“We were driving BIM technology before BIM was BIM. We made symbols smart and tied them product databases which allowed us to offer accurate pricing and eCommerce fulfillment. We have been operational in this field since early 2003” said Douglas Lopez, Founder of 1st Pricing. Lopez continues “Our original patent was one of the first BIM patents issued and, primarily, covered comparison pricing. Now it has been expanded to cover many more critical issues like accessing a “Live Data Feed” from within CAD and eCommerce emanating from BIM.”

Some of the items covered in the additional intellectual property protection are:

 Inserting a price schedule into a construction plan drawing
 Component cost/pricing and comparison cost/pricing
 Live Data Feed (static or dynamic)
 Building Code
 Accessing BIM Data Outside of CAD
 eCommerce (5e or E-BIM)
 Exporting a BOM price schedule into a separate data base.

“We feel that this protection solidifies 1st Pricing’s leading role in the BIM process as the sole provider of critical product data including pricing, features and availability. We know that we have delivered a proven, practical solution to the 5D supply chain part of BIM that really no one else has addressed” said Lopez. “We are excited that the USPTO continues to reward our hard work and that we can deliver a segment of BIM that will transform the process of building a building. So many of our solutions are from my days as a general contractor and, in my opinion, it is about time we utilize useful technology to improve this process that needs it so badly.”

With the click of a button, the 1st Pricing technology accesses an internet portal and pulls comparison pricing of multiple brands to fill out a detailed bill of materials with all related content on demand. An online shopping cart is also automatically created for easy fulfillment from a local material distributor. Changes and updates are made within seconds so that everyone is on the same page. Today, the Company is focused on building materials for residential construction but plans to add commercial building products in the near future. In the CAD industry, the supply chain component is often referred to as the “fifth dimension of CAD” or 5D.

“Our technology transforms a set of plans from an interpretive document to a declarative statement,” adds Lopez.

About 1st Pricing

1st Pricing currently offers free plug-ins for users of TurboCAD® AutoCAD Architecture and AutoCAD Revit®. A Plug-in for Graphisoft’s ArchiCAD® is currently in beta and is expected to be released in the second quarter of 2010. More platforms will be released during 2010. The 1st Pricing technology was initially released in TurboCAD in 2003.

1st Pricing is part of California Distribution Center (CDC), a building material distribution company focusing on fenestration products. CDC Also operates 1st Windows.com – the only site on the Internet that offers instant, real-time, dynamic pricing and purchase of both replacement and new construction windows. The website, which also offers doors, skylights and acrylic glass block windows, has been online since April of 2000.

The title is not completely correct, cars are not really good, but they are less bad than buildings.

We hear constantly:

• “Cars cause Global Warming” (more accurately contribute to Climate Change).
• People are purchasing hybrids to do their part to help save the earth and lower our need for fuel.

We rarely hear:

• Buildings are the main problem. (They are)

BIM, specifically the data component, holds great promise to dramatically improve the performance and operation of buildings, as well as insuring that ecologically superior building products are specified. BIM is dependent upon accurate and available data.

In November I attended the Greenbuild Conference and Exhibition in Phoenix. There were hundreds of presentations, 1,800 booths (mostly Building Product Manufacturers) and over 24,000 attendees — more attendees than either the AIA or CSI National Conferences and Exhibitions. Al Gore was the keynote speaker. What is remarkable about this conference is that it clearly demonstrates that the architects, engineers, contractors and owners (private and government) are aware of the importance of the “green” movement. While many people have known of the advantages of well designed buildings for both energy savings and people productivity increases for decades, it has only been in the last few years that their efforts have turned into a movement.

There are fundamentally two components that determine if you have a “green” building:

• Design – Site selection, orientation, massing, shading, layout, mechanical and lighting conceptual approach, etc.
• Materials and Equipment – Specific products, carpet, tile, paint and equipment, fans, chillers, light fixtures and lamps, etc.

If you have a great design concept but select poorly performing materials and equipment the results of your efforts will be minimized. At Greenbuild, manufacturers promoted their messages as “green” manufacturers. The challenge to those that select and specify manufacturer products is finding out specifics on the products “greenness”, how it quantitatively compares to other products and what approaches were used to make the claims. For example a product could perform extremely well within the building environment but have major negatives associated with its manufacturing process, component materials, or disposal at the end of the buildings life. You need much more information than you can easily find to make the best selection, and you need this information on hundreds of thousands of products and materials.

The selection process becomes even more difficult because the manufacturer’s products data is supplied based upon the products in a “stand alone” condition. Little data is available on how products and equipment combine to perform in the assemblies that are the building. How the window frame is attached to the building structure will greatly determine heat gain and heat loss. We have data on the building wall, and the frame and glass, but what about the performance of the connection of the two elements?

