BIM = The End of the (2D) World as we know it?

Everyone is talking about BIM - but in the end, 2D plans and details form a very important part of the planning service for architects. A building data model naturally has many advantages, such as easier coordination, collision checking, model-based quantity takeoff and bill of quantities creation - to name just a few. However, the fact that we have to present 2D plans of the appropriate quality to the building authorities often falls by the wayside - it is also common to use 2D views in documentation or presentations.

Of course, all BIM software offers the option of creating a building data model from the building data model. more or less automatically derive plans. More or less - because you quickly realize that the plans don't usually meet our requirements without sophisticated templates. In addition, it is often difficult to decide what to model in 3D and what to add in 2D. These questions are often asked very late, as we are busy learning a new planning method and new software at the same time and are happy when the model is "ready". It is not uncommon for plans derived from Revit to be revised in AutoCAD due to deadline pressure - even if this is often hushed up. But why do we neglect this topic so much?

Many BIM proponents are of the opinion that 2D plans have had their day anyway and that everything should be model-based in the future - so it would only be a matter of time before the model replaces the mountains of paper at the building authority and until we switch to virtual models instead of virtual models altogether. But is this really realistic in the foreseeable future?
Let's think of the automotive industry - they have been working with models for a long time, but 2D plans and details have not died out here either. It can be assumed that models will also become increasingly important in the construction industry and that the mountains of paper in building offices will shrink. However, this does not mean that we should completely forget the importance of 2D plans - many things are much easier to read on a 2D plan than on a 3D model - and vice versa, of course. The future is more likely to bring us an easier combination of these two means and facilitate the digital use of 2D data instead of printed plans - as is the case in BIMxthe iOS app from Graphisoft. Here, 2D plans are combined with the 3D model so that information can be retrieved very quickly from both.

At the same time, this also means that we need to pay more attention to the topics of plan derivation and detailing in building data models. all (usually related to components >1cm) in 3D proves to be utopian for larger construction projects and is often unnecessary or unaffordable. A sensible middle ground needs to be found - only then will more and more architects jump on the BIM bandwagon.