2nd Newsletter - December 2019
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Welcome to the 2nd Newsletter for BIMzeED, the EU funded project on developing VET and Higher Education training material on BIM and NZEB.
We have now succeeded in completing our surveys to assess the skills gaps and analysis of needs and training provision. We are currently moving into the area of reviewing the existing NZEB and BIM training programmes in all partner countries. This is a really strategic moment, as we look at the training learning outcomes, not only from the existing programmes but also from our EU funded counterparts with materials from BIMCert and BIMplement.
Our expert advisory board will advise us, and a national steering group has been set up in each country to further develop our training learning units in each country to ensure mutual recognition and aid mobility.
For our updates, resources and more, visit our website, follow us on social media and come see us at any of the events in the near future.
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What is happening in our partner countries in relation to BIM and NZEB?
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Spain: First BIMzeED results available and already being used in Master MER from CIM-UPC
First BIMzeED results available and already being used in Master MER from CIM-UPC
On 25 October 2019 CIM-UPC started the 6th edition of the Master MER, Máster of Digital Building for Modeling and Construction.
After the legal framework upgrades and the BIM Summit 2016 Declaration, it was necessary to create an academic qualification that could up-skill the Spanish construction workforce. The main objective of MER master degree, founded by BIMzeED partner CIM-UPC, is to train professionals in the fields of architecture and construction in an 100% BIM environment, through practical cases and real projects that bring the students closer to the professional reality.
The literature review on BIM and nZEB needs in the construction industry developed by BIMzeED was used to explain the state of the art of BIM in Spain during the introduction sessions of the Master current edition. The report is freely available on our website.
The lecturers mainly went through the following topics:
1. BIM groups, institutions and events hold in Spain
2. Legal framework of the country in relation to BIM
3. The state of the art of public tenders
4. Most common Spanish BIM standards
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Ireland: Changes in nZeb specifications and apprenticeships
Ireland has recently amended their building regulation standards to include NZEB. As a result, it is now a legal requirement since 01 Nov 2019, that all new buildings and deep retrofitted buildings (more than 25% of the surface area of the building envelope renovated) are to comply with NZEB. For example: all new housing will require a Building Energy Rating (BER), of 45kwh/m2, whilst existing housing, which are deep retrofitted/ renovated requires the BER to meet >125kwh/m2.
To strengthen the Governments’ commitment to NZEB, the National NZEB Skills Specifications for housing have also been launched, developed and supported by industry, policy makers and educational bodies, such as BIMzeED coordinator Limerick Institute of Technology (LIT).
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First National Steering Group meetings in Hungary and Spain
Hungary: On 23rd May 2019 the first National Steering Group (NSG) meeting was held in Szentendre, organised by ÉMI Nonprofit Ltd. and Óbuda University. The aim of the meeting was to measure and summarise the opinion of the Hungarian building industry’s experts regarding the use of BIM and nZEB requirements. Read more.
Spain: The first meeting of the National Steering Group (NSG) was arranged by ITeC and Fundació CIM-UPC to gather information about the sector regarding BIM and nZEB construction, at the Catalonia Institute of Construction Technology in Barcelona last May. Read more.
 
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Introducing the BIMzeED Team
The Tipperary Energy Agency has been successfully supporting Tipperary to reduce its energy demand for 20 years. The agency has a proven ability in enabling people, communities and the public sector to become more sustainable in their energy use.
‘We have identified a €500 million sustainable energy opportunity for the county and will continue to work to accelerate the transition of Tipperary to a low carbon future. We have vast experience in the areas of Community Energy, Renewable Energy, Energy Management and Energy in Buildings. We have led major housing retrofit schemes, pioneering community wind farm developments and numerous successful biomass projects. We strive to implement viable sustainable energy solutions that will reduce costs and energy use. Our social enterprise model enables us to provide cost effective professional services at a local and national level. As a result of our work, Tipperary County Council continues to be a leading local authority in energy performance. Our efforts have resulted in pioneering projects such as Ireland’s only community operated wind farm in Templederry, Ireland’s first Ecovillage in Cloughjordan and a massive Photovoltaic project across 9 public buildings.’
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CIM-UPC at BILT Europe Congress, Edinburgh
The BIMzeEd team always tries to stay up to date with the latest European and global developments concerning BIM and digitalisation in the construction sector. BIMzeED partner CIM-UPC attended the BILT Europe Congress, which was held in Edinburgh 10-12 October 2019.
BILT is a collateral event of the Digital Build Week Europe or, as the organizers themselves prefer to call it, ‘a by users, for users community event, dedicated to improving the way industry works together with a goal to create a better, smarter industry, and a stronger, more sustainable built environment.’
