Architectural Research Paper | Semester 9

Enhancing the Learning and Implementation of BIM Architecture in the Indian Architectural Community

NINTH SEMESTER B.ARCH, RESEARCH PAPER

In partial fulfilment of the requirements for the award of Bachelor’s Degree in Architecture of the Mahatma Gandhi University, Kerala

Submitted by

LITHIN KARIKKOTTU NINAN

193241910222

MARCH 2024

MAHATMA GANDHI UNIVERSITY, KOTTAYAM, KERALA, 686560

CERTIFICATE

Certified that the research paper titled “Enhancing the Learning and Implementation of BIM Architecture in the Indian Architectural Community” submitted by Mr. Lithin Karikkottu Ninan, 193241910222, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the award of bachelor’s degree in Architecture of Mahatma Gandhi University, Kerala, is a bonafide work carried out by him under my guidance and supervision.

DR. BABU RAJESWARAN

THE PRINCIPAL FACULTY IN-CHARGE

INTERNAL EXAMINER 1

INTERNAL EXAMINER 2

DECLARATION

“I, Lithin Karikkottu Ninan, 193241910222 hereby declare that this submission is my own work done as part of 19AR09006 RESEARCH

METHODOLOGY (S9), Mahatma Gandhi University (Kottayam), B.Arch. Course and that, to the best of my knowledge and belief, it contains no material previously published or written by another person or material which has been accepted or the award of any other degree or diploma of the university or other institute of higher learning, except where the acknowledgement has been made in text.”

Place: Ernakulam, Kerala

Date: 2024 – 03 – 01

LITHIN KARIKKOTTU NINAN

AKNOWLEDGMENT

I would like to express my sincere gratitude to all those who have contributed to the completion of this research paper.

Firstly, I am grateful to my esteemed college, Asian School of Architecture & Design Innovations, affiliated to the Mahatma Gandhi University (Kottayam), for providing me with the necessary resources and academic environment to conduct this research. I am particularly thankful to the faculty members of the Research Methodology committee who offered invaluable guidance and support throughout this process. Their insights, feedback, and encouragement were instrumental in shaping this research and refining my approach.

I extend my deepest appreciation to my family, who provided unwavering support and encouragement throughout my academic journey. Their constant love and belief in me have been a source of strength.

Finally, I am grateful to my friends for their understanding and encouragement during this time. Their friendship and support helped me persevere through challenges and celebrate achievements.

Thank you to everyone who played a role in making this research paper possible.

LITHIN KARIKKOTTU NINAN

Enhancing the Learning and Implementation of BIM Architecture in the Indian Architectural Community

Lithin Karikkottu NINAN, Semester 9, Batch 7; Asian School of Architecture & Design Innovations, Mahatma Gandhi University; Kerala, India

1.Abstract

Building Information Modeling (BIM), a transformative technology reshaping the global architecture landscape, encounters certain roadblocks in its widespread adoption within the Indian architectural community. This research delves into the current state of BIM learning and implementation, unveiling the critical barriers hindering its seamless integration. Drawing upon comprehensive analyses of existing literature, industry reports, and insightful expert interviews, we illuminate the pivotal need for enhanced access to BIM education, meticulously tailored software training programs, collaborative initiatives fostering knowledge exchange, and robust government support mechanisms. By proposing a multipronged approach targeting key stakeholders like universities, professional bodies, software developers, and government agencies, this paper charts a strategic course of action to expedite the embrace of BIM and its subsequent integration into the fabric of Indian architecture. This research journey not only identifies the challenges plaguing BIM adoption but also paves the way for a collaborative landscape that unleashes the vast potential of this revolutionary technology, ultimately propelling the Indian architectural fraternity towards a paradigm of digital innovation and excellence.

2.Keywords

BIM, Indian Architecture, Digitalization, Iterative Design, Cloud-Based Remote Working, Artificial Intelligence, Financial Constraints, Communities, Adoption, Sustainability, Generative Design, Energy Efficiency, Optimization, Education

3.Aim

To conduct a comprehensive assessment of the current landscape of BIM adoption within the Indian architectural community, identifying and elucidating the significant barriers impeding its widespread integration.

