Construction projects are rich with detail. The key is turning that information into knowledge the right team members can access when they need it, to make the best decisions. This is especially true for design-build projects, because getting the right information to the right people at the right time is one of the biggest challenges facing this project delivery method.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A daily challenge in design-build projects. Gathering the information isn’t the problem. The real issue is deciding how best to provide the information to those who need it to make the right decisions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This year, the DBIA Design-Build Conference & Expo<\/a> focuses on Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Immersive Technology. Virtual environments and various forms of interactivity are making work processes more efficient and offering new ways to provide design information to users of the built environment. Some say these technologies will change the nature of work across the design and construction industry. Others take a more moderate position.<\/p>\n\n\n\n From November 4\u20136, construction professionals will gather in Cleveland, Ohio, to exchange ideas and explore approaches that can improve project delivery. iFieldSmart AI<\/a> will join these conversations at Booth #131, highlighting three key areas of construction technology: AI-powered workflows<\/a>, 360-degree jobsite documentation<\/a>, and mixed reality<\/a> experiences using Oculus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As DBIA 2026 approaches, let’s take a look at what’s shaping the construction industry and what you can explore at Booth #131.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Every team owns one. Maybe it’s the specification clause nobody can find, the RFI response buried three emails deep, or the scope question that surfaces at 4 p.m. on a Friday. Construction generates thousands of documents, and the right answer usually sits in one of them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Teams can ask project-related questions in plain language and get help locating the information they need. AI Skills<\/a> helps teams review project scope, compare submittals against project requirements and identify potential gaps that need further review. For example, an architect verifying a specification before approving a submittal can find the requirement and supporting material faster and spot discrepancies worth a closer look.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The AI doesn’t make the decision. The architect, engineer, or project manager does. The tool simply shortens the walk to the evidence. Attendees who bring a real document headache can see how AI Skills would approach it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Some questions only a jobsite can answer. How far along is the third floor? What surrounds that conflict the model flagged? What did that wall cavity look like before the board went up?<\/p>\n\n\n\n A single photo rarely settles those questions. A 360 capture records the whole space, and that changes the conversation in four ways:<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Lens360<\/a> provides AI-enhanced capture and model alignment. The technology lets project teams visualize site conditions and progress against the project’s digital model. The application organizes capture data by building space. As a result, project teams can quickly access capture data relevant to a given space. Capture data linked to the project’s BIM model lets project teams analyze and compare site conditions with the project’s architectural intent. Captures scheduled against a project’s buildout help document site conditions throughout construction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Participants can examine Mixed Reality<\/a> (digital representations) of a design using BIM technology via the Oculus headsets. A 1:1 scale representation of a space is fully viewable, and designers can point out aspects of the design, space planning and layout to clients.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Let’s say you are designing a mechanical room. You need to evaluate the clearances between equipment and the space required for maintenance. Normally, this requires equipment layout and clearance drawings; however, an immersive experience provides a true representation of the space. This experience can support:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Mixed reality does not replace technical reviews, approved drawings, or established BIM coordination processes. It adds a visual experience that can help people understand information that might otherwise remain difficult to interpret.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Design-build projects require collaboration among people with different lines of work and ways of thinking. Architects work to express design intent. A contractor focuses on field conditions and execution. A VDC lead looks at model coordination, while an owner wants visibility into the project progress.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Owners and project team members can review and discuss design documents to resolve conflicts before making decisions that increase project costs & impact the project schedule.<\/p>\n\n\n\nFind Project Answers Faster with AI Skills<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Bring Jobsite Conditions into View with Lens360<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Remote owners, architects, and engineers can review conditions without visiting the site.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
Teams compare captures from different dates and see exactly what changed.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
Designers and contractors see an issue alongside its surroundings and agree on next steps faster.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
Closeout, operations, and maintenance teams can review past project documentation during project hand-off.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\nReview BIM at Full Scale with Oculus Mixed Reality<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Owners experience proposed spaces and grasp design intent.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
Teams review spatial relationships and equipment placement.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
Non-technical participants understand what the drawings promise.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
Crews preview upcoming work in context.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
Everyone shares one immersive view.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\nWhy Different Project Perspectives Matter<\/h2>\n\n\n\n