Advancing the conversation around critical industry areas often involves bringing together diverse perspectives onto public platforms. On 30 May 2024, an important article for PBC Today, titled “The power of BIM-IoT integration to drive ESG and demonstrate true ROI,” was published. This marked one of the first visible examples of the Digital Buildings Council‘s (DBC) activities since its launch, providing a clear illustration of its immediate work and collaborative approach.
Authored by Sam Norledge, Head of Smart Buildings at LMG (a Digital Buildings Council member), this piece delves into the progression from Building Information Modelling (BIM) in digital construction to the effective use of digital twins in operations. It explores the vital role of BIM-IoT integration in delivering robust digital operations and its alignment with current operational practices. Sam, also representing buildingSMART UK & Ireland, used the term “Digital Buildings” as a comprehensive identifier for technology-enabled spaces that are secure, efficient, and sustainable. The article particularly highlighted how the AEC industry, despite significant design and build savings, needs to focus on the 80% of expenses incurred during a building’s operational phase to unlock true value and maximise savings.
This article was a product of direct input from fellow Digital Buildings Council members, illustrating how collaborative discussions can translate into impactful external communications. It featured the valuable diagrams below and contributions from Brian Coogan at Ethos Engineering (Mechanical Engineering Design Consultancy) and Daniel Watson from Hereworks (Master Systems Integrator). The involvement of these diverse specialists – from ME Design to MSI and MEP contracting backgrounds – underscores the multi-faceted nature of the challenges at hand and the importance of cross-discipline collaboration.
A particularly significant aspect of the article was its section on “Navigating the ontology landscape.” This part of the discussion highlighted how efforts to standardise metadata representation, through models like BRICK and Haystack, align with broader industry initiatives such as the RIBA Plan of Work Smart Buildings Overlay. This alignment, addressing critical areas like object naming conventions and competing ontologies, served to focus attention on foundational challenges that are essential for future industry-wide interoperability and data utilisation.
This publication served multiple strategic purposes within my engagement as Executive Officer of the DBC. It provided concrete evidence of activity behind the Digital Buildings Council’s initiatives, particularly in its core focus area of “BIM to Smart Enablement,” a topic I helped to define. Furthermore, it offered a public platform to share crucial industry discussions, promoting the thought leadership of our members through external channels, which I then amplified through my own social following. This continuous cycle of fostering collaboration, developing content, and driving its reach is central to effectively bridging critical industry divides.