CIM-UPC had the occasion to attend inspiring sessions not only focused on the use of BIM tools, but also on BIM processes, workflows and strategies, which are now more than ever needed in the AEC Industry. This knowledge will be taken into account by CIM-UPC when working on the future Learning Units in the BIMzeED project.
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BIMzeED at BIM Trends and Innovation 2019, Porto
BIMzeED was presented at BIM Trends and Innovation by project partner ITeC. During the congress they explained how the BIM methodology allows to reach nZEB buildings beyond heating/cooling installations. Furthermore, it also showed how BIMzeED sets the challenge of increasing and improving the skills of BIM and nZEB for the current and future construction industry.
The event was organized by ISEPBIM and aims to promote and disseminate the BIM methodology in the technical and academic communities. Read more.
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World Forum for NZEB, Dublin
The World Forum for NZEB event was held in Dublin on 14 November 2019, with Lis O’Brien from Limerick Institute of Technology (LIT) representing BIMzeED. LIT were part of the panel for developing and designing the National Nzeb skills specifications for Ireland and continued to develop programmes for craftworkers, construction workers and Local Authority staff and building owners with a varied array of NZEB modules and courses. This work was carried out with our partners Waterford Wexford Educational training Board WWETB with support from SOLAS, who is the state agency in Ireland for Further Education and Skills and apprenticeships.
Great working with these organisations and BIMzeED hopes to use some of these learning units to transfer across Europe as a mutably recognised accreditation.
Read more.
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2nd Central Conference on Green Building and Sustainable Development, Zagreb
Within the 2nd Central Conference on Green Building and Sustainable Development Horizon 2020 project Net-UBIEP organized a panel discussion titled “BIM and new technologies in construction industry” which was moderated by University of Zagreb, Faculty of Civil Engineering and during which BIMzeED project was also presented and at which some vital issues regarding the BIM implementation in Croatia were discussed.
This was a great opportunity to disseminate the BIMzeED project idea, first results and to connect industry stakeholders with education providers (both HEI and VET). One of the most important conclusions from the panel discussion was that education of all stakeholders is the most critical starting point for a successful BIM implementation in Croatia and that projects such as BIMzeED could be great training providers, when lacking training at HEI and VET.
During the plenary session of the conference, European Union’s SPHERE project (Horizon 2020) (https://sphere-project.eu/) was presented. The project aims at developing a digital-twin software platform to enable the virtual replication of buildings in order to increase their energy efficiency, optimize their life cycle, and reduce costs. Read more.
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BIMalliance - The Alliance of BIMcert, BIMplement, Net-UBIEP and BIMEET
Four Horizon 2020 projects on BIM (BIMcert, BIMplement, Net-UBIEP and BIMEET) are collaborating under the title BIMalliance to explore areas of mutual opportunity and to minimise the energy footprint in construction sector.
The focus of work of the BIMalliance is:
- Energy targets and energy savings - To determine the position of BIM in the European Energy and Climate Roadmaps beyond 2020, in order to explore potential funding sources for the activities.
- Dissemination and communication - Establishing a common communication and collaboration platform of the projects in order to better inform stakeholders and followers.
- Accreditation and certification – To initiate a common pan-European recognized certification scheme of BIM and EE skills in AEC industry (signed memorandum of understanding with buildingSMART)
- Exploitation of results – to prepare and distribute a survey for assessment of the progress on BIM maturity and acceptance, as a result of the activities of the projects; to develop a common report with guidelines for future actions.
- Future Collaborative opportunities
Read the full article
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Construction Blueprint
Fundación Laboral de la Construcción (Spain) are coordinators of this Erasmus+ project Construction Blueprint funded under the Sector Skills Alliance for implementing a new strategic approach (Blueprint) to sectorial cooperation on skills.
This Blueprint Sectoral Skills Strategy brings together lessons learned from other initiatives (i.e. Build Up Skills, H2020 and Erasmus+ projects, BIMzeED) and will be outlined from a holistic approach, identifying political, economic, social, technological, legal and environmental factors, which may be affecting sector skills and training offer. Encompassed with activities, milestones, outcomes and outputs, the activities will be developed during the course of the project. BIMzeED coordinator Limerick institute of Technology (LIT) are responsible to implement trainings and awareness by:
- collecting good practices at national and regional level to illustrate and promote other initiatives addressing skill gaps.
- designing and delivering a MOOC (Massive Open Online Course) to raise awareness among construction workers about new skills drivers: digitalisation, energy efficiency and circular economy.
Read more.
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