CplusC Architects + Builders personalises houses with 3D modelling

Architects and builder firm CplusC Architects + Builders has enabled its clients to personalise houses via 3D modelling.

Holocene House

CplusC embedded 3D modelling and building information management (BIM) platforms from Autodesk, allowing it to create models based on clients’ requirements plus retain sustainability strategies.

The new process has also encouraged improved collaboration with subcontractors on-site.

One example is the Holocene House – south of Manly Beach, which reached ‘Active House certification’ – a global standard for comfortable and sustainable buildings.

Under the new system, CplusC’s data centralisation method updated local council DA approval, which saw a drop to 40 days compared to the 90-day average.

The firm’s founder and managing director at CplusC, Clinton Cole told Digital Nation the new tools “complement our design and construction skills, melding the expertise of our team with the digital realm.”

“From the beginning, we saw that Autodesk Revit would be the perfect tool to close the gap between our architecture and construction teams who obviously work in very different environments.

“Over the years, since the implementation of the software, we saw improvements in the features and strengthening of connectivity and collaboration in Autodesk Construction Cloud.

“Information is now transmitted instantly between our teams, ensuring everyone in our organisation is looking at the same live model to design in and build from – no delays,” Cole said.

He added in the last year with the transmittal tools, “we’ve looked at improving how we share our information beyond just our company to our consultants and subcontractors.”

“In addition, CplusC places significant emphasis on sustainable architecture and we have consistently engaged with the ever-improving capabilities of software to calculate, analyse and design for optimum sustainability, particularly around the calculation of embodied carbon Life Cycle Analyses (LCA),” Cole added.

Cole said clients, spanning subcontractors and consultants, have noted an improvement in the efficiency of communication across digital platforms.

“This has allowed for better engagement throughout project planning and delivery, as we can switch between digital and analogue mediums they require in the field.”

 “During COVID, a time when most architectural offices were confined to their homes and communication of design and construction logistics were disintegrating.

"CplusC was able to leverage the Autodesk suite to bring teams, clients, and collaborators together virtually within our models, and continue our services uninterrupted. The response from all parties was very strong,” Cole said.  

He added staff have “harnessed these digital services to let us jump between a concept sketch, to a live digital model with real-world constraints”.

“We use these same tools to analyse our environmental impact in-situ rather than after the fact, making informed decisions on what materials and construction methods we should use in each instance.

“Language, expertise, and strategy usually relevant to only architects or builders has become shared across our entire organisation, now being able to discuss design intent, logistics, installation, weight and fabrication using the digital space as a common ground,” Cole said.

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