BIM means so many different things to different people in and out of the design industry. It is important to establish what is Building Information Modeling (BIM). BIM is a flexible, single source, three-dimensional visual design and information management software used as an alternative to the
traditional two-dimensional CAD drafting.

Using BIM, the representation and use of our traditional drawings has shifted to a stronger interactive visual tool to bridge the gap between purposeful “working drawings” and powerful “presentation graphics”. BIM contains a library of object-based elements, the smallest components of a model, using simple lines, texts, and other two dimensional graphical data to fill in the gaps and to compliment and complete an architectural model. When looking at a CAD floor plan you see a two-dimensional idea of one floor in a forced perspective. However, when viewed in BIM that single floor plan is linked to every other floor plan, perspective, and schedule for the building, and contains actual objects – walls, floors, windows, doors, etc. that have depth, composition, and could even have a UPC code for materials pricing. BIM takes all of the raw data for a project and turns it into information accessible to the user no matter their knowledge base.

The extraction and use of the new information is much more important than the information itself. It doesn’t matter how much detail you place into BIM - you can easily add as much detail into a traditional CAD project. What matters is the kind of information you include, and how you use it to benefit your firm and your client.  The outcome is a project integration that is far more informative, and creates greater coordination among disciplines. In implementing BIM you speed up communication and eliminate wasteful redrawing by working in a single format, enacts changes to a specific section in every other related part of the model and is is accessible to everyone on the project team.