5d macro bim project profiles using dprofiler

Beck Technology, Ltd. | 1807 Ross Avenue, Suite 500, Dallas, Texas 75201 | p.214.303.6297 f.214.303.6300 | www.beck-technology.com

Project Example: GSA Feasibility StudyWashington, D.C.

Name | GSA Feasibility StudyOwner | GSAProgram Manager | Jones Lang LaSalleA/E | HOKCost Consultant | Beck Technology, Ltd.Scope | Feasibility Cost Modeling ServicesCost | UndisclosedCompletion Date | February 2009

*Client Contact Information Can Be Provided

Working closely with Jones Lang LaSalle and HOK, Beck Technology developed cost models to accompany a feasibility study for the General Services Administration (GSA) in Washington, D.C.

Seven design concepts, multiple phases of construction, historic preservation, anti-force protection, renovation and rehabilitation were all expressed through the Macro Building Information Model produced by DProfiler. This tool enabled the team to track various construction and development cost utilizing only architectural and engineering programmatic narratives.

The key to this project was the ability for Beck Technology and DProfiler to act in a cost information management capacity for the team, generating and collecting the cost data that would later be used in detailed phasing studies and reporting to the GSA.

To accurately document and communicate the cost of the various design solutions, hundreds of pages of cost data were produced as backup to support higher level costing assumptions in the executive summary reporting for the conclusion of the study.

The models were also used for visualization of the concepts and phasing plans. Utilizing simple massings and color coordination that mirrored the 2D architectural feasibility sketches assisted in communicating the various components of the study.


Project Example: Mary Shiels HospitalDallas, Texas

Name | Mary Shiels HospitalOwner | Duke Realty – Bremner DukeA/E | Page Sutherland PageScope | Conceptual Cost Modeling ServiceCost | $17 MillionCompletion Date | February 2009


In the early phases of the economic decline, the healthcare industry was still going strong and keen developers were able to take advantage of falling commodity prices. With minimal architectural information, limited to programming documents, floor plans, and elevations, Beck Technology was able to develop a Macro Building Information Model in DProfiler to assist this client in identifying the overall cost of this project.

Upon submission of the cost model, the conceptual budget was within an unbelievable 1% of the client’s established budget, previously unknown to Beck Technology. Aside from the impressiveness of the accuracy of the cost model, what makes this extraordinary is that this client frequently manages and builds their own projects and is uniquely familiar with their product type and subsequent cost.

To further ensure the accuracy of the cost estimate, an estimate review meeting was established to verify that the early cost assumptions were in alignment with the design intent of the project. The client and the team reviewed the estimate clarification documents which defined foundation, structural, architectural and MEP design assumptions down to a level of detail not always defined at such as early stage of estimating. Each room had a detailed finish schedule defining ceiling, floor, and wall finishes as well as a list of specialty items included in each room type. It was this level of detail that enabled the client to proceed forward confidently that they would be able to build this project within the established budget. Eight months later, when the project was bid, the final cost came within 5%-10% under the original conceptual budget both in part due to further design revisions and an aggressively declining economy.


Project Example: Engineering & Research BldgDallas/Fort Worth, Texas

Name | Structural Engineering Research CenterOwner | UniversityA/E | Halff AssociatesCost Consultant | Apex Cost ConsultantsScope | Conceptual Cost Modeling ServicesCost | $25 Million – Construction CostCompletion Date | January 2009


Designed to provide full-scale structural testing of heavy building materials such as precast concrete double tees and steel beams, this Structural Engineering Research Center would be the largest in the nation whenconstructed. DProfiler created the cost model that was used to confirm that the conceptual design could be built within the budget that was preliminarily established.

From a technical standpoint the project is unique in that its design incorporates two 50 ton bridge cranes, a 3.5’ foot thick concrete reaction floor and a 4 story reaction wall. These features will enable load testing of full scale mock-ups for bridge and building components, empowering research teams to put mathematical calculations and theory through rigorous real life testing.

