HCF National Heritage Summit October 11-13, 2012

BIM and Heritage Conservation

1
James Maddigan, M.Sc.A, Associate,
Robertson Martin Architects
Building Conservation Specialist
1
Canadian Association of Heritage Professionals /
Association canadienne d'experts-conseils en
patrimoine

Goals of Presentation:

Introduction to what BIM is.
Software used for BIM.
Benefits and challenges of BIM.
Measuring for BIM.
What can the Heritage Conservation field bring to BIM?
What can BIM bring to the Heritage Conservation field?
Public interaction.



BIM is a tool with a future in Heritage Conservation.
Images: 3D studies for faade restoration.
RMA.
HCF National Heritage Summit October 11-13, 2012
Definition of BIM official definition and generally understood
2
James Maddigan, M.Sc.A, Associate,
Robertson Martin Architects
Building Conservation Specialist
2
Canadian Association of Heritage Professionals /
Association canadienne d'experts-conseils en
patrimoine

Building Information Modeling (BIM) is a digital representation of
physical and functional characteristics of a facility. A BIM is a shared
knowledge resource for information about a facility forming a reliable
basis for decisions during its life-cycle; defined as existing from earliest
conception to demolition. From Canada BIM Council website:
http://www.canbim.com/about- canbim-0/faq-1

* The definition indicates a life-cycle ending in demolition. There is a need to educate the BIM
institutions that heritage conservation does not consider demolition as part of the life cycle.

A commonly understood definition is creating a building in 3D only, not
thinking beyond the use of 3D in the design and construction phase.
This was the approach used in the Library of Parliament rehabilitation
project started in 1998, where a 3D software, CATIA was used to draw
up the Library and its primary building assemblies to aid in
understanding the building and for preparation of construction
documents.

Where a picture is worth a thousand words a 3D model is worth a
million words (or more).

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HCF National Heritage Summit October 11-13, 2012
Software Used for 3D Modeling:
3
James Maddigan, M.Sc.A, Associate,
Robertson Martin Architects
Building Conservation Specialist
3
Canadian Association of Heritage Professionals /
Association canadienne d'experts-conseils en
patrimoine

While software for 3D engineering has been used in the aerospace
industry, it had not been used in the Architecture and Engineering (A&E)
field due to cost and complexity. Gradually with advances in software
and hardware technology, this changed in the 1990s.

Some of the software applications used today include:

Graphisoft ArchiCAD. (http://www.graphisoft.com/)
CATIA (http://www.3ds.com/products/catia/)
Bentley MicroStation (http://www.bentley.com/en-US/Products/MicroStation/)
Autodesk Revit (http://usa.autodesk.com/revit/architectural-design-software/)
Google Sketchup/Building Maker
(http://www.sketchup.com/3dwh/buildingmaker.html)
Graphisoft appears to have been the first initiator of a purpose
made 3D BIM software for A&E purposes in 1997.

3D model: Study for adaptation.
RMA
HCF National Heritage Summit October 11-13, 2012
Benefits of generating heritage buildings in 3D BIM:
4
James Maddigan, M.Sc.A, Associate,
Robertson Martin Architects
Building Conservation Specialist
4
Canadian Association of Heritage Professionals /
Association canadienne d'experts-conseils en
patrimoine

Remote reviewing of the building interior and exterior.
Allows study with new construction in context of environment.
Allows study of different periods of time.
Better appreciation of the building over using photographs to
understand form, massing and texture.
Allows evaluation of adaptations and renovations prior to committing
to a strategy and full construction documents. For example, on the Library
of Parliament project, the building was modeled up in different
configurations to illustrate three proposed options for the restoration.
Most people can understand a 3D building over one shown in 2D flat
drawings.
Photo/Sketch: Study for restoration.
RMA
HCF National Heritage Summit October 11-13, 2012
Challenges of creating a building in 3D:
5
James Maddigan, M.Sc.A, Associate,
Robertson Martin Architects
Building Conservation Specialist
5
Canadian Association of Heritage Professionals /
Association canadienne d'experts-conseils en
patrimoine