Today BIM is really BiM; we need to get the “i” to grow up to a big “I”. We need more information on products and assemblies. Where are we going to get that information?

Many manufacturers have tremendous testing facilities. US Gypsum has very sophisticated facilities. There are private labs like UL and the NAHB Research Center, there are Universities that have focused programs, the military has research programs such as those managed by the Corp of Engineers, and there are the National Labs like the Lawrence-Berkeley Lab that has a massive collection of data on glass performance.

There is no one Lab devoted to buildings; the materials, assemblies, and design influences on performance. The construction industry is the largest industry in the world, buildings account for almost 50% of all the energy consumed in the world (cars account for 12%). Building construction costs and operations are the largest expense, after employees, for most companies. Through proper design, material selections and operations these costs can be reduced 30%. Buildings are often one of the greatest assets of a company, but only if they have maintained their value and not fall into disrepair or become obsolete.

Automobile manufacturers know tremendous amounts of information on every part and piece that goes into their cars; they are tested, modified, and improved on a continual basis. Cars cost about the same per square foot as a new furnished building, and I have yet to have a sunroof on a car leak, yet I have not seen a building that did not have at least one roof leak. We also know how to make informed purchasing decisions on a car because we have massive amounts of data on performance, options, resale value, reliability and the prestige factor. Ask a car purchaser if they will spend $1,600 more for the sport suspension they can make a quick decision, ask if they want to spend $200 more for a more efficient light fixture and you may get a blank stare. There is simply no easy way to get the data to answer all the questions on the performance and impact of a more efficient light fixture, door, window, etc.

A couple of years ago a collection of architects were asked what contributed to greenhouse gas emissions, the list of options included cars and trucks as well as buildings, the group indicated that 40% was caused by cars and trucks and seven percent from buildings. The actual answer was 12% from cars and trucks and 42% from buildings. If you do not know what is causing a major problem there is a good chance you will not contribute to the solution, so step one to making buildings less bad is that the owners, architects and engineers need to know what is creating the problems, step two is to give them the detailed and scientific information they need to solve the problems through an interface that makes searching for and finding the information needed at the time it is needed.

• Beck Technology
• Applied Software Technology
• DPR Construction, Inc.
• Ghafari Associates, LLC
• Hallam Associates, Inc.
• KlingStubbins, Inc.
• HNTB Corporation
• ONUMA, Inc.
• View by View, Inc.
• Kristine Fallon Associates, Inc.

Congratulations to all of these firms! It will be interesting to see how much work actually comes out of this contract and how it will impact the architectural industry. Be sure to follow us on Twitter to get the latest updates on this monumental contract award.

UPDATE: August 25, 2009 – Contracts were awarded on both a regional and national basis. More to come…

Studies have shown that problems related to exchanging information among building information modeling software used by architects and energy analysis and simulation software used by engineers causes more than $16 billion per year of unnecessary expenses.

Since new technologies for representing buildings are expected to transform processes for architectural engineering design services, it is imperative that standards for data exchange among software systems be established, said Mark Clayton, professor of architecture and the project’s principal investigator.

“This research will promote the inclusion of energy efficiency measures in the early design of building model development,” said Clayton. “It is expected to greatly increase the efficiency and accuracy of energy analysis and allow building designs to achieve higher levels of energy efficiency.”

Clayton, assistant director of the College of Architecture’s Center for Housing and Urban Development, Jeff Haberl, professor of architecture, and Wei Yan, assistant professor of architecture, will develop open-source reference models to test interoperability of BIM software and energy simulation software with the grant, American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers Research Project 1468, Development of a Reference Building Information Model for Thermal Model Compliance Testing.

“The research will enable ASHRAE to foster standards for interoperability between various BIM software systems and energy simulation systems and address some of the costs attributable to poor interoperability,” said Clayton. “More significantly, improved interoperability is expected to improve the quality of design and the energy efficiency of buildings.”

It’s one of 13 grants totaling 1.6 million awarded by ASHRAE at its recent 2009 annual conference.

Austin – The Texas Facilities Commission (TFC), the agency within the State of Texas that oversees the state’s real estate development as owners and operators of state facilities, today announces its adoption of Building Information Modeling (BIM) for state design and construction projects.  For over a year, the Facilities Design and Construction (FDC) division within TFC has diligently worked to standardize the use of BIM for its future projects.  FDC is responsible for overseeing the design and construction of state facilities throughout Texas.  Currently, FDC manages 125 projects valued over $500 million, in addition to maintaining the Facilities Master Plan.  In an effort to promote workflow efficiency, streamline productivity and increase the return on investment for the State of Texas, FDC has adopted and encourages the use of BIM’s digital design technology.

