Infinite Possibilities Focused on BIM Room Leaders. Efforts to convert to DX and the future created by these activities

BIM allows information to be utilized throughout the entire building lifecycle, from design to construction and maintenance. Masataka Taenaka is the room chief of the BIM Room, which promotes the use of BIM, which has many possibilities, including reforming business processes and contributing to the SDGs. Having been involved since the start of the project, Taenaka talks about his career progress up to the present time (March 2023) and the potential of BIM.

The mission is to improve company-wide productivity using BIM. Actively participate in in-house activities

▲ BIM data of “Tokyo Mizumachi®”. You can check the inside with a walkthrough

BIM is an abbreviation for "Building Information Modeling," a system that uses 3D data created on a computer to promote design and construction. The BIM Room uses BIM to streamline operations, improve company-wide productivity, and create new appeal for the organization.

Taenaka "In this room, we create guidelines to unify the usage of BIM in the company, improve work efficiency by developing original systems, and conduct in-house education and training on dedicated applications. Regarding in-house education. In addition to giving lectures on the overview of BIM and basic operation methods, we also provide support in a form that is directly linked to practice if there is a project that wants to use BIM.”

There are 11 members belonging to the BIM room. Taenaka is the room chief who oversees the team.

Taenaka: "The members of the BIM Room come from a variety of departments, including concept design, engineering, and production management, and most of them have learned about BIM and acquired skills since being assigned to the room. BIM is not just for concept design, engineering, and production management, but is also intended to increase productivity by linking it to company-wide systems. I think it makes sense that we have people with diverse backgrounds."

Taenaka also participates in the R&D team of the Social Good Strategy Council. We are working on the two themes of “indexing and commercializing sustainable spaces” and “scientific demonstration of space, behavior and psychology”, and the BIM Room is actively participating in it.

Taenaka: In the former theme, we are focusing on the visualization of CO2 emissions.By designing using BIM, it is possible to automatically calculate the amount of materials used in buildings. We are creating a system for graphing CO2 emissions.

In addition, we are working to promote a new construction method called the pre-cut method by utilizing the BIM data. This aims to implement precise pre-cut construction by utilizing 3D data extracted from BIM. By planning how to cut building materials in advance and cutting them at the factory, it is possible not only to reduce man-hours on site, but also to reduce CO2 emissions by reducing waste materials.

Regarding the latter theme, we are currently working on a project called "The Study of Delight and Passion." This is an attempt to scientifically examine spaces that make people happy and emotional, and to utilize this knowledge in spatial design. In particular, I am currently researching how the brainwaves of subjects in a VR space change depending on the content of the space."

Taenaka is energetically involved in various projects, including in-house activities. There are some things that I value in my work.

Taenaka​ ​"I think it's important to make work more efficient with BIM so that employees can demonstrate their inherent strengths and create a place where people can be moved. By taking the lead in accumulating a track record in BIM, broadly disseminating its usefulness, and expanding the use of BIM, we would like to promote operational efficiency and improve productivity throughout the company."

Attracted by the creation of one-of-a-kind spaces that are not bound by buildings, entered the display industry

Taenaka decided to become an architect when he was a junior high school student. It all started when my father recommended me to work with my hands.

Taenaka “I have loved making things with my own hands and drawing pictures since I was little. It was through my father's words that I learned about the world of architecture and became interested in it."

After that, Taenaka majored in architecture at university and graduate school. In particular, he says that his work on architectural design issues in graduate school has been useful in his work after joining the company.

Taenaka ``In graduate school, design assignments were issued once every three months, a relatively short period of time. In order to design them, it is necessary to look around the precedent cases.Furthermore, when designing a school, it is about "education", and when designing a hospital, it is about "medical care". I also had to learn everything about it from scratch.

It was difficult to research these things in a short period of time, but the fact that I developed the habit of actually visiting and studying when there was something I didn't understand is still useful today."

After graduating, Taenaka decided to join NOMURA The reason behind this was a reunion with a classmate.

Taenaka “I learned about the existence of the display industry when I was in my first year of graduate school. When I met a high school classmate who worked at a display company for the first time in a long time, I decided to create a one-of-a-kind space that was free from the constraints of buildings. However, at the graduate school I attended, it was common to find a job at an organizational design office or a general contractor after graduation. I would like to work for such a company.