Lithin Karikkottu Ninan

4.Objective

To investigate the need for and potential impact of enhanced educational initiatives, targeted software training, collaborative platforms for knowledge exchange, and governmentled support mechanisms in facilitating BIM adoption within the Indian Architectural fraternity

5. Methodology

The research will commence with a meticulous review of existing literature on BIM adoption. This will involve comprehensively exploring scholarly articles, peer-reviewed publications, industry reports, and relevant grey literature. This in-depth exploration aims to gain a holistic understanding of the challenges faced in BIM adoption, along with potential solutions implemented both within India and internationally. By delving into existing research, the study will leverage the valuable insights and experiences documented by others, establishing a strong foundation for further investigation.

Following the data collection phases, the research will employ a combination of qualitative and quantitative analytical techniques to synthesize the information gathered from both the literature review and the interviews. This in-depth analysis will be pivotal in identifying the most salient factors influencing BIM adoption decisions within the Indian architectural industry. By systematically analyzing the data, the research will aim to pinpoint the most critical roadblocks and potential areas for intervention, paving the way for the development of effective strategies to overcome these challenges and facilitate widespread BIM adoption.

6.Scope

This research will geographically focus explicitly on the challenges and opportunities related to BIM adoption within the Indian architectural industry. The study will also target industry experts like architects, construction specialists, professional bodies, educational institutions, software developers, and government agencies playing pivotal roles in the BIM ecosystem.

7.Limitation

The number of interview participants and the range of stakeholders may be limited by time and resource availability. The ever-evolving nature of BIM technology and its applications may present the risk of the findings becoming partially outdated during the research process. While the research aims to illuminate the central issues impacting BIM adoption in India, the specific findings may not be fully generalizable to other developing nations with differing socioeconomic contexts.

8.Introduction

Building Information Modelling, otherwise known as ‘BIM’ for short as long been heralded as the next step towards the digitalization of the construction field. Large scale construction in the ancient world started in the year 4000 BC where the need for human shelter, privacy, transportation and survivability ensured the better living conditions and indemnified human lives for the next millennia or so. The prerequisite ideology instilled within the human mind allowed for further creativity along the lines of architecture and beyond. The bridge between construction and architecture enabled people to extensively add decorative and ambiguous elements to set the foundation for the birthplace of aesthetics coupled with functionality.

The world of digitization started with the conception of ‘Sketchpad’ as the first Computer Aided Design (CAD) software which enabled engineers and designers to widely adopt and replace their hardened skills of manual drafting (Geddes, 2020). One of the first uses of what might be called CAD was deployed by Patrick Hanratty at the General Motors Research Laboratories, which was used to develop the Design Automated that involved interactive graphics. Sketchpad was developed by Ivan Sutherland in the early 1960’s as part of his PhD thesis at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). It allowed users to graphically interact by using a light pen to draw on the computer’s monitor.

The digitalization of the built environment accelerated through the development of the first BIM software which enabled this transition and changed how we perceive the buildings and its architecture in a completely visual sense. Building Information Modelling as defined by the UK standards of PAS 1192-2:2013 states as the ‘process of designing, constructing or operating a building or infrastructure asset using electronic objectoriented information’ (The Institution of Structural Engineers BIM Panel, 2021).

With multiple iterations, tweaks, innovations, modifications and regular updates, BIM has extended its capabilities across every disciplines in the construction industry including architectural, structural, plumbing, electrical and mechanical specialties. This has empowered various users and professionals experience seamless integration of their respective fields which safeguarded against malpractices and unethical building applications. Thus, BIM has all the potential to be the future of the construction industry with its arms stretched across the boundaries of the digital world. With increasing regulations in the Meta-verse and other artificially generated virtual and augmented space realities, BIM is the tool which can bridge the gap between the real and the cybernetic ecosphere.

