When Hoar began the renovation of the TSU Davis building, a facility originally constructed in the 1930s, the team knew existing conditions would be a challenge. But the reality was vastly different from even those initial assumptions.
After early demolition exposed hidden conditions, Hoar’s VDC team stepped in with laser scanning to capture accurate, floor-by-floor existing conditions. The scans revealed critical discrepancies, including significant structural ceiling height variances, that would have made the original MEP design unbuildable.
Using that data, VDC worked closely with the project team, design partners, and trade contractors to re‑coordinate systems, reroute utilities, and develop a workable solution, all while construction was already underway.
The result was more than clash detection. VDC enabled smarter sequencing, selective prefabrication, and creative replanning that allowed crews to stay productive during ongoing redesign. Daily coordination became a critical tool for managing scale, complexity, and continuous design churn. Because of this coordination, issues were able to be resolved virtually, redesign cycles were shortened, and downstream impacts were avoided before installation.
Most importantly, the success of the effort came down to partnership. The project team fully bought into the VDC process, treating it as a tool to support the field rather than an obstacle. That alignment turned a potentially contentious renovation into a collaborative, solution-oriented project. The team’s collaboration has delivered a high quality, on schedule project to the owner that continues to build Hoar’s reputation as most respected industry professionals leading to future work with TSU.
VDC Benefits By-The-Numbers
- 288 RFIs logged on the project to date
- 40+ RFIs explicitly tagged BIM/VDC (coordination driven)
- 9+ ASI revisions issued, including ones that impact MEP and ceiling layouts post-coordination
- 23+ Formal BIM coordination sessions of an hour or more documented in January alone
