Research Project: Developing a Species-level Building Information Modelling (BIM) Vegetation Library

The adoption of Building Information Modelling (BIM) for Landscape Architects is hampered by a multitude of administrative as well as technical hurdles. One such hurdle is the lack of a unified vegetation library that can be drawn on and done independent of the BIM authoring software to be used. The latter consideration points towards the use of the Industry Foundation Classes (IFC) format as an international standard for openBIM data exchange. This research project demonstrates the use of a developed vegetation library that exists outside of any authoring platform and uses IFC instead as a mediator to generate 3D vegetation models and enrich them with information drawn from the library developed for the Singaporean context.

Specifically, the workflows developed through the research have enabled not only a software agnostic approach to BIM for vegetation but has paved the way for the calculation of Green Plot Ratio (GnPR) automatically from the enriched 3D vegetation models, enabled the inclusion of species-specific plant models in thermal comfort simulations via ENVI-met, as well as several other novel developments in the area of information modelling specific to landscape architecture.

Often ignored or left out during the BIM process due to either a lack of technical knowledge or acknowledgement on the importance of vegetation in the built environment, it was shown through this research project on the importance and potential value of creating a unified vegetation library for use by landscape architects in Singapore and beyond. The library and how to use it now forms part of the learning material taught to students in our advanced level courses.

Lin, E.S., Gobeawan, L., Liu, X., Lim, C.W., He, Y., Tan, C.L., Tan, P.Y., Wong, N.H., Yee, A.T.K., 2022. Deriving Green Plot Ratio (GnPR) from a Building Information Modelling (BIM) Vegetation Library. Presented at the 23rd Annual International Digital Landscape Architecture Conference, Cambridge Massachusetts, USA.

Lin, E.S., Gobeawan, L., Xuan, L., Lim, C.C.W., He, Y., Tan, C.L., Tan, P.Y., Wong, N.H., Koon, A.Y.T., 2022. The Linking of Microclimatic Simulations and Planting Design Using a Species-level Building Information Modelling (BIM) Vegetation Library. Journal of Digital Landscape Architecture 7–2022.

Gobeawan, L., Lin, S.E., Liu, X., Wong, S.T., Lim, C.W., Gaw, Y.-F.L., Wong, N.H., Tan, P.Y., Tan, C.L., He, Y., 2021. IFC-CENTRIC VEGETATION MODELLING FOR BIM, in: ISPRS Annals of the Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing and Spatial Information Sciences. Presented at the 16th 3D GeoInfo Conference 2021, Copernicus GmbH, New York City, USA, pp. 91–98. https://doi.org/10.5194/isprs-annals-VIII-4-W2-2021-91-2021

He, Y., Lin, E.S., Tan, C.L., Tan, P.Y., Wong, N.H., 2021a. Quantitative evaluation of plant evapotranspiration effect for green roof in tropical area: A case study in Singapore. Energy and Buildings 241, 110973. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enbuild.2021.110973

He, Y., Lin, E.S., Tan, C.L., Yu, Z., Tan, P.Y., Wong, N.H., 2021b. Model development of Roof Thermal Transfer Value (RTTV) for green roof in tropical area: A case study in Singapore. Building and Environment 203, 108101. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.buildenv.2021.108101

He, Y., Lin, E.S., Yu, Z., Tan, C.L., Tan, P.Y., Wong, N.H., 2021c. The effect of dynamic albedos of plant canopy on thermal performance of rooftop greenery: A case study in Singapore. Building and Environment 205, 108247. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.buildenv.2021.108247

He, Y., Lin, E.S., Zhang, W., Tan, C.L., Tan, P.Y., Wong, N.H., 2022. Local microclimate above shrub and grass in tropical city: A case study in Singapore. Urban Climate 43, 101142. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.uclim.2022.101142