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We all tend to think that BIM is only suitable for larger projects, ignoring the fact that smaller architects are not just one-stop house designers any more, and that the need to adhere to building regulations, environmental standards, and to satisfy local planning offices, clients and any other parties interested in local development, means that they need to call on experts in each particular area to support their work.

This has been made easier of course, by the ability to create 3D models of their designs and to share these with other people or companies drawn into the project, so that they can either view and comment on the plans, analyse the model to see if it meets local sustainable targets, or further the design by adding their own components – structural elements, MEP and so on.

No better examples can be provided than a couple of projects that Jonathan Reeves Architecture have been working on in the reaches of the West Country. Jonathan's company has been using Vectorworks Architect 2012 Building Information Modelling (BIM) capabilities on projects of all types and sizes in Devon and Cornwall, the counties surrounding his base in Ilfracombe, Devon, where he not only provides architectural services, but also offers professional Vectorworks CAD training, sales and BIM visualisation services for architects. The company (JRA) has been working with a developer and lead architect Llewellyn Harker Architects on a number of projects, most recently a 65-bed nursing home and 18 extra-care apartments, and a refurbishment of a residential dwelling in North Devon.

VECTORWORKS ARCHITECT 2013
Those of you familiar with Vectorworks will know that it comprises a number of modules that cover most aspects of building design and construction, from terrain modelling, site and landscape design through to rendering and visualisation tools such as Spotlight for lighting studies and Renderworks for advanced ray traced rendering. Vectorworks Architect 2013 includes free-form modelling capabilities that allow users to design any object from any 3D view -graphics, interiors, hardware, furniture fittings, and the site itself – with a healthy crop of trees and plants.

In fact JRA has recently been producing a series of eight garden graphic animations using Vectorworks Landmark combined with Artlantis for the popular ITV show "Love Your Garden" with Alan Titchmash, which shows how flexible a program Vectorworks is for landscape design as well as architecture.

As interoperability and collaboration are the sine qua non of BIM, Vectorworks includes a range of collaboration options, including IFC 2x3 and gbXML file handling, the ability to exchange 3D NURBS models with Rhinoceros 3D, simple import of concept models from SketchUp or download 1000s of models from Trimble's 3D warehouse. It can also import and export AutoCAD 2013 and earlier files and export 3D models to Google Earth.

NURSING HOME
The first model that demonstrates Vectorworks BIM capabilities is the 65 bed nursing home and extra-care apartments. The concept, orientation and design of the building was undertaken by Llewellyn Harker Architects, whilst other elements, such as the structural framework and acoustic issues, had to be outsourced to specialist engineers. The plans were developed in Vectorworks Architect 2013, using its Wall Styles, and repeated libraries of parametric windows and doors, which could easily be replaced as the design developed through many iterations.

With Care Homes garnering a lot of attention in the news recently, designers are more focused than ever on improving the comfort levels of residents – both internally and externally. Light studies were conducted to ensure that natural lighting was available where it was most wanted and excluded where it wasn't, using the Heliodon tool in the latest version of the software, which made it easy to investigate potential shading or overshadowing issues in the communal gardens.

The BIM capabilities of the software allowed accurate area schedules to be produced using the fully customisable Space tool. As well as providing zones for energy usage and other environmental studies, the tool could also be used to size and cost the residential or running costs of each room. The same software allowed door and window schedules to be similarly generated, with intelligent two-way data flows ensuring schedules could be amended and drawings automatically updated.

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