Introduction

In the complex world of construction, Owner-Architect-Contractor (OAC) meetings are crucial for project success. Regularly held OAC meetings are essential for:

1. Facilitating communication and collaboration among key stakeholders
2. Aligning project objectives and goals
3. Discussing progress, design, and construction issues
4. Proactively managing timelines, budgets, and quality standards
5. Minimizing misunderstandings and disputes
6. Promoting timely and efficient project completion

Despite everyone’s best efforts, these meetings often face challenges due to outdated information, miscommunication, and difficulty visualizing design changes and construction challenges. Cupix offers a solution that transforms OAC meetings into efficient, productive sessions with real-time information.

A Case Study: The Madison Elementary School Project

Let's consider a real-world scenario: the construction of Madison Elementary School, a 2 story, 33,500 SF building in California. This project involves multiple stakeholders.

• The school board (owner)
• An architectural firm  
• A general contractor 
• Various subcontractors including Mechanical, Electrical and Plumbing (MEP) engineers.

As with any large-scale project, changes are frequent, and keeping everyone aligned is paramount.

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The Challenge: Coordinating Structural Changes and Conflicts with Other Trades

Two weeks before a regularly scheduled OAC meeting, several issues arise requiring owner verification before proceeding. The project team needs to: 

1. quickly assess the impact of each issue.
2. visualize the necessary change to solve the issue considering trade coordination for all of the BIM models.
3. prepare for owner decisions in the upcoming OAC meeting.

Let’s take a look at one significant structural issue in the main hallway.

1. Structural Reinforcement: The structural engineer identifies a need to reinforce several steel beams due to updated seismic requirements.
2. Mechanical Duct Conflicts: Several main HVAC ducts in the ceiling plenum now conflict with the new beam locations and sizes. 

Ceiling Height Adjustment: In order to accommodate the change, the ceiling height must be lowered by 24”.

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Cupix in Action: Preparing for the OAC Meeting

1. BIM Revision and Integration

After the project team meeting, each trade takes a necessary action and pushes the changes to the ACC (Autodesk Construction Cloud).

• The structural engineer updates the Revit model with the reinforced beams. 
• The mechanical engineer reroutes ducts. 
• The architect changes the ceiling height down by 24”, creates and publishes a 3d view, a reflected ceiling plan, and a building section to best represent the change.

Cupix, seamlessly integrated with ACC, automatically reflects these updates from all disciplines in the platform.

2. Multi-BIM and Revit View Visualization

Using Cupix's Multi-BIM loading feature, the project manager loads the latest BIM files together to show how the design team proposes to resolve the conflicts. The project manager loads the specific Revit views, created by the architect:

• A 3D view showing the new beam reinforcements.
• A RCP (reflected ceiling plan) highlighting the duct rerouting.
• A building section that clearly shows the spatial relationship among the new beams, revised ducts and ceiling location.

Cupix, seamlessly integrated with ACC, automatically reflects these updates from all disciplines in the platform.

3. As-Built Comparison with the Updated BIM

In SiteView, the project manager compares and overlays the updated BIM onto the most recent as-built condition, visualizing:

• The current as-built condition.
• The proposed changes, including reinforced beams, rerouted ducts and lowered ceiling.

4. Bookmark the Views and the Settings

The project manager creates Bookmarksstoring specific combinations of loaded BIMs, active Revit views, and SiteView settings for quick access during the meeting.

• Bookmark 1 - 3D View - Beam Reinforcement, Main Hallway.
• Bookmark 2 - Building Section - Ceiling Height Adjustment.

This allows the project manager to share as-built context with tailored views to everyone on the project, enabling quick and clear communication of the intent.

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The OAC Meeting: Enhanced Efficiency and Decision-Making

As the OAC meeting begins, the project manager uses the saved Bookmarks to quickly guide their discussion: 

• Quick Navigation: Instead of fumbling through drawings or lengthy reports, the team uses the Bookmarks to jump directly to the critical issues.
• Clear Visualization: The Multi-BIM feature allows simultaneous viewing of structural, mechanical, and architectural models, providing a holistic view of the issue.
• Real-time Updates: As decisions are made, the architect makes notes directly in SiteView using annotations, which are immediately visible to all participants.
• Remote Collaboration: The school board representative who joins the OAC meeting remotely, has the same clear view of the issues as those in the room, enabling informed decision-making.

Outcomes and Benefits 

By leveraging Cupix's features, the OAC meeting achieves several key outcomes:

• Faster Decision-Making: With all information readily available, the team quickly agrees on solutions for all critical issues.
• Improved Understanding: All stakeholders gain a clear, visual understanding of the proposed changes and their impacts.
• Enhanced Accountability: Action items are assigned and documented within the Cupix platform, visible to all relevant parties.
• Time Efficiency: The meeting, originally scheduled for 2 hours, concludes in just 60 minutes, saving everyone’s time by 50%.

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Conclusion

The Madison Elementary School project demonstrates how Cupix transforms OAC meetings from potentially confusing and time-consuming affairs into streamlined, productive sessions. Cupix empowers construction teams to communicate more effectively and make informed decisions quickly by:

• providing real-time access to updated BIM and Revit views. 
• facilitating easy comparisons between BIM and as-built conditions.
• offering guided navigation through lists of complex issues with the Bookmark feature.

In an industry where time and clarity are paramount, Cupix is essential for construction management, helping teams stay on schedule, on budget, and aligned with stakeholder needs.

To learn more about how Cupix can change how you manage your OAC meetings, reach out to the team at Cupix today.

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