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Existing architectural drawings converted to BIM file with Make a BIM.
Finnish AI startup Make a BIM is seeking to address a significant challenge in the architecture and construction industries: the manual creation of building information models (BIM) from existing architectural drawings.
Founded in early 2023 by architect and data consultant Leo Salomaa, the company has developed software that automatically converts rasterized drawings into BIM models. Salomaa has seen an opening in the market and recognised that such models are crucial for both new construction and renovation projects, providing essential data in industry-standard formats, including IFC2X3 and IFC4.
The software reads various types of architectural drawings, whether hand-drawn or CAD-based, and translates them into digital models. This process, long considered complex due to the diversity in presentation styles and drawing standards, has traditionally relied on image processing and hard-coded algorithms. Make a BIM’s approach differs by using AI and machine learning to handle these variations more effectively.
Watch Salomaa’s explanation of Make A Bim
Salomaa’s experience as an architect informed the development of the software, particularly in automating the conversion of architectural floor plans. These plans often lack height information, so the software uses default values for common elements like doors while the team works on integrating data from section and elevation drawings. Users can also make adjustments to the resulting models to ensure accuracy where needed.
According to Salomaa, the software can handle hand-drawn plans with up to 99% accuracy, and this level of accuracy is often sufficient for practical applications such as energy simulations or material estimations, where minor discrepancies are unlikely to impact overall project outcomes.
Make a BIM’s is positioning their solution as a practical way to generate these models, saving time and reducing costs associated with traditional methods.
