NIBS Rebrands Council To Focus On Building Information Management

The BIM Council will lead the development of U.S. information management standards and building processes.

The National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS) has rebranded the buildingSMART alliance to the Building Information Management Council to emphasize its role in the development and deployment of national information management standards and processes. The Building Information Management (BIM) Council focuses on all aspects of BIM and how technology impacts the built environment to benefit asset owners and the architects, contractors, engineers, and suppliers who build, manage, and operate facilities across the nation.

NIBS BIM
(Credit: Getty Images/metamorworks)

“The future of building sciences goes hand-in-hand with BIM,” says Lakisha A. Woods, CAE, President and CEO of NIBS. “Advanced technology like this enables designers and contractors to create and exchange information. The challenge so far has been coordinating and leveraging practices and processes across the building network. This is where the council comes in.”

The new BIM Council Board of Direction includes:

  • Chair: Van Woods, BIM Program Manager, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
  • Vice Chair: Rachel Riopel, AIA, Digital Practice Leader, HDR Inc.
  • Secretary: Nancy Novak, Chief Innovation Officer, Compass Datacenters
  • Past Chair: John I. Messner, PhD, Charles and Elinor Matts Professor of Architectural Engineering, Director, Computer Integrated Construction Program, Penn State University
  • NIBS Board Liaison: Lane Beougher, Program Manager, Ohio Facilities Construction Commission

This fall, the BIM Council Planning Committee held a workgroup chairs kickoff meeting to review its national roadmap, the workgroup’s operating guidelines, and deliverables. One of the council’s primary roles is the development and management of the National BIM Standard-United States®.

NIBS also is working closely with the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) to create a standard version of the National BIM Guide for Owners under the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) standard process.

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