Cover Story

… component reuse has saved a total of 158,000 project delivery hours . This equates to saving 21,000 days or 84 years of time

Darren Russell , Chief Digital Officer , Mott MacDonald

As architecture , engineering , and construction ( AEC ) firms look to go digital and automate processes , creating a component centre or library that makes it easier to find and reuse designs can be a game changer . It ’ s an easy way to harness your best work and reuse it over and over again . Your next project will be as good as your best project - every time . However , for many firms , component-based designs efficiency and quality-related benefits are never fully realized . In this article , we ’ ll briefly look at what component-based design is , what the benefits are , and delve into how you can

What is component-based design ?

Component-based design isn ’ t new . The Romans figured out their two or three best designs and used them repeatedly to build new cities and fortifications across their empire . After all , why reinvent the wheel every time ? Component-based design advanced over the last several decades in software engineering and website development . The concept uses ready-made and tested elements ( components ) as building blocks for your project . Once vetted and catalogued in a component library , there is no limit to the amount of reuse of a key component . It ’ s the ultimate in reuse and recycling - making it easier and faster to define and compose independent components into a complete system . Component-based design for AEC focuses on component reusability by breaking designs apart into smaller , reusable building blocks . Future designs then can be built more quickly and with less effort by starting with tried-and-true design components .

If you are building a road , your components might be streetlights , curbs , drainage ditches , and manhole covers - anything that is repetitive and standard for street construction . Each component encapsulates the functionality , behaviours , and dimensions of a self-contained , reusable object . With these components easily in reach , you can simply cut and paste them into your design . Think of it as a library of templated building blocks that already hold the best practices and knowledge from the designers who created them - helping you capture and perpetuate their expertise and experience .

Benefits of componentbased design

The benefits of component-based design are obvious . A digital component library can help you eliminate repetitive design tasks , accelerate production timelines , and increase deliverable quality . Component-based design allows you to :

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