Synopsis
In 2012, URS with lead designer HLN Architects was appointed to develop a new housing block and education building at Her Majesty's Young Offender Institution (HMYOI) Cookham Wood in Rochester, Kent. The project comprised the construction of a new L-shaped, three-storey housing block to accommodate 179 young people, including the provision of full disabled-access cells with suitable bathrooms, and a new education building with associated ancillary works. The scope of the project also included new security fencing around exercise yards, access roads and new cross-site services required to supply the additional facilities.
Working with HLN Architects, the project was planned so that construction work could be carried out without major impact on the establishment and its normal operating routines, with access available from adjoining roads.
The Cookham Wood project was the first of four Ministry of Justice (MoJ) projects in its Level 2 Building Information Modelling (BIM) 'Early Adopter Programme', part of MoJ's strategy for meeting the Government's plan to roll out BIM Level 2 across all public sector projects by 2016.
This article describes URS' experience, from high-level thinking about BIM on this pilot scheme, to the realities of delivering full BIM models in a tight (six week) programme.