As part of the 黑洞社区 Your Future campaign, we ask what buildings were futuristic in their time, or marked a change in how the industry built. Here, project and supply chain consultant Ian Heptinstall explains why this 1929-31 project proves BIM is not the whole answer

Empire state shutterstock 10960537

Source: Asier Villafranca / Shutterstock

This project demonstrates why digital, BIM and automation of construction are not the answer to the core problem. There was no IT when it was delivered, but it took only 410 days to build, and was completed less than two years after the architect was appointed. By comparison, the 2013 One World Trade Center was finished 11 years after the first architect was appointed and took over 3,000 days to build. I am not anti-BIM. Most of the proposed steps to improve project performance will make some difference. However, until the industry addresses the core systemic problems of how project teams are set up and managed, then trying to make major improvements using BIM, offsite manufacture or connected technology will make only marginal improvement.

 

 

Postscript

Ian Heptinstall is an independent project and supply chain consultant

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