Woodward Design+Build: A Century of Excellence  

Woodward Design+Build, a venerable firm founded by Carl E. Woodward, has been at the forefront of innovation in the construction industry for 100 years. This design-build firm, specializing in turnkey commercial construction services, has embraced a wide array of projects spanning religious, cultural, automotive, commercial, education, healthcare, historic restorations, hospitality, sports, and recreational sectors. Serving areas across Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida, Woodward operates with a multifaceted team, with divisions including Design, Engineering, Steel, Millwork, Construction Management and Special Projects.

In a recent discussion with cmBuilder, Joshua Gautreau, BIM Coordinator, and Layne Court, Senior Preconstruction Manager and Senior Estimator at Woodward Design+Build, shared insights into the company's history, its adoption of technology, and how the cmBuilder platform has helped take their project planning and execution to a whole new level.

Gautreau and Court emphasized Woodward’s commitment to continuous education of their broader team about the values of Building Information Modeling (BIM) and Virtual Design and Construction (VDC). They highlighted the transformative shift in project delivery over the last decade with the help of new technologies. One highlighted example is the evolution from relying on traditional site surveying methods to leveraging advanced 3D scanning, drone technology, and of course, cmBuilder’s 4D site logistics simulation platform.

The Impact of cmBuilder on Digital Project Planning

Woodward’s implementation of cmBuilder has streamlined their workflow, fostering collaboration between preconstruction, operations, designers, and the VDC team. This has led to early identification of unforeseen conditions, tighter deadlines, and substantial cost savings for clients. The integration of 3D/4D technology has not only impressed stakeholders, but also provided invaluable support to superintendents, aiding them in navigating challenges, and making informed decisions on-site.

“When it comes to 4D planning, I think our superintendents are the ones that really benefit. They're the ones that are tasked with trying to figure out how to overcome the ongoing challenges onsite and the waterfall of challenges that that one decision can make especially on tight sites. The intention of the cmBuilder platform is to help democratize that planning.”

- Layne Court - Senior Preconstruction Manager and Senior Estimator at Woodward Design+Build

Looking ahead, Court emphasized the need for the broader construction technology ecosystem to further enhance their integration capabilities to support the construction industry from design to delivery, particularly the seamless incorporation of 3D scan data into models and increased drone usage for surveying, and 4D construction simulation. Woodward is poised to continue its legacy of innovation with cmBuilder playing a pivotal role in their digital transformation journey.

“cmBuilder is making project planning and execution much better at Woodward. It’s another way to work together by having our preconstruction estimating collaborate with our operations, superintendents, project managers, designers, and our VDC team. Therefore, we can deliver on tighter deadlines and save money for the client.”

- Joshua Gautreau - BIM Coordinator at Woodward Design+Build

Woodward’s adoption of the cmBuilder platform and the dedication of their VDC team to 3D site logistics planning and 4D simulation is a testament to their commitment to delivering on their core values of reliability, teamwork, determination, courage, and humility. Their approach not only honors the legacy of Carl E. Woodward, but also sets a new standard for the construction industry, proving that even after 100 years, Woodward is still very much at the cutting edge.

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