A Case Study of Building Performance Analyses Using Building Information Modeling

"The first decade of the twenty first century has witnessed a tremendous increase in the demand of sustainable buildings mainly due to mounting energy costs and growing environmental concerns. The most effective decisions related to the sustainable design of a building can be made in the planning and design phases. Since Building Information Modeling (BIM) allows for multi-disciplinary information to be superimposed within one model, it creates an opportunity for sustainability measures to be incorporated early in the design process. This paper presents findings of a research project to investigate the feasibility of BIM for sustainability analyses via a case study. Based on the collected data, it is found that BIM can significantly aid in performing complex building performance analyses to ensure an optimized building design. The designers can also use these results to generate necessary documentation for LEED® certification (a green building rating system used in the USA), thereby saving considerable time and resources."