In the original design for the Sydney Opera House, Jørn Utzon envisioned the shells supported by precast concrete ribs under a reinforced concrete structure, which turned out to be prohibitively expensive. As one of the first projects to use computational calculations, the final solution - reached jointly between the architect and the structural engineer - consisted of a precast ribbed system of concrete shells created from sections of a sphere. At the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, the project team used CATIA software (typically used by the aerospace industry) to model and materialize the complex curvilinear shapes of the titanium-coated volume designed by Frank Gehry. Challenging projects tend to spark the creativity of those involved to make them possible, but there are constructive systems that interact well with existing technologies. This is the case, for example, with engineered wood and the BIM system. When used simultaneously, they usually achieve highly efficient and sustainable projects.
BIM (Building Information Modeling) allows the incorporation of a variety of valuable information into the model, in addition to the traditional three-dimensional views of walls, roofs or doors and windows, that permit design iterations and simulations. It also promotes collaboration and exchange of information throughout the team involved, from the first sketches to the end of a building's useful life. In other words, from planning and design to operation and decommissioning, the information contained in the BIM model supports building management.
