Hello BIMfans,
As I wrote in the Prologue, the idea for There’s No BIM Like Home was born when my wife and I were buying our first house. During this purchase, I quickly realized that we were given an awful lot of paperwork to manage but no way to manage it.

As a Chartered Architectural Technologist who specializes in information management using Building Information Modelling (BIM), I set out to produce and manage an information model of Tŷ Crempog.  The aim was to collect enough information to satisfy the Model Purposes I had identified:

• Register
• Operations
• Maintenance and Repair
• Replacements

To ensure these purposes where met, I undertook both verification and validation activities of the information I produced.

Verification:  Verification came from two sources. Principally from you, the readers, who would spot errors and inconsistencies (thank you, and keep those corrections coming). In addition, a key verification milestone was when John Ford took my COBie and verified it using the COBie QC Reporter.

Validation:  Validation on other hand came from my physical testing of this information, which I do on a daily basis, showing that Size Doesn’t Matter when it comes to BIM. I also validated information when it could be used to answer a Plain Language Question.

During this journey I’ve answered these all of these questions, having produced over 60 blog posts, which have had over 50000 unique views in 130 different countries. With these views came recognition in the form of positive reviews from you, the readers, as well as Testimonials from key BIM professionals such as Nick Nisbet and David Philp.

However, the work of There’s No BIM Like Home is far from over.

The most popular blog posts I’ve written is BIM Explainer, my plain language post; telling me that there are still issues around BIM education and communication. In addition, my other popular posts have been related to the practical application of standards such as:

• Understanding Uniclass, covering how I’ve applied Uniclass 2015
• Naming Omnibus, covering as many naming conventions as I could find
• Drawing to conclusions, covering the standards related to drawings
• Structured safety, covering how I achieved PAS 1192-6

Showing that there is a real appetite for practical demonstrations that show how these standards, methods, and procedures can be applied. As such, I plan to maintain the posts on this blog to ensure they align with industry developments and reflect good practice; for example, when ISO 19650-1 and ISO 19650-2 are published, when other standards are updated, or when new technologies are available.

So, please continue to visit this blog to keep up-to-date with good practice standards, methods, and procedures related to the use of information management using Building Information Modelling (BIM). Remember, while there may be some great mega-projects out there, There’s No BIM Like Home.

Fin

Note:  If you have any comments regarding my epilogue or want to let me know your thoughts about this blog, then please let me know either on Twitter or by commenting below.

Hello BIMfans,
This is a special update to inform you how There’s No BIM Like Home has faired making its conference debut at both Ecobuild and BIM Prospects this year.

Ecobuild 2017

At Ecobuild, I spoke on the BRE Academy‘s stage about There’s No BIM Like Home and my adventure through applying the BIM Level 2 process.  In this presentation, my main focus was the challenges in producing an information model of my home, and the benefits it now gives me.  I’m pleased to say that the presentation was very popular (as you can see from the tweet below), with a myriad of questions afterward, and kind requests from both PBC Today and CIBSE Journal to feature the blog.  In fact, the PBC Today article based on the presentation, Using BIM on Smaller-Scale Projects is Possible, is already available!

 

 

The core part of this presentation was how I compared traditional repair and replacement activities in my home to a ‘BIM-enabled’ approach.  Explaining how I could save time and effort in completing the same tasks, like changing a lightbulb.  Afterward, several people contacted me with their own anecdotes where they have seen the exact inefficiencies I described in action at offices as well as at hotels, hospitals, and schools.

 

 

 

NOTE: A copy of my presentation from Ecobuild can be found here.

BIM Prospects 2017

Following the success of Ecobuild, BRE asked me to present, but this time at BIM Prospects on manufacturer’s information.  Initially, I was concerned that the topic might not be a good fit (after all I’m an Architectural Technologist, not a product manufacturer) but after some reflection realized that I have a good story to tell around creating my non-graphical information, which is full of manufacturer’s information being used to manage my home.

 

My main focus was on my blog post Object Library Wars, where I compared manufacturers objects on three portals: National BIM Library, BIM Store, and BIM Objects against the BS 8541 national standards as well as my own defined methods within my BIM Execution Plan.  The presentation proved popular with several people taking notice of my tiny file sizes, plain language, and practical implementation of the BIM Level 2 standards.

 

 

 

 

NOTE: A copy of my presentation from BIM Prospects can be found here.

And there we have it.  The debut of this blog at two major conferences has been a great success, showing that even a two-up, two-down in South Wales has the potential to be just as smart as any central government asset.  The popularity of these presentations just goes to show; when it comes to information management There’s No BIM Like Home.

NOTE:  If you want to see There’s No BIM Like Home and a conference or event near you, just let me now by contacting me or on Twitter.

Hello BIMfans,
Welcome to the final post of 2016.

This year has been huge for There’s No BIM Like Home.  The blog only started back in March, and has already got 42 blog posts, and has achieved the goal of delivering a full set of BIM Level 2 deliverables before Christmas this year.

