January 2016
Ecobuild has partnered with NBS, the knowledge management arm of the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA), to create a dedicated Digital Building Theatre at this year’s event.
The theatre will host a variety of BIM talks, case studies and demonstrations in a diverse three-day programme designed to be of interest and practical use to all construction professionals and manufacturers, irrespective of the progress they have made incorporating BIM into their working lives.
Coming less than four weeks before the official date for the UK Government’s BIM mandate to take effect, Ecobuild (March 8 to 10) will provide a timely opportunity to hear from leading proponents of the Government’s strategy. Mark Bew, Chairman of the Government’s BIM Task Group, and David Philp, Head of BIM implementation at the Cabinet Office, will provide an update on progress ahead of 4 April, the first day that centrally-procured public sector projects will require the implementation of BIM at Level 2.
Other industry speakers confirmed for the BIM programme include BDP’s Director of Information, Alistair Kell, and David Miller, Founder and Principal Architect at David Miller Architects, who will explain how their companies, though vastly different in terms of size, have benefitted from making the transition to BIM.
NBS’s own BIM experts will also provide the latest guidance on BIM processes, technologies and standardised content, including an update from Dr Stephen Hamil, Director of Design and Innovation at NBS, on the latest improvements to the government-sponsored BIM Toolkit; the unified classification system and digital plan of work developed by NBS for Level 2 BIM.
Dr Hamil said: “With the 2016 BIM mandate now rapidly approaching, the Digital Building Theatre will host a selection of expert speakers that can really help construction professionals with their BIM journey.
“The content of the sessions will be informative and relevant to you. The aim of the programme is to help those starting their BIM journey and to allow those already on their BIM journey the chance to reflect on what the rest of the industry is doing.”
Martin Hurn, Ecobuild Event Director, added: “We are delighted to have worked with NBS to create the Digital Building Theatre and co-curate the programme of BIM talks and demonstrations. This partnership has enabled us to further increase the range of practical and useful information and guidance available to visitors, something that is one of Ecobuild’s central mission statements."
In addition to its curation of the Digital Building Theatre, NBS and RIBA will also be taking part in debate on Ecobuild’s main conference stage.
On day two of the Ecobuild main conference, which is devoted to architecture, Lynne Sullivan, Chair of RIBA’s Sustainability Group will take part in a debate on the role of design in delivering the next generation of UK housing. Delegates will also get the chance to hear the thoughts of the 2015 RIBA Stirling Prize winners Allford Hall Monaghan Morris (AHMM), when Simon Allford discusses the role of the architect in successfully master planning residential developments and communities.
Richard Waterhouse, Chief Executive of NBS will join a UKTI session on day three looking at exporting skills and expertise, in which he will share NBS’s experience of international collaboration in the design, construction and manufacturing sectors.
For further information about Ecobuild 2016 which takes place from 8 to 10 March at London’s ExCeL and to book your space, please visit www.ecobuild.co.uk 
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