Building Information Modeling — An Overview

William Starkey lives in Montgomery, Texas, and has over three decades of experience in the construction industry. As the former CEO of Starkey Construction, William “Bill” Starkey understands building performance modeling as well as building information modeling. Building information modeling, or BIM, constitutes one crucial part of creating sustainable buildings.

BIM is a framework that considers the architecture, information technology, and construction of a sustainable building. For example, one segment of the BIM process involves analyzing the energy usage of electricity throughout a building. BIM also helps to highlight the mechanical and electrical sections of a building.

BIM also looks at energy-saving potential through solar analysis and thermal analysis. A solar analysis helps to see if a building should use solar panels as an alternative form of generating energy for the building, while thermal analysis focuses on maintaining a comfortable environment as a function of temperature, while remaining conscious of costs.