Manukau Housing Project

The Challenge

With dozens of repeating unit types and configurations—including multiple roof types and interior fit-outs—the project risked compounding errors across planning, documentation, and on-site execution. Delays caused by inconsistent documentation and prolonged council approval processes needed to be resolved with a streamlined, model-first approach.

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Construction Documentation

BIM Asset Lab developed highly detailed master models in Autodesk Revit, designed to support both building consent submissions and efficient construction documentation.

• Master Model Library
  A structured "filing system" of unit types was created to reflect all combinations of buildings—each model included a high level of component detail, down to manufacturer data and assembly information.
  
  
• Integrated Specifications
  The Masterspec MasterKey Revit add-in was used to generate live-linked, project-specific specifications directly within the BIM environment—ensuring full alignment between the model and written documentation.
  
  
• Smart Documentation Strategy
  All drawings were built using back-referencing views, ensuring traceability and consistency throughout the drawing set. Once approved, the master models were duplicated and strategically placed across the subdivision to match site layouts and planning requirements.
  
  

Results & Impact

• 2-week turnaround for documentation of each building block
  
  
• 5-week average council consenting time
  
  
• Detailed, consistent documentation reduced RFIs on-site and eliminated repeat errors across unit types
  
  
• Models have supported long-term project scalability and documentation reuse across stages

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Summary

This project illustrates how applying a master model strategy to high-volume residential developments can significantly reduce project risk, consent delays, and downstream errors in both design and delivery.