BIM discussions at inaugural conference
November 2015

AluK took part in a live panel discussion last week at the inaugural Building Live conference, held this month in Bishopsgate, London. The conference has been hailed a success with over 300 people attending the all-day event.

The panel discussion, ‘BIM: Practical Realities and the Future of BIM’ saw headline sponsor, AluK, and its National Architectural Manager, Graham Roche discuss various topics around BIM, sharing the company’s experience as well as the challenges and opportunities BIM adoption presents to manufacturers. The other panellists involved were Stephen Holmes of Fosters + Partners, Rahul Shah of Lend Lease Europe and Richard Waterhouse of RIBA Enterprises.

The lively debate discussed many pertinent themes such as the barriers to adoption, including legal and copyright issues and the level of knowledge in the supply chain. The challenge the industry faces in terms of the cultural and mind-set changes required was also emphasized. The discussion highlighted the many benefits of working in BIM especially the early collaboration it facilitates between the different teams to streamline the design process. BIM’s capability to improve safety and quality, along with the time, cost and waste reductions it enables, was cited by all panellists as one of its biggest positives.    

Graham Roche, AluK, comments: “Although there is a disparity in the uptake of BIM within different sectors in the industry, it was interesting to hear from the other panellists of their willingness to push BIM forward by cascading their knowledge and experience to help develop their supply chains. We as a manufacturer have been keen to share our experiences with our direct customers and provide the required support.”

“We are presenting workshops to our approved fabricators & installers in the first quarter of 2016, leading up to the government deadline. In addition, we aim to develop our involvement further by becoming more involved with working groups and help define future progress. We are also keen to help secure the industry’s future by continuing our work with Universities presenting lectures to students working in the built environment.”

As the industry works toward the Government mandated BIM level 2 compliance for centrally funded projects in 2016, it is of utmost importance that all the organisations working to this minimum level of compliance are well equipped, knowledgeable and open to share and collaborate effectively.

www.aluk.co.uk