🧑💻 Technology Stack
Revit, Dynamo, Revit API, C#, Python🗯️ Problem
Authority BIM submission deadlines created critical project risk when Dubai Municipality’s (DM) new IFC 4 mandate required comprehensive model preparation while construction work faced stop-work orders pending approval.
- Timeline Pressure: Stop-work orders on-site created contractual obligations and potential litigation without successful IFC approval
- Resource Constraints: Original design team had demobilized, leaving minimal manpower for extensive BIM model preparation
- Technical Limitations: Legacy models with existing IFC mapping would break if upgraded to versions with better mapping tools
- Coordination Complexity: Manual element re-hosting operations risked breaking associations, creating weeks of downstream work
- Business Impact: Without approval, ECD faced construction delays, contractual disputes, and potential litigation while coordination became increasingly difficult under scope changes
📝 Process
Initially utilizing manual processes, the exercise quickly evolved to require automated solutions when faced with critical stop-work orders due to pending IFC submissions. What was eventually developed were custom ZeroTouch nodes to streamline the BIM model preparation process, focusing particularly on element-level consolidation. The challenge lay in managing complex element relationships where for instance, when relocating Walls between levels, associated elements like Doors and Windows would typically follow, potentially compromising model integrity. The resultant solutions enabled intelligent element re-hosting while preserving critical relationships and preventing cascading model failures.
💡 Solution
Element Level Consolidator ⇒ ZeroTouch Nodes
A suite of element consolidation nodes that offer intelligent re-hosting that prevents downstream element breakage when moving elements between levels
Room-to-Element Conversion ⇒ ZeroTouch Nodes
Automated geometry conversion of Rooms to Floors or Ceilings with intended setting-out for IFC compliance requirements
💥 Impact
- Risk Reduction: “Wrong move” consequences reduced from weeks of remodeling to days of automated correction
- Process Acceleration: Manual model preparation streamlined to meet critical authority deadlines
- Consultant Coordination: Faster alignment between DPA and Zutari teams for Dubai Municipality correspondence
- Community Contribution: Tools shared and actively worked on allowed for an understanding of user-need workflows
- Technical Takeaway: Preserved model integrity under extreme time pressure, enabling successful authority submission while maintaining project continuity and avoiding contractual disputes