Lifesize Plans, an Australian company known for its groundbreaking patented real scale walk-through technology, is making significant contributions to the property development and commercial infrastructure sector. Their innovative walkthroughs enable design refinement and enhanced project management.
According to Lifesize Plans CEO James Hickey, their state-of-the-art technology allows for the projection of a site’s layout at a 1:1 scale, leading to improved design and the creation of purposeful spaces. Hickey believes that the ability of all project stakeholders to connect and achieve their vision through Lifesize Plans makes it a game-changer.
One of their recent clients, Western Sydney International Airport, utilized Lifesize Plans to refine the design of their planned terminal and enhance the overall customer experience. This case study demonstrates the clear benefits of experiencing designs at scale, both for project teams and end-users.
James highlights that Lifesize Plans enables major developments to be reviewed meticulously, from floor to floor and section to section, resulting in greater efficiency and peace of mind for project managers before construction begins. The collaborative nature of the designs presented at Lifesize Plans adds value to project teams by improving communication, facilitating instant design refinement, and reducing construction costs.
Furthermore, Lifesize Plans’ technology can be utilized as a sales tool, comparable to a display suite but on a 1:1 scale. James states that Lifesize Plans is ideal for generating trust in off-the-plan purchases and can serve as a walkable display suite for buyers. To further enhance the customer service experience, Lifesize Plans will soon launch an Extended Reality (XR) experience, developed in collaboration with Virtual Reality leaders Envision VR. This XR experience will blend the digital and physical worlds, adding an interactive and immersive element to their suite of services.
Tim Johnson, CEO of New Urban Villages, a specialist developer of investment-grade properties, brought his team to Lifesize Plans’ flagship showroom in Sydney to review two apartment projects—one in Melbourne with 237 apartments and another in Brisbane with 320 apartments. Tim praises Lifesize Plans for enabling his team to see what small-scale drawings couldn’t show, thus identifying areas for savings, efficiencies, and design improvements. The at-scale walk-through process allowed them to ensure that spaces passed the common-sense test and provided insights into non-standard areas of each project.
By bringing together 15 team members, including architects and development managers, Lifesize Plans facilitated efficient communication and feedback during the session, eliminating the need for days of back-and-forth exchanges typically experienced when reviewing projects solely in the office. Tim emphasizes that the walk-through experience provided valuable insights into how the buildings fit together, likening it to a game of Tetris.
Although bringing a large team together for a day incurred costs, Tim believes it was a sound investment that yielded tangible returns. The experience improved project efficiency and fostered better awareness among team members. Tim believes that larger-scale developers would similarly benefit from using Lifesize Plans to review their projects. However, he acknowledges that larger teams require greater cohesion to ensure an effective walk-through at Lifesize Plans.
In addition to their flagship showroom in Sydney, Lifesize Plans operates sites in Brisbane and Perth in Australia, as well as their first international franchise in Southern France. These locations provide a glimpse of their expanding presence, with international expansion plans already underway in the USA, Egypt, Dubai, Ireland, and the Philippines.
