ADOPTING BIM IN ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN OFFICES

Abstract

Developments in technology such as Building Information Modeling (BIM) have recently created serious competitive pressures on architectural design firms and building construction companies. Design firms and construction companies need to adopt these new technologies to survive and thrive in this environment. Despite the advantages of BIM in building design, its adoption by architectural design firms has been slow due to obstacles such as lack of familiarity with BIM, lack of training in BIM, and lack of supporting resources such as hardware and software. The problems faced in adopting BIM were investigated by only few researchers who focused on the acceptance or penetration of BIM into construction firms. The objective of this research is to develop an integrated model to understand the adoption of BIM in architectural design firms. The model involves (1) the fit between the tasks to be performed by design professionals and the technology provided by BIM, (2) the fit between the organizational competency in the design firm and the capabilities offered by BIM, and (3) the fit between the designers’ knowledge/skills in BIM and the sophistication of the BIM product. After a thorough review and synthesis of technology adoption models and theories, this paper proposes an integrated model to understand the adoption of BIM by architectural design firms. The model argues that using BIM depends on BIM’s properties as well as the tasks at hand, the organizational competency of the company, and the perceived ease of use.