BIM FOR ARCHITECTURE: PUBLIC BUILDING
The Central
DP Architects Pte Ltd
In this project, the designers worked with
drawings from the transit authority in
MicroStation/J format, drawings from consultants in AutoCAD, and their own drawings
in MicroStation V8 format. They were able to
pull all the data together and work seamlessly with all the different file formats.
Because the underlying files of the mass
rapid transit station were provided in
MicroStation/J format, and because the
designers had switched to MicroStation V8,
they were able to work seamlessly with the
older format files while retaining the
same format.
Visualization was enhanced by MicroStation’s
ability to reference more than 200 reference
files. Using parametric modeling, the speed of
modeling and rendering was improved.
Particle tracing technology has become the
de facto standard for the visualization work
done at DP Architects. The quality and realism
achieved were excellent. ;
BIM FOR ARCHITECTURE: PUBLIC BUILDING
Flughafenkopf Zürich
Itten+Brechbühl AG
The Airside Centre is the hub for all travelers
who pass through the airport. It is not just the
central point, but the high point of a new,
urban-scale travel and spatial experience. The
building – 250 meters long, 60 meters wide,
25 meters high – features a wing-like roof and
expanse of windows. The roof seems to hover
above the facade of glass.
The central architectural element of the sec-
ond hub, a new rail terminal, is a 900-square-
meter skylight. It lets daylight deeply pene-
trate the structure, passing through large
cutouts on each floor. As the focus of the
important shopping and transportation hub,
the sculptural glass-covered atrium forms the
climax of a sequence of spaces proceeding
toward the light.
MicroStation supported the planning process,
handling the complicated design conditions
imposed by the complex geometry and pro-
ject’s large scale. Large data volumes were effi-
ciently processed and compacted, which also
facilitated data exchange. Little user training
was necessary, which allowed additional per-
sonnel to be put on the job on short notice,
and that increased flexibility helped manage
peak workloads. In short, MicroStation added
efficiency, helped the team stay on schedule,
and controlled costs. ;
