
• When does spatial coordination morph into design?
• How can contractors and designers find common ground for design and coordination?
• Are consultants and contractors assuming more the role of the designer in early phases while simultaneously ceding much of their legacy documentation and management roles to subcontractors and fabricators?

Boat Tour/Welcome Reception
Date: July 18th, 6:30 – 8:30 pm
Location: 112 East Wacker Dr. (1 Block from the Swisshotel)

The Chicago Architecture Foundation River Cruise aboard Chicago’s First Lady is a “must” for out-of-towners and Chicagoans alike. CAF certified volunteer tour guides-called docents-interpret more than 50 buildings along the Chicago River, revealing how the city grew from a small back-country outpost into one of the world’s most important crossroads in less than 100 years.

The tour provides an overview of historic and modern architectural styles, plus many stories about the people who designed and built Chicago. The Chicago Architecture Foundation has literally written the book about the Chicago River.