RLF – a Winter Park-based architecture, engineering and interior design firm – was recently honored at the 2011 American Institute of Architects (AIA) National Convention in New Orleans, La. The leading professional membership association for licensed architects, emerging professionals, and allied partners awarded RLF for its use of Building Information Technology for the second year in a row.
This year, RLF received Honorable Mention for the Irwin Army Community Hospital project. The firm is part of a joint venture with Leo A Day, providing design and construction for the new $334 million, 553,000-square-foot facility to replace the existing 50-year-old community hospital in Ft Riley, Kansas. In 2010, RLF was recognized for its work with Ellerbe Becket on the design and construction for the Veterans Affairs Medical Center project in Orlando, Florida.
“It is a true honor to be recognized for two years in a row,” says Damian Serrano, Assoc. AIA, BIM Coordinator for RLF in the project. “The Leo A Daly/RLF Joint Venture team worked closely together to deliver a high quality BIM product, greatly enhancing the communication of the design intent and allowing for better informed decisions.”
One of only a dozen awards given nationwide, RLF was recognized in the “BIM Excellence category for the firm’s exemplary use of integrated and interoperable building information modeling. Building Information Modeling, or BIM, is an integrated process that allows architects, engineers, builders and owners to explore a project’s key physical and functional characteristics digitally – before it is built. Coordinated, consistent information is used throughout the process to aid in the analysis of real-world appearance, performance and cost delivering projects faster, more economically and with reduced environmental effects.
Due to the large scale of the project and the complexity of programming and design, the use of BIM and associated technologies has been key to providing an integrated healthcare facility that will serve members of the United States Army.
The Building Information Model (BIM) Awards, given by AIA Technology in the Architectural Practice Knowledge Community (TAP), honors projects that highlight proven strategies and the latest trends in design and technology in the building industry.
With a staff of 130 design professionals, RLF has been providing client-focused services on major projects in the healthcare, religious, education and federal markets for the past 75 years. For more information about RLF, visit www.rlfae.com.
