Assa Abloy: BIM and Specification Partnership with Pioneering Spanish Architects
Fenwick Iribarren Architects have many years’ experience working with BIM. They have benefited from its transparency on projects in Spain and abroad. For Campus Acciona, a landmark new business and office development in the Hortaleza neighbourhood of Madrid, they sought a trusted BIM partner to streamline the specification process.
According to Javier Iribarren, BIM brings many collaboration advantages to complex workflows: “Projects are much more coordinated between the different disciplines, resulting in a more developed project arriving on site,” he explains. “In a few years it is going to be the only way of developing these projects.”
For their Madrid project, Fenwick Iribarren aimed to save time in coordinating specification and parameters between building materials and their Revit design. Ensuring software packages work together creates a transparent “living model” with the right level of detail, as well as an up-to-date document resource with long-lasting value for building maintenance and security teams.
They also believed this project’s success would introduce their other stakeholders in real estate development to the merits of a strong BIM partnership.
BIM partnership between architect and Assa Abloy
Partnering with an Assa Abloy specification and BIM specialist based in Spain helped coordinate the fast-changing information that Fenwick Iribarren require through design stage. They could quickly share alternative scenarios via the BIM model, for example.
“The BIM process is an ongoing dialogue, a process which helps architects, building contractors, investors and project owners to work collaboratively,” says Marc Ameryckx from Assa Abloy Opening Solutions EMEIA. “More than just workflow management or virtual modelling, BIM is a data-rich collaboration.”
“For a large, 554-door development like Campus Acciona, the transparency and efficiency benefits of a BIM partnership are huge.”
Time and effort saved with Openings Studio software
Openings Studio streamlines information flow from Assa Abloy's specification database directly to an in-progress Revit design. All kinds of solutions — from door closers to mechanical cylinders— are available with a few clicks. This replaces the time-consuming process of adding door parameters manually.
“The software is very easy to learn,” Iribarren adds. “It is especially useful to update changes since it detects updates in the model. A high level of programming is not required and you don’t need to use other packages like Excel to extract or import schedules. The workflow and the after-care experience have been great.”
The range of solutions available from Assa Abloy also helped save specification time. “Assa Abloy’s comprehensive range includes door systems and electronic locks and strikes, innovative door closers and access control solutions tailored to the office sector,” adds Ameryckx.
Campus Acciona is equipped with Assa Abloy Door Closers (DC340, 500, 700 and 840); TESA TOP mortise panic exit devices; CF60 series fire rated mortise locks; Cubo single lever handles; and TX80 Euro profile high-security double cylinders.
