Bentley OpenBuildings

Bentley OpenBuildings
Name	OpenBuildings
Developer	Bentley Systems
Released	2001
Latest release	Connect Edition (varies)
Operating system	Microsoft Windows
Genre	Building information modeling
License	Proprietary

Bentley OpenBuildings is a building information modeling (BIM) application for design, documentation, and analysis used in architecture, engineering, and construction projects. It integrates modeling, visualization, analysis, and documentation workflows for complex structures and infrastructure, interfacing with engineering tools and project delivery platforms. The software targets multidisciplinary teams working on commercial, institutional, transportation, and high-rise projects and connects to Bentley Systems' suite of applications for digital twins and asset performance.

Overview

OpenBuildings provides a BIM-centric environment that supports parametric modeling, multidisciplinary coordination, and simulation workflows. It is positioned within a software ecosystem alongside MicroStation, ProjectWise, AssetWise, STAAD.Pro, and AECOsim to enable collaborative delivery across design and operations. The application supports workflows for architectural design, structural engineering, mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP), energy analysis, and construction documentation, interoperating with design tools such as Revit, AutoCAD, Archicad, Tekla Structures, and SketchUp. It integrates with standards and frameworks like ISO 19650, IFC, COBie, and project delivery methodologies used by firms such as Arup, AECOM, Turner Construction Company, and Bechtel.

History and Development

OpenBuildings traces its lineage to early Bentley architectural products and the broader evolution of BIM in the late 20th and early 21st centuries alongside competitors like Graphisoft and Autodesk. Development milestones include integration with Bentley's MicroStation platform and rebranding efforts concurrent with the release of Bentley's Connect Edition, reflecting trends set by BuildingSMART and industry initiatives from BIMForum and Construction Industry Council. Major updates incorporated interoperability improvements, parametric modeling features, and performance enhancements influenced by standards from organizations such as ISO, National Institute of Standards and Technology, and regulatory frameworks in regions served by firms like Skanska, Laing O'Rourke, Vinci, and Kiewit Corporation.

Features and Functionality

The application offers tools for building geometry creation, parametric components, and rule-driven modeling, enabling collaboration between disciplines similar to workflows supported by Nemetschek Group products. Key features include 3D modeling, 2D documentation, clash detection, and visualization using rendering engines akin to those employed in V-Ray and Enscape pipelines. Analysis capabilities integrate with structural tools like STAAD.Pro and RAM Structural System, and energy and HVAC simulation interoperates with engines used by ASHRAE, IES VE, and EnergyPlus. Collaboration and data exchange leverage connectors to ProjectWise and cloud services comparable to offerings from Autodesk BIM 360 and Trimble Connect.

File Formats and Interoperability

OpenBuildings supports native file formats within the Bentley ecosystem and translates to industry standards such as IFC, DWG, DGN, and STEP for broader interoperability with platforms from Autodesk, Nemetschek, and Trimble. Exchange workflows often involve linkages with structural analysis formats from CSI (Computers and Structures, Inc.) products and geospatial data formats used in ArcGIS and QGIS. Integration scenarios include import/export with model servers and collaboration platforms developed by organizations like Oracle and Microsoft, and alignment with data schemas promoted by buildingSMART International and national BIM mandates from entities such as UK Cabinet Office and Singapore Building and Construction Authority.

Licensing and Editions

Bentley markets the software via subscription models aligned with Bentley's licensing strategies and entitlements tied to Bentley CONNECT. Editions vary by functionality, with bundled suites that combine architectural modeling with MEP and structural analysis, similar in commercial model to offerings from Autodesk and Trimble. Licensing options address enterprise deployments at firms such as Jacobs Engineering Group, SNC-Lavalin, and Fluor Corporation, and include entitlements for cloud collaboration and integration with asset management systems like SAP and IBM Maximo.

Industry Applications

OpenBuildings is applied in sectors including commercial real estate, healthcare, education, transportation, and high-rise construction. Notable types of projects involve airports, rail stations, hospitals, and mixed-use towers undertaken by firms like Foster + Partners, Zaha Hadid Architects, SOM (Skidmore, Owings & Merrill), and Gensler. It supports lifecycle management use cases linking design-phase models to operations through digital twin initiatives championed by Siemens and General Electric. Infrastructure-adjacent deployments coordinate with civil platforms such as OpenRoads and OpenFlows when projects intersect with highways, bridges, and utilities overseen by agencies like Highways England and Transport for London.

Reception and Criticism

Industry reception recognizes strengths in multidisciplinary integration, parametric modeling, and compatibility with Bentley's infrastructure toolchain, praised in reports by consultancies like McKinsey & Company and Deloitte for enabling asset lifecycle approaches. Criticisms center on market adoption relative to dominant competitors like Autodesk Revit and challenges in user community size compared with ecosystems around Graphisoft Archicad and Trimble Tekla. Users and reviewers have noted learning curve considerations, interoperability edge cases with certain IFC implementations, and licensing complexity similar to concerns raised about enterprise software from Oracle and SAP.

Category:Building information modeling software