Virtual Construction in Multifamily: IES’s Proven MEP Design Process for On-Budget, Code-Ready Projects
Virtual construction is transforming the way developers bring projects to life. What was once a complicated and lengthy process of drawing and then altering plans has become a streamlined, dynamic system for creating MEP system designs that incorporate experts from each discipline at every stage of development and construction.
This shift from paper to digital changes budgets, timelines, and conflicts significantly, and the improvements to the process benefit both investors and renters for multifamily housing.
This Article is For:
● Developers struggling with budget creep, construction delays, and perpetual clashes and change orders
● Investors looking for cost reductions, on-time construction processes, and on-site construction problems caused by poor planning and communication
● All stakeholders in Class A and workforce multi-family housing projects that want an MEP partner that makes the process better from end to end
What Is Virtual Design and Construction?
Virtual design and construction (VDC) utilizes technology to digitally “build” a project before the start of construction. This process incorporates computer-aided design and building information modeling (BIM) software. VDC provides a more coordinated, transparent, and data-driven approach to both preconstruction and construction processes.
By creating a digital model of all systems and components of a building project, from plumbing and electrical to HVAC and emergency utilities, project developers, contractors, and designers can collaborate in real-time to identify potential issues, enhance efficiency, and minimize waste in terms of both time and resources.
How Does VDC Save Time and Money for Multifamily Housing Projects?
Preventing Clashes
Rework can account for as much as 34% of the overall cost in many construction projects. Clashes and conflicts slow progress, create waste, and can result in complete revamps of critical systems while on-site.
VDC enables designers to identify clashes before they occur, allowing contractors to work more efficiently during construction.
Maintaining Timelines
Timeline creep is real. The typical construction project can extend its timeline up to 20% due to unplanned issues. Early coordination with various disciplines through virtual construction and BIM systems can significantly minimize construction delays, often simply by providing easy access to key stakeholders before breaking ground.
Incorporating 4D Modeling
A final drawing only tells what a building will look like when it’s finished. BIM systems allow designers and contractors to see each stage of construction more clearly. In turn, foremen can better schedule and plan each stage of a large project without guesswork from week to week. Resources are better managed, workforces are more effectively utilized, and subcontractors are scheduled more efficiently.
Ensuring Code Compliance
Virtual construction systems integrate national, state, and local codes directly into the software, enabling MEP designers and developers to create plans that meet code requirements before the project begins. Instead of surprises during inspections and hours spent hunting down and defining code requirements, engineers can focus on meeting their clients’ visions without fear of surprises later in the project.
Facilitating Long-Term Coordination
Early project coordination is critical to success, but it can’t stop after the design stage. BIM technology’s 4D modeling allows developers to keep adjusting plans and schedules from start to finish while keeping all disciplines in sync.
Building with Interdisciplinary Communication
That interdisciplinary communication is vital to maintaining budgets and timelines. Before VDC and BIM, communication was difficult to maintain. Many early stakeholders were simply left out of later stages of the project, only being contacted when emergencies made it necessary to reach out again.
Virtual construction changes that disconnection to open and transparent communication. And that means fewer issues, faster resolutions, and less time wasted chasing down answers.
IES: How Our Proven VDC Process Makes Your Multifamily Projects Better
At Innovative Engineering Solutions, our mission is to make it easier and less costly for developers to complete multifamily projects, regardless of their scale.
Preconstruction Alignment
We take the time to understand project goals, vision, and benchmarks before starting the MEP design process. While we have preferred systems and brands in many cases, our top priority is to align our design with our clients’ needs.
Digital MEP Design with Revit
Our engineers utilize virtual modeling to minimize waste, enhance efficiency, and develop innovative solutions tailored to each project. With Autodesk Revit, we can conduct multiple iterations to refine projects at the earliest stages.
Frequent Early-Stage Collaboration
We like to stay in touch with our clients throughout the design process, so we schedule weekly virtual and in-person meetings for at least the first six weeks of development. This higher frequency of communication helps us get on the same page with GCs, plumbers, electricians, HVAC techs, and architects. After the initial design stages are complete, we stay connected with developers and GCs for any changes to current or future phases of construction.
4D/5D Design for Streamlined Decisions
BIM allows us to work beyond floor plans and into long-term decision-making. With both project scope and cost analysis built into our MEP designs, we help developers weigh the upfront costs against lifecycle expenses to improve return on investment.
Future-Proof Code Planning
For long-term projects, code requirements may change from phase to phase. We’ve seen this firsthand with several major projects, including a 400+ unit apartment complex that broke ground in 2020 and finishes construction in 2025.
Our plans for the complex were designed and approved at the beginning of construction for all buildings and units, preventing the need for updating plans as code standards changed over the 5-year construction timeline.
Ongoing Support
Even after the designs are approved, our team stays connected with project stakeholders throughout construction. When changes need to be made, we help our clients stay code-compliant without losing traction. We’re there to keep budgets and timelines on track from start to finish.
Design Choices That Make Your Multifamily Project Better
Our engineers take pride in making sure our projects do more than just meeting code requirements. We look for ways to improve systems for efficiency, aesthetics, cost, and maintenance.
Flexible HVAC Approaches
BIM-integrated virtual design means we can adjust our HVAC systems according to your needs, even mid-construction. Our library of component schedules means you’re just a few clicks from a plan that works better for your development.
