At the dawn of the 21st century, 3D renderings gained immense popularity within South Korea’s architectural design community, sparking a widespread enthusiasm for virtual architectural design. However, during this period, virtual architecture primarily relied on geometric elements such as points, lines, surfaces, and volumes, alongside computer graphics techniques that depicted planes and attributes like grayscale, color, linearity, and line width. The main goal of these computer graphics was to use computation to create visually appealing, realistic images. Fundamentally, this approach differed from the data-driven model of BIM (Building Information Modeling).
Although there was some academic research into 3D CAD and OOCAD technologies at the time, BIM was still a relatively unknown concept within the Korean construction industry. Few professionals were familiar with BIM technology. This changed in 2005, when the first BIM conference, co-hosted by Chuck Eastman and Jerry Laiserin, captured the attention of the Korean construction sector. Following the joint publication of the BIM Handbook by Charlie Eastman and his colleagues, BIM technology began gaining recognition in Korea.
Initially, design institute staff and university students experimented with various BIM software such as FormZ, the Revit Building series, and ArchiCAD. Concurrently, the academic community intensified its research efforts into BIM technology.
Supported by multiple sectors within the construction industry, the Korean chapter of the International Alliance for Interoperability (IAI) founded the Korean Building SMART Association in 2008. This organization officially promoted BIM technology, paving the way for its adoption across Korea’s construction industry.
The South Korean government expressed strong confidence in BIM technology and actively encouraged participation from all construction industry sectors starting in 2008. In November 2010, the Korean Institute of BIM (KIBIM) was established to advance and disseminate BIM knowledge and technology. Shortly thereafter, in January 2011, the Korea Construction IT Convergence Institute (KCICI) bolstered research capabilities related to BIM within the construction industry. KCICI focuses on studying and exchanging information technology to integrate BIM with various fields in Korea’s construction sector, aiming to elevate the industry to advanced IT standards.
Since around 2008, the public sector has been implementing BIM engineering projects. Over time, not only has the number of these projects increased, but their scope has also broadened significantly. By participating in public sector BIM projects, developers and contractors have gained a better understanding of BIM technology and have joined the growing community advancing BIM development.
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