Canadian Institute for Building Information Modeling – New Destination for the future Architect

Key national organizations in the design and construction help the architect industry by joining the forces to create a new architect’s destination named called the Institute for Building Information Modeling in Canada (IBC). It is modeled after the Canadian Construction Documents Committee in structure. The mission of this institute is to lead and facilitate the coordinated use of BIM (Building Information Modeling) in the design, construction and management of the Canadian built environment.

Founding partners have identified a number of priorities that include an awareness program, a practice manual, a bibliography of useful resources and a full environment scan/assessment on the use of BIM in Canada and internationally fort a better future of the architectural students. A number of prominent organizations are partners in the new institute. This includes the Canadian Construction Association (CCA), the Association of Consulting Engineering Companies-Canada, Construction Specifications Canada and the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada. Also on board are two government agencies: the National Research Council Canada and Defence Construction Canada.

Pierre Boucher, the CCA’s chief operating officer, said each of the founding organizations will provide seed funding. “As the work is prioritized and better defined, we will have to see what kind of additional funding is required,” he said in an interview.

“But for the CCA’s part, we are certainly prepared to do what is necessary to deliver the institute’s mandate.”

The institute’s formation was welcomed by the Canada BIM Council (CanBIM), whose members include major architectural, consulting engineering and construction companies across the country as well as some associations. In a statement, CanBIM said it was thrilled that the institute was following its lead. “CanBIM wishes the newly formed institute the very best of success in its efforts to assist the Canadian BIM community,” the council said, offering its assistance to the institute in its early stages of development.

“We will remain open to collaborative efforts.”

established in March 2009 the council provided advocacy and support services. Earlier this year, CanBIM signed a memorandum of understanding with the buildingSMART alliance of the United States to work collaboratively on development of a North American BIM standard. “CanBIM is and remains the only pan-Canadian BIM advocacy body that represents supports and assists individuals, member firms and a vast array of affiliates as a non-partisan voice of BIM in Canada,” the council said. “This is what we believe to be our greatest strength.”

The council said it will maintain its established position to directly assist new adopters of BIM as well as experienced users, owners, operators, fabricators and suppliers.

“We are proud to have representation from the legal profession and the Building Owners and Managers Association on our board to support this effort.” CanBIM said it has always maintained that no one association should dictate the use of BIM.