The Adoption of BIM Technology in the Architectural Consultancy Firms in GCC Region

Abstract

Nowadays, the construction industry market is in rising demand for the adoption of new construction technologies. Building Information Modeling (BIM) is one of the most technologies that are progressively being used for the majority of firms in GCC and worldwide. In this regard, BIM has promising applications for teamwork projects and stakeholders in the construction industry, especially architects. In addition, BIM plays an essential role in supporting them and facilitating the different procedures throughout the building life-cycle. However, our knowledge about architects' adoption of this technology is very limited. For this reason, the main aim of this paper is to identify the progress of architecture firms in BIM adoption and classify the characteristics of firms that have implemented BIM. Furthermore, the research method was mainly structured to cover several types of BIM studies and indicators about the spread of BIM applications in the local construction sector. Moreover, several questionnaires were designed to assess the level of BIM maturity in this region. The paper findings are expected to make all the project stakeholders aware of the current status and required steps towards BIM adoption at different levels in the GCC region. Additionally, the research results will pave the road to foster and enhance the BIM working field and facilitate its implementation by different disciplines within a wide range of architectural consultancy firms.