CloudScapes
A BIM-informed landscape design: Gillespies
A BIM-informed landscape design: Gillespies
Details:
- Company: CloudScapes
- Client: Gillespies
- Year: 2022 - 2023
- Region: England
- Product: ArtisanRV
Service areas:
- Visualisation, 3D modelling and animations
- Artificial intelligence (AI) and software solutions
- Plan-making, planning application and data management systems
Introduction
The £80m University of Birmingham Molecular Sciences Building, completed in 2023 has been delivered with a BIM-led landscape achieving its BREEAM and EPC A excellence.
The Landscape BIM specialists at Gillespies delivered a BIM-informed landscape design using ArtisanRV tools and Revit to enable the team to review design and specification information and assist in coordination on site. Gillespies’ Landscape Architect Kyle Mackintosh worked closely with the BIM team on the University landscape scheme in 2022 to deliver this project using Revit & Artisan RV.
The Landscape BIM specialists at Gillespies delivered a BIM-informed landscape design using ArtisanRV tools and Revit to enable the team to review design and specification information and assist in coordination on site. Gillespies’ Landscape Architect Kyle Mackintosh worked closely with the BIM team on the University landscape scheme in 2022 to deliver this project using Revit & Artisan RV.
Challenges
Outlining how the project enabled both BIM compliance and collaborative workflows, Mackintosh said: “The University of Birmingham Molecular Sciences building had strict modelling and asset data requirements. ArtisanRV allowed us to produce a compliant BIM model, manage coordination and clash detection as well as producing detailed planting plans and schedules within Revit.”
Solutions
The University gardens and planting scheme was created using ArtisanRV tools for single and area planting and the creation of planting mixes. Rather than having to manually define planting types, specification information and quantities, the team was able to use the centralised Cloud service to create and manage plants and mixes collaboratively throughout the design phases.
With ArtisanRV, the design team was able to select from Cloud-based planting libraries to create palettes of single species and mixes that best reflected the specific requirements of the University of Birmingham project. Planting in the model was automatically populated with characteristics, height, form, spread, growth rate and ultimate height at maturity, enabling the team to test and evaluate in real-time as the design progressed. Planting placed in the model was immediately displayed in all views – plans, sections, elevations and schedules.
With ArtisanRV, the design team was able to select from Cloud-based planting libraries to create palettes of single species and mixes that best reflected the specific requirements of the University of Birmingham project. Planting in the model was automatically populated with characteristics, height, form, spread, growth rate and ultimate height at maturity, enabling the team to test and evaluate in real-time as the design progressed. Planting placed in the model was immediately displayed in all views – plans, sections, elevations and schedules.
Results
Planting species were selected and mixes created for the various areas of the project including shade, semi-shade, sunny, slopes, buffers, retaining walls. Through the project stages, the team was able to easily edit plant selections and specifications or to substitute individual species or mixes as the design became more refined. Everyone was able to see the modifications immediately in all views – the same plant or mix (and components), specification information and sizing. Drastically reducing manual intervention, it also reduced duplication, human error and allowed for a swifter BIM-collaborative discourse without dilution.
Having access to fully-informed 3D planting components enabled the Gillespies team to consider the impact of trees above and beneath the ground (canopies, growth, ultimate height/spread, shadow analysis, tree pits and rootballs). Various options were immediately available for visualisation directly within the model environment or to extend in specialised VR/AR technologies.
Having access to fully-informed 3D planting components enabled the Gillespies team to consider the impact of trees above and beneath the ground (canopies, growth, ultimate height/spread, shadow analysis, tree pits and rootballs). Various options were immediately available for visualisation directly within the model environment or to extend in specialised VR/AR technologies.