Agile typically uses the “User Story” model for defining functionality and as such, work that needs to be undertaken. These take the form of:

“As a X, I want to X, so that I can X”

The intent with thinking in this way is to design from the users’ point of view and to keep the users’ requirements front and centre when designing functionality. Consider a website: the user doesn’t necessarily want a place to enter their credit card details, they want a method to pay for a purchase.

So does this work with construction projects? Yes.

The key to applying this is to consider who the users of the BIM model are.

Who are the users of the BIM model? Not just the contractors. Consider the BIM model as a stand-in for typical documentation. In this point of view the users are contractors and fabricators, but also all members of the design team, including ourselves. Then, when you consider the design team is attempting to fulfill the developer’s requirements and the developers are attempting to fulfill the occupants’ requirements then we must also consider developers and occupants as “users” of the model.

So what does this look like?

It could be something like “As a facade manufacturer, I want to use the model to generate a list of window opening sizes, so that I can ensure all facade systems are built to the correct sizes.”

But wait, aren’t you just describing LOD (Level of Development)?

This highlights the dangers of looking at models as being of a particular LOD. For example, the facade manufacturer’s probably only want to know the overall opening size and how many panels the window is broken up into. The architects will be concerned with the sill height, and the size and shape of the framing. They may want to define a precise location for a mullion so that it lines up with an internal wall. The Town Planning authority may want to know the reflectivity of the glass being used to check that it won’t distract drivers on a nearby highway.

All this information could be included in the model, but taken in its totality, it represents a highly detailed BIM element that will take a long time to build, with information that is likely incorrect in the early stages. Hence, the point of view of the user story asks us who needs what for this particular sprint. We don’t have to think about precise opening sizes at the start of the project. We have different requirements and different times based on use of the BIM model. Therefore we want to think about the users requirements of the BIM model – ie. the User Story.

And this interesting thing about this is that it will not always be a linear process of development from a low LOD to a high LOD.