BIM: A vital Design Tool for Interior Designers. MEP Drawing Services Play a crucial Role in the AEC World
Building Information Modeling BIM Detailer is being increasingly adopted by interior designers as a major design tool for various interior design sectors, including retail, commercial, the workplace, hospitality and the educational sector. The traditional design-bid-build process typically involved architects and engineers to represent the shell and interior architectural components using two-dimensional architectural drawings. Later, these architectural drawings were placed over other discipline’s engineering drawings and checked for coordination and errors. As there was no automated process to detect collisions, this process often resulted in re-work, project submission delays and unexpected costs. However, the situation is completely different after the advent of BIM.

According to Autodesk, BIM is a process that involves creating and using an intelligent 3d model to inform and communicate project decisions. It has become an indispensable tool for interior designers, architects and other design professionals involved in the interior design process. BIM has made it possible to design an interior 3d model very quickly and easily. It allows designers to evaluate the space, experiment with different design options and visualize the model thus giving them an advantage to understand the real-world performance of the desired space.
The designer can easily compare various design options in a single model. For example, a designer may need to compare an open and modern office layout with a bright colour scheme and lighting to another compact office layout with bold colours. All these design options can be shown in one single BIM model. This helps the client to easily evaluate the different design options and give a faster consensus on the design that suits their requirements. Also, with BIM being a single database driven model, it coordinates the information across all representations of the project. Thus, any changes done are accurately reflected in all the related schedules, views and drawings.
BIM facilitates interoperability and easy coordination between architects, interior designers and engineers. Each of them can work on the same file whilst being updated about the changes made by any of them. This transparent method of information sharing builds trust and enhances collaboration between team members whilst providing the owner with both cost and time benefits. Utilizing BIM, interior designers can easily place, document and schedule furniture and other necessary equipments accurately. Every object present in the model has information about it, including model number, cost etc. If the information entered in the model is correct, the schedule will be accurate and simultaneously updated every time the floor plan is altered.
MEP drawings play a significant role in the Architectural, Engineering and Construction industry. 2d and 3d MEP diagrams help to plan projects in a perfect way depicting the exact location of all fixtures, switches and controls for electrical distribution. Moreover, 2d MEP drawings provide the details of elements in an HVAC system, including ducting, venting and other equipment. Besides, waste lines, plumbing supply, fixtures and valves are represented in the sketches.
If you are looking for 2d MEP drawing services, contact a team of proficient engineers who could assist you in producing coordinated shop drawings. You may also appoint a BIM service provider who can help you get construction documents from the information provided into the models. BIM Models represent the most detailed illustrations, showing every component with technical info.
Often 2d MEP drawings are released with information about the floor plans with system sizes for scaling, schematic illustration for ensuring service continuity with design intent and also Riser sizes with branch connections. In addition, enlarged illustrations containing specific installation details and equipment schedule mock-ups are available from the sketches. Furthermore, penetration sketches or block out diagrams containing structural openings are coordinated with Mechanical Electrical and Plumbing requirements.
When various systems are required to be installed, the MEP coordinated diagrams ensure that every contractor gets a place for his system. The coordinated 2d and 3d MEP drawings match up the requirement of every system installer for ensuring that everything is installed in a proper manner. This provides a clear action plan for every system contractor and lets the contractors prevent problems arising during construction. The 2d and 3d MEP diagrams are also used for prefabricated components such as elevators, trusses, windows, steel, cabinets, mill-work, appliances and air handling units required by the MEP contractors, manufacturers, suppliers and fabricators.
MEP drawings are also called shop drawings that include the drawn version of info in the construction document. As a result of which, shop drawings provide more information compared to the construction documents. MEP shop drawings focusing on a specific product offer a different style than architectural drawings. There are various utilities of MEP shop drawings, including technical diagrams of electrical components, composite sketches, underground coordination, above-ceiling coordination, sheet metal & pipe fabrication diagrams, HVAC & duct work drawings and several others.
It’s of no doubt that the MEP shop drawings are now a part and parcel of the construction industry. Nowadays, most of the construction firms make use of Building Information Modeling services. This is because BIM helps to save time and cost of construction. Coordinated 2d MEP shop drawings improve the quality of construction and also its productivity through improved off-site fabrication, better plans and well-informed team. Effective coordination diagrams help to identify the potential problems before fabrication or installation on the construction site. This helps in viewing the building project as a whole rather than as separate sketches.