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
University Buildings | Jun 28, 2024
The American University in Cairo launches a 270,000-sf expansion of its campus in New Cairo, Egypt
In New Cairo, Egypt, The American University in Cairo (AUC) has broken ground on a roughly 270,000-sf expansion of its campus. The project encompasses two new buildings intended to enhance the physical campus and support AUC’s mission to provide top-tier education and research.
MFPRO+ New Projects | Jun 27, 2024
Chicago’s long-vacant Spire site will be home to a two-tower residential development
In downtown Chicago, the site of the planned Chicago Spire, at the confluence of Lake Michigan and the Chicago River, has sat vacant since construction ceased in the wake of the Great Recession. In the next few years, the site will be home to a new two-tower residential development, 400 Lake Shore.
Codes and Standards | Jun 27, 2024
Berkeley, Calif., voters will decide whether to tax large buildings with gas hookups
After a court struck down a first-in-the-nation ban on gas hookups in new buildings last year, voters in Berkeley, Calif., will have their say in November on a measure to tax large buildings that use natural gas.
Mass Timber | Jun 26, 2024
Oregon State University builds a first-of-its-kind mass timber research lab
In Corvallis, Oreg., the Jen-Hsun Huang and Lori Mills Huang Collaborative Innovation Complex at Oregon State University aims to achieve a distinction among the world’s experimental research labs: It will be the first all-mass-timber lab meeting rigorous vibration criteria (2000 micro-inches per second, or MIPS).
Sustainability | Jun 26, 2024
5 ways ESG can influence design and create opportunities
Gensler sustainability leaders Stacey Olson, Anthony Brower, and Audrey Handelman share five ways they're rethinking designing for ESG, using a science-based approach that can impact the ESG value chain.
Student Housing | Jun 25, 2024
P3 student housing project with 176 units slated for Purdue University Fort Wayne
A public/private partnership will fund a four-story, 213,000 sf apartment complex on Purdue University Fort Wayne’s (PFW’s) North Campus in Fort Wayne, Indiana. The P3 entity was formed exclusively for this property.
Sustainability | Jun 24, 2024
CBRE to use Climate X platform to help clients calculate climate-related risks
CBRE will use risk analysis platform Climate X to provide climate risk data to commercial renters and property owners. The agreement will help clients calculate climate-related risks and return on investments for retrofits or acquisitions that can boost resiliency.
MFPRO+ News | Jun 24, 2024
‘Yes in God’s Backyard’ movement could create more affordable housing
The so-called “Yes in God’s Backyard” (YIGBY) movement, where houses of worship convert their properties to housing, could help alleviate the serious housing crisis affecting many communities around the country.
Student Housing | Jun 20, 2024
How student housing developments are evolving to meet new expectations
The days of uninspired dorm rooms with little more than a bed and a communal bathroom down the hall are long gone. Students increasingly seek inclusive design, communities to enhance learning and living, and a focus on wellness that encompasses everything from meditation spaces to mental health resources.
Museums | Jun 20, 2024
Connecticut’s Bruce Museum more than doubles its size with a 42,000-sf, three-floor addition
In Greenwich, Conn., the Bruce Museum, a multidisciplinary institution highlighting art, science, and history, has undergone a campus revitalization and expansion that more than doubles the museum’s size. Designed by EskewDumezRipple and built by Turner Construction, the project includes a 42,000-sf, three-floor addition as well as a comprehensive renovation of the 32,500-sf museum, which was originally built as a private home in the mid-19th century and expanded in the early 1990s.
