In our latest newsletter, we are highlighting the outstanding performance of Jonathan Bolbach and Mark LaBell, winners of SSOE’s Founder’s Award. Their accomplishment — developing the AutoNavis software application — met two of the award’s key criteria: delivering exceptional value to clients by saving them time, trouble, and money and implementing an innovation that leads to improved processes and quality. Continue Reading →

In moving a project from statement of work to completion of construction, regular collaboration between owners, designers, and contractors is no longer a luxury. It is the managerial insurance the project must have in order to stay on schedule and budget. Much of the unbudgeted time and expense incurred by change orders can be attributed to a lack of integration between the players. It’s often because these parties failed to include the resources and intentional effort for collaboration. Continue Reading →

3D has made it possible to view the design of a complete structure, its sections, and systems, and to rotate them all from the comfort of a keyboard. This leaves less to the imagination during the review process and construction. Add a sophisticated Gantt chart schedule and you can know a lot about how a project is going to come together. If progress stopped right there, we’d have a level of technology whose capabilities will intrigue us for a long time. But, it hasn’t. 3D is merging with the final dimension—time—in a way that will make the construction of complex, time sensitive projects more predictable. We’re entering the era of 4D. To understand how 4D works, imagine if you could travel forward into time and set up a camera at a job site that takes a picture each day, from multiple perspectives, of a project being constructed. Impose on each frame a readout of the day the shot was taken, make each element of the construction clickable and data-rich, and you will have an idea of what 4D portrays—before construction even starts. Basically, it is an “animated,” intelligent sequence of a virtual project being constructed. Continue Reading →

Jason Christen, PMP, Senior Account Executive at SSOE, and Mark LaBell, Senior VDC Technical Leader, were both featured in a BD+C Magazine article that examines the rise of 3D laser scanners, which have recently evolved into handhelds. 3D laser scanning is the fastest, most efficient method to capture existing conditions. In addition to allowing us to scan harder-to-reach places, handheld scanners provide the ability to show clients results immediately after taking a scan with a workable model showing an accurate representation of the facility—a major benefit of the technology that often translates into cost savings for our clients. Continue Reading →

Lauren Collier, Associate AIA, was recently featured on Modelo Blog’s “Design Manifestos” discussing her career path to Virtual Design and Construction (VDC) Manager. With over 10 years of industry experience, Lauren offers a glimpse into her professional journey – from making the decision to study architecture and interning with SSOE, to her evolution into the project execution realm. Now a key member in SSOE’s VDC initiative, she’s responsible for enforcing corporate BIM / VDC standards and developing innovative new technology strategies and processes. Continue Reading →

SSOE Group is a leader in leveraging the latest technology to enable integrated and collaborative project delivery. SSOE Group was featured in BOSS Magazine, in an article highlighting the company’s technology strategy and culture — both of which are helping provide better solutions to clients. Driven by collaboration, SSOE is using innovative tools and customized applications to deliver high quality projects more efficiently, while working to maintain employee engagement along the way. Continue Reading →