DProfiler was utilized continually from the planning/programming phase of this project through Schematic Design to aid the design team in maintaining the relationship between the design and the client’s budget. By starting with simple, but intelligent, massing models at the programming stage and adding complexity to the model as detail was developed by the design team, the BIM produced by DProfiler provided a continuous “gut-check” capability for the design team and client to monitor the project as the design progressed. This included capturing accurate costs for the specialized floor and reaction wall by including specific assumptions regarding steel and concrete before any design calculations had taken place. As the design of the slab, wall, and structure unfolded, these assumptions were replaced with the real design specifications.


Project Example: Texas Army National GuardFort Bliss, Texas

Name | Armed Forces Reserve CenterOwner | Texas Army National GuardA/E | Jacobs EngineeringCost Consultant | Apex Cost ConsultantsScope | Conceptual Cost Modeling ServicesCost | $50 MillionCompletion Date | June 2008


Rarely, if ever is the cost estimator the bearer of good news, or the glue that binds a team together. Yet cost is a key component to a project’s success. If the cost of components and building systems can become the focus of the team, rather than the overall cost of the project, teams have a unique opportunity to allow cost estimation to become a “value-add” process as opposed to a process that subtracts value from a project.

Much the same way the Army utilizes parachute drops to deliver people, equipment, and supplies to challenging locations, DProfiler was parachuted into this Texas Army National Guard project to help track and allocate cost in ways that benefitted the project team. The team was charged with creating one architectural solution from two separate budgets and programs. This effort required the team to maintain separation and integrity between the two budgets, but deliver a concept that seamlessly blended the designs together in one package. From a cost estimating perspective, maintaining clear boundaries between the two cost estimates and being able to visually communicate these costs were the main objectives for their role. This challenging situation created the perfect scenario for DProfiler to demonstrate the effectiveness of Macro Building Information Modeling.

Working together in real time with the BIM, the team was able to establish a baseline project that was within budget and exceeded the baseline programming requirements. Months later, at bid day, the budget estimate created at Schematic Design was within 5% of the awarded contract. The ability to visually communicate cost in three-dimensional terms had been a valuable process change as compared to the traditional isolated cost estimating methodology.


Project Example: Mixed Use Office ParkDallas/Fort Worth, Texas

Name | Rosedale Mixed UseOwner | UndisclosedA\E | Beck ArchitectureContractor | The Beck GroupScope | Conceptual Cost Modeling ServicesCost | $75 MillionCompletion Date | July 2008


DProfiler, a Macro Building Information Modeling tool, played a key role in integrating multiple disciplines and various sources of information to deliver important, substantive data to the client to be used in determining the viability of this project.

A unique and integrated team of disciplines including Architecture, Construction, Real Estate, and Development collaborated together to create a BIM for this project, responsible for evaluating a brown-field property situated in the heart of an historic downtown medical district. The client had charged the team with determining best use for the property, occupancy types, architectural concepts, cost estimates, and a project proforma to aid in the decision making process that would ultimately cost over $100 million dollars in private equity. Racing against a nation-wide faltering economy, the client had to make important decisions in a shortened time frame to ensure that other competitive ventures did not impede this specific opportunity.

While Developers generated market analysis and comparable data for the property, the Architect and Contractor worked together to efficiently model and subsequently cost multiple early design concepts. Ultimately, the data was collected and input into the DProfiler model to generate project proforma, cost estimate, and other related information for the client. This data was used by the client to determine the viability of the project and ultimately resulted in a “no-go” decision. Evaluating feasibility early and quickly with minimal capital investment saved this client money and the fallout from a risky real estate venture.


