Case Study

High-Rise Tenant Build-Out: Existing Conditions Before Design

Accurate existing-conditions documentation for a downtown office fit-out, so the design team built from reality instead of out-of-date base-building drawings.

Project Overview

An architecture firm was designing a multi-floor office build-out in a downtown Chicago high-rise. The base-building drawings on file were outdated, and an interior fit-out lives or dies on accurate existing conditions: ceiling heights, column locations, slab edges, and the existing MEP the new design has to work around. The firm brought in Laser Scan Chicago to capture the floors before design began.

Point cloud of a high-rise interior floor for a tenant build-out: Laser Scan Chicago
Registered point cloud of the tenant floors. The design team modeled the fit-out directly on verified conditions.

The Challenge

  • The building was occupied, so capture had to happen after hours and with minimal disruption
  • Base-building drawings were unreliable and did not reflect the as-built floors
  • Fit-out tolerances were tight around existing columns, slab conditions, and overhead MEP
  • Surprises discovered during construction would mean redesign, change orders, and schedule slip

The Approach

Laser Scan Chicago scanned the tenant floors after hours with FARO Focus equipment, registered the point cloud, and delivered an existing-conditions Revit model along with 2D floor plans and reflected ceiling plans. The design team then built the fit-out directly on top of the verified conditions rather than on the old base-building set.

Deliverables

  • Registered point cloud (RCP/RCS) of the tenant floors
  • Existing-conditions Revit model: architectural shell, structure, and major MEP
  • 2D CAD floor plans and reflected ceiling plans

Results

Designing on accurate existing conditions meant the ceilings, partitions, and MEP routing were coordinated around the real columns, slab, and overhead systems from day one. The conditions that usually surface mid-construction and trigger redesign and change orders were already accounted for in the model. The build went in cleanly, and the design intent held because it was grounded in what was actually there.

After hours Occupied building, minimal disruption
Verified base Designed on real conditions, not old drawings
No surprises Conditions resolved before construction

Planning a Build-Out?

Laser Scan Chicago gives architects and contractors verified existing conditions before design, in Revit and CAD, so tenant build-outs and renovations start from reality. As a local Chicago team, we schedule around occupied buildings and deliver fast. Contact us to discuss your project.