The UK architecture firm BDP has entered into a three-year global business agreement with software vendor Autodesk to use building information modelling, or BIM, on its projects.
BDP says it is the first practice of its type in the UK to reach such an agreement.
To modernise the UK construction sector the UK government said in 2011 that it will require the use of BIM on all its projects by 2016.
The technique replaces traditional two-dimensional drawings with a detailed virtual model of a building that can be shared and added to by all disciplines in the construction process.
It is believed to be able to save time and reduce errors and problems on site.
Under the agreement BDP will get Autodesk’s support on individual projects and help in developing procedures, workflows and overall BIM implementation.
BDP says it has been migrating project teams from 2D design software to BIM and is now delivering many projects with Autodesk software.Â
These include the £850m city centre regeneration development Edinburgh St James, the National Paediatric Hospital in Dublin, and the design of AstraZeneca’s new global R&D centre and corporate headquarters in Cambridge, UK.
BDP’s Director of Information and Technology, Alistair Kell, said of the agreement: "This is a significant step in our BIM journey and I firmly believe that this closer relationship will provide significant benefits, driving efficiency and profitability across all areas of the business."
BDP was the first company to be assessed and certificated under BRE Global’s BIM level 2 Business Systems Certification Scheme and are part of the consortium led by NBS undertaking the Government contract to develop a digital Toolkit for BIM.
Paul Fleming, EMEA Manager, Named Accounts at Autodesk said: "It is exciting to see the level of innovation going on in forward looking companies like BDP who are looking to push beyond Level 2 BIM. As this agreement shows, the BIM journey is about more than just having the right technology in place – the consulting and support that comes with it can be equally crucial to achieving the best results."
