Principal, small architectural practice
Building a small practice's capability to win public BIM work
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New here? A persona is a short, realistic story about one person at work. Not a real person, but built from real jobs, projects and rules.
- A role
- A situation
- The steps they take
- What to learn and read
The story in three frames
What the job looked like, what changed, and where they need to get to.
Seven steps, and who hands what to whom
You do the steps. The client issues the tender and accepts your work. The building services engineers feed in.
You getYou send
You
Practice Principal
Check the rules apply
Confirm the BIM rules apply, read the client's requirements, decide to bid.
Audit your practice
Compare software, hardware and staff skills with ISO 19650. List the gaps.
Set your office rules
Agree file naming, checks and who does what. Make a reusable BEP template.
Cost your BIM plan
Price training, software and the extra information work. Partners approve.
Write the tender response
Answer each client requirement in a pre-appointment BEP, then submit it.
Check and share designs
Lead the design team. Check every file and clash before you share it.
Review and improve
Compare planned and actual hours. Update templates, fees and future bids.
Project Coordinator
Client side: the ETB
Design Engineer
Building services firm
Your choice after step 4: will you take on the design team's information role?
No single right answer. The Report compares the options in detail.
-
Yes, in-house, with a fair fee
Good: you keep the whole information fee
Watch: needs trained staff and dedicated hours
-
Yes, bringing in a specialist
Good: adds specialist skills to your team
Watch: their costs must stay within your fee
-
No, the client provides the role
Good: no information role to staff
Watch: you give up the extra fee and some control
Everyone on this school project
Six personas share one made-up school project. Requirements flow down from the client; records flow back up.
The client
The design team
The main contractor
The supply chain
Requirements flow this way
Records flow back this way
What success looks like
Within 12 months
- You understand the BIM requirements in the tenders you target.
- A costed plan covers the training, tools and processes the practice needs.
- Your tender response includes a compliant pre-appointment BEP.
- You have decided whether to take on the information role, and on what terms.
- You win and deliver a public project with proportionate effort.
What you'll learn
Four short learning briefs that match the steps. Suggestions to practise, not certificates.
- 1
Judge the mandate and plan the bid
Check if a tender triggers the BIM rules, weigh the client's needs and price the information work.
240 minutes · Seminar or workshop · Steps 1 and 4
- 2
Audit your practice and set office rules
Audit software, hardware and skills, then set lean naming and checking rules for a small practice.
300 minutes · Hands-on workshop · Steps 2 and 3
- 3
Build the team and write the BEP
Write a pre-appointment BEP that answers the tender, and set clear BIM scopes for sub-consultants.
360 minutes · Practical workshop · Steps 4 and 5
- 4
Check designs and learn from each project
Check models and drawings before each release, and turn lessons into better templates and fees.
300 minutes · Hands-on simulation · Steps 6 and 7
Keep these handy
Build Digital materials to keep open while you work.
- Irish BIM Mandate Project Assessor Tool
Tells you whether a public tender triggers the BIM rules.
Useful at step 1
- Roadmap for BIM Adoption and Implementation
A phased plan to build skills, processes and tools in line with the CWMF.
Useful at steps 1, 3 and 4
- Information Management Plan – Delivery Team
Templates for structuring the tender response and pre-appointment BEP.
Useful at step 5
Courses
- Digital Construction Technology · Atlantic Technological University
- Building Information Modelling · Atlantic Technological University
- BIM Project Information Practitioner Qualification · BSI (British Standards Institution)
Picked by Build Digital; they open on the provider's website.
Words you'll meet
The jargon on this project, in plain words.
- CWMF
- Capital Works Management Framework: the rules for Irish public building projects.
- ISO 19650
- The international standards for managing information on building projects, used in Ireland.
- EIR
- Exchange Information Requirements: what information the client wants, and when.
- BEP
- BIM Execution Plan: how your team will produce, check and share information. Written at tender.
- Lead appointed party
- The formal name for your practice here, as leader of the design team.
- CDE
- Common Data Environment: the project's shared online filing system.
Want the full picture?
This overview is the first look. Open the detail when you are ready.
