BIM-Driven Curriculum for Integrated Design Studios: Maintaining data interoperability and design flexibility

This paper presents a curricular model for an integrated design studio focused on BIMdriven processes, satisfying the NAAB 2020's student performance criteria SC.5 and SC6. These criteria emphasize quantifiable, evidence-based design thinking by requiring the provision of "measurable environmental impacts" and "measurable outcomes of building performance." The studio, serving as a capstone project, integrates accessible design, user and regulatory requirements into building assemblies, structural and environmental systems, and life safety, underscoring the importance of measurable building performance outcomes. The adoption of computational design tools, particularly Building Information Modeling (BIM), facilitates engagement in environmental and user-focused simulations and ensures data interoperability throughout the design and post-occupancy phases. Utilizing a comprehensive set of tools, including life-cycle assessment (LCA) and energy modeling, the curriculum advances beyond simple simulations to support decision-making and multi-objective optimizations. This approach enables a new form of design thinking that incorporates a broader set of variables and considerations, encouraging students to meet various environmental impact and performance benchmarks, including LEED v.5 Certification points and Architecture 2030 energy standards. The integration of scenario simulation tools empowers students to autonomously advance their projects within a framework of constraints, marking a pedagogical shift towards faculty acting as learning facilitators and promoting student autonomy in design evaluation.