There is incredible value in leveraging content-rich models — it not only adds context to designs but also helps deliver project information throughout the construction workflow.
For example, if a contractor on-site were given access to a mere initial concept model, it would be of little value because it wouldn’t contain enough actionable information to offer any real guidance. The model would lack context and not accurately reflect the real-world working environment.
Level of Detail (LOD) refers to the reliability of 3D models based on the geometry detail, and data included and how useful it can be across the phases of construction. The ascending LOD scale is an industry-recognised hierarchy that communicates the real-world usefulness of the models.
Think of this scale as a procedural mirror of the RIBA Plan of Work. As the operational UK standard, the RIBA Plan of Work outlines stages for planning, design, and building processes from conception to completion. LOD sets out to do the same but with the goal of defining the reliability of 3D models along the stages.
As a way of understanding LOD, consider how it follows the same general progression of the RIBA Plan of Work from 0 (Strategic Definition) to 7 (In Use):
LOD 100 - Conceptual design
Outline proposals for structural designs and building service systems, outline specifications and establish preliminary cost information. At this level, elements are not represented geometrically. Instead, elements are represented with symbols or another generic representation.
