Edinburgh Napier University

  The empirical domain of research into the implementation of Building Information Modelling (BIM) has tended to be large architectural practices working on mega projects. The majority of construction projects that use BIM (including mega projects) involve small- and medium-sized architectural firms. An understanding of how the commonalities and differences that different-sized architectural firms articulate and implement BIM, and how BIM practices are integrated across the supply chain that may consist of large and small firms, is essential if sector-wide reform is to take place. Research has been conducted that explores the distinctive nature of innovation in small construction firms, but less research articulates how BIM is played out, in the settings of large and smaller architectural firms. Results are given from case study enquiries of eleven different-sized architectural firms that use BIM. This research contributes to the understandings of the different contexts of large and smaller practices. Certain differences were identified amongst the different-sized firms, in terms of the way practitioners perceived BIM. Smaller firms mainly reflected the technical stance of BIM while more practitioners in the large firms expressed the practice-based approach in describing BIM.