How GIS Boost the Architecture Practice
I’ve been hugely interested to do design on a canvas of data and information with the integration of Revit and CityEngine this week in the office. With my first experience with BIM data, I would expect these kind of knowledge will be put at a huge advantage in the real world. Even though, CityEngine hasn’t been around in the industry that long, but they are certainly getting results with the additional CGA features. Meanwhile, I’ve still been working on learning more BIM and CityEngine for modelling and getting all of the features to play nicely together. And here are some insights I have while I’m working on my recent project.
For those who doesn’t know, GIS is a system that integrates spatial and geographic data. While BIM is about the building itself and GIS is about how the building interacts with the built environment and its systems overall. GIS and BIM integration is equally useful in planning and architectural structures, delivering the surrounding and geographic conditions of an area.
With the advance of design technology and development, an entire BIM model can now be visualised in a geographic context. In the process of my project, I’ve come to a realisation that connecting BIM and GIS is so critical and we should make smarter planning decisions. The integration of these systems will have a huge impact to the evolution of smart cities; for example the road management are constantly collecting real-time information. And people solely rely on highly accurate machine mapping engines for navigation and its local geometry. Connecting geographic and modelling data will improve all insights and leading to better infrastructure designs in the urban environment.
In the meantime, ESRI is also implementing BIM data to improve their current 3D platform: CityEngine — as an integral part to their ArcGIS platforms. This visualisation capability will be more beneficial to architects, planners and engineers to access all associated attribute and parametric information.
To finish the article, I would like to summarise my opinions on how GIS can offer to the architecture workflows:
- City planning, Landscape development
- Smart cities simulation
- Human behaviours
- Geo-design and technology
- Climate variability and analysis
