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Page 14 — Property Management Quarterly — January 2017
W hen managing construc-
tion work in commercial
buildings, property man-
agers can face myriad
challenges, depending on
the project and the scope of work.
Commercial building construction
projects can range from standard
to complex tenant finish projects
as well as significant capital con-
struction work. This might include,
but is not limited to, remodel work
of main building lobbies, eleva-
tor lobby remodel, façade repair
or remodel, parking garage repair
as well as modifying or replacing
building mechanical, electrical, life-
safety and access control systems.
Of course, there are many compo-
nents to creating a successful proj-
ect, such as quality of field survey,
budget pricing, design documents,
pricing and schedule. However, the
two most important components
are the appropriate use of building
information management and the
free flow of communication. BIM
can be used to address, enhance or
impact all of the previously men-
tioned components, including com-
munication.
The technology associated with
BIM continues to improve and can
help during the design process,
which includes creating as-built
models where either none exist
or where existing as-builts are not
accurate. As part of BIM, scanning
technology is available that will
capture existing building conditions
and then convert that information
into an electronic format. This elec-
tronic format can be used to view
those conditions electronically.
The electronic
format also can be
used to assist in
creating 3-D mod-
els of the existing
conditions. The
3-D model will
allow the design
team to accurately
align new design
content with exist-
ing conditions.
There are several
advantages of this
technology. Not
only is it the fast-
est and most accurate way to cap-
ture field data, but also it promotes
accurate alignment and reduces the
number of trips required to verify
field conditions, which will reduce,
if not eliminate, potential change
orders during construction. The
accuracy of field scanning is within
2 millimeters for interior scans and
within 3/8 inch for exterior scans
of approximately 200 feet distance.
Change orders can negatively affect
schedule and quality of work and
add unexpected costs to the proj-
ect. Scanning is not a complicated
process. As part of the Los Angeles
International Airport project, we
scanned 4 million square feet over
a 24-hour period, which allowed
the recording of as-built conditions
to be completed in a more efficient
and accurate manner.
Using BIM allows accurate design-
bid drawings to be produced. In
turn, this gives confidence to the
bid costs and schedule, which
will be accurate, provided nothing
changes (owner or tenant gener-
ated changes after design and bid).
BIM with 3-D modeling provides the
owner, tenant and other affected
parties an accurate picture of how
the design, including finishes and
colors, will look, which can be
used to adjust the design to a final,
acceptable product.
It is much easier to incorporate
green design and sustainability
features when using BIM technol-
ogy, which minimizes the negative
impact to the environment and cre-
ates operating efficiencies. BIM also
can be used for value engineering.
As a result, decisions can be made
that increase the building value
in several ways, including making
the building a more desirable work
place to create demand and low-
ering operating costs by reducing
gross rents because of the decrease
in operating expenses, which will
result in an increase in net rents. A
reputation of comfortable tenants
will help create additional demand
as well, which will improve finan-
cial performance of the property
and create satisfied ownership.
Communication
Given the impact that each of
these projects can have on the ten-
ants, customers, guests and visitors
of the building, good communica-
tion is another critical component
to a successful project. Proactive
communication helps eliminate
problems before they are created
and is another way to provide excel-
lent customer service. It also helps
the property manager be proactive
and not reactive. As the saying goes,
“A stitch in time saves nine.”
For example, when looking at a
tenant finish project, either with
new tenants or existing tenants,
the communication begins with
the leasing broker and the property
manager. The manager gains vari-
ous information through the leas-
ing broker about the scope of work,
including the tenant finish allow-
ance to be provided by the landlord,
Management
Tom Pritekel
Project
development
manager, Hensel
Phelps, Denver
Hensel Phelps
The pixilated scan of existing field conditions