Façade Modeling

Façade modeling allows facade engineers along with manufacturers to effectively manage design and production processes. Consequently, this leads to the development of both functionally and aesthetically superior complex building envelopes that are essential to contemporary buildings.

Façade design is closely related to other disciplines in terms of spatial position. BIM can change the traditional mode-of-work coordination among architects, structural engineers, and façade design engineers, and integrate the BIM models of different disciplines for interdisciplinary collision detection in order to discover the geometric position conflicts among different disciplines in advance. For instance, through interdisciplinary collision detection, it is possible to determine:

• the reserved room between curtain wall keel and concrete structure
• whether the structure leaves adequate room to the façade fabrication
• whether the positions of embedded parts are accurate
• whether there are any conflicts with decor and electromechanical positions

The primary purpose of implementing a BIM model in facade systems is to solve design issues and conflicts between facade building components before the start of actual construction. It also enables considerable saving of time and money in all stages of the building process. The creation of facade models facilitates the reduction of a number of steps, improving design time, at the same time retaining all the minor details of the final architecture plan. The core of the 3D façade modeling process is the transition of an authoritative BIM model among the various parties involved from which a complete and accurate set of construction documents are extracted.