To champion digital construction in the North East a number of leading companies have teamed up to create a collaborative group…
Building Information Modelling (BIM) and digital construction are undoubtedly a vital facet of the building sector. It will become increasingly more important as government plans to mandate the use of BIM on all publicly funded projects by 2016 comes into play.
The North East has a wealth of talent and expertise in digital construction methods. It should, therefore, come as no surprise that experts in this region have decided to collaborate to push digital construction to the forefront.
Space Group, BIM Academy, Kykloud, Viewpoint Construction Software, and NBS/RIBA Enterprises are among the organisations that have come together to form Dynamo Build. This group will provide a unified voice for construction, bringing together specialists to create a hub for skills development and retention. It will work as a virtual team to raise awareness of the digital construction capabilities in the region both nationally and internationally.
The group has received support from industry bodies the Construction Industry Council North East, the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) and Constructing Excellence North East.
Chief Executive of Space Group Rob Charlton said: “At present, over 84 per cent of all UK construction work is being carried out in London whilst the North East is generating just 0.3 per cent, which is a shockingly low amount.
“Through Dynamo Build we have an opportunity to grab the building and technology space with both hands and export our knowledge and expertise globally.
“Over the last decade we have seen a centre of excellence for digital construction start to develop in the North East. This has been driven by a strong academic base with good universities serving the sector and a competitive architectural market.
“Not only does RIBA have its commercial headquarters here; a number of architectural practices are raising the bar in terms of skills levels across the region, encouraging a number of entrepreneurial businesses and initiatives, which are now of international standing.”
He added: “Dynamo Build is an important acknowledgement that we need to encourage more talent into the sector to maintain this leading position, not only at Space Group but the region as a whole.”
The group is being facilitated by existing technology-led initiative Dynamo. This was established two years ago by Opencast Software’s chairman Charlie Hoult and Accenture’s Bob Paton. It aimed to grow the North East IT economy.
Justin Souter, director and head of engagement at Dynamo, said: “Dynamo North East provides a collaborative space for North East organisations to grow the North East IT economy together.
“From January 2016 all UK Government building contracts will use BIM, and we expect the rest of the market will follow.
“The work on Dynamo Build shows that in certain niche areas the North East has world-beating players – getting them working together will grow recognition for all of them, help establish our excellence and build jobs.
“We can also leverage this expertise into our local initiatives around the Internet of Things and smarter cities – in future we might even expect ‘BIM Cities’. It’s a time of great change, but also great opportunities.”
He added: “Dynamo has brought together this group and is delighted the various parties are working as a team – it’s so exciting to see innovation unfolding right in front of us.
“We are excited to be a catalyst for change and make the most of a hidden gem here in North East England.
“We’re leading the way together and expect to apply the insights and learnings from the Dynamo Build blueprint to other emerging mini-clusters as part of a wider enterprise IT centre of excellence that is already thriving here and which forms the core of our vision for NIT.”
The new group will concentrate on five key areas: promotion; skills development and retention; knowledge sharing; research and development projects; and collaboration with other sectors.