Technical Services

Vanir’s in-house Architecture, Design and Planning Group is proud to assist clients with site planning, architectural drawings for conceptual and schematic design and construction criteria documentation. Our prompt communication and strong attention to detail ensure superior quality and cost-effectiveness throughout all phases of a project. Our architects, many of whom are licensed in multiple states, also work closely with our estimators and schedulers to ensure they understand the nature of the project, which leads to accurate and attainable project estimates and schedules for our clients.

Our pre-design and design phase services include:

• Master planning
• Programming and space planning
• Feasibility studies
• Condition and needs assessments
• Cost estimating and management
• Strategic real estate and “stay vs. go” analysis
• Property evaluation, site selection and due diligence
• Lease review and work letter negotiation
• Value engineering
• Funding studies and development of funding applications
• Development of conceptual design alternatives
• Development of design criteria documents through schematic design
• Development of design-build RFQ/P and evaluation of proposals

Vanir’s Virtual Design and Construction (VDC) Group, which includes architects, engineers, schedulers and estimators, is dedicated to providing technical construction support services, including building information modeling (BIM). We employ a fully-integrated team approach that leads to a more highly coordinated design and fewer conflicts. Vanir facilitates management of the model developing BIM criteria and acting as the gatekeeper to ensure proper implementation throughout the planning, design, construction and closeout phases of your program or project.

BIM utilization:

• Develops space and adjacency needs
• Establishes a baseline facility for modifications and additions
• Generates planning concepts
• Provides better design phase decisions and management
• Ensures better bridging documents to obtain better bids
• Promotes strong project team collaboration, resolution of potential conflicts between trades, better understanding of site logistics and visualization of the work ahead
• Reduces construction phase change orders
• Aides in facility management post-construction

Our BIM services include:

• Phasing and design options
• Development of design-build criteria documents
• Development of bridging documents to schematic design (LOD 200)
• Project visualization and 3D or virtual walk-throughs
• Integrated needs and budget information
• Design coordination and clash detection
• Constructability review
• Cost modeling
• Schedule modeling
• 4D visualizations for decision making, coordination and schedule compliance
• A model-based facility information system that translates BIM into a 5D data interface for operations and maintenance functions

Our VDC Group has been using BIM for more than 20 years. From initial planning and design through construction and into facility operations, we can help make your project a success.

At Vanir, we understand that constructability reviews are key to avoiding disruptions and potentially costly and unnecessary change orders. We approach the constructability review process as a structured review of project plans and specifications, with a focus on buildability, biddability and efficiency.

Our reviews bring to light problems in the following areas:

• Reasonableness of the work sequence
• Comprehensiveness and completion of construction documents
• Coordination of documents and disciplines
• Identification of long lead time for material and equipment procurement
• Site restrictions
• Adequacy of access due to phasing constraints

Our clients have recognized significant cost savings and reductions in change order rates, claims and schedule delays through properly conducted constructability reviews.

During the review task of constructability, we focus on improving:

• Clarity and completeness of construction drawings and specifications
• Consistency, applicability, enforceability and comprehensiveness of the general condition (“front-end” documents)
• Applicability of construction installation technology, methods and materials
• Consistency between plans and site conditions
• Identification of project-specific issues, their probable consequences and proposed mitigation recommendations

Vanir is a leader in program, project and construction management, and our constructability reviews are just one of several ways we bring quality to your project.

It’s no secret that staying within budget is an essential aspect of project success. Yet, nearly 80% of large-scale construction programs and projects come in over budget. For over 40 years, Vanir has provided cost estimating and management services that are unparalleled in accuracy and reliability.

Starting at the earliest possible point in a project, our in-house team of knowledgeable and experienced cost professionals will:

• Review the project scope
• Create a definitive and realistic cost model/plan
• Develop design phase estimates to help control scope creep
• Consider lifecycle costs
• Analyze value and risk
• Assist with procurement
• Perform post-contract cost management/final account settlement

These items serve as the basis for successful cost control and work together to maximize the value of every dollar you spend. Our estimating team, which includes experts from the civil, architectural, structural, mechanical and electrical disciplines, has a deep understanding of current industry costs and how to develop accurate estimates, from early conceptual estimates to detailed quantity-based construction estimates.

As the project plan is executed, expenses are documented and tracked to ensure things align with all accepted cost management strategies. To date, Vanir has provided cost estimating and management services for more than 700 projects.

Programming, also known as pre-design, helps owners finalize their objectives, determine building and user requirements, establish a total building area and set the scope of work. At Vanir, we also use this time to conduct group and individual interviews with building occupants and users; review state and local building requirements; identify any life safety, fire, environmental and barrier-free code issues; and determine the effect on existing facilities or projects-in-planning and the need for corollary projects such as parking lots or new utilities services. This process results in a comprehensive description of the necessary components of the construction project and allows us to estimate a realistic project cost (to which escalation factors may be added to account for construction or occupancy delays). The project program, or end result of programming, describes how the finished facility will meet all project requirements and function for building occupants.

To manage the programming and pre-construction process, we offer a variety of services, including:

• Master planning and programming
• Feasibility studies
• Condition/needs assessments
• Growth projections and adjacencies
• Space standards
• Cost estimating and management
• Scheduling
• Strategic real estate and “stay vs. go” analysis
• Team assembly, including a real estate broker, architect, engineer and general contractor
• Contract negotiation
• Property evaluation, site selection and due diligence
• Lease review and work letter negotiation
• Architecture, design and planning
• Value engineering

Our approach to value engineering is simple –  we combine our technical expertise in the architectural and engineering disciplines with practical, hands-on experience to ensure that value is added to every project we touch. At Vanir, we understand that significant cost savings and an increased level of quality can be accomplished on most projects through properly conducted value engineering reviews. Our focus is on meeting the functional requirements of your project at the minimum capital and lifecycle costs to provide the highest value. This adds flexibility to our client’s budget by providing options for lowering costs.

A typical value engineering session includes:

• Facilitation of value engineering sessions
• Identifying needs and definition of function
• Finding creative solutions to meeting the basic needs or function
• Developing comparative costs for various alternative solutions
• Evaluating and ranking various solutions based on project criteria, feasibility of implementation and cost
• Selecting the optimum solution and recommendation for implementation

Vanir’s experience in, and approach to, value engineering will ensure that your project is fully reviewed to ensure the most cost-effective design and a successful project.