MaCAD – BIM and Smart Construction – Theory
Senior Faculty: Maite Bravo

ARCHITECTURAL THEORY FOR BIM TOOLS

The fast immersion of Building Information Modeling | BIM into architectural praxis is profoundly transforming the way architecture is conceived, designed, developed, constructed and inhabited. These developments related to Advanced Computation Applications and Smart Constructions for Architecture are not only challenging traditional theoretical frameworks, but also revealing the need to formulate and construct novel concepts and principles.  This seminar proposes to inquire about this emerging paradigm.

The first edition of this course will inquire the notion of Tools in current architectural praxis from an operational theory perspective. The class will investigate the famous statement by Cedric Price “If technology is the answer, then what is the question? Starting by examining historical developments of fundamental representational tools for architecture, students will investigate recent developments with an emphasis in some aspects related to BIM and inquire about their origins, aims, applications and future projections.  Using a dynamic medium of “interviews”/“podcasts”, featuring experts in each Tool, students will formulate questions and elaborate theoretical concepts and principles to support such developments. Finally, students will speculate about the impact of these tools and formulate a novel theoretical framework from a critical perspective for the architectural and construction disciplines of the XXI Century.

Ph credits: German Bodenbender with Ana Cocho Bermejo, Mateusz Zwierzycki, Mayur Mistry, Podcast about-AI and BIM as a medium to a sustainable future, MACAD – Feb. 2021.

Learning Objectives
At course completion the student will:

? Review precedents for architectural representation and BIM
? Identify, select and analyse BIM tools used in architectural and smart construction praxis
? Develop theoretical arguments to sustain and formulate projects related to BIM and Smart Constructions
? Generate podcast interviews as a relevant research method for qualitative research technique involving individual interviews with experts in BIM Tools
? Publish podcasts as a valuable skill to communicate, organize and plan a research topic with a clear script.