From CAD to BIM: The Engineering Student Perspective

Abstract

This paper investigates the computer aided drafting (CAD) to building information modeling (BIM) transition from the student perspective in an architectural engineering (AE) degree program at the University of Wyoming (UW). A sophomore-level architectural engineering graphics course introduces CAD as the primary means of design communications. The following two courses are introductory and terminal architectural design studios where BIM first intervenes. Then the senior capstone course in systems design reverts back to CAD. Several problems occurred along the way such as the finer details of working with the BIM software to bigger pictures issues of being introduced to BIM at different points in the curriculum. I performed a narrative research study in the auto- and biographical traditions to recount and construct our BIM experiences. We recommend to UW faculty that CAD should be kept in the curriculum, and BIM should be introduced alongside CAD in the introductory graphics course.