Configuration platform for customisation of design, manufacturing and assembly processes of building façade systems: A building information modelling perspective

Literature on BIM reports case studies and challenges observed when applying BIM in the construction industry. Literature on mass customisation elaborates on methods and experiences of applying modularisation and product configuration including examples from the Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) industry. However, only limited literature is available on how modularisation and configuration can be applied in a BIM context. This paper aims to investigate how the principles of configuration contribute to overcome some of the reported challenges while applying BIM in the AEC industry. This study sets out to explore the principles of platform design, the relations between industrialisation and mass customisation through serialisation facilitated by BIM for a given case of design, manufacturing and assembly processes of building envelopes in the AEC industry. A customisable façade system has been developed to accommodate: 1) The panel components which can lodge different materials; 2) The mullions which can oblige different geometries, 3) The support structure which can accommodate a variation of different geometries and lodge components with different shapes, sizes and dimensions. The identified possible improvements of using BIM, supported by modularisation and configuration, have been tested and evaluated through the case study.