Moving Beyond BIM: Why Data is Integral in the Technology Discussion

Design professionals often like to think that we are at the leading edge when it comes to technology. We each have our own opinions about the aesthetics and operation system of the latest iPhone, and the environments we design reflect a contemporary vision of our forward-thinking clients, integrating the latest in technology to allow for a global workforce that telecommutes. However, when it comes to technology in design practice, our aversion to risk puts us on the slow end of the implementation curve. In this regard, an architecture and interior design practice is often considered conservative at best.

The conversation surrounding technology in practice always seems to fall into two distinct buckets:

(1) the deployment of technology that increases efficiencies in work, which is often BIM-centric, and

(2) the integration of building and material technology within our projects. I suggest that we include a third area that is of equal if not more importance: the integration of smart data, not big data, into practice.

Why smart data?

The sheer amount of data and how we access data is increasing and changing at astronomical scales. Physical evidence is seen in zip disks barely 10 years old yet hidden in boxes at the backs of storage closets, and in 1 GB flash drives carried on key chains that are no more than decoration now that one can share and access everything through the cloud. According to a report released in 2014 by the International Data Corporation, the digital universe doubles in size every two years. Zettabytes will quickly become a word of the past rather than the future.

The more interesting statistic relative to the growth of the digital universe that should be of great interest to architects and interior designers is the rapidly increasing number of inanimate objects in the physical world. Otherwise known as the Internet of Things (IoT), the data available from sensors that are monitoring individuals and our physical environment already account for 2 percent of the Digital Universe.

It is estimated that data from IoT devices will more than quadruple by 2020, increasing to more than 10 percent of the world’s data.

Otherwise known as the Internet of Things (IoT), the data available from sensors that are monitoring individuals and our physical environment already account for 2 percent of the Digital Universe. It is estimated that data from IoT devices will more than quadruple by 2020, increasing to more than 10 percent of the world’s data.

How is this relevant to the design process?

Consider the success of the Nest thermostat. What once was a standalone, programmable object now contains a data stream that has the ability to tell designers the average weekday and weekend schedule of the inhabitants, understand their level of comfort as seasons change, and identify how often they leave for a long weekend or an extended vacation. Overlay the data of the Nest with feedback from the other devices and data streams, such as a calendar schedule, and designers now have the ability to monitor physical space in ways similar to how web designers track a website’s user interface experience. Specifically, it now means that architects and interior designers have the ability to better understand clients by more definitively differentiating between what they tell us they want versus what they actually need, and to prioritize design decisions against specific quantitative metrics. So what can data do for practice?

At a very high level, the integration of data analytics and technology into design practice has the ability to have a significant impact on client relationships by better:

• reconciling emotions within the design decision-making process
• quantifying value of design services
• setting relative benchmarks for building and organizational performance
• prioritizing design decision relative to overall client vision, mission, and goals
• increasing the ability to expand offerings beyond traditional architecture and interior design services.

Here are two final key thoughts regarding the implementation of data in practice:

(1) Data is not everything! In no way does data replace the conversations and qualitative processes we routinely  take on with our clients.

(2) Data comes in all forms and sizes and can be managed with a simple spreadsheet if necessary.

My next article will look at the steps you can consider taking to implement data in your practice. 

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This article was originally published in Contract Magazine.