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allies and Morrison 

Learn how Allies and Morrison, a leading architecture and urbanism practice, uses VU.CITY to streamline feasibility studies and enhance project proposals.

Copy of Copy of Faster Decisions, Better Cities VU.CITY for Built Environment Pros (1)-min

How Allies and Morrison Utilises VU.CITY to Boost Efficiency in Competitions and Feasibility Studies

With project programmes ever tightening, architectural practices need efficient digital tools to meet delivery pressure.

Allies and Morrison, an award-winning and innovative architecture and urbanism practice, has found a powerful ally in VU.CITY. Using the 3D smart city platform not only streamlines their workflow but also enhances their ability to communicate complex design ideas effectively. This case study explores how Allies and Morrison leverage VU.CITY to overcome challenges in their feasibility design process.

Challenges and current process

Overcoming Key Obstacles

VU.CITY has allowed Allies and Morrison to address several significant challenges involved in their project acquisition process:

  • Allowing comprehensive site-wide information to be sourced quickly.

  • Creating reliable street-level views in-house.

  • Accessing planning information about surrounding sites.

 

"It was difficult to find site-wide information (3D context) and to create reliable street eye-level views. It was also very challenging to find planning information about the surrounding sites. In VU.CITY, we have all the information we need condensed, including planning application reference numbers."

Carlos Pesquera, Associate, Allies and Morrison

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Project Uplands Masterplan: Ground Floor Uses

Feasibility Study Workflow using VU.CITY

A workflow they have used for feasibility studies involved several steps:

  1. Studying the brief and setting up a geolocated 3D model.
  2. Creating initial massing models for different design options.
  3. Testing these models in VU.CITY by importing massing models and rendering views.
  4. Comparing VU.CITY screenshots with real photos provided by townscape consultants.
Project Uplands Masterplan 1
Project Uplands: A Masterplan at the heart of the Blackhorse Lane SIL in the Lea Valley.
05_19029_Uplands_Goldsmith-Yard_night-time
The entrance to the site.

 "In the last feasibility study, the townscape consultants managed to give us some coordinates so we could take some screenshots from VU.CITY and compare them with real photos. This worked really well."

CP

how vu.city enhanced their approach

Enhanced and Streamlined Feasibility Studies and Proposals

VU.CITY improved efficiency for Allies and Morrison in feasibility studies and proposals. By providing instant access to detailed 3D contexts and planning information, the tool reduced the time required for initial site analysis.

"We previously had to model part of the context by looking at some photographs on site or had to purchase 3D context. This was very time-consuming or didn’t reflect reality. We also couldn't get planning information without having to spend lots of time investigating."

CP

Enhanced Client Communication

VU.CITY has also improved the way Allies and Morrison communicate design ideas to clients. While they often need additional software for high-quality renderings, VU.CITY serves as an effective platform for initial presentations, placing their massing models in a wider city context.

 "It is a very effective way of showing the client's initial ideas."

CP

 

image (2)
The Revit model of the Project Uplands Masterplan placed in VU.CITY.
5_Orbit View(1)
The massing for the scheme now within VU.CITY's consented schemes in the model.

A Valuable Tool for Competitions

VU.CITY simplifies the analysis of project sites and their contexts, helping Allies and Morrison to work efficiently under tight deadlines.

"VU.CITY enables us to get a head start in the analysis of the project site and its context with valuable information available in a few clicks."

Matt Olsen, BIM Architectural Lead, Associate, Allies and Morrison

 

Embracing the Future of Digital Transformation

As digital transformation continues to shape the architecture industry, tools like VU.CITY will become increasingly vital. We asked them about the future of architecture and the technologies or strategies that will be essential for firms to stay competitive in the next 5-10 years:

"Historically, the software available to architects for early-stage design has been fragmented, with sketching, 3D modelling, GIS, environmental analysis, and visualisation handled by separate tools and specialists. This fragmentation between tools results in data loss and significant time spent on post-processing, limiting their adoption. Practices need easy to use software that works with their main modelling tools, without committing resources to training specialists, closing the gap between design, modelling, analysis and visualisation." 

MO

 

Conclusion

The experience of Allies and Morrison demonstrates how advanced digital tools like VU.CITY can assist the feasibility design process of architectural practices. By streamlining processes and improving communication, VU.CITY enables firms to maintain a competitive edge and drive innovation. 

Contributors

Matt Olsen: BIM Architectural Lead, Associate, Allies and Morrison
Carlos Pesquera: Associate, Allies and Morrison

 

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