Design on the basis of reality
CREW-B delivers architects accurate point clouds, BIM models and drawings of existing situations. Often combined with archive documents, in one of our templates or in your own template. That way your design doesn’t get stuck on a column that turns out to have shifted a metre.
Collaboration with MVSA and Draw, among others
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The existing situation is accurate. Or is it?
You know the scenario: you design on the basis of existing drawings, but on site the wall turns out to be 80 millimetres thicker, the column positioned differently or the ceiling lower than drawn. Weeks of delay, design changes and failure costs that could have been avoided.
We scan the building as it really stands. In a few hours our mobile scanner delivers a millimetre-accurate point cloud, which we process into a structured BIM model in Revit or into drawings in Revit, AutoCAD, ArchiCAD or SketchUp.
No assumptions, no surprises. Just a reliable basis on which you can design.
From existing building to workable digital basis
3D Laser scanning of the existing situation. Our NavVis VLX mobile scanner maps the building at speed. From basement floor to ridge, from column position to pipework route. Within a few hours you have a complete dataset, without having to walk the building with a tape measure yourself.
Scan to BIM in Revit, to ILS. We model the existing situation in Revit, to BIM basis ILS or your own model standard. Architectural, structural and, if needed, installation. You get a clean, structured model that’s immediately usable as a design basis, permit underlay or contractor information.
Archive research and additions. What the scanner can’t see (foundations, hidden pipework, structural build-up behind finishes) we add through archive research. We combine the scan data with existing documentation to deliver as complete a model as possible.
Indoorviewer: the building always at hand. Via our web-based viewer, you walk through the building digitally. Measure distances, view details, share locations with client or contractor. Ideal for refurbishment projects where you can’t be on site every week.
We scan. You design.
Accurate to the millimetre. Our scanners capture 600,000 measurement points per second. The result is a point cloud that represents reality down to the millimetre. That prevents connection problems, dimensional deviations and failure costs in the execution phase.
Immediately usable in your workflow. We deliver in Revit (RVT), IFC, AutoCAD (DWG) or as point cloud (.e57, .rcs, .las). No conversion steps, no loss of information. Our models fit into your design process.
Scanning and modelling: it all sits under one roof at CREW-B. That means short communication lines and one party responsible for the quality of your digital basis.
Specialists in existing buildings. Anyone can model new build. Existing buildings call for experience with irregular situations, missing information and historical structures. We do this daily, from monumental canal houses to industrial complexes.
Where our data strengthens your design
Renovation and transformation. For repurposing office to residential, church to hotel or factory to loft apartments: you need an accurate existing situation to design. We deliver that basis, including structural elements and installation positions.
Refurbishment and extension. Before you design an extension, you want to know whether the existing foundation, floor structure and load-bearing structure fit your plan. Our scan and model give you that insight up front, not during execution.
Monuments and heritage. Historical buildings call for extra care. We combine scanning technology with archive research and deliver models that do justice to the complexity of ornamentation, ceiling mouldings and irregular structures.
Design verification after handover. After construction, we scan the completed work to verify whether it has been built to design. Ideal for quality assurance and the Dutch Quality Assurance for Building Act (Wkb).
In four steps from existing building to Revit model
1. Intake and alignment. We discuss your project, the desired level of detail (LOD 200, 300 or higher), the disciplines (architectural, structural, MEP) and your own model standard or ILS.
2. On-site scanning. Our specialist scans the building with the NavVis VLX. Depending on the size, this often takes at most an hour. Normal work in the building can just continue.
3. Processing and modelling. The point cloud is processed and the BIM model is built to agreed standards. Where needed we add archive research. You receive the model in your preferred format.
4. Handover and collaboration. The model and the point cloud are shared via our indoor viewer, so you and your client can walk through the building visually. For questions or changes, you talk directly to our modelling team.
“We often work with monumental villas where archive documents are missing. The CREW-B scanners are a great solution for this. On the basis of the scan, accurate and structurally well-built models are delivered. We too are grateful users of IVION.”
Ward Magry
Owner and architect, Draw
Architecture in practice
MVSA · Stadion Galgenwaard, FC Utrecht. In collaboration with MVSA we scanned FC Utrecht’s stadium with two VLX scanners. With GPS systems we placed the existing structure in Revit on the exact coordinates. The basis for a flying start to their project.
Draw · Villa Aerdenhout. After the scan, CREW-B set up the BIM model of the existing situation. Draw and the client navigate through the house via the indoor viewer and measure everything digitally. The current kitchen, utility room and garage will be transformed into a living kitchen.
Museumplein 1 · Permit and contractor drawings. The architectural and structural model is set up to BIM basis ILS, with the scan as the starting point. With this we laid the basis for the permit and contractor drawings.
Kenaupark Haarlem · Historical building. Five storeys including basement and attic. Scanned, combined with archive documents, modelled. The indoor viewer gives the whole construction team continuous access to the building.
As standard we deliver in Autodesk Revit (RVT). We also deliver IFC, AutoCAD (DWG) and PDF. The point cloud is available as .e57, .rcs, .las or .ply. We tailor the format to your workflow.
Yes. We work as standard to BIM basis ILS and adjust our models to your own ILS or model standard. We discuss this during the intake.
The scanner captures everything visible: walls, floors, ceilings, visible installations and structural elements. What sits behind finishes or below ground is not visible. We add that through archive research and any destructive inspection by third parties.
The scan is done in a few hours. The point cloud is usually available within two days. The lead time for the complete BIM model varies from one to three weeks, depending on the size and level of detail.
Certainly. Some architects prefer to model on the basis of the point cloud themselves. In that case we deliver just the scan data, if you want combined with the Indoorviewer.
Start your next project with reliable data
Avoid surprises in the design and execution phase. With an accurate point cloud, a structured BIM model and current drawings, you start straight away with the actual existing situation.