LOD Concepts in BIM Guidelines: A Global Review of Design Process Staging

The design process is a dynamic structure where communication is at the forefront, beginning with problem definition and encompassing actions aimed at generating solutions. Since this dynamic structure can lead to uncertainties during the process, the staging approach has gained importance to increase the manageability of the process. The integration of Building Information Modeling into design processes has ensured the active participation of project stakeholders and allowed the process to have a more systematic structure. In this direction, various Building Information Modeling guides and design process staging concepts have been developed in different countries. Due to a lack of standardization, the multiplicity and diversity of these concepts have, nevertheless, resulted in conflicts and variations in practical interpretation. Using the content analysis method, this study examines 49 Building Information Modeling and/or design process staging guides produced between 2005 and 2020 in order to identify the similarities and variations between the guides as well as the descriptive and functional aspects of the relevant concepts. The findings show that the most frequently used concept is “Level of Development,” and the modeling level is mostly defined at the building element level. In conclusion, this study systematically presents the current trends of design process staging concepts on a global scale and aims to provide a conceptual and methodological basis for guidelines to be developed in Turkiye.