From 2D drawings to BIM: what changes in an architecture practice
A BIM model changes how a practice represents and checks a design.
Guides for moving from drawings to BIM
Practical answers to help you plan, prepare and review your next modeling assignment.
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PDF to Revit: preparing a modeling brief
A PDF can be a useful reference for architectural modeling, provided the package explains what the drawing represents.
DWG to BIM: what to retain and what to review
A DWG can contain valuable geometric information, but it also carries the history of the drawing process.
Scanned plans: preparing a readable reference
A scanned drawing is evidence of a building or a design, not a precise survey by itself.
From sketch to model: the information you need
A sketch can communicate a strong architectural idea while leaving many construction relationships unresolved.
What an IFC file offers an architecture practice
IFC is an open standard used to exchange building information between applications.
Revit or IFC: choosing the right delivery
Choosing between Revit and IFC is a workflow decision.
What an architectural BIM base includes
An architectural BIM base organizes the building information required for the next stage of architectural work.
What to ask an architectural modeling provider
A good supplier brief makes it possible to evaluate the work before a commercial relationship becomes complicated.
When to outsource the move from drawings to BIM
Outsourcing architectural modeling is most useful when it addresses a defined production need.
A checklist before sending a drawing package
A short preflight check helps a modeling assignment start with the information it needs.
Heights and levels: resolving questions before modeling
Floor plans describe horizontal relationships, but a building model also needs a dependable vertical framework.
Materials and naming: preserving office standards
A model can look correct while being difficult for the practice to continue using.
Walls, doors and windows: defining modeling scope
Walls, doors and windows appear in almost every architectural modeling brief, yet those words can hide very different expectations.
Stairs and floor slabs: information worth clarifying
Stairs and floor slabs connect the horizontal and vertical logic of a building.
Working with outdated drawings
Outdated drawings can still provide useful context, especially when preparing a model of an existing building.
Repeated floors: organizing a building by level
Repeated floor plans can make a modeling assignment more efficient, but they also make repeated mistakes easier to spread.
BIM for refurbishment: working with what is known
Refurbishment combines existing evidence, design intentions and unresolved site conditions.
Refurbishing a commercial unit: organizing the 2D base
A commercial-unit refurbishment often starts with a mixed package: a lease plan, historic drawings, site notes and a proposed layout.
A single-family house: from drawings to a BIM base
A house may have a modest floor area while still containing complex relationships between the site, entrances, stairs and roof.
What to check before accepting a BIM model
Accepting an architectural model means confirming that it supports the agreed task and reflects the approved references.
Four rounds of changes: making them useful
BIM12 includes four rounds of changes per floor.
What to do when a drawing is ambiguous
An ambiguous drawing is an information problem that should become visible before it becomes modeled geometry.
Defining a shared modeling standard
A shared modeling standard gives an external provider practical rules for producing work the practice can understand and continue developing.
BIM versions: knowing which model is current
Version control helps a practice answer a simple but essential question: which model should we use now? Confusion usually arises when files, source drawings and review comments refer to different issues.
Model detail: agreeing what is useful
More detail does not automatically make an architectural model more useful.
Reviewing an IFC delivery without losing context
An IFC review should test whether the exchanged model supports the agreed collaboration task.
Revit compatibility: what to agree before starting
The requested Revit version is an operational requirement that belongs in the initial brief.
Architecture and engineering: defining the boundary
An architectural BIM base can represent the spaces and elements a practice needs to continue design work.
BIM deliverables: what an organized handover contains
A good BIM handover is a small, understandable package that lets the receiving practice find the current files and continue the agreed work.
Monthly fee or project pricing: a fair comparison
Comparing a monthly BIM service with project-based pricing requires more than dividing one headline price by another.
What the €4,500 monthly Studio plan includes
BIM12 Studio is a monthly architectural modeling offer for practices that need a defined amount of external capacity.
When the BIM12 Pro plan fits
BIM12 Pro is designed for a practice with a more continuous flow of architectural modeling work and a use for the additional services included.
Dedicated modeling: when a custom scope is needed
A custom BIM arrangement becomes relevant when the practice's volume or working requirements exceed a standard monthly pattern.
Workload peaks: adding capacity without reorganizing the practice
A workload peak becomes manageable when the practice can distinguish urgent decisions from transferable production work.
Estimating the hours outsourcing BIM could free
A capacity estimate should describe how work changes inside the practice.
Hiring a modeler: questions before deciding
Hiring a modeler can build internal capability, continuity and direct collaboration around the practice's work.
Freelancer or external BIM department: how to compare
A freelancer and an external BIM department can both provide useful architectural modeling capacity.
BIM12 quarterly payment: how the discount works
BIM12 offers a fifteen-percent discount for quarterly payment.
No minimum commitment: planning a flexible service
A service without a minimum commitment can help a practice adjust external capacity as its pipeline changes.
Preparing for a fifteen-minute capacity audit
A short capacity audit is more useful when the practice brings a clear picture of its work.
Guaranteed delivery: understanding the twelve-hour commitment
BIM12's delivery commitment applies per floor: the architectural base is delivered in three to twelve hours after the complete drawing and necessary information have been received.
Three to twelve hours: organizing a same-day assignment
A same-day architectural modeling assignment depends on decisions made before the handoff.
Modeling, review and follow-up: understanding the full fee
A monthly modeling fee covers a working arrangement as well as production capacity.
Drawing confidentiality: what to agree before the first file
Architectural drawings can contain information about clients, buildings and commercial plans that should be handled deliberately.
Ownership of drawings and models: clarify it from the start
A modeling commission involves source drawings, delivered models and sometimes supporting libraries or other materials.
A web BIM viewer: reviewing a model with your client
A web viewer can make a building model easier to discuss with a client who does not use authoring software.
A practice platform: connecting projects, tasks and files
A project platform is useful when it helps a practice connect decisions, responsibilities and current information.
Coordinating the internal team and external modeling
External architectural production works best when the practice keeps a clear internal decision path.
Your first BIM12 project: from drawing to delivery
A first BIM12 commission should establish a working pattern the practice can repeat.