Project Example: Paschal Elementary SchoolFort Worth, TX

Name | Paschal Elementary School Owner | Fort Worth Independent School DistrictProgram Manager | DMJM / AECOMA/E | Perkins + WillCost Consultant | Apex Cost ConsultantsScope | Conceptual Estimating ServicesCost | $17.1 Million – Construction CostCompletion Date | August 2009


Paschal Elementary School is a 92,000 SF educational facility located in the Fort Worth Independent School District. The project is two story, above grade structure. The building structure consisted of a drilled piers, a partial structured slab on a 4’ crawl space and carton forms, and a structural steel superstructure. The skin system consisted brick, metal panels, storefront windows and punched openings.

For this project a unique Scope to Budget design phase was utilized, in which a simple design massing model is created and an architectural program in Excel defines the spaces and overall building square footage. This very early design phase is used as a benchmark for the school district and Program Manager to establish and confirm the budget for the project.

From a cost estimating perspective, DProfiler brings a tremendous value to the team in being able to generate a detailed cost model, based on intelligent assumptions that help to bridge the gap between concept level design documentation and a complete cost estimate that ensures 100% scope coverage.

Since this first Scope to Budget design phase, the team has been able to proceed with their design through the Schematic Design and Design Development phases while maintaining the prescribed budget. The value to the client is that without DProfiler and the visual representation of cost that it provides, the team would not have been able to estimate and communicate the cost of this project as effectively using traditional means and methods.


Project Example: Oak Cliff Middle SchoolDallas, Texas

Name | Oak Cliff Middle School Owner | Dallas Independent School DistrictProgram Manager | JacobsA/E | Perkins+Will AssociatesCost Consultant | Apex Cost ConsultantsScope | Conceptual Estimating ServicesCost | $38.7 Million – Construction CostCompletion Date | December 2009


Oak Cliff Middle School is a 200,000 SF educational facility located in Dallas, TX. The project consists of new construction with three floors above grade and one floor partially below grade. Perkins+ Will began the Scope to Budget phase of design in the second quarter of 2009. Since this time, they have been able to proceed with their design through the Schematic Design and Design Development phases.

The Dallas Independent School District has created and published standardized design guidelines, referenced as “TDG’s”, or “The Design Guidelines”. These documents establish consistent architectural and structural design specifications for all projects regardless of who the Architect of Record is for each project. This methodology allows for the individual design process to creatively evolve for each project, but ensures that similar materials and systems are utilized throughout the school system’s portfolio of projects. This also equates to efficiency for the facility management staff to effectively manage and maintain the buildings once they are turned over to the school system.

The value for the project is that DProfiler can emulate these standards in the database and very accurate cost models can be built for each school early in the design process when very little design information has been developed from the architect. This allows the team to identify areas of cost overruns early and enables course corrections in the design process without sacrificing the overall design intent of the project. It also eliminates hasty cost cutting measures performed in the eleventh hour of design that often result in “value deducts” rather than “value adds”. In the end, the school system receives a high-value design within expected budget parameters.


Project Example: DISD High SchoolDallas, Texas

Name | DISD High School Owner | Dallas Independent School DistrictProgram Manager | JacobsA/E | Corgan & AssociatesCost Consultant | Apex Cost ConsultantsScope | Conceptual Estimating ServicesCost | $43.2 Million – Construction CostCompletion Date | December 2009


This High School is a 220,000 SF educational facility located in Dallas, TX. This project contains unique components such as an Automotive Technology Center and Youth & Family Center. Corgan & Associates began the Scope to Budget phase of design in the first quarter of 2009. Beginning with the Scope to Budget design phase, and moving through Design Development, this project has benefitted from a declining national economy and falling commodity prices. The construction industry in the DFW area is also at an unusually high level of competitiveness due to the fewer number of projects, and multiple number of contractors eager to begin new projects. The result has been lower overall pricing for projects, but a higher level of caution with respect to the risks of defaulting contractors, rises in litigation and lower quality of craftsmanship.

DProfiler was utilized on this project to track cost through each of the design phases. Ultimately, as the year progressed, and as other projects in the DFW area were completing the buy-out process, DProfiler was able to account for the decline in pricing by de-escalating unit price values appropriately, while preventing a “false bottom” created by the competitive environment in the Metroplex.

