Information management in real estate development project lifecycle: BIM & IPD framework

Real estate development is a multidisciplinary and multidimensional process that needs high degree of project and information management methodology. It is fragmented in many dimensions by time, project location, project type and different stakeholders. Therefore, it is low efficient and unproductive compared to other sectors such as manufacturing industry. Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) and Building Information Modelling (BIM) are used in real estate development projects to increase collaboration, communication and efficiency. BIM is data rich environment that holds various information in its model. Managing the data and information through using BIM is an important issue. At this point, IPD method is helping project stakeholders, especially owners to manage this information. However, the use of BIM and IPD in project does not always mean that the information is well used and managed. There should be an information manager appointed by owner and set of systems, terms and rules that are agreed on and signed by stakeholders by a protocol or agreement to achieve an efficient and well managed project. In the thesis, firstly the real estate development process, the roles of physical dimension of the participants are explained with comparing traditional and integrated project delivery systems. The literature on BIM and IPD was researched. Accordingly, BIM terms and documents are described in the context of BIM&IPD project considering information management. Later on, the principles of IPD, business model, differences with other delivery systems and finally the role the owner in this system are explained. In the fourth chapter, Information Management Activities of the key participants was prepared as a table (IMAT) in the context of the literature study. In this table, activities of Information Manager have been detailed and what tasks should be undertaken in which phase has revealed. In all these studies and researches, it was tried to be told that this role should be carried out by owner carefully from beginning to the end of the project lifecycle. In the last part, it has been interviewed with different disciplines of the real estate sector in Turkey in order to get to know how do they deliver and manages their projects and how do they take serious on BIM & IPD agendas. These interviews showed that designers and contractors in Turkey have started to experience BIM in their projects singularly but it is still very new concept as whole lifecycle project management methodology. On the IPD agenda, almost nobody knows this project delivery system and have no experience with it. This study was aimed to reach to the representatives of real estate sector, owners, in order to explain the BIM &IPD concepts. IPD system enables BIM to be efficiently adapted to the project. Integrating this system holistically is only possible with the owner's desire, involvement and right information management. If they reorganize to integrate BIM&IPD in their projects, they may reduce the risks of project construction, management and lifecycle costs.