GRAPHISOFT > Case Studies > Innovative IoT Implementation in Bradford College Redevelopment

Innovative IoT Implementation in Bradford College Redevelopment

Technology Category

Networks & Connectivity - Cellular
Robots - Collaborative Robots

Applicable Industries

Buildings
Education

Applicable Functions

Product Research & Development
Quality Assurance

Use Cases

Building Automation & Control
Construction Management

Services

Testing & Certification
Training

About The Customer

Bradford College is an educational institution that embarked on a comprehensive redevelopment strategy in 2008. The College's vision was to create a space that encourages and supports innovative forms of teaching and learning. Despite facing funding challenges, the College remained committed to its vision, devising a reduced scale development that embraced educational transformation within a truly flexible environment. The College was not only focused on the physical redevelopment of the space but also on the integration of innovative technology and data solutions to enhance the construction process and the eventual utilization of the space. The College's commitment to innovation and flexibility is evident in their willingness to work with Bond Bryan Architects and other vendors to implement open data solutions and improve software solutions.

The Challenge

In 2008, Bradford College embarked on a comprehensive redevelopment strategy, which was initially funded by the Learning and Skills Council. However, in 2009, the funding was withdrawn, forcing the College to reconsider their strategy and self-fund the project in a volatile and challenging marketplace. The College, with assistance from Bond Bryan Architects, devised a reduced scale development that retained the original aims of embracing educational transformation within a flexible environment, while realizing efficiencies in space utilization and providing flexible-use spaces to accommodate changing learning methods. The development, approximately 24,000 sqm with a construction cost of approximately £38m, was challenged to save £2m of Value Engineering. The project was further complicated by the need to maintain quality and vision, while also achieving exceptional workmanship.

The Solution

Bond Bryan Architects focused on using open data, seeing it as an important part of their future and for the construction industry as a whole. They aimed to produce consistent, high-quality models and data for use by contractors, consultants, and clients. The Bradford College project was the real implementation of this approach, demonstrating open workflows on a live project and establishing more consistent data deliverables. The architects collaborated with the contractor, BAM Construct UK, and other vendors to find permanent solutions to issues with model exchange using the IFC open format. They also centered their approach around IFC, influencing their development plan for COBie, the UK Government’s data deliverable from 2016. The architects integrated the lessons learned into the model authoring tool templates, leading to improvements in software solutions.

Operational Impact

The implementation of open data solutions and the focus on consistent, high-quality models and data led to a successful construction process with very few issues arising. The design team, client team, and the main contractor adopted a proactive approach throughout the project, leading to high client satisfaction. The College reported benefits of reduced staffing costs, improved team working and student supervision, and improved student achievement levels after occupying the building. The project was highlighted as an example for innovation in education space and as a pathfinder project for BIM for the entire team. Bond Bryan Architects were recognized as “heroes of interoperability” in the buildingSMART2014 global awards.

Quantitative Benefit

Saved £2m of Value Engineering in the construction process.
Reduced the amount of concrete used in the construction by a third, leading to fewer deliveries to the site.
98% of the existing buildings were identified as re-usable or recyclable.