MaCAD – BIM and Smart Construction – Studio
Senior Faculty: David Andres Leon

Since it’s conception Building Information Modelling (BIM) has been an ever changing concept that is
currently at the center of the discussions in the AEC industry and in the architectural trade. By
definition it’s a set of files that encompass all the information required for the construction of a
building. However, as buildings are being redefined and the way they are being built is being
continuously challenged by our practice, so is the information required to make such a process
efficient and complete. The vast amount of software that exists to design, document and verify
projects, the many agents of distinct trades that are currently involved in the design and
construction process, the different regulations that BIM has to comply to as well as the different
cultures of building practices that exists; they are all topics that make BIM a rather controversial
discussion.
Using an experimental research-based approach, the goal of the studio is to explore key concepts of
the Building Information Modelling paradigm such as Parametric modelling, Documentation,
Interoperability and inter-collaboration through a practical approach. During the studio students will
develop a complex-formed architectural project with a certain level of detail in an entirely fictional
context and in a collaborative scenario, and will be required to produce project documentation while
undergoing changes during different stages of the development. All the projects will be tied by a
common infrastructure whose changes will influence each of the projects at their cores, which will
force the students to create interfaces that can parametrically adapt during the project
development.

Learning Objectives
At course completion the student will:

? Be able to establish a design workflow based on a parametric model that can react to
different unforeseen circumstances during the development.
? Be able to produce detailed documentation of the project that can update parametrically
with every change in the development.
? Be able to collaborate with other agents in the design process, as well as with other projects
in the given context
? Work on a collaborative digital model that can be published online