The Sydney Opera House has appointed AECOM to deliver an interface between traditional building management control systems, building information databases and building information modelling (BIM).
AECOM will provide a web-based 3D graphical interface that maps both the physical and functional characteristics of the World Heritage-listed cultural space.
The BIM interface will link a geo-spatially accurate model of the Opera House building and surrounding site to existing engineering documentation and maintenance and building-management and control systems. The aim is to create a tool that will provide a single source of information for regular building operational requirements as well as ongoing developmental works and projects.
Sydney Opera House Director of Building Greg McTaggart said it was critical to have the technical infrastructure in place to effectively manage the pipeline of upcoming development projects, as well as to support the building’s ongoing management and conservation.
“After initially assessing the market it quickly became clear there was no single BIM solution that could be applied to both development and construction projects as well as ongoing facilities management of the Opera House. We identified a gap in the industry and decided to tender for a bespoke, user-friendly solution,” said McTaggart.
“The Opera House is truly unique so it’s exciting that we have the opportunity to develop bespoke, leading-edge building technologies that not only meet our specific needs but also those of the wider industry itself.”
The solution put forward by the AECOM-led consortium uses cloud-based technology. It will provide the Opera House’s building team with the ability to easily update and interrogate information and data via one central tool. Because it is cloud based, staff will be able to access the BIM interface remotely via handheld mobile devices while working on site. External consultants can also use the system across ongoing building projects.
A number of current Opera House databases including a Technical Documents Database, maintenance software, a comprehensive rooms database and the TRIM document management system will all be linked to the BIM interface. Data created two years ago for the Opera House’s 40th Anniversary by The Scottish Ten, using cutting-edge laser-mapping technology that defines the geometry of the building, will be integrated with the system to enable the creation of the rendered surfaces.
The project, which is expected to be rolled out over the next 18 months, will be split into two stages. The first includes successfully retrieving and linking information from existing and new databases via the 3D model. The second will introduce a broader range of functional modules that can be added to the BIM interface over time.