Your Building, As-imagined and As-Built
When we look over today’s New York skyline, we’re greeted with a sea of beautifully crafted structures in every direction. It’s easy to admire, but hard to imagine how William Van Alen, architect of the Chrysler Building, must have seen it in the early 20th century. Not as a finished city, but as a canvas of possibility, where imagination and daring could shape something timeless.
Today, most of us don’t start with empty canvases. We work in spaces layered with history, quirks and hidden challenges. Yet the same desire to respect what’s already there, to understand it fully and to add our own thoughtful touch sparks a drive in us.
Technology has evolved since Alen put pen to paper, but it was, and always has been, a tool to aid the visions of individuals and bring design to life. This article explores FARO’s modern take on technology and how it impacts as-built documentation.
Guesswork Isn’t Free. Your Budget Proves it
If you’ve ever watched large project renovation or DIY shows on television, you’ll be familiar with the theme of mis-budgeting. Though the drama of those shows might be exaggerated for entertainment purposes as we watch builders scramble to get a project over the line, they’re not completely unfounded.
Studies have yielded varying results, depending on the time, region, and entities conducting them. However, a consistent theme and consensus is that budgets are often impacted by poor planning or unexpected costs. When assumptions replace verified conditions, projects pay in budget overruns, delays, or wasted effort.
Why Does Accurate As-Built Documentation Matter?
Buildings that are scheduled for renovation or reconstruction often lack original blueprints or have outdated documentation. When we fail to address the absence of complete data, we risk incurring rework. This rework can account for up to 5% of total construction costs. Reducing or eliminating this 5% can have a significant impact on both the scheduling and budgeting of projects, regardless of their size. While the investment in modern technology may seem high, the cost of rework over time is even higher.
Using 3D Laser Scanning for Reliable As-Builts
Commercial laser scanners have been around since the 1990s and have evolved and innovated to cater to various industries since. Even now, companies all over the globe innovate, and, like all good ideas, expand from the original to create something better.
Whatever type of 3D laser scanning solution you go for, they all produce a similar result, all with varying degrees of accuracy, quality, and speed. They provide a means to view the existing world within a digital environment, and the results of that data are left entirely to the human imagination.
The Truth Behind Every Wall
Of course, one way the 3D data is used is through the capture and reimagination of existing buildings. Or put more simply, to create accurate as-built drawings. As-built drawings are not a new concept; they’ve been around as long as we’ve cared to document our construction efforts, but they have been laborious in the past. Documenting existing buildings versus what was designed isn’t easy when you rely on manual, subjective processes.
Implementing 3D Scanning in Your Workflow
The days of surveyors crawling through buildings with tape measures and clipboards are fading away for some professionals. Hyperbole aside, a 3D laser scanner can quickly navigate through spaces, capturing millions of data points in just a few hours. This technology creates a precise digital model of the physical space, allowing for objective assessments.
Like all modern technologies, these innovations felt like a high-priced investment, as the market adjusted to the new standard. Fortunately, over time, investments have become more palatable, leading to broader adoption and significant benefits for many construction companies. Moreover, it’s not just hardware that has advanced. Software, especially cloud-based processing and collaboration tools, has expanded dramatically, bringing our increasingly global world closer together.
Collaborate Better with Cloud-Based As-Built Data
Although I like to imagine a misty place in the sky where all our data is stored, we haven't quite reached that level of human advancement yet. Instead, we rely on the “cloud”. A series of humming servers quietly host every scan, model, and detail. While that may sound more mundane, the outcome is quite exciting — connection.
Instead of working in isolation, one scan can now be transformed into a shared model that is live, accurate, and accessible to anyone with permission in real-time, anywhere. Architects can see what contractors see. Engineers can see what surveyors see. There are no multiple versions, just a single, living source of truth that keeps everyone aligned.
With cloud adoption, decisions are made faster, and collaboration is seamless. For the first time, the entire team collaborates from the same understanding.
The Tools Behind Reducing Rework
Every great project begins with clarity, which is achievable through the right tools. A terrestrial laser scanner (TLS), such as the FARO® Focus range, captures every detail with millimeter precision, providing a solid foundation of truth. Mobile laser scanners, like the FARO® Orbis™ Premium, navigate tight corridors and complex spaces, capturing details that others might overlook. Imaging laser scanners, such as the FARO Blink™, deliver high-quality imagery along with 3D data, cost-effectively offering greater context.
All this information is then uploaded to the cloud, which we refer to as Sphere XG. Here, processing transforms data into insights, facilitating collaboration that unifies teams.
At FARO, we have arrived at a point where our drive to innovate further and faster makes future possibilities even more exciting. However, it’s not just about the great technology we create. it’s a way to see, share, and build with complete confidence.
See First, Build Fast
Van Alen had a pencil and a vision, and the Chrysler Building has stood tall ever since. It quietly watches over a city that has transformed, generations that have come and gone, tourists who pause in awe, storms that have tested its steel, and the slow passage of time itself. It remains a constant in a chaotic city, a testament to care, foresight, and enduring design.
Today, we have laser scanners, digital twins, and cloud collaboration, but the goal remains the same. To see clearly, to build carefully, and to create lasting work. Technology gives us precision, vision provides us with meaning. Together, they enable us to honor what exists while shaping what comes next.
If you liked this article, consider reading one of our customer success stories, which showcases how our technology has empowered their customers’ vision and ambition.