High-Rise Lobby Renovation Documentation

The Challenge

An architecture firm was hired to renovate the lobby and common areas of a 32-story office tower in San Francisco. The building was constructed in the 1980s and the original drawings were incomplete and inaccurate. The architect needed precise as-built floor plans, ceiling heights, column locations, and curtain wall dimensions to develop their design — all without disrupting active tenants.

Our Approach

We scanned all three levels of the lobby and common areas over a weekend to minimize tenant disruption. Using 36 scan positions, we captured the full geometry including structural columns, curtain wall mullion patterns, floor-to-ceiling heights, elevator core dimensions, and existing MEP routing in the ceiling plenum. The deliverable was a fully dimensioned AutoCAD floor plan set and a Revit architectural model that the design team used as the base for their renovation drawings.

Results

• 18,000 sq ft scanned in 2 days with zero tenant disruption
• AutoCAD plans and Revit model delivered in 8 business days
• Architect discovered ceiling heights varied by 4 inches across the lobby — avoided costly field adjustments
• Design team eliminated 2 weeks of field verification from their schedule
• Renovation completed on time with no conflicts from inaccurate existing conditions