This digital design technology, in the form of coordinated, data-rich BIM models, gives TFC and its architectural and engineering design professionals the ability to explore early design concepts in 3D, visually analyze and simulate projects before construction begins, help identify and reduce costly design conflicts, and work in a more collaborative way to produce a better, faster, and more cost-effective state building.  After construction, the BIM model becomes an evolving, digital representation of the actual building that can be used throughout a building’s life to facilitate the sharing of coordinated, consistent data among TFC’s design and construction partners; as well as TFC divisions tasked to maintain energy efficiency and maintenance services.

“Modernization has always been a central theme of my administration at the Texas Facilities Commission, and the BIM implementation is another part of that effort,” said TFC Executive Director Edward L. Johnson. “Modernization of our business practices, modernization of our real estate strategy, modernizing building design and construction . . . a part of everything we do is making use of the most innovative, state-of-the-art developments in both the public and private sector. Three years ago we embarked on making the Texas Facilities Commission the most sophisticated and professional real estate management and building design and construction organization that exists in the public sector. Becoming a leader in Building Information Modeling is an important step in that direction.”

The BIM model and process is a powerful tool for an owner of any size; but due to the number and scale of the TFC’s building and renovation ventures and the varied nature of construction types, ranging from office buildings and hospitals/labs to deferred maintenance projects, the integrated process allows for better informed decision making for all involved.  The BIM process helps architects, engineers, constructors, sub-contractors and vendors collaborate with an intelligent model, allowing them to visualize and simulate using precise data before any building material is purchased, brought to the site or erected.  Further, by making BIM the standard for all new buildings, TFC can begin to gauge energy usage, as well as forecast energy consumption based on model simulations; model multiple high-performance building scenarios based on minimal design time, simulate or identify security issues related to building type, and connect the model to existing databases or control systems for bi-directional, real-time data exchange.

“The BIM process allows the TFC and our private sector partners to collaborate from the start, share important data accurately and make better informed decisions earlier in the design process,” said Chris Tisdel, TFC’s Director of Building Information Modeling.  “The added visibility and workflow efficiency reduces unexpected delays, unforeseen costs and overall construction time, which is of great value for our large operations across the State of Texas.”

As a part of the adoption of BIM, TFC recognizes that the private sector will be looking to it for guidance and a clear definition of what BIM means to the state.  To that end, the FDC has developed a clear set of standards and guidelines that all private sector partners will have access to prior to any involvement in a state project.  Along with the guidelines, FDC has created an interoperable BIM template that all private sector partners will have made available to them for any State project.  The combination of the guidelines and template will enable any private sector partner just getting into BIM to save time and effort and provides them with a framework to build their own workflow and standards around.  TFC is committed to educating and working with those who design and build projects for the State, in a collaborative manner with the clear goal of making the BIM approach a positive one for all involved.  A video describing TFC’s adoption of BIM can be found on their website at: http://www.tfc.state.tx.us/communities/facilities/prog/construct/bim.wmv.

The State of Texas leads the way in BIM adoption and implementation, providing support, education and best practice standards to other state and local agencies that are also in varying stages of BIM adoption.  The pool of owner-entities adopting BIM within Texas is growing at a quickening pace as the state leads the way in encouraging a better way to design and build.  Industry and trade association leaders acknowledge that Texas has taken an innovative leadership role in adopting BIM.  By doing so, Texas closes the gap between it and the General Services Administration, the first major governmental agency to adopt BIM for new construction and leads all other States in the way it leverages BIM to support construction, energy, maintenance, and facilities operations within Texas.

Finally, BIM provides a coordinated, informed understanding of the design and building process for owners, designers and constructors.  As new construction grows at the state level, project expectations that include increasing complexity, a high level of transparency for decision makers, and accountability to taxpayers requires a new, but tested equally innovative approach to the traditional understanding of concept, design, scheduling, cost and implementation.  TFC has adopted that innovative approach in BIM and by doing so is leading the way on a national stage into the future of digital design and construction.

Source:http://www.tfc.state.tx.us/newsevents/texas-adopts-building-information-modeling-bim-capability
Contact: Mike Blackwell, TFC Marketing and Communications Specialist (512) 463-4237/(512) 791-9189 Michael.blackwell@tfc.state.tx.us

Using Vela Systems software –including bar-coding and radio-frequency identification (RFID) tracking technology–builders on-site can access a data-rich Autodesk Navisworks project model during the construction phase. Instead of leaving the Autodesk Navisworks model and its data behind in the office or job trailer, jobsite users can work with Vela Systems software on mobile tablet computers to access the intelligent model on-site. This makes it possible to track material production and installation, manage commissioning, conduct quality assurance/quality control inspections, do punch lists and create electronic owner-handover documentation. Autodesk Navisworks users may designate which information will be managed in Vela Systems and, as a result, the Vela Systems software enables this data to be properly managed and used in the field. The integration between the products is bi-directional and automated. The result is that the information from the field connects the “should be” state-of-design to the “as-is” state-of-construction.

