News & Cases

Tuesday, July 12, 2016

Wavin’s BIM Revit content packages meet and exceed MEP customer needs and expectations

The newly-launched Wavin BIM Revit content packages are creating quite a stir in the industry. With integrated intelligent assistance, these packages allow users to reach a 100% accurate representation of the way piping systems will actually be installed. The ability to create precise designs, quickly and easily, without the need for a product catalogue is what MEPs want but can’t find in standard “out-of-the-box” packages. Until now. But don’t just take our word for it. Hear what our customers are saying. 

J & B Hopkins' Stuart King (left) and Wavin UK's Neil Lacobucci (right) working on a live project
We are pleased that a manufacturer has taken the time to consider what designers require, instead of just producing non-intelligent BIM packages.
Wavin UK’s National Business Development Manager, Neil Iacobucci, recently met with J&B Hopkins Building Services Design/BIM Manager, Stuart King, to discuss how the Wavin BIM Revit packages have positively impacted their design process.  In business for thirty-eight years, J&B Hopkins provide full MEP (Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing) design and build – from concept to completion. Additionally they offer pre-design consultancy services, working with clients at the pre planning stage and providing them with cost-effective, energy-efficient design solutions suiting the client’s initial brief. J&B Hopkins specialise in schools, care villages, student accommodation, hotels and office developments.  The company has worked with Wavin for a number of years, but the introduction of Wavin’s BIM Revit content packages has spiked even more interaction between the two companies.  First impressions are important and this MEP customer was not only impressed by the package, but also by the calibre and professionalism of Wavin UK’s supporting specification team.
Very impressed with the team and the promotion of Wavin products.   We have been looking for a while to find a product that wasn’t ‘out-of-the-box’ and suited our individual needs.   A bespoke solution like Wavin’s has enabled us to reduce significant time in building the model.
Mr. King said that he and his team find the Revit files easy to work with, but what stands out most is the visual error alert feature, which other packages don’t have.  Standard packages allow the user to continue with the design even if the initial design is incorrect.  With Wavin’s BIM, however, it will only permit you to design the system correctly from the start.  Also, they found that the view template feature is the most useful to find any issues and problems, to enable a positive compliance check.
Stuart King (J&B Hopkins) reviewing his project

J&B Hopkins is currently using Wavin’s BIM Revit content package for three design/build projects, two in Southampton: Bittern Park Secondary School and Bernard Street student accommodation and King Richard’s Secondary School in Portsmouth. The projects are still in the preliminary stages of design, so stay tuned for more news when they are completed and installed. 

We’re delighted that Wavin BIM Revit received a big thumbs-up from J&B Hopkins. Customer feedback is extremely important to us because we always seek to improve. To that end, a suggestion that Mr. King made was that it would be nice to have a drop-down toolbar or add-in within AutoDesk for Wavin, which would simplify the way to select the families from what is currently a very large menu.  He also expressed an interest in seeing pre-assembled stacks showing typical connections, so that the user can then modify the pipework to suit – using the base model as a design guide. We are thankful for the suggestions and encourage our MEP customers to keep telling us how we can make their work easier, better, less time-consuming and more cost-effective…. so that we may all connect to better.