Prefab Logic is a construction consultancy firm specializing in pre-manufacturing and pre-construction planning, development, sourcing, and BIM/VDC services. They are consultants providing expertise and services related to large-scale modular and conventional construction projects. We interviewed Curtis Fletcher - Co-founder and Chief Strategy officer and Bas Lima Neto- General Manager at Prefab Logic where they shared their insights on the importance of using Virtual Reality for design presentations.
Can you tell us about Prefab Logic and its formation?
I gained some background knowledge about the design process and IT while working as a project coordinator for a company called Fleetwood Enterprises because I was in charge of the development of product design and spent some time in their IT group. After that, I started working on manufactured housing projects and eventually got into large-scale multifamily residential projects using modular construction.
When I made the decision to restart the business I had run for ten years, Rick—who is now a business partner of mine—called me to say he had sold his interests in his modular manufacturing company and was now looking for something new, he decided to join me, and that is how we formed Prefab Logic.
Prefab Logic is a consulting firm focused primarily on the modular construction space that offers comprehensive modular expertise and preconstruction services to assist customers in making sound decisions and choices that result in project success every time.
How important do you find the use of VR for design presentations?
It is actually very significant. In fact, we use a lot of VR to drive the visualization on the factory floor. Working with our clients helped us realize that in order to communicate the design more effectively, we needed better visualization tools and information. Having them put on the VR headset and walk around the model gives them a sense of what the design is supposed to be in comparison to the traditional 2D plans, where most of the time, clients don’t get an idea of the outcome and make poor decisions. The use of VR is very important for better and quicker decisions.
Tell us a bit about your design workflow.
We use Revit, Enscape, Lumion, Vray, BIM 360, and our own proprietary software in our workflow.
Since we want to show all of our stakeholders in the design process what the design is before we get into manufacturing, in every VR session that we have, we go through pre-selected units and every small detail and specification from an architectural perspective so that once we start manufacturing, it moves quickly and smoothly. Sentio VR’s integration with Revit and rendering tools helps us communicate our designs to stakeholders and make better decisions.
What pain points do you think immersive design reviews address in the current workflow of Prefab Logic?
The immersive environment gives a completely different perspective. Despite the fact that I've been in this field for almost 40 years, I believe that it's difficult for people, sometimes even for me, to understand space. Although renderings can be great from certain perspectives, they don't really convey the story of clearance and compatibility. We need some tools that can help in effectively analyzing the designs, and having that immersive environment is a huge advantage because it provides that one-to-one ratio that you can't get anywhere else. With an immersive presentation, there are a lot of great things that come out of that experience. People have a much better experience and a clearer understanding of the design when they are placed in that actual space while wearing VR glasses than when it is displayed on a flat screen. You can identify alterations or modifications at a very early stage, leading to better decisions.
We thank Curtis and Bas for sharing their journey and experience with our product. Check out the entire interview below.
Are you also interested to try VR at your work? Try Sentio VR for free or get in touch with us directly.
