Recently, the BIM application at Dong’an Lake Kapok Hotel has garnered significant attention within the industry. This article focuses on the use of BIM technology during the project’s design phase, sharing insights from the design team’s perspective on how Kapok Hotel leverages technology to transform traditional design methods. It covers the implementation of BIM technology, experiences on how digital design enhances quality and efficiency during construction, and strategies for overcoming information barriers. The project also explores achieving multi-purpose first mock examinations and maximizing value through the collaboration of various stakeholders.
Project Overview
▲ Aerial View of the Realistic Scene
The Chengdu Dong’an Lake Kapok Hotel is located adjacent to Dong’an Lake Park and Universiade Park. It features a linear spatial layout that maximizes the surrounding landscape resources. The design offers distant views of Dong’an Lake Park and the Universiade venues, with convenient walking access to sports events and park tours.
▲ View Toward the Universiade Venues
Project Challenges
▲ Partial Floor Plan
- This project serves as a supporting hotel for the 2021 Universiade, requiring high construction standards and continuous design optimization, all within a tight design schedule.
- It is China Resources’ first hotel project to adopt full lifecycle BIM application.
- Multiple subcontractors work concurrently on various design components, making integration and coordination complex.
- The project’s form, function, and spatial variations are intricate, with strict requirements for net ceiling heights, including:
▲ Realistic View
a. The suspended ceiling in the swimming pool area features a triangular concave shape, leaving no space for mechanical and electrical piping.
▲ Realistic View
b. Within a 5.9-meter vertical space, two levels of office areas exist, with only 2.45 meters and 2.35 meters clearance beneath the beams, respectively. The mechanical and electrical finish surface requires 2.4 meters, leaving no room for conduit installation.
c. The banquet hall requires ample space for high-end decoration, with no allowance for mechanical and electrical conduits in order to maintain the desired aesthetic effect.
Key Applications and Highlights
▲ Realistic View
Transforming Traditional Design and Construction: The project achieved nearly a 50% reduction in overall duration through innovative approaches.
The design cycle was shortened by 30%, and the total construction cycle was reduced by 50%, primarily due to optimizations in the following areas:
Process Optimization
Traditional project design often faces delays due to late-stage fine decoration requirements, which can disrupt the overall schedule. Leveraging BIM, the project shifted from a sequential design process to a parallel workflow. This integrated approach merges key design stages—including schematic design, construction drawings, interior decoration, landscape, and curtain wall design—to meet upfront requirements and synchronize efforts, significantly improving efficiency.
▲ BIM Design Process
Construction Optimization
On-site point cloud scanning technology was used to detect and reflect construction errors in the BIM model, allowing for timely verification and adjustments. This approach reduced rework and improved model accuracy.
▲ Realistic View
Accurate Data Transmission and Model Continuity
To maintain data accuracy and ensure the BIM model’s ongoing usability by downstream teams, a multi-party joint review was conducted during the design phase. This involved preemptively addressing all stakeholder requirements to ensure seamless BIM result continuity.
Standardization First
To prevent redundant modeling and data duplication across teams, the project applied a “standard first” principle throughout its lifecycle. During project initiation, standards were developed based on enterprise guidelines, establishing a strong foundation for subsequent applications.
Additionally, virtual sample approvals were conducted early for standard areas, integrating feedback from construction and decoration teams to verify construction drawing feasibility and minimize revisions.
▲ Standard Model of Sample Section
Integrated Management
Pipeline integration addressed not only software collision detection but also comprehensive considerations such as quality, layout, decoration, construction processes, and logistical flow. The design optimized the orientation, size, and systems of mechanical and electrical pipelines to comply with layout requirements.
In the banquet hall, to preserve the decorative effect despite no mechanical and electrical space beneath the beams, the design utilized visualization to route all pipes through the limited triangular truss space, increasing the net ceiling height by over 450mm.
In the upscale area leading to private rooms, the ceiling height above the staircase landing is 3950mm, with a mechanical and electrical finish requirement of 3800mm, leaving only 150mm for ducts, which is insufficient for air conditioning and smoke control needs. To meet the finish requirements, the landing height was increased to 4200mm, the return air duct size was reduced from 2000×450 to 1400×320, remaining air vents were relocated, and supply duct positions adjusted to avoid conflicts, ensuring a final height of 3800mm.
