Interview with Faber Maunsell /AECOM

Faber Maunsell, www.fabermaunsell.com, is an award-winning, international consultancy specializing in buildings, transportation and environmental services. Today I had the pleasure of interviewing Gemunu Nanayakkara, Principal CAD Modeler at Faber Maunsell. Gemunu and his team have immersed themselves in the use of Revit® Structure and had these great things to say about the product.

 

1. Culotta: Gemunu, Please tell us about your business, the markets you serve and the services that you provide.
   1. Nanayakkara: AECOM is One of the world's leading providers of professional, technical and management support services for government and private clients. Faber Maunsell comprises an exceptionally broad range of skills and disciplines in     building engineering, transportation and environmental consultancy services. Our markets include commercial offices, transport infrastructure, health, retail, utilities infrastructure, education, residential, industrial, laboratories and pharmaceutical, sport and entertainment, hotels, and defense, both in the public and private sectors.
2. Culotta: What is your role in the company? How long have you been with the company?
   1. Nanayakkara: Role: Principal CAD Modeler- and my main duties are to give in-house Revit Structure training to all technicians and to set up company standards on Revit Structure while actively involved in live projects. I've been with the company for just over six months now.
3. Culotta: When did you and the company begin using Revit Structure?
   1. Nanayakkara: I started about five to six years ago. St Albans office started using as soon as I joined the company and it spread across to other offices throughout the U.K.
4. Culotta: What were you using before? For how long were you using it?
   1. Nanayakkara: I was using AutoCAD for about 15 years. The company was using Auto CAD and 3D+. Currently we continue to use AutoCAD in parallel with Revit Structure until we train all our technicians and engineers on Revit Structure and increase the number of license.
5. Culotta: What made your company switch to Revit Structure and how did you do it?
   1. Nanayakkara: Understanding of the power of BIM and the ability to integrate with Revit Structure models with design software at an early stage of the design process. In-house training for CAD technicians and on the job training enabled us to get in to a fine start on new projects.
6. Culotta: What is the biggest advantage or benefit to your company in using Revit Structure?
   1. Biggest advantage is that we are now able to produce presentation materials with very fine details to a highest quality within the shortest possible time.
7. Culotta: How does your company transfer the benefits gained in using Revit Structure onto your client?
   1. Nanayakkara: We share the BIM information with all parties to facilitate coordination in a 3D environment. Production of presentation models, fly through & walk through, time liner presentations using Navisworks etc. based on Revit Structure model.
8. Culotta: Please share with us a few projects you've created with Revit Structure? What was the situation and how did you deliver the solution?
   1. Nanayakkara: Recently we were involved in producing a structural solution to one of the largest projects related to 2012 Olympics and our sustainable green solution was created 100 % on Revit Structure. Also we are working on number of school projects throughout U.K. and Revit Structure gives us the complete flexibility to achieve feasible solutions to complex situations.
9. Culotta: Are there any images you can share with us of these projects?
   1. Nanayakkara: Yes. Take a look at a few images from some projects.

      

      

10. Culotta: Anything else you'd like to share about your experience with Revit Structure?
    1. Nanayakkara: We are very impressed with Revit Structure's ability to manage frequent changes of project details and specifications with minimal time. Also the capability of creating complex geometries in 3D with least effort.

    

11. Culotta: If you could give one piece of advice to someone in the field of structural engineering who is NOT using Revit Structure today, what would it be?
    1. Nanayakkara: Revit Structure is probably the best BIM software package available in the market! It allows you to integrate and coordinate with other disciplines and to produce a complete solution to any situation

Culotta: Gemunu, Thank you for your time today.

Nanayakkara: You are very welcome.