Introduction
The aim of the Sydney Opera House Facility Management (FM) Exemplar project is to identify best practice in the facility management industry using one of the world's iconic buildings as a model.
As a functioning performing arts centre andtourist attraction, the Sydney Opera House must demonstrate that its $19 million annual facility management budget is used effectivelyto provide value forstakeholders. Theproject participants are focused on creating 'route models' which, while designed for the specific needs of Sydney Opera House, can be applied to any class of building.
Three key research themes are being investigated:
- Building information modelling
- Procurement
- Benchmarking
Facility Management
Facilty management is one of Australia'sfastest growing and dynamic industries. Itcontributes $8.6 billion to the Australian economy and employs 135,000 people.
The Australian Government (through the Department of Industry, Tourism and Resources) has provided funding support for the development of the emergingfacility managementindustry, endorsing a Facility Management Action Agenda. The Sydney Opera House FM Exemplar project is a response to the recommendations of the Action Agenda.
The Action Agenda and the SOH FM Exemplar Project were officially launched by the Hon Warren Entsch, MP, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Industry, Tourism and Resources, on Thursday 28 April 2005 at the Sydney Opera House.
The Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) for Construction Innovation has led the formation of a team of industry, government and research participants who will work together on the SOH FM Exemplar project under theleadership of Rider Hunt.
Building Information Modelling Stage One
The Building Information Modelling (BIM) section of the project is well underway with the first stage of the research now complete. This research has already brought to light a number of significant opportunities for SOH and has highlighted the possibilities that BIM holds for the broader construction and FM industries.
The project team
The Sydney Opera House FM Exemplaris a project of the Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) for Construction Innovation in collaboration with Rider Hunt, Woods Bagot, Transfield Services Australia, Sydney Opera House, Facility Management Australia, Brisbane City Council, Queensland Department of Public Works, CSIRO, Queensland University of Technology andThe University of Sydney.
Media releases
Fact sheets
SpeechesSlides
Published media articles
Project reports
Refereed conference papers
Journal articles
Industry publications
Photos from the project launch:
 Dr Lan Ding (CSIRO), Dr Keith Hampson ( Construction Innovation), The Hon Warren Entsch MP, Mr Jason Morris (Rider Hunt), Mr Paul Akhurst (SOH) | 
The Hon Warren Entsch, MP |
 Mr Stephen Ballesty (FMA), The Hon Warren Entsch MP, Mr John McCarthy ( Construction Innovation), Ms Karen Hill (FMA) | 
Mr John McCarthy (Construction Innovation)
|
Dr Keith Hampson and The Hon Warren Entsch, MP | 
The Sydney Opera House FM Exemplar project participants |
Construction Innovation has published a report on the outcomes of the Sydney Opera House FM Exemplar research project. 
This is the second industry report developed from the Sydney Opera House FM Exemplar project series. It provides a comprehensive overview of the digital modeling research stream of the project lead by John Mitchell, principal of theconsulting company CQR Pty Ltd and consultant to Construction Innovation's research partner CSIRO.