9.BIM in Indian Architectural Context

The adoption of BIM in India happened during the early 2000’s with gradual increase of awareness and implementation across various disciplines. The technology since then has transformed how architectural and construction projects get executed in the

Figure 1: Simplified Workflow Chart

Figure 2: Multi-disciplinary construction workflow © BIM Panel

country with a core ideology of collaborative practice in mind. (Kar, 2023)

The evolution of BIM in a country as big as India with the Architects Act getting passed in the 1972 by the Constitution of India coupled with the formation of the Council of Architecture has been slow, scrutinized widely but strengthening the construction sector at an optimal space. Many up-and-coming architectural firms tend to drop out using BIM software due to a multitude of reasons ranging from the lack of skilled professionals efficient in such software, affordability of the products and lack of implementation or practice across other allied fields within the construction realm. This causes an immense gap in the BIM pedagogy being underutilized and not taught in various architectural and engineering universities and colleges across the country. Even when it is taught through various courses, workshops and certifications, the overall widespread adoption is not guaranteed due to the educational and construction policies not being updated to better suit the needs of digital built environments, virtual clientele experience and pre-planning construction phases.

Quality control along with quantitative measurements are thereby unforeseen and not accomplished through the lack of usage of BIM, causing a throng of issues including structural failures, environmental degradation, lighting ineffectiveness, space mismanagement and lack of architectural excellence or input in bland constructed buildings and spaces. BIM Architecture should not be seen as a hindrance to the practice of the fraternity, moreover, it is to be seen as a vital tool of project management that aids easy workflow, faster production output and careful facilities planning methodology in the biome of the construction field.

10.Literature Review

This research review has been undertaken with the profound understanding that construction professionals routinely confront daunting exigencies in delivering flourishing projects amidst stringent budgetary constraints, resource scarcity, protracted schedules, and inconsistent data. Given the inherent spatiotemporal exclusivity of construction activities, meticulous synchronization becomes paramount for major works encompassing architectural, structural, and electrical designs. Building Information Modeling (BIM) emerges as a potent tool in prescient clash detection and pinpointing disparity locations. However, the technological advancement across interdepartmental networks necessitates a commensurate evolution of inter-organizational enterprise practices to fully leverage these advancements. Future inquiries should delve into the impact of divergent BIM implementation paradigms on project performance (Pandurang, 2022).

Lithin Karikkottu Ninan

Additionally, the spectrum of diverse interpretations regarding BIM utilization, ranging from mere visualization embellishment to pivotal coordination tool, analytical instrument, and integrated data stream for supply chains, has the potential to impede the widespread adoption of BIM's benefits across the construction community. Research efforts should be directed towards fostering enhanced coordination strategies within the context of this co-existing architype ecosystem (Pandurang, 2022)

While developed nations have already reaped the rewards of extensive BIM deployment, India lags behind in this regard. To bridge this gap, facilitating entities dedicated to promoting

Figure 3: BIM Adoption Pattern © NCBI Database

Figure 4: Position of India in the Global BIM Adoption Index © NCBI Database

large-scale BIM adoption are imperative. Furthermore, collaboration with private sector entities to incentivize BIM utilization is crucial. Professionals and organizations must equip themselves with the necessary knowledge and skills to embrace the value proposition of BIM, as BIM-enabled entities are poised to become highly sought-after in the near future. Ultimately, BIM transcends mere software; it fosters a paradigm shift within the construction domain, necessitating widespread cultural adaptation for its successful implementation (Pandurang, 2022).

