BIM Application for Integrated Design and Engineering in Small- Scale Housing Development: A Pilot Project in The Netherlands

On average, by the time when 1% of the project costs are spent in the design phase, roughly 70% of the life-cycle cost of the building has been committed. Therefore, it is essential to integrate the multidisciplinary knowledge over the life-cycle of the building into design. Building Information Modelling (BIM) is one of the most important supporting factors for a successful integrated design. BIM makes it possible to integrate information from the project participants of different disciplines which traditionally work in different phases of the building process. The application of BIM has been seen in a number of large-scale construction projects, such as in commercial and industrial real estate and infrastructure sectors. The projects in the housing sector, however, are predominantly rather small-scaled and carried out by small and medium enterprises (SMEs). These SMEs have a need to innovate and are looking for practical and affordable BIM solutions. This paper reports the knowledge dissemination activities through a pilot project of smallscale housing development in the province of Zeeland, The Netherlands. The knowledge of integrated design and engineering and BIM derived from European and national research projects is disseminated to the SMEs through a series of experimental working sessions involving SMEs, i.e. project developer, builder, architect, structural engineer, HVAC contractor, electrical contractor, prefab concrete manufacturer, prefab roof manufacturer, and component supplier. The conceptual knowledge is translated into a working protocol for direct impacts in terms of cost reduction and quality improvement. BIM knowledge is applied without having to radically upgrade the SMEs’ ICT systems and organizational capacities.