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by Sean Ronnie Hill on Jun 9, 2023
BIM gets talked about a lot in architecture, often in ways that make it sound more complicated or more revolutionary than it actually is. So let's be straightforward about what it is, what it genuinely changes, and where its limitations lie.
The impact of using BIM on our projects has been transformative
What BIM Actually Is
The formal definition, from BS EN ISO 19650, describes BIM as "the use of a shared digital representation of a built asset to facilitate design, construction, and operation processes to form a reliable basis for decisions." That's accurate but not particularly illuminating.
In practice, BIM means designing in a fully three-dimensional digital environment where every element of the building, walls, floors, roofs, windows, structural members, services routes, carries information attached to it. Not just its geometry but its material properties, its cost, its thermal performance, its maintenance requirements. When you change something in the model, everything connected to it updates. When a structural engineer changes a beam size, the architect's model reflects it. When a cost consultant queries a specification, they're working from the same information as everyone else.
The contrast with traditional drawing is significant. Conventional architectural drawings are a set of separate documents: plans, sections, elevations, schedules, specifications. Keeping them consistent with each other as a design evolves requires constant manual cross-referencing. Errors and inconsistencies accumulate. BIM replaces that with a single coordinated model from which all the drawings and schedules are generated automatically.
What It Changes for a Project
The most immediate benefit is coordination. On a typical residential project there are multiple consultants, a structural engineer, possibly a mechanical engineer, a landscape designer, specialist subcontractors for kitchens or joinery. Each of them is working on part of the building. In a traditional drawing environment, their information exists in separate documents that need to be reconciled manually. In a BIM environment they can all work within or reference the same model, which catches clashes and inconsistencies early rather than on site.
Catching a clash between a structural beam and a proposed duct route at drawing stage costs nothing. Catching it during construction, when the beam is already installed and the duct needs to be rerouted, can cost thousands.
The second significant benefit is design communication. Three-dimensional models are simply easier for most people to understand than two-dimensional drawings. A client who struggles to read a floor plan can navigate a 3D model on a tablet and immediately understand how spaces relate to each other, what the ceiling heights feel like, how the staircase connects the floors. We use the BIMx app to share navigable models with clients throughout the design process, which tends to produce better feedback and better decisions at the stages when they're cheapest to implement.
For clients who want a more immersive experience, we can produce VR walkthroughs from the same model. The difference between looking at a drawing of your future kitchen and standing in it virtually, being able to look out of the windows and understand where the light comes from, is considerable.
BIM and Sustainability
BIM and energy modelling are distinct tools, but they work well together. The geometric data from a BIM model can be imported directly into energy modelling software, which avoids the errors that occur when buildings have to be manually re-drawn in a separate tool. Changes to the design update both.
This matters because energy performance is sensitive to geometry. The ratio of external wall area to floor area, the orientation and size of glazing, the position of thermal bridges at junctions: these all need to be modelled accurately to get reliable results. A BIM model, properly built, provides that accuracy as a byproduct of the design process rather than requiring a separate parallel effort.
We integrate BIM with PHPP, the Passivhaus Planning Package, on projects where we're targeting a specific energy performance standard. The combination allows us to test design decisions against performance targets before construction begins rather than hoping the building will perform as intended.
During Construction and Beyond
BIM's usefulness doesn't end when construction starts. A well-maintained model serves as a record of what was actually built: where the services run, what the structural connections look like, what specification was used for each element. This information is valuable for maintenance, for future alterations, and for building control sign-off.
The reality is that most building owners eventually need to do work on their building, whether that's fixing a leak, adding a room, or upgrading the services. If the information about what's in the walls and floors exists in a coordinated digital model rather than buried in a box of old drawings, that work becomes considerably easier and less risky.
On larger residential projects we increasingly provide clients with a BIM model as a project deliverable alongside the physical building. It's an asset that tends to become more valuable over time.
Where BIM Is Heading
Planning applications in England still largely operate on the basis of 2D drawings submitted as PDFs. This is a significant missed opportunity. BIM visualisations and assessments could substantially improve how planning authorities understand proposed developments, how neighbours engage with applications, and how compliance with daylight and overshadowing requirements is demonstrated. The technology to do this exists. The institutional will to adopt it is developing slowly.
Building control is similarly behind. The information contained in a BIM model, the structural calculations, the thermal specifications, the fire strategy, could in principle be verified much more efficiently from a coordinated digital model than from a stack of separate documents. The industry is moving in this direction, but the pace is modest.
At RISE we use BIM on every project of meaningful complexity, not because it's required but because it produces better outcomes. Better coordinated drawings, fewer site queries, more informed clients, and buildings that perform closer to their design intent. That's the practical case for it, and it's sufficient.
Common Questions
Can I see my project in BIM if I'm working with RISE? Yes. We share navigable BIM models via the BIMx app throughout the design process, which works on phones and tablets. For clients who want a more immersive experience, we can produce VR walkthroughs from the same model.
Does BIM cost more? BIM requires investment in software and training, which is reflected in how practices structure their fees. The return on that investment comes through fewer errors, better coordination, and more efficient construction. On any project of meaningful scale, the coordination benefits alone typically outweigh the additional design cost.
Is BIM only for large or complex projects? It's most obviously valuable on complex projects with multiple consultants, but the coordination and communication benefits apply at smaller scales too. We apply BIM methodology across our residential work, including single-house extensions, because the quality of the model improves the quality of every drawing that comes from it.
What about sustainability: does BIM help? Directly, yes. Accurate geometry, consistent material data, and integration with energy modelling tools make it easier to design for performance rather than just compliance. The model becomes a testing environment for design decisions before they're committed to construction.
If you'd like to understand how we'd apply BIM to your project, we're happy to talk it through.
→ Email us at architects@risedesignstudio.co.uk
→ Or call the studio on 020 3947 5886
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