11.Software Adoption

The factors pertaining to the technological hindrance to the adoption of BIM software like Autodesk Revit, ArchiCAD, Navisworks, Bentley MicroStation, Tekla Structures, Vectorsworks Architect, Solibri Model Cracker, BIM 360 (BIM Bloggers, 2023) and et cetera, are inclusive of the notion regarding the lack of educated and skilled professionals and the unaffordability of the paid versions of the aforementioned exhaustive list of software that deals with BIM construction and architecture. The extensive adoption is characterized by a severe lack of awareness of such software and the professional disregard of the software being an interference to the existing workflow of 2-D drafting and 3-D rendering. BIM provides a breakthrough in various iterative and generative design solutions, along with the excessive emphasis on the qualitative measurement of analytical models and insights. This cognitive bias against the adoption of BIM puts the innumerable architectural and allied construction firms in the

Figure 5: Commercialized Usability of BIM in the Construction Industry © NCBI Database

backdrop of inefficiencies leading to quality regulator damage limitations (Ahuja, 2018). There is a limited information available regarding BIM adoption patterns and maturity levels in emerging markets like India. Government supported encouragement and projects should be suggested along with the revisions in various national building codes and state-level regulations which can facilitate the usability and adoptability of BIM in private and public developmental, residential, commercial and urban regional projects. The public sector has to take the lead in BIM adoption along with regulatory approvals, capability development and removal of impediments (Construction Industry Development Council (CIDC) , 2019).

12.Conclusion

Implementation strategies need to be taken in accordance by creating incentives from the government for development of expertise in BIM. Educational tutoring should be incorporated as a part of existing architecture, civil engineering and associated streams, empowering more professionals to be qualified to handle BIM-integrated construction projects. University Masters and Doctoral options should also delve into various construction related courses like Digital Built Environment, Sustainable Digital Design, Construction Project Management and Construction Science of BIM Pedagogy to enhance the learning expertise in this ever-evolving field. The organizational framework of various software companies should yield in deciding to deploy BIM training facilities and enhance the learning of architectural visual and coding programming languages to better suit the utilization and

Ninan

Figure 6: BIM Adopters in the Construction Field © NCBI Database

creation of Indian Architectural styles and regulations. The biggest issues pertaining large scale adoption of these highly sophisticated software, albeit one is due to the lack of BIM families within the digital libraries of such software. Companies prefer tried and tested countries with extensive yet contemporary construction families like the USA, UK, Australia, and Canada, as opposed to the emerging and developing countries like India, Indonesia, New Zealand, Brazil and et cetera (Autodesk, 2024)

Therefore, the multi-faceted issues which correlates the lack of implementation of BIM should be dealt from the grassroots level of educational guilds with students being regarded at the forefront of architectural programming, stakeholders, BIM connoisseurs and specialists. Several governmental officialdoms require extensive amendments to their long-standing authoritative documents, standards and specifications. The research conclusively corroborates the multi-disciplinary fields that needs to collaboratively come together to sustain the future of Building Information Modelling.

13.References

Ahuja, R. (2018). Factors influencing BIM adoption in emerging markets the case of India . LJMU Research Online, 40-73.

Autodesk. (2024). Revit Content Libaries. New York. BIM Bloggers. (2023). Plannerly. Retrieved from My Top 10 Best BIM Software Programs.

Construction Industry Development Council (CIDC) . (2019). Indian Environmental Legislations. Delhi.

Geddes, D. (2020, 5 5). The history of computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing (CAD/CAM).

Kar, K. (2023, March 27). Techno Struct Academy. Retrieved from Adoption of BIM Technology in Designing & Architecture in India

Pandurang, K. P. (2022). BIM, Lack of Importance for Construction Projects in India . International Journal for Research in Applied Science & Engineering Technology (IJRASET) , 950-955. The Institution of Structural Engineers BIM Panel. (2021, February). An Introduction to Building Information Modelling (BIM). BIM Panel, 38.

14.Table of Figures

Figure 1: Simplified Workflow Chart 14

Figure 2: Multi-disciplinary construction workflow © BIM Panel 14

Figure 3: BIM Adoption Pattern © NCBI Database 16

Figure 4: Position of India in the Global BIM Adoption Index © NCBI Database.................................................16

Figure 5: Commercialized Usability of BIM in the Construction Industry © NCBI Database

Figure 6: BIM Adopters in the Construction Field © NCBI Database 18