Tag Archives: Kitchell

Here’s how advances in technology are transforming the construction industry

AZBigMedia recently published an article about advances in construction technology.

Scott Root, executive director of strategy and innovation for Kitchell, uses a software program called OpenSpace to create a visual representation of the job site using 360-degree cameras. The program uses artificial intelligence (AI) to assign percentage-complete values to the pictures, so subsequent captures can show how much progress has been made since the last capture.

“During the pandemic, we didn’t have our design partners or owners on the job site as often as they normally are. But OpenSpace pushed information to them in real time so they could look at any day and see the progress,” Root notes. “On our side, we can use the AI aspects to understand, for example, when the drywall is going in and what percentage is already in, which falls right into our construction management plans.”

New Ways of Seeing

Virtual reality (VR) has also entered the construction field. Wearing a VR headset allows employees and clients to interact with a 3D model and gain a better feel for the spatial relation of the elements before a single shovel hits the dirt.

“In a traditional design phase, clients see several different iterations of a project. If we can bring it into VR and have them go through iterations in real time, we can get decisions solidified faster,” Root says.

Virtual reality also allows the people who ultimately will be working in a space to influence the design. For example, during the design of a hospital room, medical professionals can use VR to provide feedback on everything from the flow of the room to the placement of electrical outlets.

“They’re not builders or designers, but if you can make them feel as though they’re doing their job within a VR setting and using their expertise to experience how a space works, I think that’s where we get the most value out of these tools,” Root says.

Read the full story at AZBigMedia.

Building our DBIA bench

Achieving Design-Build Institute of America (DBIA) certification is an achievement that deserves recognition, and six of our employee-owners recently completed the requirements to add the “DBIA” initials after their name.

Kudos to the following professionals:

  • Phil Glenn – Kitchell Contractors Inc. Arizona
  • Ryan Hook – Kitchell Contractors Inc. Arizona
  • Matt Ognar – Kitchell Contractors Inc. Arizona
  • Morgan Sondreal – Kitchell CEM Northern California
  • John Van Whervin – Kitchell CEM Southern California
  • Bob Vincent – Kitchell Contractors Inc. Southern California

“Design-build has been the catalyst over the past decade for how we can effectively change project delivery for the better,” said Van Whervin.

Achieving DBIA certification is a rigorous undertaking requiring dedication and a significant time commitment. To be eligible for certification, individuals must have five years of active involvement in Design-Build projects, three professional recommendations, 18 continuing education credits and complete four core courses: the Fundamentals of Project Delivery, Principles of Design-Build Project Delivery, Design-Build Contract and Risk Management, and Post Award Design-Build. This is followed by a certification exam consisting of 100 questions. The end result? A win-win-win for individuals, owners and Kitchell.

“Getting DBIA certification enhances the services we provide for our clients,” said Sondreal. “I also love learning new things and believe that learning never stops!”

DBIA certification demonstrates that an individual has an understanding of best practices in every phase of design-build project delivery, from proposal preparation to substantial completion. DBIA is an association of leaders in the design and construction industry utilizing design-build and integrated project delivery methods to execute high-performance projects.

Congratulations to these high achievers!