BIM in Landscape Architecture

Introduction

Landscape architecture is a comprehensive field that deals with designing, constructing and studying different environments that include not just the architectural elements but also the science, art and environmental ones. Additionally, landscape architecture is not strictly about aesthetics, either – improving QoL (Quality of Life) and providing comfort are also included in the goals of a landscape architect.

Landscape architecture itself is designed and keeps in mind a myriad of different factors, such as the people themselves, the climate, animals, flora and fauna, and more. Promoting and protecting both environmental and human health is also a part of it.

Software that works for BIM landscape architecture

The usage of BIM in the field of landscape architecture allows architects to have detailed digital models of the landscape in question, with coordinated data being included in the model. Such a combination is doing wonders to the BIM landscape architecture as a whole – offering aesthetically satisfying constructions while lessening the number of reworks, which, in turn, saves both money and time.

One of the most popular examples of software that can be applied to the needs of a landscape architect is Revit Modeling Services. It can perform terrain analysis, costs calculation, shading analysis (from the sun simulation), and more. Other software that can be used for BIM landscape architecture includes, but not exclusive to, Rhino, AutoCAD, ArchiCAD, Vectorworks Landmark, SketchUp, and others.

Advantages of BIM landscape architecture

The ability to choose between several different software vendors allows landscape architects to pick the one that suits the most for the current project’s scope, size, details, and so on. Now, we’ll go over some of the biggest advantages that could be achieved by implementing BIM into the landscape architecture as a whole:

• Improved coordination.

BIM as a whole, offers the advantage of improved cooperation between different departments, which allows for landscape architects to work together with civil engineers, architects, designers, etc. This allows for a transparent workflow with the ability for each of the participants to contribute without limiting the rest of the participants.

At the same time, 3D models can be easily extracted as accurate 2D drawings for the onsite workers to make sure that the final design of the project is implemented exactly as intended using BIM landscape architecture.

• Information-rich BIM models.

BIM models are packed full of information about different object parameters for a successful simulation in the future. A tree in the form of a BIM model would have a scientific name, root sizes, conditions and other info available within that model.

Additionally, information about the proper handling of the object in real life could be included, as well, such as the water and sun requirements, spread, mature height, and more (if we’re talking about our previous example in the form of a tree). Having so much information allows landscape architects to have an easier time making decisions, and it’s also easier to perform cost estimates and material estimates with information-rich models.

• Revit family.

Revit families are specific elements that have a common set of parameters that can be placed in the 3D model to have a graphical representation.

Landscape architects can both use the existing Revit families from Revit libraries, or they can create their own models from scratch with the parameters that are needed for the project.

All in all, Revit families are capable of significantly reducing the number of reworks and enforce some uniformity, which speeds up the project’s completion time immensely. Additionally, models and families that were created for a specific project could be utilized later in other projects if they were saved in a library beforehand.

• Rendering in three dimensions.

From the aesthetic point of view, 3D rendering is incredibly important, and that includes landscape renders, as well. Rendering makes it easier to understand if the project would fit well in the current environment. It’s also possible to make the renders themselves look more realistic by adding lighting sources, colors, and more – to use 3D models for marketing, financial approvals, and many other purposes, including BIM landscape architecture.

Conclusion

While the advantages of implementing BIM into the usual landscape architectural process are not as vast and varied as they are for the construction industry in its entirety, it’s still extremely useful in several different ways, most of which are capable of directly saving both the time and money of the company that works on the project in question.