BIM has been paying off for AE firm NELSON. “Once a team becomes proficient in the BIM process, we see better margins for projects completed in Revit,” says John “Ozzie” Nelson, Jr., President/CEO. “We see more RFPs that require Revit.” Creating Revit models opens up doors in analysis, data integration, facilities management, and advanced visualization, he says.
Perkins Eastman is starting to see results from its investment in BIM. “Our most recent in-house analysis of project labor costs on comparable CAD/BIM projects is showing an increase in BIM projects over CAD projects,” says Chair/CEO Bradford Perkins, FAIA, MRAIC, AICP. “Many of the other benefits of a BIM workflow are not so easily quantified, but they are real enough to give us confidence that BIM is paying off.”
SCROLL DOWN FOR GIANTS 300 BIM FIRM RANKINGS
Alex Ivanikiw, AIA, LEED AP, Senior Vice President at Barton Malow: “The real benefit is how the use of BIM enables collaboration, which in turn builds a real sense of trust and teamwork.” When subcontractors had trouble using the BIM model for submittal approval and materials fabrication, Barton Malow created a BIM 101 seminar to educate them in these processes, says Ivanikiw.
BIM projects have been profitable for Syska Hennessy Group, but there’s always room for improvement, says Co-president Gary Brennen, PE, LEED AP. SHG was “committed and fully invested in the early adoption of BIM,” but the MEP software still lags behind the architectural and structural components. “We were aware of that going into the process,” he says.
Structural engineering firm Magnusson Klemencic Associates is producing 100% of its projects as BIM models. “After many years of investment, we are finally turning the corner on implementing BIM in an efficient and thoughtful manner,” says MKA President Ron Klemencic, PE, SE.
The key to successful BIM implementation: “A project team with the experience and knowledge of what to model and how to model it,” says Klemencic.
“Allowing owners to better visualize the project has become an influencing factor during the presentation process,” says Doug Davidson, President, New South Construction. In 2011, over 45% of New South’s projects used BIM.
“There’s no question that BIM has paid off in our role as engineer of record producing construction drawings and as detailing engineer,” says Robert Otani, PE, LEED AP, Vice President of Thornton Tomasetti. The firm’s Construction Support Services practice uses BIM to produce digital fabrication drawings, connection engineering, and erection engineering for steel contractors. “The technology is constantly changing, and the engineers need to stay ahead of the curve,” says Otani.
KJWW Engineering recently standardized on Revit BIM in all 11 offices. President Paul VanDuyne, PE, says it was much more difficult to develop the MEP and technology components of the firm’s BIM platform than it was for structural engineering and medical equipment planning. “Now we are completing projects in close to the same time frame as previously with 3D, and in some cases faster,” he says.
EwingCole now uses an internal “cloud” for team members, who are now able to work on BIM through higher-end processors and central servers, says President Mark Hebden, AIA, LEED AP.
EYP Architecture & Engineering adopted BIM in 2006, and it has become a core competency. One unexpected benefit: “BIM integration has created more opportunities for younger tech-savvy staff to collaborate with senior technical team members,” says John Pocorobba, AIA, NCARB, LEED AP, Chief Operations Officer.
“It becomes apparent which market sectors are embracing BIM,” said Greg Lyon, Vice President and Director of Business Development at Nadel Architects, whose BIM work focuses on hospitality and retail clients.
“BIM implementation has been a long-term effort and a considerable one,” says Phil Harrison, FAIA, LEED AP, CEO of Perkins+Will. The firm has overcome the technical and training issues and is now “focusing on innovations and efficiencies,” he says.
Shepley Bulfinch has been using BIM since 2009 and now uses it for all projects. President Carole Wedge, FAIA, LEED AP, says BIM implementation has led to a “deeper exploration about how we approach our work, including how we draw and how we schedule our projects.”
According to Graef CEO John Kissinger, “We were early adopters. It was more difficult than we thought, but it is ingrained in all areas of our practice now.”
SmithGroupJJR began transitioning to Revit in 2005, and is now demonstrating a return on its BIM investment. On a daily basis, the firm peaks at around 310 concurrent users on Revit Architecture, Revit MEP, and Revit Structure.
President Steven Straus says Glumac made “an enormous investment” in BIM training and software development. “BIM is a new technology that is improving coordination,” he says, “but the software is not ready for prime time.”
“Not all contractors we work with are leveraging BIM. This means we have to spend more time preparing drawings in BIM than we normally would,” says BRPH President/CEO Brad Harmsen, AIA.
