Three Sixty Design Solutions hits project milestone with FARO

PROJECT MILESTONE 1: Three Sixty Design Solutions project operations manager Mike Wood sets up a FARO Focus Premium laser scanner which is being used in the firm’s first £1m contract

PROJECT MILESTONE: Three Sixty Design Solutions project operations manager Mike Wood sets up a FARO Focus Premium laser scanner which is being used in the firm’s first £1m contract

A multi-disciplinary firm is deploying cutting-edge 3D laser scanning technology to survey 360 government sites nationwide in its first £1million contract.

Three Sixty Design Solutions is using next-generation FARO reality capture cameras to create 3D ‘digital twins’ of a portfolio of properties from Penzance in Cornwall to the Orkney Islands off the northern coast of Scotland.

Its scans will create highly accurate virtual records of the exterior and interior of premises – including assets and fittings.

The project comes after Three Sixty Design Solutions signed a partnership with digital reality solutions provider FARO to become one of the few companies nationwide to both use the leading edge technology and distribute the American brand’s devices in the UK.

Three Sixty Design Solutions – with offices in London and West Sussex – serves commercial and public sectors clients of all sizes nationwide with services for projects from conception to completion.

The 30-strong firm’s disciplines are architectural services, building surveying, structural engineering, mechanical engineering, electrical and fire engineering, specialist surveying, and project management and contract administration.

Managing director Gareth Pryce, who leads the business with directors Simon Avery and Harvey Ford, said: “Our new partnership with FARO is another milestone in the growth of Three Sixty Design Solutions.

“We are using leading edge FARO technology to provide professional services for a government contract to provide the most up to date and accurate digital record of properties nationwide.

“It is our first million pound contract and our first major project using FARO, which will deliver a client-focused and data driven solution with the highest quality results.”

FOCUS: A surveyor at work using FARO's scanners (File picture: FARO)

FOCUS: A surveyor at work using FARO’s scanners (File picture: FARO)

Gareth added: “We’re proud to be chosen by FARO as a UK distributor to sell its scanners as well as use its technology ourselves as a multi-disciplinary design company.

“This means we can supply FARO to other surveyors and provide support, while playing a leading role in encouraging digital adoption and promoting excellence within the industry.

“The possibilities are endless and we are excited about bringing FARO to many more clients and companies.”

Three Sixty Design Solutions uses a range of FARO measurement, imaging and realisation cameras to create the digital twins of properties incorporating assets such as pipework, boilers and fittings in hard to reach places.

After visiting sites to scan premises, images are then stitched together to create intelligent CAD graphics in 2D or 3D with engineering data for delivery to the client in a common data environment. Virtual reality and fly-throughs can also be created.

It means all data is collected in one place, giving the client a better user experience and the ability to make informed decisions using highly accurate and comprehensive information.

This may be for fire compliance, maintenance, refurbishment, architecture, mechanical and electrical engineering, zero carbon and energy saving initiatives or other projects.

Gareth said: “Our ability to create a digital twin and place it within a common data environment means the client has all the information they need at their fingertips in one place.

“We believe no-one else is doing this in the same way, and we are positioning it at the heart of our Building Information Modelling (BIM) journey to provide the very best solutions for our clients.”

Three Sixty Design Solutions works in partnership with turnkey solutions provider Johnsons 1871, which provides domestic and business services including relocations, laboratory logistics, project management, technology solutions, cleaning and sanitation, installation and security services.

FARO is based in Florida, USA, and was founded in 1981. It has more than 25 offices worldwide. It has a range of handheld and static scanners, including the next-generation FARO Focus Premium Laser Scanner.

ENDS