BIMing the architectural curricula: integrating Building Information Modelling (BIM) in architectural education

Building Information Modelling (BIM) reflects the current heightened transformation within the Architectural, Engineering and Construction (AEC) Industry and the Facilities and Management (FM) sector, offering a host of benefits from increased efficiency, accuracy, speed, co-ordination, consistency, energy analysis, project cost reduction etc to various stake holders from owners to architects, engineers, contractors and other built environment professionals. Many countries around the world are responding to this paradigm shift including the United Kingdom (UK). The Cabinet office took the decision in 2011 to make the use of collaborative 3D BIM technology mandatory for all public sector construction contracts by 2016 (Cabinet Office, 2011). According to Smith and Tardif, despite certain myths and misconceptions surrounding BIM, its rate of implementation has been much faster in comparison to the availability of professionals skilled in use of BIM, thus creating a skill gap in the design and construction industry (Smith and Tardif, cited in Barison and Santos, 2010a). This article aims at bridging the gap between the graduate skill sets and the changing needs of the profession. The research methodology adopted consists of thoroughly reviewing the existing literature in this subject area coupled with carrying out a survey of accredited Schools of Architecture in the UK. The analysis of the survey questionnaire results shows the extent to which BIM is currently being taught and identifies the barriers where its implementation has either been slow or not yet started. The paper highlights the fact that there has been considerable delay in the successful integration of BIM in the Schools of Architecture in the UK, thus emphasising the need for expeditiously training and preparing students in the use of BIM making them ready to effectively perform in a BIM enabled work arena

Humanism, architectural education and globalisation: rethinking the humanities after the death of man

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Humanism, architectural education and globalisation: rethinking the humanities after the death of man

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Liveable streets in the context of East and West: a new perspective

Liveable streets in the context of East and West: a new perspectiv

Internationalisation of architectural education in the context of globalisation

This paper is concerned with the issue of how to prepare future architects to practice competently in a rapidly transforming professional world. Heightened globalisation has led to transformations in the global workplace and raises important issues about what new knowledge, skills and competencies are needed graduate architects today. Other professional degrees in the higher education sector have worked out strategies, key components, curriculum content, and delivery mechanisms to internationalise their educational provision and prepare graduates to work in the new global workplace. But architectural education remains institutionally nationalistic and pedagogically trapped in the past. Internationalisation offers an inclusive learning environment for graduates who are likely to operate in socially and culturally diverse environments during their professional careers. As yet there is little evidence that architectural educators are aware of the issues involved in internationalisation, nor are they prepared to transform the content and delivery of their courses to harmonise with new global, multi-cultural environments. This paper provides an analysis of various issues surrounding contemporary architectural practice and education and argues that in schools of architecture need to be critically reassessed and reconfigured

Liveable streets in the context of East and West: a new perspective

Liveable streets in the context of East and West: a new perspective</p