Full Scenario Record
A checklist for every step, the sources and evidence, and the full learning briefs.
Open the Full RecordPrincipal, small architectural practice
I know how to design a school. Public tenders with BIM rules? That part is new to me.
The principal of a small architectural practice bids to lead the design team on a public school extension, building only the BIM capability the work demands.
- Practice
- Architects, 4 to 20 staff
- Client
- Education and Training Board
- Project
- €14m school extension
- BIM Mandate
- Applies
Does this sound like your job?
Good. Start with the seven steps.
Use it as a starting point, or meet the others on this project.
Browse all personas to find a closer fit.
New here? What is a persona?
A short, realistic story about one person at work. Not a real person, but built from real jobs, projects and rules.
A roleA situationThe steps they takeWhat to learn and read
The story in three frames
Swipe to see what changed.
Seven steps, and who hands what to whom
You do the steps. The client issues the tender and accepts your work. The engineers feed in.
Lines marked You get and You send are what passes between you and the others.
-
1
Check the rules apply
Confirm the BIM rules apply, read the client's requirements, decide to bid.
-
2
Audit your practice
Compare software, hardware and staff skills with ISO 19650. List the gaps.
-
3
Set your office rules
Agree file naming, checks and who does what. Make a reusable BEP template.
-
4
Cost your BIM plan
Price training, software and the extra information work. Partners approve.
-
Your choice: will you take on the information role?
Yes, in-house, with a fair fee
Good: keep the fee. Watch: needs trained staff.
Yes, bringing in a specialist
Good: specialist skills. Watch: costs must fit.
No, the client provides the role
Good: nothing to staff. Watch: no extra fee.
-
5
Write the tender response
Answer each client requirement in a pre-appointment BEP, then submit it.
You get the invitation to tender from the client
You send your tender response and BEP to the client
-
6
Check and share designs
Lead the design team. Check every file and clash before you share it.
You get your appointment from the client
You get the engineers' input and delivery plan
You send the design model to the client to accept
-
7
Review and improve
Compare planned and actual hours. Update templates, fees and future bids.
You get work sent back to amend, from the client
You get the tender result and feedback from the client
Rejected work comes back to step 6
Everyone on this school project
Requirements flow down from the client; records flow back up.
What success looks like
Within 12 months
- You understand the BIM requirements in the tenders you target.
- A costed plan covers training, tools and processes.
- Your tender includes a compliant pre-appointment BEP.
- The information role is decided, terms included.
- A public project is won and delivered, without overload.
What you'll learn
Four short learning briefs. Suggestions to practise, not certificates.
- 1
Judge the mandate and plan the bid
240 minutes · Seminar or workshop · Steps 1 and 4
- 2
Audit your practice and set office rules
300 minutes · Hands-on workshop · Steps 2 and 3
- 3
Build the team and write the BEP
360 minutes · Practical workshop · Steps 4 and 5
- 4
Check designs and learn from each project
300 minutes · Hands-on simulation · Steps 6 and 7
Keep these handy
Build Digital materials to keep open while you work.
- Irish BIM Mandate Project Assessor Tool
Does a tender trigger the BIM rules?
Useful at step 1
- Roadmap for BIM Adoption and Implementation
Build skills, processes and tools in phases.
Useful at steps 1, 3 and 4
- Information Management Plan – Delivery Team
Templates for the tender response and BEP.
Useful at step 5
Courses
- Digital Construction Technology · Atlantic Technological University
- Building Information Modelling · Atlantic Technological University
- BIM Project Information Practitioner Qualification · BSI (British Standards Institution)
Picked by Build Digital; they open on the provider's website.
Words you'll meet
BIM DictionaryCWMF
Capital Works Management Framework: the rules for Irish public building projects.
ISO 19650
The international standards for managing building project information.
EIR
Exchange Information Requirements: what information the client wants, and when.
BEP
BIM Execution Plan: how your team will produce, check and share information.
Lead appointed party
The formal name for your practice here, as leader of the design team.
CDE
Common Data Environment: the project's shared online filing system.
Want the full picture?
Full Scenario Record
A checklist for every step, the sources and evidence, and the full learning briefs.
Open the Full Record