Building Information Modeling

Building Information Modeling (BIM) - three-dimensional, real-time, dynamic, fully integrated and collaborative design - is a continually developing technology, and Coakley & Williams constantly seeks and finds opportunities to use this powerful tool to improve projects throughout all phases of design, construction, and facility management. The potential to integrate 3-dimensional parametric models with 4th and 5th dimensions - time and money - will allow control and predictability of the schedule and cost, as well as the spatial and physical, aspects of a project. Such control increases productivity, efficiency, and quality, saves time, reduces risk, maintains and even improves schedules, and reduces costly change orders. This mutually benefits the owner, designer, and contractor, and helps to ensure the project's viability.

Coakley & Williams' experience with this technology has shown:

  • Significant reduction in errors made by design team and construction team members through "clash detection" (automatic detection of conflicts and overlaps among building elements and systems).
  • Potential conflicts are identified and mitigated before construction, saving money and preventing delays.
  • Communication is facilitated throughout the design process, since design information and intent can be immediately understood and evaluated, in real time, in a single consolidated model.
  • Design efficiency is increased with continuous coordination of drawings, clash detection, and overall project quality.
  • Productivity is increased with much easier, faster and more accurate transmittal and retrieval of consistent information.
  • Construction Documents are continually coordinated.
  • More opportunity for all partners in the project to provide input and benefit from the process.
  • Projected costs can be more easily and comprehensively monitored and controlled against the project budget.
  • Construction time can be reduced, directly contributing to cost savings.
  • Potential construction delays are drastically reduced.
  • Costs are reduced for all members of a project.

Coakley & Williams recognizes that using BIM brings obvious and tremendous value to any project, regardless of its size.