Case Study: Boston College

Boston College is a 153-year-old private Jesuit research institution in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. It is the city of Boston's first institution of higher education and one of the country's most prestigious colleges.

How Did This Project Begin?

We have worked on several projects for Boston College. Since our working relationship first began, it has been practically a never-ending cycle of projects! On more than one occasion, we have come in and scanned multiple buildings simultaneously. Lynn Berkley, Director of Facilities Management Information Systems at the university, collaborates closely with Holly Vaillancourt, Existing Conditions' Operations Director.

Careful Coordination

We must always ensure that the procedures taking place inside our clients' premises will not be disrupted by our scanning activities. Careful coordination is required at all times to make sure that their activities stay operational, especially in occupied classrooms and residential halls. When universities and colleges work with us, they can rest assured that they will have an unobtrusive experience. We know what it's like to manage a building, and make sure to prioritize the needs of the people who call these spaces home.

Boston College Acquires Pine Manor College Campus

Boston College moved to acquire the campus Pine Manor College a few years ago, which was located in close proximity to BC. After the purchase, the team at BC had us come in and document the entire campus, which was approximately 335,000 square feet. We went to the campus to scan and model all of the buildings on site. The project team required a speedy turnaround simply because their plans and information were insufficient, and there was no time to waste. The capital planning and renovation process would have been hampered by relying on outdated documents. They wanted the correct documentation to submit to their facilities and room management, so they could figure out how much space they were truly working with. The team at Existing Conditions were able to get in there quickly and supply them with this information.

A Little Competition

Because BC is responsible for so many buildings and innumerable projects put out to bid, Existing Conditions has competed against other companies on more than one occasion. We've won jobs following competitive processes, and everything proceeded smoothly – a double-win from our perspective. Over time, we've also been able to work closely with BC to help ensure the success of their new facility management system. This would allow them to tag all of their mechanical equipment and other assets. They would be able to have software that their facilities staff could use to record data while walking about campus. With today's technology, receiving this information in a timely and convenient manner is relatively simple.

It has been an amazing experience working with BC because many universities could not have come as far as BC has. We are adaptable enough, and we are in it for the friendships and opportunity to work on initiatives like this. We cannot enter, scan, then leave. With our clients, we build long-term connections.

There has been a lot of discussion on how we should set this up to work with their FM systems. Our office's VP of Product, Philip Smith, has a technological mind and was able to work with them and get exactly what they required. Now, they could easily integrate them into their new system.

Our History Working With Boston College

We are a respected vendor for Boston College, and they are a reputable client. We have helped them scan millions of square feet of their projects to create precise drawings for building renovations and ongoing facilities management.

We have collaborated on many projects with Boston College, including Alumni Stadium, academic buildings, dormitories, and religious structures on campus. We have been fortunate to benefit from virtually unrestricted access to all of the university's building resources. Boston College's real estate, facility management, capital projects, and construction departments have collaborated with us.

Alumni Stadium

One of the projects we had to compete for was Boston College's Alumni Stadium. This was an unusual project since they needed a floor plan.

Because of the nature of a stadium, elevational data was required to make it appear accurate. By putting our laser scanners in the middle of the stadium, we were able to record the whole entirety of it.

Why Work With Us?

Boston College has been able to utilize our knowledge and the technology we use. If they hired an architect to supply them with the information we give, that firm would most likely send the interns out into the field with tape measures and graph paper. These younger workforces are passionate, but they lack the technical understanding necessary to generate correct drawings, which is where we come in. To have an accurate renovation, do not take the risk of using old paper drawings or outdated documentation methods.

We fit in by giving our clients and their trades a realistic representation of the building they are working on. It serves as a vital starting point for their work. This is crucial to saving time and money while avoiding mistakes. The benefit of a comprehensive scan of your site is that it typically eliminates the need for further site visits, putting time back in your day.

Want to learn more about our collaboration with Boston College? Click here to watch our case study video.