Queen's Wharf in Australia being built with Nemetschek Group software
Megaproject relies on Open BIM, data-driven workflows and an integrated planning approach
Munich / Brisbane, March 17, 2021 – One of the most ambitious construction projects in the world is currently being realized in Australia. The impressive new Queen's Wharf district in Brisbane is being developed using software solutions from the Nemetschek Group, a leading provider for the AEC/O industry (Architecture, Engineering, Construction and Operation).
Brisbane is Australia's third-largest city, founded from an early European settlement at Queen's Wharf in the early 1800s. This historic site is now being restored and redesigned. The new Queen's Wharf district will span more than 12 hectares of prime business land and include 50 new bars, cafés and restaurants, 2,000 apartments across three residential towers, and more than 1,000 premium hotel rooms.
Nemetschek brands Bluebeam, dRofus, GRAPHISOFT and Solibri provide software solutions for the planning, design and construction phases as well as for all project collaboration.
The project team, led by Cottee Parker Architects, uses digital collaboration to plan and coordinate the vast amounts of design data. They use Archicad for design, dRofus for data management, Solibri Office for model checking and Bluebeam Revu for comprehensive digital documentation. "This is a project of immense scale, extreme complexity and an almost countless number of information layers," says Quinton Cooper of Cottee Parker. "Working with a Building Information Modeling (BIM) approach allows the team to organize all key project information in a clearly structured, easily accessible central location."
The owner, Destination Brisbane Consortium, ensured that the Queen's Wharf project follows a vendor-neutral Open BIM approach, enabling all stakeholders to work with their preferred tools. Gabor Gulyas, Project Manager and Operations Manager for Digital Engineering at DBM Vircon, explains that "interoperability and a consistent Open BIM workflow are essential for this project. There is no way around it when you consider that at peak times up to 300 people are working simultaneously on the construction models and coordinating more than 200 different models." DBM Vircon is responsible for project management of the entire construction project.
Enabled by GRAPHISOFT's Archicad and following an Integrated Design approach, architects and engineers were able to review and check their models in real time – allowing them to understand each other's ideas and identify errors before they occurred on site. For model checking, Cottee Parker relies on Solibri Office. This tool is used to check designs for errors before they are distributed to contractors on site, saving time and money.
Using Bluebeam Revu, the project team introduced a digital, paperless workflow. The solution is used for the digital review and verification of documents and also played an important role in streamlining the Open BIM process at Queen's Wharf. The planning and data management tool dRofus enabled the team to process data and consolidate the large volumes of information coming in from various sources. All data is stored in one place, allowing users to access it easily whenever needed.
"Open BIM, data-driven workflows and an integrated design approach: Queen's Wharf is clearly a benchmark for any modern construction project," says Viktor Varkonyi, Chief Division Officer of the Planning & Design Division and member of the Management Board of the Nemetschek Group. "We work very closely with the project teams and are proud to provide the backbone for seamless collaboration across the entire lifecycle of the construction work on this landmark project."
The development of the new Brisbane district, construction of which began in 2017 and is scheduled for completion in 2024, has already received two awards – the prestigious buildingSMART International Award for Best Design and a 6-Star Green Star Communities rating for sustainable development.