The Building Machine
We might think of them as mere bricks and mortar, but today commercial buildings and their associated services are actually more like some of the largest machines we encounter on a day to day basis. Ian Harman, Marflow Hydronics’ Technical Applications Engineer and resident blogger, looks at buildings today and what we need to do to get the best out of them.
When working with a commercial building, the process to get them up and running properly is like producing complex operating procedures. And being that these buildings tend to be quite large, their complexity is only enhanced. However, we rarely think of a building in this way and this could be holding us back. Without a real understanding of how a building works and what its real purpose is, how is it ever going to be used properly?
Think of it like a computer: without properly understanding what its capabilities are and how you can really use it, how could you optimise it on a day to day basis? You couldn’t. If we think of a building as a machine, it’s no different at all.
If we go back to the design stage, this is when we come closest to understanding how a building should work as a whole, but this is rarely effectively communicated from the initial stages. But where does it all go wrong? Why doesn’t this more ideal view at the design stage get passed on?
For starters, after this stage, each individual system or part of the building is broken down and treated individually. Moving on towards the construction phase, this intensifies even further down to the component level where each element may be subject to cost based substitution.
Then, when a building is finally occupied, only in the best cases is a facilities team properly trained in how a building should operate; even more rarely do the occupants get any insight into how it should be used most efficiently. This is only made worse again, as once a building is effectively complete there may be fit out works and these often change the intended use and operation of a building in whole or part. The initial design can now be nothing more than a long lost memory.
Surely, though, the initial design stage is when the best solution for the building is found, when best practice has priority over cost or personal opinion. This is when the ‘operating instructions’ are really put together, and if they’re followed through properly, then there’s no reason why anyone can’t get the best out of a building in the long term. How can any other way be better?
This is where I believe BIM could make a real change. Perhaps BIM’s enhanced metadata is the way to ensure that information is retained, and, even more so, it will ensure that people will read it. I guess only time will tell, but for the first time, there’s a great structure for us to use.
To read Ian’s fortnightly blog visit the link below.
