Which Architecture Firms Are Using BIM? Why?

by Jennifer Riskus
Research Specialist

Summary: As of 2006, 16 percent of AIA member-owned architecture firms have acquired building information modeling (BIM) software, and 64 percent of these firms are using BIM for billable work, according to the 2006 AIA Firm Survey. This accounts for a small, but growing share of the profession. Firms using building information modeling (defined by The Architect’s Handbook of Professional Practice as “the use of virtual building information models to develop building design solutions, design documentation, and to analyze construction processes”) indicate that it is primarily being used for design development (91 percent), schematic design (86 percent), and construction documentation (81 percent) phases. What are the characteristics of firms that have acquired BIM software, and how do they differ from firms that have not yet obtained the software?

Large firms, institutional specialists top the BIM users list
Almost one-half (46 percent) of firms with over $5 million in gross billings had acquired BIM software when the survey data were compiled last year, as compared to 15 percent of firms with billings under $5 million. Smaller firms may be more hesitant to start using BIM due to the expenses associated with the initial software investment. They also may be waiting to see if one dominant software provider emerges, to avoid purchasing a software program that may be obsolete in a few years. It also is worth noting that 35 percent of firms with an international scope of practice have acquired BIM software, which may be at least partially due to the fact that firms with an international scope tend to be large in terms of staff and billings, and may also be working on large projects. But BIM may also simplify overseas projects, as it allows for easy transmission of detailed information quickly over long distances.

Thirty-five percent of firms with an international scope of practice have acquired BIM software

Twenty percent of architecture firms with an institutional specialization (education, health-care, justice, religious, recreational) have acquired BIM software, as compared to 15 percent of firms with a residential specialization and 16 percent of firms with a commercial/industrial specialization (e.g., office, retail, warehouses, hospitality, etc.). The slightly higher adoption by firms with an institutional specialization may be partly due to the fact that the General Services Administration (GSA) has been an early proponent of BIM. GSA established the National 3D-4D-BIM Program in 2003, requiring that all major projects receiving funding in 2007 use these programs. Because GSA projects are primarily institutional, firms that focus on those types of projects needed to acquire BIM software early on to meet the GSA’s requirements.

Fewer change orders? Easier collaboration?
Interesting differences can also be found between firms that are currently using BIM on billable projects and those that are not. It is interesting to note that, according to data from the monthly AIA Work-on-the-Boards survey panel of firm leaders conducted in early 2007, firms that are already using the software see the biggest benefit as enhancing project quality, while those that have not yet used the software see the biggest benefit as enhancing the process. Specifically, firms using BIM software perceived the greatest benefit to be that it produces projects of higher quality through fewer change orders/more accurate documents.. Firms that have not yet acquired BIM software indicated that the greatest perceived benefit was that BIM allows sharing digital models for more/easier collaboration.

Firms that already are using the software see the biggest benefit as enhancing project quality

When the same members were asked to select the greatest perceived concern/risk to their firm of using BIM, firms that are currently using BIM indicated that it was that a higher proportion of project costs are incurred earlier, creating differences with traditional phase-based client billing. Firms that are not yet using BIM software were most concerned about the fact that there is not enough client demand at present to warrant the investment of dollars, time, and effort. Interestingly, none of the firms currently using BIM considered lack of client demand to be the greatest risk.

To sum up, the largest share of firms that have acquired BIM software are larger firms, those with an international scope of practice, and those with an institutional specialization. These are firms that got involved with BIM early because the nature of their clients and projects demanded it. One would expect that the next wave of firms obtaining BIM software will be the smaller firms that have seen the payoff the early adopters have received and are eager to receive those benefits themselves.