Virtual construction is a movement that is gaining ground in today’s tight economy. Using 3d modeling tools and collaborative workflows, a team of architects, engineers, facility manager, and even workers, construct a building virtually before any hammers are swung. In this way, they ensure that they make maximum use of time and materials.
The advantage of seeing the building in full 3D are to inform design to fit the purpose, to detect any costly design conflicts or construction challenges, and to optimize the energy efficiency and green components of the building. Visualizing the model before its built, and involving all stakeholders, means that the building is poured over by experts and those vested in the outcomes. The inclusive process ensures satisfaction and helps speed the actual building process, which can save significant time and money. Virtual building can go through thousands of iterations if necessary, but after the first shovel of dirt, there’s very little opportunity to avoid heavy costs from last-minute changes.
As an adjunct to the virtual construction process is a new means to visualize the design model in full size in a six-sided CAVE environment. FullCon Solutions has partnered with Duke University and Iowa State, owners of this high-end technology, to rent time on these multimillion dollar simulators. By using these tools to communicate designs at full scale prior to construction, the designers and users of the design can fine-tune what the actual experience will be within the building before it’s even built.
This full-scale cave environment has been used by a hospital to engage doctors in the surgery room design, to preview yacht designs to potential clients, and to review prison plans. The pricing for data preparation and presentation is surprisingly affordable.
