The aim of this research study is to understand the impacts of Building Information Modelling (BIM) on communication patterns of construction projects. This has been investigated through the identification of current communication patterns within the construction sector. A communication framework has been constructed which identifies a set of characteristics and defines benchmarks according to those patterns that can be managed during BIM implementation. This thesis has examined the issues surrounding the use of e-mail and BIM and addresses the potential that BIM has to increase electronic communication caused by traditional and disjointed working practices as well as lack of pre-defined communication protocols. This research finds that today the use of e-mail has become inevitable which promotes the exchange of documents as attachments. However, BIM is introducing new ways of working in which the industry is bound to move from a document-centric environment to a more data-driven environment utilising intelligent and data rich information models. The study continues to discuss that the integration of BIM as a collaboration platform is not as advanced as the industry sector perceives and proposes the necessity of a greater understanding of current communication practices, which can be addressed by the development of a conceptual framework of communication. This study has utilised a mixed method strategy with a combination of qualitative and quantitative methods and it was divided into two stages. The initial stage employed two research techniques; a pilot study and focus groups. This stage was largely exploratory and set out to understand and observe current trends with regards to construction communication and used an inductive reasoning to generate a hypothesis. The second stage of the study was explanatory to explain the impacts of BIM on communication patterns of construction projects using descriptive analysis as well as using deductive reasoning to achieve a clear demonstration and a validation of the hypothesis. During this stage electronic communication patterns and peoples‘ activities were critically evaluated via data mining techniques on a large dataset provided by a 4Projects, a Software as a Service (SaaS) company. Conclusions of the research highlight the potential for better understanding of the impacts of BIM on communication patterns though the development of a conceptual communication framework and the use of contextualised maturity models. This research has identified opposing views within the industry with regards to the impact of BIM on communication patterns within construction projects. These views are polarised into the belief at one extreme that BIM will lead to improved communication and at the other that BIM will lead to increased unmanaged and unreliable information exchanges during design and construction of projects. The results of this thesis also demonstrate a wide range of concerns around communication practices. These issues are due to the growth of the industry in relation to technology, organisation size, project complexity, cultural changes and innovation. Some of the key cultural barriers include; digital engineering capability and competency, cost-driven culture, shift from document and records management to data and information management, legal and commercial aspects of project contracts, collaborative frameworks, education, training and support and leadership in a digital construction which need to be resolved in order to obtain the most benefit from BIM as a collaboration platform.

L’intégration du langage informatique dans l’architecture et l’ingénierie a commencé dès les années 1960, mais a connu un réel essor dans les années 1990. Les outils de modélisation ont alors progressivement fait émerger une nouvelle architecture. Tout d’abord baptisée « architecture blob », on lui a ensuite attribué le nom de « blobisme » et ses dérivés sont aujourd’hui appelés « architecture non standard ». Au cours de la dernière décennie, certains chercheurs comme Mario Carpo ou praticiens comme Patrick Schumacher ont introduit les termes de « paramétrisme », « customisation de masse », et « architecture non standard » pour définir ces nouvelles constructions complexes. Elles ne sont pas nécessairement savantes, mais ont été conçues grâce à des outils numériques et réalisées avec des méthodes de fabrication digitales. Cette thèse prend appui sur le postulat qu’une approche non standard dans un projet est loin de se résumer à une démarche purement plastique ou fonctionnelle : elle est destinée à produire des objets constructibles. Le domaine d’étude est celui des murs et enveloppes construites en bois et plus particulièrement les parois de type cellulaire. Ce travail inclut donc un outil paramétrique d’aide à la conception (ACPT, Aided-Conception Parametric Tool) et à la fabrication qui peut accompagner les concepteurs dans l’exploration de solutions non-standards pour des problèmes architecturaux spécifiques Cet outil paramétrique et intégré s’appuie sur une modélisation géométrique et technique des parois murales et des différents dispositifs cellulaires qui les composent. L’approche paramétrique autorise le développement de nombreuses variantes morphologiques. Sa dimension intégrée permet la production et l’optimisation des données tant topologiques que constructives. La production grandeur nature d’une paroi réalisée par un robot de coupe a servi de cadre expérimental pour démontrer les potentialités de notre approche mais aussi en identifier les difficultés. Les améliorations effectuées ont conduit à produire une série de clusters (groupes de fonctions) pour Rhinoceros-Grasshopper (RGH) qui ont permis de mettre en oeuvre la première version opérationnelle de cet outil, baptisée Fab-Cell / The integration of computing language into architecture and engineering has been present since the 1960s but it only proved practical by the 1990s when modeling tools started to participate in an architectural shift that has conceptually mutated through the years. By then, the trend was called “blob architecture” and thirteen years ago, trends succeeding “blobism” were named as non-standard architecture. In the last ten years, academicians like Mario Carpo and practitioners such as Patrick Schumacher nested the terms parametricism, mass customization, and nonstandard architecture to define those complex –not necessarily complicated architectures created by using of digital tools and aided-manufacturing methods. This thesis is underpinned on the fact that using the non-standard approach in any architectural project needs more than just a plastic or functional intention but the means to translate that intention into actual buildable objects. The aims of this study are therefore oriented towards architectural elements using cellular-like patterns as morphologic resource. This work brings up an Aided-Conception Parametric Tool (ACPT) that actually helps designers to explore non-standard solutions to specific architectural problems regarding timber-built walls and envelopes. This ACPT is meant then to succeed architectural intentions in which geometric patterns –as morphologic modifiers- are used to provide walls and envelopes with a particular language (a cellular structure) that might require morphologic form searching (Carpo, 2015a) and topologic optimization by means of parametric generative modeling. The previously mentioned aims were validated by means of a full-scale prototyping exercise in which the first version of the ACPT is tested. Furthermore A series of modeling improvements regarding pattern generation, jointing calculation and fabrication simulation, helped fixing the difficulties found during the first validation stage in order to produce a set of Rhinoceros-Grasshopper (RGH) functional clusters that embody the early operational state of this ACPT called Fab-Cell

La question de la transition numérique est primordiale en conception architecturale. L’objectif de notre recherche est de proposer des pratiques collaboratives afin de faciliter cette transition numérique. Nous nous concentrons sur des pratiques dites « agiles » permettant d’améliorer la communication et la coordination entre architectes, ingénieurs ou encore le maître d’ouvrage. Ces pratiques doivent permettre à ces acteurs d’échanger leurs intentions architecturales et de les évaluer tout en s’assurant que leurs propositions sont satisfaisantes vis-à-vis des besoins du client. Ces pratiques consistent à remplir collaborativement un cahier d’intentions, nécessitant alors confrontations d’opinions, à jouer à un jeu de cartes obligeant tous les concepteurs à prendre la parole, à réaliser des réunions courtes et quotidiennes afin d’expliquer son avancement ou encore à être un coach dont l’objectif est de faciliter la vie de ses collaborateurs. / The question of digital transition is a key issue in architectural design. The objective of our research is to propose collaborative practices to facilitate this digital transition. We focus on so-called "agile" practices to improve communication and coordination between architects, engineers or project owner. These practices must allow these actors to exchange their architectural intentions and evaluate them while ensuring that their proposals are satisfactory concerning the client's needs. These practices consist in collaboratively filling out a book of intentions, requiring confrontations of opinions, playing a card game obliging all designers to speak out, holding short, daily meetings to explain their progress or being a coach, whose objective is to make life easier for their employees.