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NBS to become global leader in BIM through strategic alliance with AECOM

May, 2012

NBS (National Building Specification), part of RIBA Enterprises, is joining forces with AECOM to provide a new service for construction design teams adopting BIM.

The alliance sees AECOM’s market-leading experts in specification consulting and design management (SDM) in the UK join with the NBS, part of RIBA’s knowledge business, to form ‘NBS Schumann Smith’.

The deal will result in a groundbreaking service combining construction information and specification with cost and carbon data in a unique single platform and is expected to be a major step forward for companies adopting BIM (Building Information Modelling).

 

London, 15 May 2012 - The new company, ‘NBS Schumann Smith’, references the former name of AECOM’s SDM team and will be headed up by Dave Smith, Director of the original Schumann Smith company since its formation in 1986 and subsequent merger with Davis Langdon in 2000. It will launch on 1 June 2012.

The new venture seeks to combine NBS’ unrivalled range of specification products and content with Schumann Smith’s market-leading expertise in specification consulting and design management. Between them, NBS and AECOM’s specification and design management team already service all of the UK’s top 100 architectural practices.

As part of the arrangement, AECOM’s Davis Langdon will also provide global cost and carbon data for NBS’ BIM specification platform, NBS Create. This ground-breaking specification platform supports the adoption of BIM by ensuring all documentation works together intelligently throughout the entire project timeline. Schumann Smith will bring market-leading expertise in delivering specification consulting and design management using the NBS Create platform.

NBS is the premier source of construction-related information, having produced the recognised national standard specification system for the UK for over 35 years.  The Schumann Smith team has long been regarded in the UK and internationally as an industry leader in the field of specification writing and is currently working on high profile projects.

AECOM’s specification consulting and design management teams in Australasia and the Middle East will remain as part of AECOM whilst retaining close links with NBS Schumann Smith.  As a global platform, NBS Create will be of increasing relevance and benefit to architects and developers in these regions and elsewhere outside the UK as the alliance grows and develops. 

Commenting on the announcement, Dave Smith said: 

“Joining forces with NBS is an exciting development for us and I don’t envisage it will be long before our enhanced specifications become the new industry standard. I also look forward to continuing to work closely with AECOM, drawing on its global reach and wealth of knowledge to enrich our databases.”

Richard Waterhouse, Chief Executive of RIBA Enterprises Ltd, owners of NBS, said:

“This collaboration is a logical step in our on-going efforts to make life easier for design and construction teams.  Along with our National BIM Library initiative, we will be able to offer an unrivalled provision of knowledge and information supporting the BIM drive for cost and carbon efficiency.

NBS Schumann Smith represents a unique market proposition.  Going forward there is significant scope to develop and deliver new services to clients.”

Bob Pell, Chief Executive for AECOM’s program, cost and consultancy arm which incorporates Davis Langdon, sees this move as an important development for architects and also for the industry as whole, commenting: 

“We are delighted to be working with NBS with its impressive reputation and influence. The combination of Schumann Smith’s expertise, AECOM’s cost and carbon data and a first class BIM compatible software platform will result in an exceptional product that will deliver real value and best practice for the industry.”