▲ Realistic View
The private room corridor’s decoration was elevated by adding pipe wells and floor openings to avoid smoke exhaust ducts, ensuring the required net height for the finish.
The rooftop bar on the east side ensured decorative effects by adjusting civil engineering and equipment placement during the design phase, guaranteeing adequate installation space during construction.
Quality Assurance
The project employed a 3D collaborative platform during design to facilitate efficient communication and coordination. This platform also supervised BIM implementation during construction, ensuring overall project quality.
▲ Realistic View
The 3D collaborative platform, built on Revit, offers a comprehensive BIM solution encompassing knowledge management, data management, and software functionality. It supports architecture, structure, plumbing, HVAC, electrical, and mechanical deepening, covering functions such as rapid modeling, calculations, specification verification, and intelligent drawing across disciplines. This platform not only aligns with design habits and standards but also enhances design quality and efficiency.
▲ 3D Collaborative Platform
Main advantages of the 3D collaboration platform include:
- Database-based support for classification management and concurrent family access, protecting core intellectual property rights.
- Automated management platform for establishing, backing up, and archiving central files, ensuring data security.
- Diverse template files, rich view templates, and setting tools for various disciplines to boost 3D design efficiency.
- Comprehensive solutions for architecture, structure, mechanical and electrical engineering, and mechanical and electrical deepening, with extensive modeling and annotation tools supporting the entire 3D design process.
▲ On-site Achievement Review
Monitoring on-site sample sections and critical areas ensures the implementation of both design and construction BIM, allowing for timely problem identification and resolution.
▲ BIM Achievement Display
Summary of Experience
▲ Realistic View
Key factors contributing to the success of Dong’an Lake Kapok Hotel include:
Specialization
BIM design represents an evolution from traditional design methods, transforming unidirectional design thinking into integrated design. This “integrated design” approach aligns multiple disciplines based on pre-construction requirements, ensuring that initial designs satisfy both system demands and implementation criteria.
Precision
Here, ‘precision’ refers to simplification rather than refinement. During design, requirements are streamlined to focus on critical elements. This approach reserves conditions for later BIM applications during construction, enabling each phase to leverage its strengths for comprehensive implementation.
Overall Approach
Underpinned by a robust system, agile thinking was adopted to implement BIM in stages.
▲ Realistic View
The project’s success is closely tied to changes in client management approaches, including comprehensive evaluation of BIM across technical, management, and post-construction stages. High recognition and active participation from all stakeholders contributed to nearly a 50% reduction in the construction cycle, establishing this project as a benchmark for BIM design and construction implementation throughout the company’s lifecycle system.
Regardless of the design phase, the essence lies in design thinking itself. BIM significantly aids teams in resolving complex challenges rapidly, but it cannot replace the core of design thinking.
▲ Realistic View
The Digital Design Research Center leads the group’s digital transformation and new technology R&D efforts, including collaborative platform development, BIM forward planning, BIM consulting, and BIM review. It also incubates digital technology and BIM applications across subsidiaries.
Our proactive design and BIM consulting aim to enhance project implementation and quality. By optimizing processes, breaking down information silos, and connecting the supply chain, we strive to make BIM outcomes meaningful, delivering high-quality, efficient, and comprehensive professional services throughout the urban construction lifecycle.
Project Information
- Planned Net Land Area: 25,309.51 square meters
- Total Construction Area: 60,221.03 square meters
- Project Components: Hotel and Supporting Facilities
- Location: Dong’an Lake, Chengdu
- Application Stages: BIM Design + BIM Construction + BIM Decoration + BIM Operation and Maintenance
- Construction Unit: Chengdu CR Land Yidu Real Estate Co., Ltd.
- Schematic Design: Keda Global (Asia) Co., Ltd.
- Architectural Design: Benchmark Fangzhong Architectural Design Co., Ltd.
- Fine Decoration Design: CCD from Zheng Zhong Design Firm, Hong Kong
- Beijing Aoyi United Decoration Design Co., Ltd. OCD
- Construction Units: China Resources Construction Co., Ltd., Yougaoya Decoration Engineering Co., Ltd.
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