My thoughts changed when I worked part-time at an architectural firm. I was in charge of organizing blueprints and creating models for high-rise buildings, but all of the work I did seemed to create monotonous spaces without individuality, and at the time, it didn't appeal to me. Then, I suddenly remembered a friend talking about the display industry, and decided to aim for that industry. I was offered a job at NOMURA Ltd., a leading company in the industry, and decided to join the company."

Taenaka joined the company in 2011 and was in charge of the production and management of commercial spaces such as large general stores and apparel shops as a director for about three years. In his fourth year, he was transferred to the design department and steadily built up his career, including winning the Good concept design Award for a hot spring facility in Saitama Prefecture that he worked on in 2017, his seventh year at the company.

Open your eyes to the possibilities of BIM that can visualize the customer's real experience

▲ “Tokyo Mizumachi®” connecting Asakusa and Tokyo Skytree Town®

Taenaka, who had been building up a track record in the design department, used the self-reporting system (※) to apply for a transfer to concept design department in 2018. It had been four years since he started working in the design department. However, it was the BIM room that Taenaka was called to. Looking back on his feelings at the time, he says:

Taenaka: "I had applied to be transferred to concept design department, so I was a little hesitant at first. But since they had kindly asked me to join, I took on the role of working in both concept design and BIM departments in my first year. Then, I was involved in one project and realized the potential of BIM."

The project is “Tokyo Mizumachi®”, a multi-purpose commercial facility under the elevated railroad connecting Asakusa and Tokyo Skytree Town®. Continue as follows:

Taenaka: "Because I was also involved in the landscape concept design for this project, I wanted to see what kind of experience visitors would have when they visited the site. I tried making a 1/50 scale model, but the model didn't really convey much. So I used BIM to assemble full-color 3D data and created a 3D walkthrough that lets you move around freely.

By doing so, I was able to experience the feeling of spaciousness, height, and prospects in real life, and I was able to thoroughly consider how to create a flow of people in the area adjacent to the river and the park. rice field. It was the moment when I opened my eyes to the possibilities of BIM.”

Realizing the potential of BIM, Taenaka urgently asked the members of the BIM Room to participate in the project. As you make full use of BIM and proceed with the project, you will learn more about the appeal of BIM.

In Taenaka"Tokyo Mizumachi®", the river, the park, and the underpass that adjoin the area were all under different jurisdictions, so until now, a lot of processes had been required to reach a consensus among the parties concerned. However, this time, I feel that the meeting proceeded quite smoothly because I was able to convey a visual image using BIM.

Also, when we dared to incorporate colors that were not permitted by the landscape ordinance, we used BIM movies and 3D walkthroughs to show them visually, so that people could say, "This is good." Thank you for your understanding. Even if the rules don't allow it, if I can convey the overall image, I can see that there is room for them to accept it, and I feel that the range of proposals I've made since then has expanded."

*Self-declaration system: A system in which employees who have worked for two years or more can request a department transfer as part of their career development.

to survive in the industry. We will continue to focus on DX and social good activities.

Feeling the potential of BIM first-hand, Taenaka is currently working exclusively in the BIM room to improve the efficiency of company-wide operations and develop unique services. There was one event that made me feel particularly responsive.

Taenaka “When I received a request for a project from a customer after proposing to implement the precut method, it still motivates me in my work. It was a proposal-based project, but one of the decisive factors was our company's declaration of intent to use BIM to work on reducing CO2, and we were given the job.

I realized the importance of being able to demonstrate a strong commitment to the environment through results and figures, and I think that in order for NOMURA to survive in this industry, Social GoodStrengthening activities that lead to I became convinced of the importance of continuing to do so."

Taenaka says he wants to continue to be involved in approaches that have a big impact on the company. Here is my outlook for the future.

Taenaka “I would like to continue to be involved in DX conversion, including BIM. We are entering an era where we cannot get jobs unless we are able to reduce CO2 emissions, but if we work ahead of other companies, we will have a chance.” I would like to work on my daily work while valuing a sense of speed.”

BIM has infinite possibilities. Whether or not these possibilities can be realized depends on the people within the company. It will be interesting to see what path Taenaka and NOMURA will take in the future.