This is the fourth and final post in a series about tech-enabled pre-occupancy evaluations, which are opening up a new world of possibilities for AEC. To read more from this series, see our previous 3 posts on how pre-occupancy evaluations can drive higher quality project delivery, reduce waste and rework, and take internal design processes to the next level.

This is the third post in a series about tech-enabled pre-occupancy evaluations, opening up a new world of possibilities for AEC. To read more from this series, see our post on how VR-Enabled pre-occupancy evaluations drive higher quality project delivery and reduce waste and rework. 

Effective Internal Collaboration is Critical to Lean Construction

With narrow margins, competitive bidding processes, rising environmental and sustainability concerns, and corporate accountability now on center stage, lean construction practices have become downright necessary. Efficient communication and coordination help projects stay on time and on budget - but, in the AEC industry, where some parties are more resistant to change, minimizing barriers is important. 

Image Credit: Lynn Hey/ News & Record

This is the second post in a series about tech-enabled pre-occupancy evaluations, opening up a new world of possibilities for AEC.

Working Digitally Removes Physical Costs and Constraints

In an industry where project bids can be fierce, and profit margins tight, effective use of technology can be a force multiplier to staying on time and on budget - even under less than ideal conditions like those we find ourselves in this year.

Shifting to digital and virtual design review, and leveraging technology like VR that allows you to do so at scale, is a game changer in a number of ways. For one - outside of VR, there is no way to instantly and immersively walk through projects at 1:1 scale early in the phases of design development.

BIM + VR makes pre-occupancy evaluations accessible and experiential in ways never before realized. They can be approached early on with an attitude akin to rapid prototyping. This is a huge competitive advantage in industries like restaurants and retail, where competition is stiff. They can swiftly prototype and hone their spaces and refine the brand experience and touchpoints of all types, directly alongside their evolving customer base.

When working virtually, real-world constraints such as space, labor, and materials - along with their associated costs - are nullified. It doesn’t cost anything extra to digitally A/B test design options, nor does it take up any extra resources or time. In VR, with the click of a button, you can showcase limitless combinations and variations of an idea or project - and any and all relevant stakeholders can experience it as if it were already built, and they were there. Without geographical constraints, virtual review and collaboration can also help get a broader and more accurate survey sample of potential customers and end users.

VR swings the door wide open, ushering in faster and more powerful ways to understand options and iterations, without the sustainability nightmare of having to build out mockups.

This is the first in a series about tech-enabled pre-occupancy evaluations, opening up a new world of possibilities for AEC.

Using BIM to Bridge the 2D Communication Gap

As long as there’s been built environments, there has been a communication gap between designers and builders, and those who use and maintain them after. This gap often happens because things get lost in translation when looking at 2D plans and renderings representing 3D models, something that requires a great deal of spatial thinking.

There are always looming possibilities of change orders and rework during the building and construction administration phases, which can quickly cut into ever-narrowing profit margins. This is before you consider that, even with meticulous planning, research, interviews, and change orders completed on site, it’s often not until after a space is built and occupied for some time that more major issues and inefficiencies become apparent.

You can use an eraser on the drafting table or a sledgehammer on the construction site

- Frank Lloyd Wright

In our Why VR, Why Now series, we host AEC professionals to discuss and showcase how they are utilizing VR to meet their business needs, from coordination and construction design review to manufacturing and training use cases.

Our most recent conversation covers a range of applications for VR, and how it has helped EIS evolve their business, and deliver even more value to new and long standing customers. 

We recently sat down with Knotel to discuss how Commercial Real Estate is having its moment with VR.

5 of our favorite takeaways from that round table discussion:

We’re back with the second installment of our latest webinar series! In this series, we host professionals to discuss and showcase how they are utilizing VR to meet their business needs, from coordination and construction design review to manufacturing and training use cases.

At IrisVR we hear of different hacks and use cases daily. One of my recent favorites is using Prospect for your Design Critique to replace the wall in your office usually covered in versions of your design and notes from the team.

We’ve outlined how taking these meetings digital can result in serious savings in terms of time, travel, costs, and headaches, among other advantages.