Successful BIM projects: a luxury redevelopment in the heart of London
Successful BIM projects: A luxury project has recently been completed in London’s West End and it was delivered with the highest quality standards and optimized works time schedule
With a £ 215 million project, Great Portland Estates (GPE) has completed the redevelopment of Rathbone Square in London’s bustling West End, a stone’s throw away from the British Museum.
The project was developed with a BIM execution plan and methodologies in order to respect works time scheduling and, consequently, delivery terms; while maintaining the highest quality standards to build a complex that would last for many decades.
The new mixed-use building includes offices, shops and 142 prestigious apartments all located around a new garden square. The interiors are characterized by the use of materials and furnishings of great taste and refinement; this is due to the fact that the privileged location and the very high sales prices do not make the buildings affordable for all budgets.
Successful BIM projects – delivery by digital technology
The project required experience, skills and know-how of 3D modelling and BIM processes. Thanks to the use of collaborative platforms it was possible to optimize the design / construction phases and the future management of the building.
The real estate company, owner of the area, was one of the first supporters for the application of digital BIM construction methods in London; after having used them in other projects to reduce risks and waste, they decided to use new digital tools in this redevelopment project since it represented the only possible way to respect the very tight work times.
GPE had previously worked with BIM on the 240 Blackfriars project, which was one of the few BIM projects in London at the time.
The use of digital construction was back then particularly rare even among the main capitals of the world. Furthermore, it had never been used in such a large and high-profile project.
The BIM process was the supporting thread of cooperation between the different team members, and collaboration made the project a success.
Since this is such a complex project, the use of BIM collaborative platforms has been fundamental for the coordination and management of construction site problems and has allowed them to use over 650 models without any interference.
Furthermore, Oculus Rift visors were used to navigate virtually the model and the technical areas, allowing to analyse all the systems closely and verify their operation and their accessibility well before the actual construction phase, thus eliminating the risk of having to make changes in the execution phase.
The project manager said:
“I am immensely proud of what GPE and our supply chain have achieved at Rathbone Square, it demonstrates the sophistication of the whole project team, resulting in a highly desirable space to live and work. We have delivered not only a sustainable building by significantly reducing waste and whole life cycle cost, but the digital built model delivered prior to the physical built asset has led to enhanced soft landings and will simplify future use”.
