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Conference insight: Golden rules for landscape BIM modelling
Landscape design encompasses both natural and built environments, making the task of landscape BIM modelling particularly challenging. But there are plenty of opportunities: integrating environmental analysis tools into planting design processes; streamlining manual workflows through digital automation; managing data and information; maintaining quality assurance – the list goes on.
Surrounding all of these benefits, argued Alejandro Masferrer Gatica, Principal BIM Manager and Abhinav Chaurasia, BIM Coordinator and 3D Visualization Specialist at Gillespies, is the ability of BIM to foster collaborative work and interdisciplinary coordination, bringing stakeholder alignment on complex project challenges.
Nehama Shechter-Baraban, landscape architect and BIM expert at Arch-Intelligence, put forward four golden rules to consider when using BIM for landscape.
– Start with existing site: Utilise BIM 3D modelling capabilities to understand site constraints, such as existing buildings, roads, work limits and areas designated for preservation. BIM can significantly enhance the understanding of the site in three dimensions before the design process begins.
– Transition to 3D models: Transitioning from 2D layouts to 3D models allows for enhanced design decisions. By leveraging the BIM model, designers can gather crucial information that informs and improves their design decisions. It is essential to understand the basic layout before diving into detailed modelling.
– Adopt a surface hierarchy: A landscape model is akin to a quilt, where every element, whether it be a path, plaza or slope, is carefully placed and integrated into the overall design. Rather than viewing the landscape area as one single, continuous surface, it should be approached as a collection of distinct parts. The hierarchy in modelling should follow this order:
Constraints: Identify and define the boundaries and limitations of the design.
Primary Surfaces: These are the main elements of the landscape, such as large open areas or key features.
Secondary Surfaces: These include smaller, detailed elements that complement the primary surfaces.
– Use a larger reference surface: Control the grading and overall topography of the site by using a larger reference surface, ensuring that all elements are properly aligned and integrated.