New Solution Applied to Autodesk AEC Headquarters in Waltham, Mass.

During the construction of Autodesk’s new AEC headquarters on Trapelo Road in Waltham, Mass., Tocci Building Corporation utilized Vela Systems Materials Tracker and Issues and Punchlists software products. By combining Vela Systems software with Autodesk Navisworks, all parties were able to monitor and track office workstations at the new Autodesk facility. Vela Systems Materials Tracker pulled objects from the Autodesk Navisworks model through an automated integration, and then captured their status information (for example, delivered, ready-to-install, installed or damaged) from the field. This field gathered data was then deposited into the Autodesk Navisworks model. Tocci and subcontractor Creative Office Pavilion were then able to visualize and monitor the installation and quality status of workstations in real-time, making it possible to plan for shortages or discrepancies accordingly.

The benefits of extending BIM to the field on the Autodesk headquarters project were threefold. First, upon delivery, the inventory of available workstations was confirmed against the model – this revealed that all necessary components were on-site ahead of the actual delivery manifests so the next phase of work could begin sooner. Then, the staging, assembly and installation processes for workstations were tracked from Vela Systems back into the Autodesk Navisworks model through color coding of model elements. This enabled the team to visualize available inventory and coordinate installation processes more efficiently. Last, the quality control processes of final inspection and owner punch lists were automated in the field with Vela Systems and linked back to the Autodesk Navisworks model, improving team communication and project delivery.

“Tying together field data with the model creates new opportunities for construction delivery methods and oversight,” said Tocci Building Corporation general superintendent, Bob Tierney. “By using the integrated Autodesk and Vela Systems solution on this project, we demonstrated how we can connect the ‘virtually built’ building to the ‘physically built’ one. The model gives us better oversight because everyone can instantly visualize problem areas as ‘hot spots’ with live data from the field. It is the obvious next step for contractors looking to maximize the value of BIM.”

“The combination of using 3D modeling tools and practicing BIM is helping to transform the building industry,” said Tim Douglas, Autodesk industry solutions manager, construction. “The integration of Vela Systems Field BIM solution into Autodesk Navisworks software provides our customers with better accuracy and efficiency for the duration of the project–beginning in the design phase and continuing through field implementation and handover.”

“By integrating Vela Systems and Autodesk Navisworks, our joint customers can leverage the transformative power of BIM beyond design into the construction process,” said Tim Curran, CEO, Vela Systems. “By leveraging the model in the field, contractors benefit from greater efficiencies and owners get a better end product.”

BIM is an integrated process that allows architects, engineers and builders to explore a project digitally before it’s built. Coordinated, reliable information is used throughout the process to design innovative projects, accurately visualize appearance for better communication, and simulate real-world performance for better understanding of important characteristics such as cost, scheduling and environmental impact.

About Autodesk

Autodesk, Inc., is a world leader in 2D and 3D design and engineering software for the manufacturing, building and construction, and media and entertainment markets. Since its introduction of AutoCAD software in 1982, Autodesk has developed the broadest portfolio of state-of-the-art Digital Prototyping solutions to help customers experience their ideas before they are real. Fortune 1000 companies rely on Autodesk for the tools to visualize, simulate and analyze real-world performance early in the design process to save time and money, enhance quality and foster innovation. For additional information about Autodesk, visit www.autodesk.com.

Autodesk, AutoCAD and Navisworks are registered trademarks or trademarks of Autodesk, Inc., and/or its subsidiaries and/or affiliates in the USA and/or other countries. All other brand names, product names, or trademarks belong to their respective holders. Autodesk reserves the right to alter product offerings and specifications at any time without notice, and is not responsible for typographical or graphical errors that may appear in this document.

(C) 2009 Autodesk, Inc. All rights reserved

    Contact:  Paul Sullivan, 603-289-8987    Randi Tanguay, 617-692-0515
    Email:    paul.sullivan@autodesk.com     randi.tanguay@fleishman.com

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20050415/SFF034LOGO)

SOURCE Autodesk, Inc.

Website: http://www.autodesk.com

“To ALL Offerors,

We are currently in the process of completing our evaluation of Phase I for the above referenced project.  Upon completion, firms will be notified, in writing, if they are selected/invited to Phase II, Interviews.  If selected, please be advised that GSA has an aggressive schedule.  We intend to begin interviews during the week of July 27th; therefore, selected firms invited to Phase II must be prepared to attend in person during this week (unless stated otherwise) in Washington, DC. As stated, formal notification will be sent to the firms.  Firms selected for an interview will be notified of the location, date and time of the interview in the notification letter.

If you have any questions, please contact me by email.  Thank you and Have a Great Day.”