Procedural BIM: Large Scale Metadata Workflows from Design to Manufacture

Recorded at CDFAM Computational Design Symposium, NYC 2024Presentation AbstractTraditional 3D modeling often captures only the outcomes of design processes, and not the underlying decisions and logic. Procedural BIM is an approach that addresses this by representing an architectural project as a network of interconnected, metadata-enhanced models. This network not only stores the outcomes but also embodies the design thinking, enabling scripts to dynamically establish relationships, generate new objects, and propagate information across the network while adhering to the principles of the design.The presentation will detail the application of this innovative framework in the design, fabrication, and installation of over 23,000 unique curtain wall panels for a large-scale project, featuring 8.5 million individual fabricated components. The panels feature extreme cold-bent glass, with complex three-dimensional frames that are prefabricated to unlock rapid installation. Metadata also enabled the development of a machine-learning model derived from 3,500 material simulations to reverse engineer the flat shape of twisted panels.By leveraging a data-centric approach, the system acts as both a record and a map of the design’s relationships, dependencies, and logic. It allows for simultaneous representations at various levels of detail, and a continuous flow of information from the building’s overall massing down to the holes on a fabricated component.Speaker BioKeyan combines his dual education in architecture and structural engineering with a deep expertise in computational design. He spent 10 years at Front, Inc. developing facade systems for high profile projects around the world and working with many of the premier global design firms. He then went on to lead the Computational Design team for Grimshaw’s New York Studio, and now runs an independent consultancy focused on automation and digital processes for designers and makers. His career has been especially focused on parametric design, complex simulations, DfMA, and anything related to the process of transforming data into real, physical constructionsCDFAM Computational Design Symposium series brings together leading experts in computational design from industry, academia and software development for two days of knowledge sharing and networking. Visit CDFAM.COM to learn about upcoming events around the world. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.designforam.com