Windover Construction, a global leader in construction management and innovation, recently launched Innovations for Design, Engineering, and Automation (IDEA), a consulting platform optimizing the use of BIM, drones, robotics, and other rapidly evolving technologies. Leveraging Windover’s award-winning expertise, IDEA provides tech-first, real-time solutions to every project challenge, streamlining decision making and transforming the construction, design, and engineering process.
For construction clients as well as design and engineering partners nationally, IDEA combines strategic counsel with access to a broad spectrum of emerging technology capabilities including 4D planning, digital prefabrication, virtual and mixed-reality, laser scanning, automation, drone surveys, optimized MEP-BIM coordination, and additive manufacturing.
With IDEA, Windover continues to transform the industry by finding new applications for ever-evolving technology. Recently, Windover partnered with Autodesk, Howick, and StrucSoft to develop an adaptive industrial construction technique that can fabricate telescopic panels from a digital model and be easily transported and adapted to any space.
For the first use of this technology ever, Windover installed the telescopic panels in a 100-year-old building as part of a challenging renovation due in part to varying ceiling heights.
First, Windover laser scanned the building to capture existing conditions. This data was then uploaded to Autodesk Recap Pro and overlayed in Navisworks to create 3D design models in Revit, where they were reviewed for constructability and quality assurance.
From the Revit model, shop drawings for the panels were created and uploaded to StrucSoft’s ONYX technology where sequencing and manufacturing data could be created and uploaded to Howick’s X-TENDA 3600. Infill telescopic framing profiles are roll-formed from the X-TENDA 3600, and the pre-punched and self-locating components are easily assembled.
They were then transported to Windover’s project site for installation. Light and maneuverable, these compressed panels were easily carried around tight corners and hard-to-reach areas within the building. They even fit in elevators, avoiding the need for cranes. During installation, the telescopic panels expanded to fit the space and uneven heights.
To see how Windover utilized this exciting new industrial construction technology to build in the most efficient, safe, and time-saving method for this historic renovation, watch this video:
In addition to utilizing adaptive industrial construction, Windover is also pioneering advancements in additive manufacturing that are transforming the way the industry approaches historical restoration projects. For clients wanting to restore centuries-old elements of historical buildings, Windover and IDEA have utilized additive manufacturing to combine technologies like laser scanning, 3D printing, laser cutting, automation, and robotics to provide highly accurate, durable replicas that will withstand the next century.
But the applications for this exciting new technology do not stop at renovating historic buildings. For labs needing to adapt to the demands of the life science industry, office buildings needing to separate an open-floor layout, and hospitals that need to quickly create airtight temporary containment walls, this fusion of adaptive industrial construction technology will be revolutionary for renovating existing spaces.
“Windover’s dedication to building at the speed of innovation is what truly sets us apart from other firms,” said Stuart Meurer, President and CEO of Windover Construction. “Rather than focusing on one solution, we’ve perfected the art of collaboration among existing and emerging technologies. IDEA redefines the possibilities to advance the Architectural, Engineering and Construction industry while providing our clients and partners with the opportunity to mitigate risk, increase efficiencies and bring their forward-thinking visions to life.”
Windover is a global leader in utilizing innovative technologies to support the planning and construction processes in historic preservation and projects across academic, residential, life science, healthcare, and mixed-use sectors. Amr Raafat, Windover’s Vice President of VDC and Technology, leads IDEA at Windover. He was named Autodesk’s 2019 AEC Innovator of the Year, an international award recognizing an individual leading, changing, and transforming the design and construction process in a positive way.
To learn more about IDEA visit www.windover.com/how-we-build/the-idea-platform/