How TLCD Architecture Pioneered Adoption of BIM
Excerpt from Ideate Study in Success
Part One of a Three Part Series
In 2000, when Revit was a barely emerging solution, TLCD recognized the potential of BIM and blazed uncharted territory. The firm initiated Revit implementation and took a four-faceted approach to its firm-wide commitment. As one of the earliest adopters of BIM, TLCD has mandated BIM as its core methodology for project delivery since 2006.
Company Backgrounder: TLCD Architecture is an architectural and interior design practice founded on collaboration, exploration and innovation. The company has a strong commitment to design excellence and social responsibility; its core values are People, Place and Craft. TLCD designs buildings that comprise the core infrastructure of society, from cultural, civic, educational and medical centers, to hospitality, mixed-use and commercial projects that serve their communities.
Founded in 1965, TLCD Architecture is a 50-person practice based in Santa Rosa, California. The company provides expertise in planning and programming, architectural and interior design, furniture planning and selection. Its work evidences a strong commitment to sustainability, with 22 members of the TLCD staff LEED accredited.
The Software on Board: Autodesk Revit Architecture, Globe Link Plug-in for Revit, Autodesk AutoCAD, Autodesk 3ds Max Design, Google SketchUp Pro, V-Ray for SketchUp from ASGvis, LLC, Google Earth, GoToMeeting, modo® from Luxology, LLC, Adobe Creative Suite, Microsoft Office Suite
Challenges inspire creative solutions.
TLCD staff members tinkered with a demo copy of Revit in 2000. They hailed the newcomer software solution as “cool” and began implementing it on a project.
The firm recognized that project managers and principals must be acquainted with Revit at a depth-appropriate level. The primer the firm developed with Ideate later evolved to become Ideate’s one-day course, Revit Architecture for Project Managers.
Staff members confirmed what TLCD principals expected. Revit works the way architects think. Autodesk snapped up Revit the following year, and TLCD purchased Autodesk Revit from Ideate, Inc.
At the outset, barriers to BIM arose on a number of fronts. Prospective clients, unaware and inexperienced, perceived stunning 3D visualizations as perhaps unnecessary “high-ticket” items. They needed education and TLCD became committed to educate.
As a pioneer, TLCD needed to cultivate awareness, build proficiency and encourage collaboration among professional colleagues. As a creative experimenter, TLCD needed and retained a resource for timely expert support, Ideate. As a firm adopting a new methodology, TLCD determined that having an in-house BIM champion was paramount. The firm embarked on a series of initiatives.
Create a position. TLCD Director of Design Technology spearheads BIM as a project delivery system, to intercept, evaluate and implement emerging technologies that contribute to meaningful interoperability.
Commit to training and support. New TLCD staff members complete the Ideate three-day Revit Architecture Fundamentals course. Others with responsibility for managing Revit projects take the Ideate Revit Architecture for Project Managers course. Ideate Support also proves essential for a firm that experiments and tries new approaches.
Cross pollinate within the industry. Revit user group events hosted at TLCD with Ideate have helped the firm exchange information with other trailblazing companies and consultants. In fact, leadership in the adoption of BIM has led to the cultivation of more consultants who are valuable BIM-adept resources for TLCD.
All-in commitment. TLCD opted not to run BIM pilot projects parallel with traditional projects but instead jumped into Revit with both feet.
As Guy Messick, TLCD Director of Design Technology says, “Now Revit is part of our firm’s culture.”
To read the complete text of the Ideate Study in Success http://ideateinc.com/ideas/case.html
To learn more about TLCD Architecture http://www.tlcd.com/
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