Technology

We design buildings that enrich people’s lives

Embracing a digital future

We continually embrace new ways of seeing and experiencing projects, and investigate the potential of new technologies to design great spaces and communicate with our clients.

As a core element of our commitment to curiosity and innovation, CO Architects has been a passionate adopter of digital design as a tool to advance beyond the status quo. We remain convinced of technology's ability to help guide us to new and unexplored architectural territory. We were early pioneers of BIM software in 2004, and continue to push the limits of technology everyday in our practice.

In this tradition of exploring uncharted territory to build something new, we apply and adopt new and emerging technologies including virtual and augmented reality, computational design, customized apps to optimize solutions and track metrics, databases and dashboards to benchmark and guide decisions, and leveraging direct manufacturing for rapid prototyping.

Augmented Reality

CO Architects stays at the vanguard of digital design frontiers, including the application of virtual and augmented realities.

We employ a variety of different technologies including advanced headsets and software to fully immerse ourselves — and our clients — in the virtual world of our designs, as if we were truly inside them. This hyper-realistic perspective allows us to explore, experience and study our most advanced designs in more fluid and dynamic ways than ever before.

VR Anywhere @ CO

CO Architects is taking pre-visualization to the next level with virtual reality technology. Exploring spaces in three-dimensional, 360-degree panoramic views leads to an experiential understanding of how the finished building will work and feel.

Extended Reality

Extended Reality (XR) takes VR and its immersive experience of the digitally simulated worked closer to the intuitive, tactile and sensorial experience of the physical world. We are exploring this emergent field of human-computer interaction technology by augmenting traditional VR tools with additional technologies, such as computer vision-based motion tracking and haptic sensors.

Spatial Simulations

Healthcare projects require iterative designs and discussions amongst various stakeholders to develop program requirements and spatial planning. Operational efficiency, privacy, safety and comfort all play a critical role in evaluating the design. In order to facilitate deeper dialogue with stakeholders, we can develop custom applications to simulate and visualize the travel path and spatial interactions of various building user groups.

Reality Capture

CO Architects continues to further its efforts to drive digital transformation in every aspect of our practice, including how we document and communicate design. Reality Capture technology transforms the real-world built environment into immersive and interactive VR by harnessing various 3D scanning technologies. We use a wide range of Reality Capture solutions to facilitate our design process in all phases from site analysis and as-built assessment to construction administration and post-occupancy evaluation.

Digital Twin

A Digital Twin is a virtual representation of a physical object, building or environment with various sensors providing real-time data regarding the status and functionality of the physical asset back to a digital model. A Digital Twin bridges the gap between physical and digital worlds with a continuous stream of data flowing in-between – helping us to better understand our relationship with the built environment.

Computational Design and Sustainability

CO Architects utilizes the latest and most powerful computational design tools to promote sustainability across their project portfolio. These tools assist our designers to explore a wide range of design options and evaluate their impacts on environment and human comfort to help us make more informed decisions. For example, a highly optimized daylighting and energy modeling tools is used to shape and inform the overall design of a project for the Cal Poly Pomona Administration Building.​

We are committed to pioneering new paths in architectural design using the latest digital technologies. At CO Architects, we believe in the importance of exploring the technology of tomorrow to help shape the future of our industry, structures and communities.​ We will continue to push the boundaries of both design and project delivery to advance industry standards and client satisfaction at the global level.​