To date the Architect has progressed through STB, Schematic Design and the Design Development phases. The cost estimates created with DProfiler have given Corgan & Associates an independent cost check tied to a visual representation of the design intent throughout each of these design phases.


Project Example: Project ConfidentialWashington, DC

Name | WithheldOwner | ConfidentialScope | Construction Sequencing Presentation Cost | ConfidentialCompletion Date | 2010

Beck Technology had a unique opportunity to utilize DProfiler in a role that emphasizes its ability to innovate the preconstruction process. The client was faced with a universally challenging situation: create a presentation to accurately depict construction sequencing on a renovation project for a Request for Proposal in less than 48 hours. Given the short time frame, the client reached out to Beck Technology for an innovative solution which led to DProfiler.

Using a combination of resources, starting with DProfiler and including Google Earth, Google Street View and Bing Maps, we were able to create a 3D model and display it in such a way as to convey what the massive renovation and additions to the building would look like in concept.

With an adaptive use of DProfiler’s Layer View, an animation of the construction sequence was created. This showed the different stages the project would evolve through from start to completion. From special waterproofing protection to ensure continuous operation of a datacenter on the first level to the relocation of RTU’s, the animation clearly articulated to the owner the different steps and sequence that needed to be occur to undertake this ambitious project.

This project was a great example of how DProfiler can facilitate preconstruction activities other than costing such as the communication of site logistics plans, phasing and sequencing and site evaluations.


Project Example: Tarleton State University Master Plan Stephenville, Texas

Name | Tarleton State UniversityScope | Master Planning Cost ModelA/E | Freese & NicholsCost Consultant | Apex Cost ConsultantsCompletion Date | June 2011


Beck Technology was brought onto the team to assist Apex Cost Consultants and Freese & Nichols develop budget cost estimates for this Master Plan. Traditionally, historical cost per square foot for similar building types are utilized to develop budget estimates for projects at the master planning phase of design. At this stage there simply is not enough design documentation to develop reliable, traditional cost estimates. However, because DProfiler is assumption driven and is effective in communicating and documenting these assumptions, accurate detailed cost estimating can occur at this stage and provide valuable planning information to the team.

To support this design exercise, DProfiler was used to model the as-built condition of the campus, and the proposed construction. When compared, these models enabled the cost estimator to quickly develop appropriate budgets for sitework associated with phasing of the campus development as well as detailed building estimates for new projects.

As the Master Plan is accepted and begins to be implemented, DProfilerwill help the architect, the owners and campus leadership better plan for future development to correspond with future enrollment. Being able to visualize and understand the assumptions made in the creation of the cost estimate, will enable them to strategize how major capital projects are deployed.


Project Example: South Texas College Master Plan McAllen, Texas

Name | South Texas CollegeScope | Master Planning Cost ModelA/E | Freese & NicholsCost Consultant | Beck Technology, Ltd.Completion Date | December 2009


South Texas College has five campuses in McAllen. These five campuses each serve a different aspect of academia. Freese & Nichols was hired to help the college deal with their growth expectations and to tie each of the campuses together through effective planning.

Working with the College and Freese & Nichols, Beck Technology facilitated a Cost Estimating Workshop prior to starting the process to discuss the Master Plan. In the workshop, each new proposed construction project was discussed to capture high level assumptions about occupancy, use, and typical finishes. This data was stored in Project Data Sheets.

Traditionally, historical $/SF for similar building types are utilized to develop budget estimates for projects at the master planning phase of design. At this stage there simply is not enough design documentation to develop reliable, traditional cost estimates. However, because DProfiler is assumption driven and is effective in communicating and documenting these assumptions, accurate detailed cost estimating can occur at this stage and provide valuable planning information to the team.

By integrating cost knowledge with the massing models, the DProfiler model also enables the team to better visualize the phasing and sequencing impacts caused by major master planning decisions such as infrastructure and utility upgrades and installations.