do this because of their expertise with the interoperability aspects of MEP related building data, and further leveraged this knowledge to enhance the BIM deliverable in other areas beyond MEP data. This type of integrated design team approach could be done on any project. When considered in the context of a “typical” architect-centric team, both the architect and the engineer must be prepared to reexamine their roles and expertise. In the case of the architect, they must have enough trust in the engineer’s expertise to let go of the control over some aspects of the project that they would retain if the team worked within the existing project hierarchy. The engineer must also adjust his approach and be willing to develop the expertise necessary to take on this added responsibility on the project. Implementation of BIM will create new challenges for all building design and construction team members but also opportunities will be created. The engineer has an opportunity to step up and deliver a high value service but must be prepared to develop a broader level of expertise in the area of BIM/interoperability. This article has focused on interoperability between a building model and an energy model as an example. Another area of potential automation that is germane to the MEP engineer is the ability to perform interference checking or clash detection by creating an integrated multidisciplinary 3D building model. To enable interference checking, the architect’s 3D building model must be merged with a compatible 3D structural model and ultimately merged with a 3D model of MEP systems. One of the three primary team members will need to take the lead on merging these models and managing potential interferences. Any one of these three primary team members could take the lead but it is the author’s belief that the MEP engineer is in the best position to orchestrate interference checking (or perhaps a better way to say this is interference management). Interference checking is nothing new, engineers and architects have been working this out for years; it is usually called coordination. In my experience, the MEP engineer is the last one to the table in this area because the architect and structural enDecember 2008 www.info.hotims.com/16020-19 www.info.hotims.com/16020-26 ASHRAE Journal 47