Build Before You Build
Model Based Construction Data Management
Video Introduction
Gallery
TESTIMONIALS
"Cunningham and Kotronis represent a unique combination of means and methods with digital delivery. I am confident they will be successful in their new venture and have, and still do have, great faith in these men."
Ed Bulgin - Bulgin & Associates
“Michael has been a part of the Bulgin & Associates family for over three decades in one capacity or another. We met when he was working on a framing crew in the late 80s, shortly thereafter he went out on his own as a framing subcontractor. For two decades he was one of my favorite framing contractors and I greatly appreciated his work. In 2011 Michael applied to us for a position as a site supervisor, I was very happy to have him on board. He ran some of our most complex jobs of the last decade, learned and embraced using 3-D modeling to construct these projects and layout with a Hilti total station.
This is how he was introduced to his partner James Kotronis, a world class digital delivery expert that we had used on these complex projects. Cunningham and Kotronis represent a unique combination of means and methods with digital delivery. Together they cofounded Boxxcraft Inc to change the methods of custom home building with the use of best in class modeling software.
I am confident they will be successful in their new venture and have, and still do have, great faith in these men."
"These guys are great to work with, construction know how and clarity in the model for use throughout the building process is working for us beyond our expectations."
Greg D’Angelo - Greg D'Angelo Construction
“I met Michael in the late 1980s while he was framing homes and I was running my carpentry business on my way to becoming a Builder. We didn’t see much of each other for the next 20 years or so, but got reconnected by some mutual friends in 2011. We stayed in touch and in 2020 Michael told me of his new way of, building before you build, a custom home in a 3-D modeling environment. I became intrigued and showed him a project we had starting in Amagansett. Michael introduced me to his partner in Boxxcraft Inc., James Kotronis giving us a more complete view of what they were offering. Convinced that they were on to something special, we immediately agreed to use their process for building this project.
Their process of building the project in a 3-D model before a shovel even hit the ground was truly extraordinary. We were able to get the project fully vetted, taking into account the design intent, structural specifications, MEP’s, glazing, anything we wanted. This in turn, enabled us to start ordering materials in an accelerated timeframe, selling us back time and reducing all the projects stakeholders risk.
These guys are great to work with, construction know how and clarity in the model for use throughout the building process is working for us beyond our expectations."
FACTS:
Over the last 20 years productivity in manufacturing has risen 2X
while construction productivity has remained flat
9 out of 10 construction projects experience cost over runs.
The average over run is 28%.
35% of construction professionals' time is spent on non-productive activities
That equates to 14 hours a week wasted.
52% of all rework is caused by poor data and miscommunication
PROBLEM:
The average small construction project produces 1000's of documents and versions of those documents. Mid-size projects can produce +10,000 documents and versions.
Even if all of the information were correct and coordinated the data needed to build requires interpretation, as any given construction task references multiple sets of documents.
Finding actionable data can be like piecing together a jigsaw puzzle.
SOLUTION:
Model Based Construction Data Management
Is the practice of developing a set of related system models that help define, design, and document a project under development.
It combines domain expertise, behaviors and data
producing dynamic models that can respond quickly and accurately to change.
The result is single source of geometric data,
a model you can build from, that incorporates design intent, construction know how, structural systems, mechanical systems, glazing systems, window treatments, lighting, stone and millwork.
BENEFITS:
Build before you build - MBCDM models allow teams to construct projects multiple times to improve coordination and construction efficiency
Accelerate decisions and better understand change impacts by providing an accurate common view of the project.
Sub Contractor Packages - Provides pre-coordinated data from the model to subcontractors for expedited shop drawing development.
Design Validation Packages - Provides the means to respect contractual boundaries by packaging design information impacted by the preconstruction coordination process for approval by licensed professionals.
Conformance Packages - Complete the coordination process by roundtripping subcontractor models providing full construction detail.
Work Packages - Provides task based data directly from the model to onsite crews to accelerate field layout and reduce errors.
PROCESS:
Model Based Construction Data Management Process allows for the fluid collaboration between design and construction teams while supporting contractual boundaries.
Not to mention, placing coordinated data at your finger tips.
Is Boxxcraft right for you?
How much is bad data and poor communication costing your business?
How efficiently can your team access actionable data?
Is your project data accurate and coordinated?
Have you ever looked back on a project and said,
if I had to do it again, I would build it exactly the same way?
Are you working smarter or harder?
Meet The Team
Michael Cunningham
Founding Partner
Expediting custom home building has been my passion for over three decades. Having attended SUNY Maritime College and before devoting all my energy as a Co-Founder to Boxxcraft Inc. I served as a Senior Site Supervisor for Bulgin & Associates on their most aggressive projects of the last decade. Prior to this I was an independent framing contractor in the
Hamptons helping a handful of the top General Contractors, of the present, grow their business since the late 1980’s. Yes, before the “Trade Parade”.
In this time I became obsessed with prefabrication of house components namely eyebrow dormers and bell tower octagons. This lead me to founding the Eyebrow Window Dormer Supply Inc. in the mid 2000’s as a side hustle and ultimately led me to my deep dive into the world of computer modeling in the 3DExperience-Catia program. This avocation was brought on by my introduction, to my now partner James Kotronis in 2013, at the site of a very special project I was supervising. He modeled an eyebrow dormer in minutes, right before my eyes, asking me for the basic parameters of a dormer, and boom there it was right on screen, I knew I had to check this out. Now EWDS Inc. just sends full scale templates along with instructions and a video to folks to make their own specialty dormers. Intellectual property captured in a digital environment and available to all.
Framing hundreds of homes and making a profit, on most of them, ingrained in me the fact that actionable information, along with open collaboration and mentorship to and from others I was working with, combined with talented trades people and a desire to make homes “True, Straight, Level, Plumb and Square” the five rules of craftsmanship was the key to success, as explained to me by Pat Trunzo Sr. on one of my earliest projects, what a terrific mentor, was the key.
This was the genesis of Boxxcraft Inc.for me, let’s build before we build, let’s save time and money, let’s make our clients happier and everyone become more successful.
James Kotronis
Founding Partner
James has over 30 years’ experience in the direct application of computational methods in the fields of design, architecture, construction, and fabrication. His work focuses on improving design performance through the synthesis of design, construction and fabrication thinking across disciplines and stakeholder boundaries.
His portfolio of interdisciplinary projects includes Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall, YAS Island Marina Hotel, The Burj Khalifa Office Lobby Ceiling, World Trade Center Redevelopment – Lower Manhattan, Cleveland Clinic – Abu Dhabi, United Nations Permanent Memorial, Frost Museum of Science, Broad Museum, and the Apple Campus 2 – Steve Jobs Theater Pavilion.
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