A firm of architects based in Stokesley, Yorkshire, is the latest to have an infusion of BIM capability through a government-backed research partnership with Teesside University.
DKS Architects has benefited from a Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP), a programme part-funded by Innovate UK that helps businesses succeed by connecting them to the UK’s academic resources.
It creates a partnership between a business seeking expertise, a university and a recently qualified graduate – known as an associate.
KTP associate David Craggs (pictured above), an architectural technology graduate, began working at DKS last year to look at different ways of incorporating BIM into the firm’s practices, in particular for the retrofit industry.
In particular, he has been investigating ways in which BIM can be used to measure energy us-age in a building and find different ways to reduce it.
Some of the findings generated by the KTP at DKS Architects have already been presented at an industry conference.
Dave Knudsen, a partner at DKS, said: “Already 80% of our office are now working in Revit and we’re beginning to see the benefits of the partnership. Our staff are really benefiting from David’s expertise.
“The research is highly relevant to the work that we’re doing and in the long term this will be of enormous benefit to our business.”
Craggs also took part in a special KT-4-BIM project with other KTP groups from across the country. The aim of the project was to set up a “virtual” Level 2 BIM scheme to share the journey and learning.
The findings of the project are due to be presented to the annual RICS BIM conference in London.
Professor Nash Dawood, of Teesside University’s school of science and engineering, who is supervising the KTP, said: “This project is extremely interesting and it’s resulting in a number of benefits both to the company and also to the university.
“The project has the potential to build up a much more sophisticated picture of an extended ‘plan of works’ that is applicable to a broader scope of architectural, construction and engineering professionals.”
This project is extremely interesting. It has the potential to build up a much more sophisticated picture of an extended ‘plan of works’ that is applicable to a broader scope of architectural, construction and engineering professionals.– Professor Nash Dawood, Teesside University
