arcCA (Architecture California) was, from 2000 to 2012, the quarterly print journal of the AIA California Council. For this season of arcCA DIGEST, on data, we revisit John Mitchell’s “Reorganizing Around BIM,” from arcCA 06.1: Imbedded Knowledge.
In it, Mitchell observes,
Along with the rest of the business world, architecture practices have adopted computer technology. And on the way we’ve converted drawing boards into 2D CAD drawings and delivered them as PDFs. But unlike other comparable industries, such as banking or manufacturing, we haven’t materially changed work practices; we are still using work concepts from 1900. So far, we haven’t considered what computing really means and how we should use it.
As he says,
The biggest single issue is the development of industry standards. The best analogy is the emergence of railways in the nineteenth century. Until the government in Britain decided upon a standard gauge, a multitude of train companies had their own railway systems—working in their own area (FEM), specialized for some task (DWG), with wide tracks (XML), narrow tracks (HTML), light loads (VRML), heavy loads (TIFF), etc. When the standard gauge was agreed upon (when industry and government made a strategic decision for the benefit of all), train companies found they could connect (interoperate), and an astounding increase in commerce occurred. Some companies disappeared, some people lost money. Travelers embarked on a transportation revolution. That’s what we need for the built environment now.
Mitchell goes on to enumerate steps that need to be taken to address this challenge—steps that remain relevant today.
