Life Sciences Campus Renovation: 350 Clashes Resolved Before Mobilization — $450K in Avoided Rework
Multi-trade clash detection — structural vs. mechanical, Revvity campus renovation, Hopkinton MA
The Project
A life sciences facility in Massachusetts was undergoing a complex renovation of existing laboratory and support buildings — a repurpose that brought together multiple mechanical, plumbing, HVAC, fire protection, electrical, and structural trades in a constrained existing building with no coordinated model and outdated documentation. Timberline Construction engaged OAR to establish existing conditions, build a multi-trade coordination environment, and manage clash detection and resolution before any trade mobilized to the field.
High-risk repurpose. No structural model. No coordination plan.
The project carried significant risk from the start: the building was being repurposed, not built new, which meant dense existing MEP infrastructure had to remain or be routed around — but no structural model existed to work from during design. The designed mechanical systems showed numerous conflicts with existing structural components, ductwork, plumbing, fire protection, and field conditions that hadn’t been accounted for. Without OAR’s intervention, those 350 conflicts would have surfaced in the field — driving RFIs, trade rework, chargebacks, and schedule delay.
Coordinate virtually. Not in the field.
Reality Capture & Structural Modeling
OAR performed a full LiDAR scan of the site post-demolition and built a structural Revit model of existing conditions — capturing the building’s actual geometry, structural framing, and remaining MEP systems with the precision required for trade coordination. This gave every contractor a verified single source of truth before any installation work began, replacing assumptions with measured reality.
Multi-Trade Coordination — 5 Rounds of Clash Detection
OAR set up a multi-trade coordination environment in Autodesk Construction Cloud and ran 5 rounds of programmatic clash detection across mechanical, plumbing, HVAC, fire protection, electrical, and structural systems. Every issue was assigned, tracked, and driven to resolution through weekly coordination meetings — connecting all trades to a shared record of decisions. 64.1% of the 350 clashes detected were trade vs. existing conditions conflicts that would have been invisible without OAR’s laser scanning and structural model.
Field Support & Coordination Documentation
With all 350 clashes resolved virtually, each subcontractor received coordinated models aligned to the existing building conditions — a buildable plan with clear accountability and no unresolved conflicts. OAR maintained coordination support through installation, with a complete issue log in Autodesk Construction Cloud serving as the shared record of every decision made across all trades.
No RFI spirals. No trade rework. No field surprises.
The project avoided $450K in rework and chargebacks — identified through weighted clash severity analysis and GC feedback. More than 45 RFIs and their associated construction delays were prevented through virtual coordination. The installation proceeded with confident superintendents and project managers working from a coordinated plan, faster installations with fewer interruptions, and a single shared record of resolutions. The $50K OAR investment returned 8x in avoided costs.
Existing conditions Revit model (LOD 300) — full structural capture from post-demo LiDAR scan
Issue log in Autodesk Construction Cloud — every conflict tracked from identification to resolution
Multi-trade coordinated BIM model — mechanical, plumbing, HVAC, fire protection, electrical, and structural
Coordination meeting facilitation — 7 sessions driving weekly trade accountability Coordination meeting facilitation — 7 sessions driving weekly trade accountability
5 rounds of programmatic clash detection — 350 issues identified and resolved 5 rounds of programmatic clash detection — 350 issues identified and resolved
Coordinated model delivery per trade — buildable, conflict-free installation plans
