BIMSense Win Best Digital Start Up at Hull Digital Awards 2017
The Hull Digital Awards last month were an inspiring example of the digital innovation that is taking place within our city. BIMSense won Best Digital Start Up, so we caught up with Scott Pilgrim, Co-Director, to find out more.
Can you tell me a little bit about BIMSense?
Scott Pilgrim: BIM stands for Building Information Modelling. It digitally constructs buildings before you physically build them. Essentially, it consolidates all of the models and drawings from architects, designers and engineers to create a 3D model, or as we call it, a federated model.
This allows us to pick up on certain things, such as design flaws. Usually, we would not come across these errors until it is too late. This often means that a lot of money and time is wasted. But, with BIM, the process can be a lot smoother.
BIM is also great for giving people virtual tours around the buildings. One of the most important parts of BIM is the Augmented Reality side. Asset owners can make better-informed decisions because of this technology. Clients can see exactly what the project will look like once it is complete. The visual resource is excellent for those who may not fully understand technical drawings.
It is also a wonderful tool for after the handover of the building. Usually, you will have lots of files with information about the building specifications. But, with BIM, if anything goes wrong you can simply consult the model and it will have the specific details on how to fix it and what replacement parts are needed.
BIMSense is developing software to make this technology even smarter. We are taking an old sector - the construction industry - and making it more efficient through digital innovation.
We are also keen to re-invest time and create awareness of BIM for the next generation of construction workers and planners.
Fantastic! What are you working on at the moment?
We are working on two buildings in Leeds. One for Leeds Beckett University and one for Leeds City College. They are both £13 million + projects, so it’s incredible that BIMSense is playing a role in their development.
What’s next for BIMSense?
We’re so happy to have won a Hull Digital Award for Best Digital this year.
In fact, in the next couple of weeks we will be attending the Chamber Bridlington and Yorkshire Coast Business Awards where we are finalists for Startup of the Year and Ian Yeo, Co-Director, is up for Business Person of the Year.
This time next year, we’re really hoping to expand across the northern powerhouse and take BIMSense to places like York, Sheffield and even bring it to Hull.
The government has recently mandated BIM, meaning that anything built for the government has to involve this technology. The government is actually the biggest client of construction in the country, so we’re hoping our future is very bright.
To find out more about BIMSense, head over to their website (www.bimsense.co.uk).