BIM Spellchecker Program

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#026 BIM Spellchecker Program feat. Julian Amann

In an earlier episode of our podcast, we talked about start-ups in the construction industry. This time, there is even more insight into how a good idea can improve work in the construction industry. Julian Amann is the co-founder of a successful company: Singular.

Who is Julian Amann?

Julian is a trained architect. His passion for architecture is in his family: Even his mother took this career path. When choosing a subject, architecture was, therefore, an obvious choice for Julian. He saw it as a great way to develop his talent.

He particularly liked the fact that it is not an abstract craft, but rather that you can see directly what you are doing. He also finds the cultural, economic, and aesthetic influence of the built environment very exciting. Time management was difficult for him during his studies, as Julian recalls. His favorite subject was design, where a project is worked out over several months. However, he was less interested in minor subjects that are more important today.

Julian's Work with Singular

As managing director of the Singular start-up, he is responsible for all emerging issues. His responsibilities include developing the business and advancing the software development. This profession is complex, and Julian enjoys seeing how an idea can be turned into software that is actually used. He really has the feeling of improving something and helping others. Julian also appreciates his good team and great work environment.

The second founder, Bruno Ruch, originally came up with the idea of the quality gate. Using this idea, his experience, and his large network, the three of them founded the company.

Before that, Julian worked in very different roles with BIM: as a manager, coordinator, and more. Even then, he noticed all sorts of problems. The greatest difficulty was that the data quality left a lot to be desired when implementing projects with BIM. With their tool, the Qualifier, Singular addresses precisely this problem. Since Julian has had his own experience, he supports the company all the more. In his old job, he would have become a customer of Singular himself.

For a really good idea, the risk can pay off.

What exactly does Singular provide?

The company is mainly active in software development and also offers consulting services on a small scale. Qualifier is a web-based tool that can run in any browser and looks like a 3D viewer. It is designed to automatically check BIM models according to certain specifications. The evaluation shows the user whether they meet certain standards or project-specific requirements, for example. Designers have the option to display errors in their CAD programs and to pass on the resulting data. As a draftsman or modeler, you can immediately see the high degree of fulfillment of the model. Furthermore, those who continue to work with the data can rely on the correctness of the models. These BIM models consist of IFC data. In the future, the import of further data formats is planned.

There is always an Open BIM process in projects where the start-up is involved. Different CAD programs are used, and in most cases, an IFC delivery format is agreed. The company verifies every specialist discipline that plays a role in the project. However, the Qualifier is not only used for coordination among these disciplines, but is also utilized differently, depending on the BIM use case. In competition phases, for example, they provide it to the architect in some projects. This allows them to check whether they have met all the requirements for the BIM model and correct it as often as necessary. This also evaluates it. After submitting the project, all entries are next to each other and can be compared.

Another possible application of the Qualifier is to ensure that costs are met as early as in the design phases. For this purpose, a check is made as to whether the model has been correctly modeled and can be used to estimate the costs. There are many other application options, including facility management.

What about digitization in Germany?

According to Julian, there has been little motivation or pressure to optimize processes in Germany. Switching to new methods is also associated with a lot of effort, which is often not considered worthwhile. Another problem is the lack of standardization. The perfect CAD program does not exist: There are always difficulties in creating it. Moreover, you would need a consensus on reading and writing IFC files. In general, a complete standard would be very helpful. In the case of many projects, it is time to think about how to name certain attributes, for example. In some cases, the IFC scheme is also not yet entirely reliable.
Therefore, standardization is needed for digitization, but it will take some time to find a common standard for BIM. It would likely be necessary to commit to a specific design method; otherwise, a lot of time will be lost.

Nonetheless, we have seen great progress in recent years, says Julian. The number of BIM projects has increased rapidly, even if not everything works perfectly right away. It is an iterative process.

Design planning is being revolutionized – paper and pencil are the past.

How does Singular contribute to digitization?

Julian's concern is to take BIM one step further with his company. Singular aims to address the major problem of incorrect models that do not allow cost or logistics planning. The tool should at least provide more clarity in planning. They also created the marketplace: A new platform that gives different people and institutions the opportunity to create their own proof rules and make them usable. It is also a good idea to look there to see which standard is used most often and which is used in projects.

Singular currently offers quality assurance service and is involved in every project in the form of a consulting mandate. It specializes in very complex projects. A future goal for the software is to run entirely without the company's involvement and then to be scalable. The components are similar to the BIM Viewer and the BIM Model Checker. You can take a close look at the model and have tests carried out.

Of course, Julian and the Singular team also took a look at the competition and existing products. They believe that their new ideas will help to better map the processes. There are many start-ups on this or similar issues, but for Julian, this is more of a motivation than a deterrent. This also means that there is a great need for products like this one.

Open or Closed BIM?

Whether Open or Closed BIM is more suitable, always depends on the respective project, but generally, Julian likes the vision of Open BIM very much: Open, good communication between all the parties involved. However, there are still some translation difficulties even there. Open BIM has already established itself in other industries and will also do so in the construction industry, Julian thinks. However, it will certainly look a little different in the future than it is now.

Full speed ahead into the future, or rather keep your foot on the brake?

Future in Construction Industry

Julian believes that development such as BIM in planning allows people to make better decisions on issues like sustainability and costs, because many aspects are simulated beforehand. More and more requirements are placed on new buildings, in the form of certificates, requirements, and so on. Furthermore, the complexity of buildings is increasing. Julian can imagine very well that the automation of processes will advance even further in the future. Many new ideas are already available; for example, AI and robots for support on construction sites. However, these also always require proper design and a good model.

Julian thinks that the development in the USA is particularly exciting. There, you only have to enter parameters into a program that then partially takes over the design and creates a floor plan. He sees another promising issue in prefabrication.

In Julian's opinion, civil engineers are quite ready for further digitization. His external perception is that this is even easier for engineers. Architects, on the other hand, often find themselves in a somewhat strange role, where they cannot determine much themselves, but are held responsible for a lot. They draw most of the BIM elements in a project, but rarely benefit from them. On the other hand, if you really take the BIM process into your own hands, you can get more involved, which could be a good thing for architects, Julian thinks. An alternative is to move more toward design and composition.

With all the exciting trends, however, digitization must always be seen in context. You should think carefully about what kind of processes you need and where you can optimize them. Perhaps the new requirements will mean that BIM will prevail faster than expected.

Wish for Construction Industry and Julian's Favorite Building

Julian would use a wish in favor of the construction industry to agree on certain standards. This would have many advantages, and both software developers and associations would benefit from it. Certain data standards could also become international. Different translations are required for different regions, as the construction is different in each country.

By the way, Julian's favorite building is the New National Gallery in Berlin. He comes from the city himself, and this building has always fascinated him. Julian is very impressed by the aesthetic shape, the well-thought-out structure, and the high level of craftsmanship.