# BuildingSMART

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'''buildingSMART''', formerly the International Alliance for [Interoperability](/source/Interoperability) (IAI), is an international organisation which aims to improve the exchange of information between software applications used in the [construction](/source/construction) industry. It has developed [Industry Foundation Classes](/source/Industry_Foundation_Classes) (IFCs) as a neutral and open specification for [Building Information Model](/source/Building_Information_Modeling)s (BIM) as well as [Information Delivery Specification](/source/Information_Delivery_Specification) (IDS).

==History==
The IAI started in 1994<ref name=Bazjanac>Bazjanac, V. and Crawley, D.B. (1997) ''The implementation of Industry Foundation Classes in simulation tools for the building industry'' - http://www.inive.org/members_area/medias/pdf/Inive/IBPSA/UFSC585.pdf (accessed: 6 February 2012)</ref> as an industry consortium of 12 US companies invited by [Autodesk](/source/Autodesk) to advise on developing a set of C++ classes to support integrated application development.
The other founding members were [AT&T](/source/AT%26T_Corporation); Archibus; [Carrier Corporation](/source/Carrier_Corporation); [Hellmuth, Obata & Kassabaum](/source/Hellmuth%2C_Obata_%26_Kassabaum) (HOK); [Honeywell](/source/Honeywell); [Jaros, Baum & Bolles (JB&B)](/source/Jaros%2C_Baum_%26_Bolles_(JB%26B)); [Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory](/source/Lawrence_Berkeley_Laboratory); [Primavera Systems](/source/Primavera_Systems); Softdesk; [Timberline](/source/Sage_Group) Software Corp; and Tishman Research Corp (part of [Tishman Realty & Construction](/source/Tishman_Realty_%26_Construction)).<ref name="freelibrary" /> The new technology was first demonstrated in June 1995 in Atlanta at A/E/C SYSTEMS '95.<ref name="freelibrary">A/E/C Industry Alliance for Interoperability Links Building Industry Professions AT&T, Carrier Corp., Honeywell, Inc. and HOK Among Founding Members. 17 April 1995. http://www.thefreelibrary.com/A%2FE%2FC+Industry+Alliance+for+Interoperability+Links+Building+Industry...-a016817760 (accessed: 6 February 2012; [https://archive.today/20130203212457/http://www.thefreelibrary.com/A/E/C+Industry+Alliance+for+Interoperability+Links+Building+Industry...-a016817760 archived])</ref>

This '''Industry Alliance for Interoperability''' opened membership to all interested parties in September 1995<ref>Amor, Robert (1997) ''Product Models in Design and Engineering'', Building Research Establishment, UK</ref><ref>Graphisoft joins industry alliance for interoperability, 6 August 1996 - http://www.graphisoft.com/community/press_zone/iai.html.html (accessed: 6 February 2012)</ref> and in May 1996 was renamed the '''International Alliance for Interoperability'''<ref name=Bazjanac/> as Autodesk users insisted that the IFCs should be non-proprietary and urged development of the IFC standard.<ref>Drogemuller, Robin (2009) Can B.I.M be civil? Queensland Roads(7). pp. 47-55 - http://eprints.qut.edu.au/27991/1/27991.pdf (accessed: 6 February 2012)</ref> The first version of IFC was published in June 1996 at which point 26 companies, including Autodesk, [Bentley](/source/Bentley_Systems), [Nemetschek](/source/Nemetschek) and IEZ, committed to making their software IFC-compliant.<ref name=Bazjanac/> The IAI was reconstituted as a not-for-profit industry-led organisation, promoting the Industry Foundation Class (IFC) as a neutral product model supporting the building lifecycle.<ref name="Eastman">Eastman, Charles M., and Eastman, Chuck (2008) ''BIM handbook: a guide to building information modeling for owners, managers, designers, engineers, and contractors'' John Wiley & Sons, pp.72-73.</ref>

In 2005, partly because its members felt the IAI name was too long and complex for people to understand, it was renamed '''buildingSMART'''.<ref name="Eastman" /> It has regional chapters in Europe, North America, Australia, Asia and the Middle East.

== Activities ==
BuildingSMART says<ref>What we do - https://buildingsmart.org/</ref> it develops and maintains international standards for [openBIM](/source/openBIM), combining: 
*buildingSMART Processes - information delivery manuals
*[buildingSMART Data Dictionary](/source/buildingSMART_Data_Dictionary) (bsDD)<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-04-03 |title=buildingSMART Data Dictionary - buildingSMART International |url=https://www.buildingsmart.org/users/services/buildingsmart-data-dictionary/ |access-date=2024-11-06 |language=en-GB}}</ref>
*buildingSMART Data model - the organisation manages the software-neutral [Industry Foundation Classes](/source/Industry_Foundation_Classes) (IFC) data model

buildingSMART also maintains the [BIM Collaboration Format](/source/BIM_Collaboration_Format) (BCF), a structured file format used for issue tracking in relation to building information models.

== Chapters ==
BuildingSMART has multiple chapters around the world.<ref>BuildingSMART chapters - http://buildingsmart.com/organization/chapters</ref>
{{columns-list|colwidth=22em|
* Australasia
* Austria
* Benelux
* Brazil
* Canada
* China
* Croatia
* Czech Republic
* Denmark
* Ecuador
* Finland
* France
* Germany
* Greece
* Hong Kong, China
* Iceland
* Italy
* India
* Japan
* Kazakhstan
* Korea
* Morocco
* Norway
* North America
* Norway
* Poland<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://buildingsmart.org.pl/oficjalnie-stowarzyszenie-buildingsmart-polska-oddzialem-miedzynarodowej-organizacji-buildingsmart/|title = Stowarzyszenie buildingSMART Polska oddziałem międzynarodowej organizacji buildingSMART » buildingSMART Polska|date = 7 June 2019}}</ref>
* Portugal
* Romania
* Saudi Arabia
* Serbia
* Singapore
* Slovenia
* Spain
* Sweden
* Switzerland
* Turkey
* UAE
* USA
* UK & Ireland (in January 2018, the UK chapter merged with the UK BIM Alliance)<ref name="BIMtodayOct17">{{cite news|title=BIM Alliance & buildingSMART UK&I Chapter announce a merger|url=https://www.pbctoday.co.uk/news/bim-news/bim-alliance-buildingsmart-uki-chapter-announce-a-merger/36018/|accessdate=8 February 2018|work=BIM Today|date=30 October 2017}}</ref><ref name="BIMToday">{{cite news|title=UK BIM Alliance releases FAQs on merger with buildingSMART UK&I|url=https://www.pbctoday.co.uk/news/bim-news/uk-bim-alliance-releases-faqs-on-merger-with-buildingsmart-uki/37651/|accessdate=8 February 2018|work=BIM Today|date=11 January 2018}}</ref>{{efn|In October 2022, the UK BIM Alliance rebranded as 'nima'.<ref name="Stanton-03Oct2022">{{cite news |last1=Stanton |first1=Justin |title=Nima: UK BIM Alliance puts information management first with new name, new approach |url=https://www.bimplus.co.uk/nima-uk-bim-alliance-puts-information-management-first-with-new-name-new-approach/ |access-date=18 October 2022 |work=BIM plus |date=3 October 2022}}</ref>}}
}}

== External links ==
* {{Official website|www.buildingsmart.org}}

== References ==
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{{Building information modeling}}

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Category:Industrial computing
Category:1994 establishments in Germany
Category:Building information modeling

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [BuildingSMART](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BuildingSMART) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BuildingSMART?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.