BIM and Conceptual Design Sustainability Analysis: An Information Categorization Framework

Sustainability in construction has attracted considerable attention from scholars as well as from regulatory bodies. However, early design stage sustainability analysis remains problematic because of the conflicting factors affecting sustainability, the limited and fragmented project data in hand and deficiencies of existing sustainability analysis software for quick evaluation of conceptual design alternatives. Building Information Modelling's (BIM) information management and integration capabilities present opportunities to support early design sustainability analysis. In this paper, early findings of an on-going BIM based early design sustainability analysis application development project are presented. Through literature review and in-depth interviews with a sustainability professional, an information categorization framework for quick evaluation of different conceptual design alternatives from a sustainability point of view is developed. The framework guides further stages of the application development project and also supports BIM Execution Planning for projects where holistic early design sustainability analysis is intended.