August 29, 2009

A few months ago, I wrote a blog article regarding Building Information Modeling.  I wasn't so sure at the time how soon sys-tek would consider jumping into the world of BIM, primarily because we have to see real demand for those services, and be very committed to making it work.  Well recent conversations with architect friends at Hollis + Miller, Bell / Knott Associates, and Berger Devine Yaeger have convinced use the time has come.  Effective October 1, 2009, sys-tek is making the leap to Revit MEP 2010!

So why the sudden change of heart or interest in Revit & BIM? A number of factors have contributed to our decision, including:

• It's hard to find an architect that hasn't already made a large commitment to Revit. In fact, many of them have been exclusively using Revit for several years now.
• Architects committed to Revit have already begun choosing which structural engineers they are working with based on whether they use Revit or not.
• Some architects we talk with are frustrated with the lack of commitment to using Revit by MEP engineering firms.
• As a small company, we can more easily change company culture around a new software than some of our larger competitors can. It is especially easy when Gary and I, the two Owners, are committed 100%. Employees get the message when they know that we are committed to it!
• We see avenues to link our commissioning data directly to building information models using Revit. This will be a real advantage for building owners that own the model. Not only will they be able to click on a piece of equipment in the model and get all the design information about the model, but they will also be to get all the test, balance, and commissioning data as well.
• We have upgraded our personnel over the last 6 months. Cory Wilson, our new Director of Engineering has actually implemented a project in Revit MEP already. We feel very confident that our design staff will do whatever it takes to understand and conquer Revit MEP and not only make it work, but also make it an advantage for sys-tek!

It isn't as simple as just flipping a switch to make Revit happen. It is requiring a large financial and technological commitment from sys-tek. I feel like we've done a pretty good amount of homework about what is required or recommended to make this work. We've talked to our architect friends to see what has worked for them, and what didn't. Nevertheless, I'm sure we will find there are some things we didn't think about. Fortunately we are in a position to identify those issues and address them.

For those of you interested, here are a few things we learned that may help you if you decide to move forward:

• Your computers will work better if they are using a 64-bit operating system. Even if your existing computers are using a 32-bit operating system, there is a decent chance that those computers can run a 64-bit operating system, if you buy an cheap upgrade. Vista can be 32-bit or 64-bit, so make sure you know which one you are buying.
• If you are considering upgrading existing computers to 64-bit, you may want to have a prototype 64-bit computer in house first. You'd hate to find out that you upgraded to 64-bit, only to find that some of your applications no longer work.
• When you look at computer processors, there are many, many choices. I recommend that any new Revit computer you buy have a processor that scores at least 2000, on the scale that is published by Passmark.
• Unless you are doing lots of rendering, a computer with two separate processors is not worth the expense.
• You don't need a high-end graphics card. Revit doesn't take advantage of the graphics card RAM.
• Buy at least 8 GB RAM, and you should probably have 12 GB RAM. Whoever thought we'd be talking about that much RAM?
• Get the fastest hard drive you can afford. Consider using RAID methods to increase the access speed.
• Get two monitors, if you haven't been doing it already. I like using a pair of 24" widescreen monitors myself.
• Invest in training from an Authorized Autodeak reseller.

So here we go into a new, exciting future! Check back with us in a couple months, if you'd like to know how it is going. I'd be happy to talk with you about our experiences. And if you are an architect that has been looking for an MEP Enginer that is committed to using Revit MEP, we'd really like to talk to you. We will be 100% on Revit within 12 months - I suspect it will be sooner than that, but that is our commitment!

-Damian Gerstner

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