With a “Clients for Life” philosophy, Warfel Construction has been providing construction services in a variety of industries across the Mid-Atlantic region for more than a century. In order to remain successful, the company has continued to evolve with new technologies, such as its state-of-the-art Virtual Design and Construction program that will soon benefit critical end users at the Barclay Friends Senior Living Community.

“We’ve been around for 108 years, and our mission has remained the same, which is creating clients for life,” said Conlan Swope, Warfel’s Vice President of Operations. “Basically, we want to do such a good job for a client with our service, experience, and with the relationship they feel along the way, that the first name that comes to mind for their next project is Warfel Construction.”

With some clients that have remained with Warfel for 90 years, the company, which recently opened an office in Paoli as a sign of its commitment to Greater Philadelphia, has been able to grow and adapt to the many technological changes in the industry.

“I think the future of technology in the construction industry is an open frontier right now,” said Swope. “That’s always one of the challenges — to make sure we can blend in new with existing, so we don’t take away from the heritage that exists here. There is so much technology and so many options that a lot of contractors are trying to figure out what works for them and what works for their clientele.”

One of those new technologies that has worked for Warfel’s clientele is being provided through the company’s Virtual Design and Construction Department to more efficiently utilize mechanical, electrical, and plumbing coordination for projects. The technology enables Warfel to virtually create renderings and a model that provides a “walkthrough” of the building to resolve any conflicts and other unknowns prior to putting the physical construction in place.

“It’s one of the pieces that has really gained momentum in the construction industry, but more importantly in our organization over the past five years,” said Swope.

On the current Barclay Friends project, the virtual design models will allow the staff to do virtual walk-throughs of the corridors, rooms, and common areas to see exactly what those spaces will look like and how they will function. In a resident’s bathroom, for example, caregivers can look at the proposed locations of grab bars, how a curtain pulls open, and where the sink is configured to fit in a wheelchair, and then provide their input to the Warfel design team.

“Our goal has been to take it to the end user, not just the facilities manager or owner’s representative that’s signing off on it,” said Swope. “Who is going to be in there and using that space for the next five, 10, or 50 years, and what do we need to do to make it functional for them? So, getting it into the end users’ hands has been extremely valuable for buy-in from the program staff in a lot of the buildings that we build. It’s a living model that is breathed into by anyone who needs to have input on the construction and use of that space.”

The Virtual Design and Construction team will typically present renderings of the design for initial feedback, before advancing to an immersive environment involving a 3-D video.

“It looks like a view from a drone flying through the entire building that shows everything,” said Swope. “You can use joysticks on the computer to navigate, or the staff can put on goggles and virtually walk through the building.”

It is not only input from the staff at Barclay Friends, however, that will go into the model.

“At the same time, we are getting our mechanical, electrical, and plumbing subcontractors involved to be able to work through potential conflicts, such as a duct line that could potentially run into a water or sprinkler line,” said Swope. “And, ultimately, we want the superintendent to look at it from a constructability, scheduling, and safety standpoint.”

To do this, Warfel uses a system through which it can deliver the model to contractors in the field via an app on an iPad or iPhone. The technology will enable contractors to monitor progress and quality control in real time and see what each space will look like with the walls framed up and the plumbing in place.

“With virtual design and construction, we’re breaking the building down into its different layers that truly represent the design and layout and intent of the architectural design team,” said Swope. “It is a good representation of what the building will look like, and gives our clients a practical building that can actually be built. We know that by adding this value service, our clients will reap the benefits at the end of the day and see that Warfel was the right pick for them.”

Click here to learn more about Warfel Construction.

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