Web-Mediated Student Peer Group Assessment of Building Information Modelling Performance

This paper describes an innovative development in the Cardiff School of Art and Design, whereby architectural design and technology students upload their 3D CAD based Building Information Models (BIM) in Industry Foundation Class (IFC) file format to a project Web site, for evaluation by their peers deploying automated code compliance model checking software, and receive feedback and commentary through the same Web site. The use of automated compliance checking software has already been found to accessibly and visibly demonstrate that a much wider range of useful information than the purely pictorial can be measured, calculated, and derived from the model once constructed. This begins to expose students to those forms of information, beyond simple communication between designer and constructor, that are likely to be needed in analyzing and delivering sustainable design and performance throughout the operational lifecycle of the building to its eventual demolition and re-cycle.