UCL’s vibrant new campus on Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in Stratford lies at the heart of East Bank, the UK’s newest culture and innovation quarter. With 34,000 sq m of groundbreaking learning facilities, it serves as a hub of creativity and multidisciplinary research.
The campus is the biggest expansion in UCL’s 200-year history. Its flagship Marshgate building comprises eight stories of hi-tech labs and collaboration spaces focused on solving the biggest challenges facing people and the planet, transcending traditional academic boundaries.
The challenge
Construction work on UCL East commenced in summer 2019. Just a few months later, the entire country went under lockdown due to the Covid-19 pandemic. “All of the sudden, many things which we wouldn’t think about twice before Covid, became a problem, like having a client come to site on a regular basis”, says Ivana Tudja, Associate Director for BIM and Digital Engineering at Mace. She sought a technical solution that could deliver remote site access and progress tracking. Given the project’s significant size, Mace needed a solution that was quick to implement, easy to use, and efficient.
The solution
After evaluating several options, the team chose a fast, easy-to-use 360° reality capture solution that was ideal for documenting and tracking a large-scale project like Marshgate, and started to onboard OpenSpace. To capture the site, a member of their team simply opens the app on their smartphone, snaps a 360° camera on their hard hat, and walks the site. The result would be a complete visual representation of the project with all images automatically pinned to the floor plan. “If you have a large-scale site like this, it can take you potentially hours or even days to capture all the records manually with a standard camera on the phone. With this 360 solution the capturing process was very efficient”, says Ivana.
The team needed only a 45-minute intro session to start capturing and using the data. As a result, Mace was able to deploy the software without disrupting ongoing work on the project. “At first we thought it might be hard to get the team on-site to capture regularly, but everyone saw the value immediately”, says Ivana. In fact, the data was used so frequently that a missing capture was quickly noticed.
"At first we thought it might be hard to get the team on-site to capture regularly, but everyone saw the value immediately."
Beyond 360° documentation, the team used features like BIM Compare which allowed them to compare as-built conditions to the project’s BIM model. With the side-by-side comparison, project managers and the client could easily validate that everything was being built according to plan.
Another big benefit that made workflows a lot smoother was the seamless integration with BIM360 (now part of Autodesk Construction Cloud). The ability to integrate OpenSpace reality capture with Mace’s main construction management platform to avoid duplication of work was key.
By taking frequent captures, the team created a “visual time machine” of the Marshgate project. This archive remains valuable even after project completion. When the building was successfully handed over to the client in March 2023 before opening to students and staff in September 2023, Mace was able to download all its capture data for offline access. “This was critical for us. Having access to the generated information library independent from the use of the platform in the future”, says Ivana. With the ability to go back to a specific time and location, the team can look behind walls or above ceilings to aid future works, mitigate potential future disputes, or prove compliance with regulations.
The results
Implementing OpenSpace solved the immediate need for remote site access, and delivered much more. “Initially this was a solution to enable the client to access the site without travel. But it became much bigger, as our site teams quickly recognised the benefits for themselves”, says Ivana.
Faster and more complete site documentation
Before introducing reality capture, the team was documenting the site with photos organised in a structured photo library. This was a time-consuming process that lacked relevant context for progress tracking: “Implementing a reality capture solution is really low effort in comparison to the results you get at the end. While a standard photo library can work, it takes a lot of effort and you still don’t have the guarantee that all the required information is recorded” Ivana explains.
Reduced site travel
Virtual site navigation provided an easier and more efficient way for the team and the client to access progress information remotely. Especially during the lockdown phases, virtual, anytime access was critical to keep everyone up to date while reducing necessary site visits.
Improved stakeholder coordination and communication
Accessing captured information from anywhere became increasingly valuable in coordination and update meetings. According to Ivana, “If you’re running a meeting, you can just pull up a recorded location at a specific date and everyone knows exactly what is going on. This makes it easy to discuss specific issues”.
The as-built comparison to the BIM model improved internal, supported trade handovers and enabled the team to easily validate completed work.
Reduced risk
The captured data has already proven invaluable during the construction process. Ivana also highlights that having such records available for years to come is a big additional benefit for them—a visual insurance policy for anyone involved in the project that would always be available when needed. Plus, the data provides the digital records required to comply with the Building Safety Act in the UK that aims to ensure buildings comply with fire safety regulations. “This just gives you the certainty that the information you need, or more importantly the information you might need in the future, is captured”, according to Ivana.
“This just gives you the certainty that the information you need, or more importantly the information you might need in the future, is captured.”
Conclusion
The Marshgate project demonstrates the transformative potential of adopting digital solutions in construction. By addressing the immediate need for remote site access during the Covid-19 lockdown, the technology also delivered long-term benefits, including improved documentation, reduced travel, enhanced communication, and risk mitigation. By embracing digital transformation, Mace and other construction companies are achieving more efficient, collaborative, and resilient construction practices.
