Kantonsspital Aarau

Kantonsspital Aarau : How Digital Continuity Connects Construction, As-Built BIM and Maintenance

At Kantonsspital Aarau, general contractor Implenia used NEXT-BIM for construction monitoring and as-built verification in augmented reality. Through its connection with the LIBAL common data environment, the BIM model is now also available to maintenance teams during hospital operation.

A View Through the Ceiling: With NEXT-BIM, pipes and systems in the corridor of the Aarau Cantonal Hospital become visible in Augmented Reality.

How Was the BIM Model Used on Site During Construction?

During the construction phase, general contractor Implenia used NEXT-BIM for three key tasks: construction monitoring, execution checks and digital as-built verification.

With NEXT-BIM, project teams could access the BIM model directly on site in augmented reality (AR) and compare the as-built conditions with the digital model. This approach facilitated on-site inspections, reduced discrepancies between design and construction, and enabled teams to progressively build a reliable as-built model.

The objective was not simply to “view” the model on site, but to produce useful, structured and reusable field data for the next stages of the building lifecycle.

Why is BIM also valuable during hospital operation?

Following the completion of Implenia’s construction work, the maintenance teams at Kantonsspital Aarau identified clear value in continuing to use NEXT-BIM during the operational phase.

An as-built BIM model only delivers its full value if it remains accessible, understandable and usable by the teams who operate and maintain the building every day.

In a hospital environment, maintenance teams need to :

  • locate equipment quickly;
  • understand its technical context;
  • access related information and documentation;
  • carry out interventions efficiently, including in complex or highly constrained areas.

This is precisely where the connection between NEXT-BIM and LIBAL adds considerable value.

What does the integration between NEXT-BIM and LIBAL enable?

LIBAL is the building owner’s common data environment (CDE), making building knowledge actionable. The platform centralizes, verifies and structures all the data required for operation and maintenance: technical properties, equipment information, documentation and operational data. It makes this information available as a reliable, searchable knowledge base.

NEXT-BIM connected its application to LIBAL so that these technical properties and documents can be accessed directly within the on-site visualization environment.

In practice, users can:

  1. open the BIM model in NEXT-BIM;
  2. select an object or piece of equipment;
  3. view technical properties from LIBAL;
  4. access the associated technical documentation;
  5. visualize the equipment in its real-world context on site;
  6. switch directly from LIBAL to NEXT-BIM, in viewer or augmented reality mode.

 

NEXT-BIM’s Info tool displays LIBAL data for a radiator: manufacturer, warranty, commissioning date, product data sheet and operating instructions

“Seeing Through Walls”: How Augmented Reality Improves Maintenance

One of NEXT-BIM’s key benefits during operation is the ability to visualize the BIM model directly on site in augmented reality.

Maintenance teams can position themselves inside the building and view technical networks, equipment and BIM objects in their real environment, including elements concealed behind walls, ceilings or cladding.

This ability to “see through walls” provides concrete benefits for maintenance:

  • a better understanding of technical areas;
  • faster equipment location;
  • less time spent searching for information;
  • fewer errors during interventions;
  • direct access to the BIM model and associated data on site;
  • greater continuity between documentation, BIM data and the physical building.

In a hospital, where system availability and intervention efficiency are essential, this approach helps improve operational reliability.

Digital Continuity Does Not End at Building Handover

The KSA project demonstrates that digital continuity should not stop at building handover.

With NEXT-BIM and LIBAL, the information produced and enriched during design and construction becomes directly usable by maintenance teams. The result is a digital twin of the building that is actively used in everyday work: the BIM model is no longer just a project deliverable, but a daily operational tool.

This collaboration reflects a shared vision: connecting data, documents and BIM models to the field, enabling teams to work with reliable, accessible and contextualized information.

A Case Study Spanning the Entire Building Lifecycle

The partnership between NEXT-BIM and LIBAL at Kantonsspital Aarau illustrates the value of BIM when it supports the entire building lifecycle. Thanks to the work carried out during construction with Implenia and the integration of the two systems, the solution now connects :

  • the as-built BIM model;
  • technical data;
  • equipment documentation;
  • the physical building;
  • the operational needs of maintenance teams.

This continuity between construction and operation gives BIM its full value.

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