A Blueprint for Making Ordinary Construction Projects Extraordinary
MAXIMIZING PROJECT OUTCOMES
The Brock Commons Tallwood House at the University of British Columbia is a hybrid mass timber, residential high-rise. Using an integrated 3D model and a collaborative approach, the building was mostly manufactured in a plant and assembled on site. Here is how the design and construction teams maximized outcomes with virtual design and construction tools and digital fabrication:
1 APPROVAL & VALIDATION Digital mockups were
used to gain approval for the project, the first of its kind, and to validate all prefabrication elements for manufacturing.
SRUOH 04
Brock Commons Tallwood House
SRUOH 61
2
DESIGN
SETUNIM 02
For stud wall detailing iterations, the team developed an automated design tool that reduced the model production time per floor from 40 hours to 16 hours to 20 minutes.
MODEL PRODUCTION TIME PER FLOOR
3
INSTALLATION
5 Days
A rapid, 5-day cycle for the concrete core installation was defined through an iterative, collaborative process. Concrete was poured every 2 levels, instead of every level, cutting short the overall installation time.
60%
Sanitary spool installation time was reduced by 60% using precut, kitted materials and 3D work instructions.
65%
Mechanical room MEP installation time was reduced by 65% using prefabrication and VR validation.
The owner and 19 contractors reviewed the digital sequencing simulation to eliminate waste before installation even began.
SUCCESS The virtual design and construction team cut 3 months out of the project schedule. The structure and façade of this 18-story building were erected in just 9½ weeks.
3 MONTHS