The Bill & Melinda Gates Hall at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York brings together the school’s computing and information science departments in a new joint facility designed to generate collaboration and spontaneous discourse. Its integrated sustainability expresses a commitment to environmental stewardship and creates a healthier environment, reduces energy consumption, and preserves natural resources.
A BIM strategy implemented through AECOsim Building Designer, Bentley Navigator, MicroStation, and ProjectWise enabled Morphosis Architects to create a holistic view of the building and provide a single information source from early concept through construction. The integrated model increased the design team’s productivity and reduced the staff required to design, document, and coordinate the deliverables. The use of mobile devices provided each team member with immediate access to project data and enabled real-time documentation and communication of project work throughout the design and construction process.
The Integrated BIM methodology helped the project team deliver this state-of-the-art academic building within the project’s original budget. A series of cost savings were realized through the stakeholders’ full investment and commitment to an integrated BIM strategy. This collaborative and transparent approach created a trusting environment across the team, and encouraged open dialogue throughout the submittal and review process and during construction. The reliance upon a multi-discipline BIM dataset further guaranteed the success of the project by eliminating opportunities for miscommunication. The collective investment by all stakeholders provided the framework necessary for coordination and communication throughout the project.
Cory Brugger, director of design technology, Morphosis Architects noted, “The evolution of our projects is dependent upon the quality of information and speed at which we receive feedback from an iterative design process. Central to this process is a reliance on the development of an integrated project BIM. The reliability of Bentley’s products provided our design team with the tools necessary to deliver the Bill & Melinda Gates Hall for Cornell University. The success of this highly innovative, award-winning project was supported by Bentley’s modeling platforms which provided an environment for the development and communication of accurate and highly interoperable information for all stakeholders in the project."
