The International Alliance for Interoperability highlights the need for pilot studies in the use of object technology – the ability to design projects in 3D by modelling individual components – in a report called Object Technology And Training, published this week.
The IAI, whose members include Laing, Building Design Partnership and Taylor Woodrow, was established in the UK in 1996 as a vehicle for collaboration on the development of object technology.
The technology’s potential is currently inhibited by software systems that specify components in different ways. The IAI is urging the industry to adopt standard specifications for components to enable them to be used with a wide range of software.
The IAI believes that the technology will eventually simplify the design process, save time and cut costs by eliminating 2D drawings.
The IAI report, written in conjunction with the Business Round Table, also recommended programmes to train architects, contractors and clients in the new technology.
Laing is already planning a research project to pilot the use of object technology, which includes a training programme. The contractor is currently looking for a suitable construction scheme to serve as a pilot project for the system. The firm has already piloted a similar, less advanced system on the KLM building at Stansted Airport for BAA Lynton.
