Kerry Centre, Hong Kong

WSP provided building services design and civil, structural and geotechnical engineering for the project, and also developed a Building Information Model, incorporating all design drawings for the architecture, structure, engineering services and facade.

One of the most significant advantages of using BIM was the elimination of design glitches at an early stage, so that there were no surprises or delays on site. The Building Information Model had to be completed four months before basement construction was completed so that any design issues in the superstructure were resolved before construction

The facade of the four-storey retail podium and tower above was particularly challenging.  The elevation design includes no fewer than 10 different systems, each requiring at least six different types of BIM component to complete. 

This resulted in the creation of around 60 new BIM elements just for the facade, all built in accordance with the detailed design drawings.

Because BIM is such a new technology, there was a significant learning curve for both WSP and its design partners. None of the consultants had used BIM before and it was a challenge to gain their initial acceptance, as they were worried it would be a fault-finding exercise. WSP overcame this by establishing a culture in the team that BIM was here to help.

The project was recognised at the Autodesk HK Building Information Modelling Awards 2009 for the enhanced design standards that were made possible by the implementation of BIM.