The days when ceilings and walls were mainly an afterthought in the design of an interior build or renovation are long gone. The once standard directive of “choose something neutral” that won’t fight with the rest of the décor, has been replaced by a new appreciation architects and designers have for the aesthetic contributions walls and ceilings make as an integral part of the environment. In addition, more direction is being given that every element of the interior—such as color, architectural style, branding or some other “wow” factor—must carry through the distinctiveness of the exterior. Eager to gain customers by offering something unique and fresh, architects and designers are literally and figuratively pushing all types of boundaries—and thanks to some amazing product innovations, they can keep raising the bar. Today’s clients, therefore, expect greater individuality and ingenuity in their designs. But that’s not all. They are demanding these projects be completed faster, cost efficiently and with impeccable precision. Moreover, all this is happening in a society hyperfocused on protecting the planet.
All these dynamics have converged to make the job of the contractor incredibly complex. For at the end of the day it is the contractors who must balance all the demands of a project and successfully bring the vision to life—while at the same time supporting their own business growth. There’s no denying it’s a tall order. However, through the use of emerging digital services that offer complete design-to-installation support, today’s contractor can realize opportunity from the complexity. Digital support services offer multiple benefits that can help contractors up their competitive edge and position themselves as an expert in meeting today’s demand for intricate ceiling and wall designs. Here are three of the top advantages digitally assisted support services offer.
Top Advantages
Faster, More Confident Bidding
Digital services are revolutionizing the way contractors bid a project. For instance, ceiling solutions can be digitalized and, when applied to a reflective ceiling plan (RCP) layout, automate the exact quantities of every component needed for that project. This capability greatly increases the accuracy of materials needed on the job site.
Ultimately, digitalization takes the guesswork out of estimating and replaces the hope that you have accounted for everything with a total materials package in which the contractor can be fully confident. More importantly, this capability is scalable and not mutually exclusive to one segment or industry. Digital services allow contractors to bid confidently on any caliber of project. Further, the technical programming for these services significantly expedites the bidding process by providing contractors quick turnaround and a comprehensive bill of materials.
As ceiling and wall designs handed down from architect to contractor become increasingly complex, this ability to accurately and quickly bid a project offers contractors a critical competitive advantage.
Start-to-Finish Project Planning and Support
In addition to digitalizing the takeoff process, these services simplify and accelerate project installation by providing contractors with one convenient and complete drawing package to guide them every step of the way.
Digital technology can evaluate a project scope while considering the installation process. As a result, any potential issues, like perimeter hardware clashing, can be vetted before any materials reach the job site. Drawing packages should include a bill of materials, accurate and comprehensive finish schedules for all components across the project, clear layouts and highly detailed drawings and schematics that enable seamless installation.
No matter how complex the project, the right digital service eliminates the ambiguity in how the product will actually be installed in the built environment and supports an end result that perfectly reflects the design vision.
Fewer Wasted Hours and Material on the Job
The best digital service will take the lead and collaborate with architects in the design phase of a project to clearly understand the materials needed to execute the design intent. Then, once a design has been solidified, that digital service will collaborate with the contractor to revise plans based on actual jobsite conditions. By streamlining the entire project process, from design and quoting through takeoffs and installation, digitalization eliminates the time that may have been wasted backtracking to fix mistakes.
In addition, digital technology can optimize solutions within a project space based on scrap reusability. For example, digitalization can analyze every cut panel at the perimeter of a ceiling and determine if the cut-away scrap can be used in another perimeter location. This significantly reduces material, providing a huge cost savings for the contractor while helping to facilitate sustainable construction practices. The level of collaboration, project efficiency and material reduction are especially critical for projects with tight budgets and/or time constraints. Ultimately, these benefits will enable a project to be completed on or ahead of schedule and allow contractors to move more quickly to their next job.
Digitally Assisted Planning at Work
F5 Inc., a specialized technology company headquartered in Seattle, had steep requirements for its boardroom renovation, a project that would create an optimized hybrid meeting environment. Everything that defined the 44-story F5 Tower, from exterior style to floorplan to interior design, was done with the utmost purpose, vision and insistence that all elements work together.
When it came to the renovation of the tower’s 1,000-square-foot boardroom, fast turnaround was another uncompromisable need. The project team had just five months from start to finish, which would eliminate the need to move or delay the next board meeting. Lastly, one of the most distinguishing elements of the F5 Tower is that the building is slanted and features angled glass curtain walls. While this gives it a sleek, head-turning appearance from street and aerial views, it creates significant challenges for interior wall and ceiling upgrades because the existing structure within which architects, designers and builders must work is not parallel.
If ever there was a project calling for the design flexibility, total integration and timesaving of digitally assisted planning, it was the F5 Tower boardroom.
To demonstrate the complexity of the ceiling design and installation, it’s helpful to skip to the end. All told, the new room utilized seven integrated ceiling solutions to create the desired diagonal movement. The result is a dramatic wall-to-wall seamless ceiling design that upholds the integrity of the space as well as the F5 Tower.
Time was of the essence, and the digitally assisted design and pre-construction service facilitated a continual flow of communications. The CAD specialist felt confident that, by the teams working together, the design could be installed after completing a few iterations, resulting in the project meeting the client’s goals and time frame. Because they understood the difficulty of the constructability of the desired angles, the design and pre-construction service team was also able to deliver on the designer’s vision. Moreover, ceiling product choices and configuration resulted in an ultra-quiet space offering superior acoustical performance of up to 95 NRC.
The architect commented, “They quickly iterated some of the original drawings we sent them that then achieved a kind of inset geometry that completed all the angles with intention.”
Multiple versions of the original design were created to achieve the final look. Next, the digitally assisted project planning provided a comprehensive RCP drawing package to support the project that included panel, grid and hub layouts. A full-line bill of materials was also provided to streamline bidding and ordering.
The contractor said they were able to “pre-install all of the brackets on each of the four main runners” so that by the time they got to the job site, “it was a simple click and go.”
Collaboration from the earliest stages of design, experts understanding the product solutions, and stellar product integration were key. So was digital assistance that helped to ensure things were completed right the first time, outlined recommendations that eased installation and, overall, reduced time, material, and labor. All these elements came together to deliver F5 Inc. a stunning, on-brand ceiling that took only five months, from design to completion.
Choosing the Right Digital Services Partner
The drive for more intricate, stand-out ceiling and wall design is here to stay—and indications are that the demand and complexity of these products will continue to grow. Within this reality exist many opportunities for contractors to rise to the occasion with digitally assisted project planning.
In choosing a partner offering digital services, the service should offer complete support and bring designers, architects, product manufacturers and the contractor into the process. Every asset provided needs to be integrated into the entire project—avoiding one-off support such as one source for estimating, another for product ordering and so forth. In addition, the service should never be exclusively digitalized. The strongest services respect and leverage the value of human collaboration on everything from design evaluation to ways to enhance the digital technology. Lastly, a digital service that is complementary says a great deal about the value that the provider puts on engaging in a true partnership with the contractor. After all, the service will make their product look stellar as well as put the contractor in the best light and, ultimately, satisfy everyone—designer, architect and client.
Nathan Baxter is director of design and digital services for Armstrong World Industries, which provides products and digitally assisted design and pre-construction services.
