About Buildingsmart international
BuildingSMART International: Driving Transformation in the Built Asset Economy
BuildingSMART International is a global organization that is leading the way in transforming the built asset economy through the creation and adoption of open, international standards. With a mission to improve the design, construction, and operation of buildings and infrastructure worldwide, BuildingSMART is dedicated to promoting collaboration and innovation across all sectors of the industry.
Founded in 1995 as the International Alliance for Interoperability (IAI), BuildingSMART has since grown into a powerful force for change in an industry that has traditionally been slow to adopt new technologies and practices. Today, BuildingSMART boasts over 30 national chapters around the world, with more than 7,000 members representing all aspects of building design, construction, operation, and maintenance.
At its core, BuildingSMART's mission is to create a common language for building information modeling (BIM) that can be used by everyone involved in a project - from architects and engineers to contractors and facility managers. By developing open standards that allow different software platforms to communicate with each other seamlessly, BuildingSMART aims to break down silos within organizations and across industries.
One of BuildingSMART's most significant achievements has been its development of Industry Foundation Classes (IFC), which are now recognized as an ISO standard. IFCs provide a common data schema for BIM models so that they can be shared between different software applications without losing any information or functionality. This means that architects can use one software package while engineers use another - but both can still work on the same model without any loss of data or accuracy.
Another key initiative from BuildingSMART is its OpenBIM approach. OpenBIM promotes collaboration between all stakeholders involved in a project by ensuring that everyone uses compatible software tools based on open standards like IFCs. This approach allows teams to work together more efficiently while reducing errors caused by miscommunication or incompatible file formats.
BuildingSMART also offers certification programs for professionals who want to demonstrate their expertise in BIM and open standards. These programs include the BuildingSMART Professional Certification (BSPC) and the BuildingSMART International User Certification (BIUC), which are recognized globally as a mark of excellence in the industry.
In addition to its work on BIM and open standards, BuildingSMART is also involved in other areas of innovation within the built asset economy. For example, it has developed a framework for building performance analysis that allows designers to evaluate different design options based on factors like energy efficiency, daylighting, and thermal comfort. This framework can help architects make more informed decisions about building design while reducing energy consumption and improving occupant comfort.
BuildingSMART is also exploring new technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) to improve decision-making processes within the industry. By analyzing data from sensors embedded in buildings or infrastructure, AI/ML algorithms can identify patterns or anomalies that might indicate maintenance issues or other problems before they become serious.
Overall, BuildingSMART International is an organization that is driving transformation in the built asset economy through its focus on collaboration, innovation, and open standards. Its work has already had a significant impact on how buildings are designed, constructed, operated, and maintained around the world - but there is still much more to be done. As technology continues to evolve at an ever-increasing pace, organizations like BuildingSMART will play a critical role in ensuring that the built environment remains safe, sustainable, and efficient for generations to come.