Balancing Aesthetic and Practical Considerations
Having the right systems for your multifamily development can save thousands of dollars per year. But good-looking buildings and units are important for landing great tenants. Our design team looks at the aesthetics of your projects when building out MEP designs so your apartments are both efficient and attractive.
Innovative Indoor Air Quality and Ventilation Technology
We love finding unique ways to make multifamily buildings welcoming. Indoor air quality helps renters stay healthier and feel comfortable in their apartments, and ventilation plays a big role in IAQ. We regularly design our projects with timed and motion-activated ventilation fan systems that reduce energy consumption, maintain indoor humidity, and prevent mold and mildew buildup without sacrificing renter convenience.
Amenities that Lease Faster
Price is an important factor in attracting renters, but having the right amenities can make all the difference. Our projects have included everything from large outdoor pool and spa areas to community dog wash stations, each with the express purpose of making the apartment complexes more inviting and comfortable for residents. No matter what you want to build, we’re ready to make it happen.
Prepared for Standards Transitions
At IES, we don’t believe in waiting for building code standards to change before we start using new tech. We proactively design to incorporate new standards, including the recent switch to A2L refrigerant, so you’re never caught off guard by changing code requirements. Your building will be ahead of the curve from the moment your plans are approved.
Case Snapshot: The Powderhaus
Sioux Falls, SD, has grown quickly over the past five years, and its housing market has grown with it. One of our favorite multifamily projects, the Powderhaus, was designed to meet the influx of new residents with a 400-unit complex offering the ideal combination of convenience, comfort, and affordability.
Family-Friendly Affordability
This new build is designed with young professionals, couples, and families in mind: affordable, with plenty of amenities, and a community feel that makes it easy to meet people and build friendships. With units ranging from spacious studios to 3-bedroom townhomes, renters have plenty of options to fit their needs and their budgets.
All-Around Comfort
Every part of the Powderhaus lets residents relax in comfort. Residents have in-unit control of heating and cooling, and community spaces have smart controls to maintain comfortable temperatures while saving energy.
Luxury-Level Amenities
The Powderhaus has indoor and outdoor pools, a splash pad, a dog park and pet wash stations, golf simulators, rooftop firepits and community kitchens, and an arcade. There’s even a fitness center, making it simple for people to stay fit, have fun, and hang out without leaving the property.
Smart Systems Design
Smart key access, smart thermostats, and other integrated smart controls help improve security, energy use, and climate control. And with BIM integrations, building managers and maintenance crews can see utility issues early on, providing faster solutions and fewer service interruptions for residents.
Where We Work
Sioux Falls is our home, but Innovative Engineering Solutions works with developers from all around the country. We’ve worked throughout South Dakota, Iowa, Wyoming, North Dakota, Minnesota, Nebraska, Wisconsin, Texas, Colorado, New Mexico and many more!
We’re ready to navigate any building and code challenges you have, no matter where your project is located.
Find our projects in:
● Madison, WI
● Dallas-Fort Worth, TX
● Fargo, ND
● Omaha, NE
● Des Moines, IA
● Casper, WY
● Minneapolis, MN
● Sioux Falls, SD
● And many more
Frequently Asked Questions
What services do you offer for multifamily housing developments?
Our mechanical, electrical, and plumbing engineering services bring multifamily projects to life, but we also offer services for indoor air quality, humidity control, IoT and automation systems, sprinkler systems, and roof drainage systems. We also provide energy audits and retrofits for existing apartment buildings and complexes.
Do you offer virtual construction as part of every standard service?
Yes, VDC is our standard practice! Every design we provide comes in a digital format with easy editing and adjusting to prevent on-site clashes and delays in construction.
Can you work with our preferred VDC software?
Our preferred system is Autodesk Revit; we can discuss other drafting options with clients on an individual basis.
What systems do you design with virtual construction?
We design mechanical/HVAC, electrical systems, and plumbing. We also design emergency systems like alarms and fire sprinkler systems, and we design specialized maintenance systems for amenities like pools.
How does IES improve project outcomes with VDC?
Virtual digital construction allows us to use 4D and 5D modeling to better estimate construction costs, minimize waste, improve system performance, and help balance lifetime cost with initial investment. These insights help keep upfront costs lower, reduce timelines, minimize loan costs, and make safer and more efficient construction possible.
Will you work with our preferred GCs and subcontractors?
Yes! We have close relationships with specific general contractors and vendors, but we prioritize our clients’ preferences whenever possible.
Can we make changes to MEP components mid-construction?
Absolutely! Our virtual designs can be edited quickly without violating code or functionality to meet your needs, even if they change long after the plans are approved. (Additional approvals may be required for certain adjustments or changes.)
Can you design plans for any location?
While we have local and regional expertise in the Upper Great Plains and Midwest, we’ve worked on projects throughout the U.S. for several different developers. We’re ready to make your vision a reality, no matter where you’re located!
Work with the Multifamily Housing Experts at IES
Building your next apartment complex? Call Innovative Engineering Solutions to take it from digital paper to reality with less money, less time, and fewer clashes. We’ve designed over 43,000 units in more than 700 separate multifamily housing projects, with our clients coming back for new projects every year.
Want an MEP firm you can trust to make your multifamily project more than just done? We’re ready to make it happen!
Contact Us Today!