Accuracy of the survey.
Time to do the survey.
Increased Costs to project.
Access Issues to do recording.
Possible file and computer platform compatibility issues.
Need to draw up each unique assembly and part such as walls,
structure, windows, doors, etc. BIM for new buildings takes
advantage of available libraries of contemporary building parts and
assemblies that are readily available in online 3D libraries and/or
built into the software.
Photo: Heritage window in St.J ohns,
NL. J. Maddigan
HCF National Heritage Summit October 11-13, 2012
Methods to Obtain Site Measurements to Draw BIM Building:
6
James Maddigan, M.Sc.A, Associate,
Robertson Martin Architects
Building Conservation Specialist
6
Canadian Association of Heritage Professionals /
Association canadienne d'experts-conseils en
patrimoine
The heritage conservation field has a long history of recording and
measuring buildings. There are the older techniques of measuring that
take time and newer techniques that make data acquisition quicker and
more accurate.
These include:
Hand measuring, survey equipment, and photogrammetry. (Old)
Laser Scanning. (Total Station; Creaform, Leica Scanstation) (Newer)
3D Modeling based on using photos run through a software to generate
3D models. (Newest).
Some software for 3D modeling based on photos:
PhotoModeler (http://www.photomodeler.com/).
AutoDESK 1234 Catch (http://www.123dapp.com/catch).
Strata Foto 3D
(http://www.strata.com/products/strata_3d_cx_suite/strata_foto_3d_cx/
);
3DSOM: http://www.3dsom.com/AIncreased Costs to project.
Photo: Laser scanning. Wikipedia,
Vstgten,
Photo: Photo recording. J. Maddigan
HCF National Heritage Summit October 11-13, 2012
Examples of projects using BIM:
7
James Maddigan, M.Sc.A, Associate,
Robertson Martin Architects
Building Conservation Specialist
7
Canadian Association of Heritage Professionals /
Association canadienne d'experts-conseils en
patrimoine
RMA uses Graphisoft on many of its projects including two
significant heritage projects:
Beechwood Cemetery, National Historic Site in Ottawa, to design
the addition to the main facility to house the National Memorial
Centre in support of its role as the National Military Cemetery in
Canada.
Dome Building, at Rideau Hall, National Historic Site, which saw
the renovation and adaptation of the c. 1875 gasometer to barrier
free accessible offices.

For these two projects the 3D modeling went beyond the design
stage to being used during construction to guide the contractor and
subcontractors in the construction of the buildings. Neither project,
took BIM to the next stage of using it for maintenance, but the
models will be available for future use and adaptation.
Images: 3D model for Beechwood. RMA.
Images: 3D structure model and actual
structure for Beechwood. RMA.
Photos : Built conditions. Beechwood.
J. Maddigan / RMA.
HCF National Heritage Summit October 11-13, 2012
What can the Heritage Conservation field bring to
BIM?
8
James Maddigan, M.Sc.A, Associate,
Robertson Martin Architects
Building Conservation Specialist
8
Canadian Association of Heritage Professionals /
Association canadienne d'experts-conseils en
patrimoine
Understanding of heritage buildings.
Understanding context.
Knowledge of materials and construction techniques.
Knowledge of building pathologies (why and how buildings
deteriorate).
Repair methods and conservation.
Understanding that the lifecycle for heritage buildings is not
meant to end with demolition.
Understanding that heritage buildings contain a wide range of
materials and assemblies that are not documented and are not
available from stock libraries of 3D model parts.

Heritage professionals bring expert knowledge to the project to
facilitate the creation of accurate BIM models.
Images: 3D model for context at Dome. RMA.
Images: 3D model exports and in construction
photos. Dome. RMA.
HCF National Heritage Summit October 11-13, 2012
What can BIM bring to the Heritage Conservation
field?

9
James Maddigan, M.Sc.A, Associate,
Robertson Martin Architects
Building Conservation Specialist
9
Canadian Association of Heritage Professionals /
Association canadienne d'experts-conseils en
patrimoine
Allow full study of proposed renovations and changes
before final decisions are made.
Assist in seeing how a built landscape will be affected by
changes.
Assist in maintaining buildings, by recording work that has
been completed, programming schedules for maintenance.
Program in schedules for maintenance.
Aid in budgeting for repairs and maintenance.
Program in material information.
Allow wider public building experience as models can be
viewed with free viewer software form remote locations.
Sites like Google 3D warehouse of buildings in major cities
allows review of cultural landscapes in present day settings
and for past periods.
Tools such as Google Sketch-up are readily available for use to
create 3D models, by a wider range of people.

Image: 3D model for heritage context study.
RMA.
Image: 3D model for heritage wall study.
RMA.
HCF National Heritage Summit October 11-13, 2012
More Public Interaction:
10
James Maddigan, M.Sc.A, Associate,
Robertson Martin Architects
Building Conservation Specialist
1 0
Canadian Association of Heritage Professionals /
Association canadienne d'experts-conseils en
patrimoine
As 3D models are created, become distributed, and available, the
public will be able to interact with existing heritage buildings remotely.
The technology is there to model existing city and site locations and
also at different periods in time. If needed, one could use 3d printing
technologies to print out buildings as models. (Thingiverse:
http://www.thingiverse.com/search?q=buildings&sa=Search;
Solidoodle: http://www.solidoodle.com/)

Summary:

BIM is not only for the mainstream A&E, construction and property
management, but also for the Heritage Conservation field. The use of
BIM can help in the understanding and preservation of heritage both
for the professional and the general public. Heritage professionals can
be instrumental in preparing accurate BIM models when dealing with
heritage buildings and cultural landscapes.

Photo: 3D model of Toronto - Beaches
Landmark - Fire Station 227, created by
atiemanhttp://www.solidoodle.com/n.
Thingiverse.
Photo: 3D model US capital, image
downloaded from Google Earth, converted in
Sketchup and printed using made Solidoodle
3D printer. Solidoodle.com.