Wilfredo Ramirez
Director of BIM | Associate
Wilfredo Ramirez serves as the Director of Building Information Modeling (BIM) for DBR. Wilfredo is a graduate of The Art Institute of Houston and holds a degree in Graphic Design. With over 13 years of experience in the A/E/C industry, Wilfredo is responsible for the implementation of BIM, CADD, and the Digital Construction procedures at the design, construction and closeout stages of all DBR projects. He has developed and maintains an extensive library of BIM standards for all technical disciplines for DBR and he works with project teams and firm leaders to manage the implementation of BIM and CADD throughout the organization. Wilfredo keeps up with the latest industry standards, seeks out new technologies, and takes on new challenges to better improve coordination and solve day-to-day problems.
Q&A with Wilfredo:
Q: Describe how building owners can benefit from the use of Building Information Modeling (BIM).
A: Many studies and surveys show that re-work, document errors, cost, project duration, and claims can be reduced by up to 60% when BIM is used effectively during project design and delivery. DBR has always emphasized communication and coordination, that’s why we believe the owner can realize benefits when consultants contribute to the BIM process. With a good execution plan, BIM can be used to analyze materials and systems and to identify necessary maintenance considerations for equipment. With BIM, teams can share consistent data whether you’re in the field or at your desk. BIM can aid in cost estimating, clash detection, and construction schedules, potentially saving the owner money in the process.
Q: In what ways is DBR leading the way towards integrated design and construction on projects?
A: DBR is proud to have been an early adopter of BIM. The firm adopted Revit back in 2007 and has never looked back. Since then we’ve ventured into BIM 360 Team and now BIM 360 Design. All of our firm’s designers are fully equipped with the latest Revit versions, service packs, and add-ins to produce the quality work were known for. We took it a bit further a couple of years ago by adopting Autodesk BIM 360, ultimately improving team collaboration and work quality. Our design staff is trained to fully coordinate and collaborate through BIM 360 Design and uses the latest Desktop Connector for internal office use. Our construction administration team stays connected through the latest BIM 360 Field platform for all construction site visits, punch lists, and field reports. To improve coordination, our design staff produces in-house clash detection with BIM 360 Glue or Navisworks Manage. Training and updating our staff with the latest technologies is an ongoing priority so that we can continue producing consistent service and quality.
Q: Describe how the members of a project team (Owner, contractor, architect, engineers, subcontractors, etc.) would need to use BIM technology successfully?
A: Consistency and communication are key. Producing and successfully executing a BIM execution plan (BXP) helps to get all parties to agree on a collaborated environment and benefits everyone on the team. Centralized file sharing, live model collaboration, instant team communication, and project analytics are just a few of the benefits of using the BIM 360 platform and its services. If a project HUB is created, then all parties can upload their Revit models and link to each other’s models to experience the full benefits of live collaboration. Permissions can be assigned to all consultants to limit file access, preserve data, and reduce re-work ($$$). Model and file distribution can be done within the same platform, allowing the owner a live and accurate representation of the model(s) at any time during project development.
Hero image at top of page:
Klein ISD – Klein High School | Courtesy of Wilfredo Ramirez
Have questions? Give Wilfredo a call:
Wilfredo Ramirez
Director of BIM
713.914.0888
[email protected]