黑洞社区

Interactive graphics in building design

We hope you found this week鈥檚 BIM issue of 黑洞社区 both interesting and informative, but remember, there鈥檚 nothing new under the sun, as a glance into the archive looking back 40 years shows 鈥�

The article describes 鈥渁 unique application of graphic input and output to engineering computer programs鈥� provided by consulting engineers Oscar Faber & Partners. It goes on to describe how the technology allows the design team (鈥渁rchitect, quantity surveyor, environmental and structural engineer鈥濃�� IT trends in construction have always been collaborative, it seems 鈥�) to 鈥渜uickly assess a preliminary room design in terms of daylight contours for rooms, heat gains and cooling loads for the 24 hours of any given day鈥�.

The software was run through the firm鈥檚 IBM 1130 computer, with input provided through a drawing board and pen, and a display shown on a 鈥渢elevision of the storage tube type with keyboard鈥� (see right).

Who says the construction industry isn鈥檛 an early adopter of cutting-edge technology?