What I am most proud of (apart from being able to check my light bulb fittings from my phone), is how small my IFC files are.  With many forums stating that IFC files can be 2-5 times larger than the native model file, mine have come out around 5MB less which ranging from a 50% decrease to just over 90%!  See for yourself below.  This is due to the fact, that I have used my Property Definition File to strip out all of the excess properties and only exchange what I need.

There’s No BIM Like Home was started as a challenge I set to myself, as someone who writes, educates, advises, researches, and audits BIM Level 2; I wanted to show myself that I can practice what I preach.  As a Chartered Architectural Technologist, I have delivered a number of projects, but none were sufficiently BIM mature before I joined BRE. I feel that this blog has allowed me to do just that, and the support has been incredible.

At the time of writing this post (23/12/2016), the blog has been viewed in over 101 different countries, my Google Drive has been accessed over 800 times, my posts have been seen by over 7300 unique visitors, and my posts and pages have been viewed over 15,000 times!!

The prize for the most viewed blog post goes to:  The BIM Explainer with over 1500 views alone!

And the wooden spoon going to my least viewed page, Testimonials with 34 views (Well it is blank after all!).

Well not for long…

I have gotten lots of support through this year, so a big thank you to anyone that has supported by sharing, commenting, or contributing (You know who you are!).  However, one person in particular has been especially supportive.  Nick Nisbet Director of AEC3 and Vice-chair of buildingSMART UK & Ireland is not only an author of some of the standards I have discussed; but has also been an avid reader who has been keen to comment and pass on useful insights where possible.  So I wanted to give Nick a special thank you.

In return, Nick has kindly written me my first Testimonials, which is also very in-keeping with the tone of the blog.  Feel free to send your own testimonials in too; *wink cough*.

Nick Nisbet

Director, AEC3 Vice-chair, buildingsmart UK & IrelandCo-author of COBie, BS1192:2007 and BS1192-4

“Avoiding all stereotypes, Dan’s Welshness hasn’t stopped him to bring calm clarity and purposefulness to show that the standards not only make sense but work!”

🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟

So what will 2017 bring for There’s No BIM Like Home?  Well the first major change is that blog posts will no longer be weekly.

After much consideration, now that my information model is complete I cannot keep the same pace going without it affecting the quality of what is produced (or the happiness of my fiancee!).  As such the blog will aim to post less frequently (monthly-ish?) to complete my remaining operational Plain Language Questions, as well as following the installation of any new Smart Products, minor works that trigger an update to the information model as per my Employer’s Information Requirements, as well as a few planned revisions of previous posts.  I’m really enjoying blogging about my home, so I hope you continue to follow me on this journey.

And there we have it, with 2016 coming to a close, there is a whole world of adventures waiting for Ty Crempog in 2017.  Just remember that no matter where you are, There’s No BIM Like Home.

Hello BIMfans,
I have a special announcement I want to share with all of you.

Since staring this blog just over six months ago (if you want to read the reason why I started it, here is the prologue), I have published 27 posts and gotten over 3,400 unique visitors. I have been blown away by it’s popularity, so enthused by the support I am getting, I have decided to improve and expand the blog.

New Theme

You may have noticed that the blog has gotten a face-lift.  Instead of the previous theme Franklin, I am now using Nucleare a free WordPress theme by CrestaProject.  This theme is gorgeous, and gives the site the exact feel I am looking for.

New Menu

I have restructured the blog menu.  Under the ‘About‘ section, there is a new page dedicated to Testimonials that I will be populating shortly (feel free to submit, wink wink).  I addition I have the following new sections:

• Documents, dedicated to help visitors find documents I have created such as my House’s Employer’s Information Requirements & BIM Execution Plan;
• Engagement, dedicated to interactive content, first on the list are some stereo panoramas like this one of my living room, this heading will also include my published models, and I have a few more ideas currently brewing too;
• Discussion, dedicated to future opinion posts with historic ones being transferred over too from other sites such as The Great British BIM Off from last year; and
• Smart Homes, a new blog stream I am particularly excited about.

New Direction

Before Christmas I will have completed the blogs’s original purpose by having completed and documented the creation of an information model about my home capable of producing BIM Level 2 compliant deliverables.  However, I feel that while I document some operational elements there is more value this blog can bring.  As such, I will also starting posting ‘Smart Home‘ related blogs.

As you know, I already have a number of smart products in my home including:

• Nest Thermostat;
• Nest Protect;
• Philips Hue; and
• Amazon  Dash.

In a few weeks I will have done a full 12 month cycle with my Nest Thermostat; from that moment I plan to post reviews of my existing smart products as well as others I will be acquiring.  These won’t just be simple reviews, as I also plan to discuss how I have represented them in my information model, and what data I need to capture about each of them; showing the relationship between BIM, IoT, Smart Homes, and 3D Modelling.

Note:  Please feel free to let me know of any products you think I should get for my home.  A few of you have already tweeted me about Amazon Echo (I’m actually going to wait for Google Home), but if you have any other suggestions, I’d love to hear them.  Or if you have a product you think i’ll be interested in, send me a tweet, wink wink.

So there we have it, my grand plans for the future.  I hope you will continue to support

“One man’s dream to BIM & IoT his Smart home”

Because despite all of the incredible intelligence we put into our projects; in reality, There’s no BIM like home.