Towards a BIM-Agile Method in Architectural Design Assessment of a Pedagogical Experiment

Abstract

This paper describes a scientific experiment carried out in the context of the AEC in France. This research is part of the digital transition in architecture, with a particular interest in BIM technology and how to integrate it into architectural design through social sciences. Indeed, the arrival of BIM technology raises both technical and human questions. The design work is changed, the amount of work is moved upstream, but above all we see new tools, new uses, and new practices without any project management method emerging. In other fields such as industry, software engineering and HMI design, we have seen the emergence of methods that focus more on the team and the user than on the process. We find Lean, continuous improvement, or agility, a family of methods that interests us here. Our research hypothesis is that inserting agile practices alongside current business practices will integrate and exploit BIM technology and other digital innovations. To do this, we identified what the problems were with BIM technology, and selected several agile practices highlighting communication, group cohesion and customer needs identification to address them. Thus, we carry out experiments in which we test, analyze and adapt these agile practices to architectural design. This paper then describes a pedagogical experiment conducted with Master 2 students at the École Nationale Supérieure d’Architecture of Nancy in France. In a workshop, the students had to carry out a BIM project, while they used the agile practices that we had adapted: the design matrix, the micro poker, and the stand-up meeting. In addition to these three practices, we took the opportunity to try agile overseeing using what we call a stand-up meeting. The objective is to validate the synergy of these practices while ensuring that they respond to our communication, group cohesion and customer needs integration issues. This experiment takes place over one week and will serve as a basis for us to prepare experiments in a professional context.