The chief conclusion from this survey: BIM is here to stay, but be prepared to invest staff time and money to perfect it. +
TOP 25 BIM ARCHITECTURE FIRMS
Rank | Company | 2011 BIM Revenue ($) |
1 | HOK | 398,217,301 |
2 | HDR Architecture | 327,690,000 |
3 | Perkins+Will | 274,336,000 |
4 | Skidmore, Owings & Merrill | 204,000,000 |
5 | HKS | 200,000,000 |
6 | Cannon Design | 173,000,000 |
7 | SmithGroupJJR | 150,540,000 |
8 | RTKL Associates | 140,000,000 |
9 | Hammel, Green and Abrahamson | 76,740,000 |
10 | EYP Architecture & Engineering | 72,681,105 |
11 | Corgan Associates | 67,575,000 |
12 | Flad Architects | 65,100,000 |
13 | HNTB Architecture | 63,244,852 |
14 | Fentress Architects | 58,824,000 |
15 | DLR Group | 49,500,000 |
16 | BSA LifeStructures | 45,316,495 |
17 | PageSoutherlandPage | 44,918,630 |
18 | ZGF Architects | 40,352,152 |
19 | Ennead Architects | 39,341,000 |
20 | KMD Architects | 35,143,453 |
21 | Cooper Carry | 34,000,000 |
22 | Perkins Eastman | 32,500,000 |
23 | LS3P Associates | 32,211,134 |
24 | FKP Architects | 30,000,000 |
25 | Harley Ellis Devereaux | 28,740,000 |
TOP 25 BIM ENGINEERING FIRMS
Rank | Company | 2011 BIM Revenue ($) |
1 | Jacobs | 355,021,036 |
2 | URS Corp. | 275,000,000 |
3 | Stantec | 181,300,000 |
4 | SSOE Group | 103,506,950 |
5 | Science Applications International Corp. | 92,695,000 |
6 | Thornton Tomasetti | 83,314,632 |
7 | KPFF Consulting Engineers | 60,000,000 |
8 | Burns & McDonnell | 50,000,000 |
9 | KJWW Engineering Consultants | 43,784,892 |
10 | Bard, Rao + Athanas Consulting Engineers | 32,000,000 |
11 | H&A Architects & Engineers | 29,883,975 |
12 | TLC Engineering for Architecture | 27,290,274 |
13 | STV | 26,646,000 |
14 | Glumac | 26,408,740 |
15 | Magnusson Klemencic Associates | 25,845,578 |
16 | Middough | 25,000,000 |
17 | R.G. Vanderweil Engineers | 24,912,000 |
18 | Michael Baker Jr., Inc | 24,000,000 |
19 | Syska Hennessy Group | 23,500,000 |
20 | Smith Seckman Reid | 21,360,000 |
21 | Bergmann Associates | 18,420,000 |
22 | ccrd partners | 16,700,000 |
23 | Rutherford & Chekene | 16,568,000 |
24 | Paulus, Sokolowski and Sartor | 15,500,000 |
25 | L.R. Kimball | 14,200,000 |
TOP 25 BIM CONSTRUCTION FIRMS
Rank | Company | 2011 BIM Revenue ($) |
1 | Turner Corporation, The | 5,458,100,812 |
2 | URS Corp. | 4,150,000,000 |
3 | Hensel Phelps Construction | 2,230,890,000 |
4 | Mortenson | 2,220,000,000 |
5 | Balfour Beatty US | 2,070,776,637 |
6 | McCarthy Holdings | 1,897,000,000 |
7 | Holder Construction | 1,651,000,000 |
8 | Whiting-Turner Contracting Co., The | 1,282,424,019 |
9 | Lend Lease | 1,264,115,151 |
10 | Hoffman Corp. | 1,165,887,387 |
11 | Walsh Group, The | 1,128,436,530 |
12 | PCL Construction Enterprises | 1,100,346,901 |
13 | JE Dunn Construction | 1,097,865,953 |
14 | Clayco | 820,000,000 |
15 | DPR Construction | 691,319,178 |
16 | Swinerton | 653,859,000 |
17 | Gilbane Building Co. | 622,414,000 |
18 | Suffolk Construction | 621,498,214 |
19 | Structure Tone | 606,850,000 |
20 | Pepper Construction Group | 566,300,000 |
21 | Weitz Co., The | 560,000,000 |
22 | Manhattan Construction Group | 549,029,000 |
23 | Austin Industries | 547,065,203 |
24 | Power Construction | 530,000,000 |
25 | Brasfield & Gorrie | 504,676,926 |
Related Stories
Data Centers | Oct 14, 2016
Where data centers meet design
As technology continues to evolve, we have to simultaneously adapt and help our clients think beyond the short term, writes Gensler's Martin Gollwitzer.
Architects | Oct 13, 2016
Dallas architects recognized at 2016 AIA Dallas Built Design Awards
Six Texas-based projects lauded for design excellence.
Architects | Oct 11, 2016
A good imagination and a pile of junk: How maker culture is influencing the way AEC firms solve problems
“Fail” is no longer a dirty four-letter word: for maker culture, it has become a crucial stop along the way
Architects | Oct 4, 2016
Video blog: How to future-proof your workplace
Larry Lander, a Principal with PDR and a registered architect, discusses how modularity can improve a workplace for the business and the individual.
Architects | Sep 30, 2016
Ugly soviet parking garage takes on appearance of a cascading waterfall
Architect Ignas Lukaskas worked in conjunction with Vieta and the Vilnius Street Art festival to transform the building.
Architects | Sep 30, 2016
HOK partners with Delos to accredit its designers as wellness professionals
They are also working on the first WELL-certified city district, in Tampa, Fla.
Architects | Sep 29, 2016
Join Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture’s partners Adrian Smith, Gordon Gill, and Robert Forest for “AS+GG At Ten”
The event is a presentation of their work spanning the past 10 years.
Architects | Sep 29, 2016
Design culture in Dubai draws increased international attention
Innovation and sustainability drive an increasingly global design culture in Dubai.
Architects | Sep 29, 2016
Space architecture is making the leap from science fiction to reality
3D printed domes and inflatable living spaces are just some of the ideas for how to create habitable spaces on Martian planets.
Reconstruction & Renovation | Sep 28, 2016
Architecture conservation efforts begin at Salk Institute of Biological Studies
Getty-led research and funding leads to important site repairs and long-term conservation management planning.