Llewellyn & Partners Company Limited

As the construction industry is still in the nascent stages of digitalization globally, it often encounters the issue of improper data management. According to NBS’s “Digital Construction Survey” of 2021, it is discovered that the majority of professionals in the construction industry have been on a digital transformation journey for some time, with 17% of them nearly finished and only 2% actually believing that they have arrived at their objective. Due to this lag in the industry, the volume of essential data generated during construction processes is generally not collated or collected in a single database for future reference. Such a persistent problem in the construction industry can be resolved by leveraging modern technology such as Building Information Modelling (BIM). BIM, which is described as a means to create a digital display of a built asset, is a cornerstone of digitalization in the construction industry. Acknowledging this fact, in 2018, the Development Bureau of HKSAR mandated BIM adoption for capital works projects with estimates of more than $30 million.

This is precisely where Llewellyn & Partners (LPC), a Hong Kong-based company, has been re examining the local practices in construction enterprises through close communication with stakeholders, aiming to empower the construction industry by developing digitalization solutions targeting the Greater Bay Area. LPC is a global digital architecture, engineering, construction, and owner-operated ecosystem powered by BIM, AI, GIS, IoT, and Block chain technology. The company renders digital solutions with their key products such as AutoBIM, AutoCDE, AEC2hain, and digitalization adoption and index. Beyond digital solutions, LPC also provides rigorous executive consulting and training on digital management of built assets for the Asia Pacific market. To help AECO enterprises build their BIM capacity, LPC’s certification consulting service provides BIM ISO standards compliance and ISO 19650 certification. They also provide support to project owners to manage people, processes, and technical issues, deliver customized BIM solutions, technology integrations, and collaboration in the AECO industry.

The above digital technologies are embedded in LPC’s patented product, BIM Warehouse, a centralized repository of digitally built assets that forms the next generation of the digital architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) ecosystem. “The global market requires a one-stop solution that is user-friendly and can assimilate the data generated during the entire lifecycle of a built asset,” begins Ir Dr. Llewellyn Tang, Founder& CEO of Llewellyn & Partners.

Ir Dr. Tang has extensive experience in large-scale BIM and information management and has worked on R & D projects for smart city development and infrastructure in the UK, China, and Hong Kong. His profound international practices in BIM adoption, training, research, and development are widely acknowledged by a wide range of countries. With such a thorough understanding of BIM, Ir Dr. Tang developed a centralized digital repository that ushered innovation in the construction industry. For instance, AutoBIM, an AI patent technology by Llewellyn & Partners, transforms 2D drawings into a 3D environment, such that CAD drawings can be converted into a BIM format using AI within minutes. In addition, AutoCDE is the first AI-driven Common Data Environment (CDE) in the world that fully complies with ISO19650 to manage built assets throughout the lifecycle, from Project Information Model (PIM) to Asset Information Model (AIM). Its BIM and AI with high customization achieve automation, digitalization, and standardization, making AutoCDE unprecedented in the market and applicable for any region and organization. AutoCDE is an ISO-compliant integrated asset information management platform. Over a Common Data Environment (CDE), AutoCDE is a compliant environment for specifying, collecting, assuring, storing, presenting, and exploiting BIM information (structured data, 3D models, and documentation) related to the development and operational stages of maintained and operated assets.

AEC2hain acts as the block chain-based token system geared by crypto currency within the BIM Warehouse to support smart contracts to procure digital assets among customers, suppliers, and the BIM Warehouse. The smart contract enables automatic and confidential agreements among stakeholders in a decentralized CDE. The unique functionality of AEC2hain is its ability to store project information in the block chain distribution database to bolster information security. Hence, block chain technology forms a fundamental technical framework that is scalable for many AEC applications. The BIM Warehouse framework is enhanced by block chain-enabled payment systems to allow users to procure BIM objects with tokens.

Furthermore, the recent generation of “connected devices” is evolving into metaverse or more multi-sensory forms like augmented reality glasses, virtual reality headsets, and more, with a focus on 3D immersion, a sense of physical presence, and interactivity with real world. Therefore, the use of BIM models in augmented and virtual reality allow to combine all of the visual power and information included in 3D geometric or BIM models with the outstanding visual and interactivity possibilities afforded by virtual reality technology.

Hitherto, Llewellyn & Partners has trained over 700 professionals through a partnership with the British Standards Institute (BSI) and HKU Global BIM Manager Professional Training for CCBM, MSc in Integrated Project Delivery, The University of Hong Kong. With a group of passionate scientists, practicians, and educators who have over ten years of research, training, and practical experience in digitalization for AECO, LPC is constantly striving to transform the AECO industry and enable different stakeholders to work in an open, interoperable, and collaborative format. Over time, LPC has bagged several awards and achievements for their contribution in the field of construction. They have achieved Gold in the emerging BIM company category, Silver awards in the International Exhibition Inventions of Geneva, and BIMer 2020 at the Celebration of BIM Achievement 2020 by the Construction Industry, among others. Another significant achievement for LPC is to receive the BSI Kitemark certification and to be among the first organizations in the world to achieve full compliance with the ISO BIM standards. “I lead a team of next-generation digital talents in the construction industry, but we are also early adopters of a disruptive technology called BIM. This is why we have been selected as one of the top ten companies in the Asia Pacific—with our experience spreading not just in Hong Kong, but across the world, “concludes Ir. Dr. Tang.