Route 2020

In preparation for Expo 2020 Dubai, we were asked to step in and take over the BIM consultancy for the landscape package of seven new Expolink Metro Stations, each designed with beautiful—but highly complex—hardscape tile arrangements.

Being a Roads and Transport Authority project, we were under pressure to adhere to strict drawing and design standards, with the previous BIM consultant falling short in these areas, hence the project delays. After receiving the design drawings from the consultant, we had to deliver full construction drawings to the subcontractor, PGL Landscaping, to help them get authority approval and move the project forward.

Each landscape had to be modeled with the exact tile patterns, while including all key MEP assets, for example, lighting, wiring, rainwater trenches, and curb stones, along with any softscape foliage. The biggest challenge, however, came in modeling the correct landscape gradients (required for effective drainage) to engineering level detail.

On such a tight timescale, we used our blended resource model to pull in additional brainpower, and once we found a successful solution, we were able to apply mass production to replicate the workflow across all seven stations—delivering the packages on time, to the correct design standards.

Modeling a natural stone face

Following our successful BIM work on the landscape, we were then asked to model a stunning natural stone facade for each metro station.

With each stone slab measuring up to three storeys in height, our model had to be of perfectly accurate to ensure the stones and their supporting structural work buttresses, frames, pins, and other key engineering elements were cut to the exact dimensions, allowing for the correct quantity of structural materials to be ordered and shipped from the supplier.

The accuracy of our model ensured each facade was prepared to the exact specifications to facilitate a fast and cost-effective installation process.