Working in the Model

The Thesis

The name "Consensus" is literal. Good buildings come from the owner, the architect, the designer, and the engineer reaching agreement — about structure, about systems, about coordination — before construction starts. The model is the place where that agreement gets tested and resolved. We collaborate in Revit and Navisworks so that by the time anyone is pouring concrete or setting steel, the argument is already over.

We've seen what happens when it isn't. Structural members clash with ductwork. Beams land where windows were supposed to go. Equipment doesn't fit through the door it was supposed to come through. These are not surprises — they're failures of coordination. We resolve them in the model.

How We Run It

Revit

The structural model lives alongside the architectural and MEP models. Not as an afterthought or a reference file — as a live, coordinated model that reflects the current design intent. Structural framing, connections, foundations, and openings are modeled to the LOD appropriate for the phase. When the architecture changes, the structure responds. When the structure needs to change, the team sees it in context.

Navisworks

We federate the models and run clash detection — systematically, not as a one-time exercise before construction documents. Coordination meetings are driven by the model, not by 2D markups and redline sets. Issues are tracked, assigned, and resolved against the model. When we issue for permit, the coordination is done.

A Real BIM Execution Plan

We set up model ownership, file exchange protocols, coordinate systems, and LOD expectations at the start of the project — not bolted on when someone asks why the models don't align. The BEP is a working document, not a compliance checkbox. It defines who owns what, how models move between consultants, and how design decisions get reflected across the team.

Shared Issue Tracking

Coordination issues are logged, assigned, and tracked — in the model or in a shared issue log that connects to the model. We close them with documented resolution, not with verbal agreement that gets forgotten by the next meeting.

Custom Tooling

Because I also write software, we build workflow automation when a project or a firm's process needs it — rather than tolerating repetitive manual work. This includes:

• Dynamo scripts for parametric structural modeling, scheduling, and quantity extraction
• pyRevit add-ins for model-checking routines, custom tagging, and drawing production workflows
• Design-data pipelines that stop re-keying between analysis software, spreadsheets, and BIM — once
• Calculation-package automation that generates structured calc documents from analysis outputs
• IFC and Navisworks coordination tooling for non-Revit workflows

This isn't a separate product. It's a way of working — tooling built for the project by the engineer doing the engineering.

Who This Is For

• Architects who want a structural sounding board in the model — early involvement, fast structural feedback, coordination built in from the start
• Developers and owners who want fewer surprises in the field — a coordinated model catches problems before they become change orders
• General contractors who want a coordinated model to build from — not a set of drawings that conflict with each other
• Design teams without in-house BIM coordination capacity — we can run the coordination function so the architect can focus on design

How to Engage

Collaboration is the default mode — not an add-on. Every structural project we take runs in Revit and coordinates in Navisworks. There is no "BIM option." The model is the work.

Beyond structural design, we also take on:

• BIM coordination lead — for projects that need someone to own the federated model and run coordination, even if we're not the structural engineer of record
• BIM execution plan setup — define the coordination framework for a project or firm that needs a real BEP before work starts
• Workflow consulting — assess current BIM workflows, identify coordination failures and automation opportunities, deliver a prioritized plan