The Challenge
A premier hospitality brand sought to establish an upscale spa and wellness centre, incorporating a wide array of intricate design elements, premium finishes, and an extensive array of services that would cater to a holistic wellness experience. The challenge lay in seamlessly integrating these elements within a confined physical space, where precision in waterproofing and the coordination of intricate service lines was paramount. Discrepancies or clashes would not only impede the construction timeline but also escalate costs and potentially affect the overall guest experience.
The Solution
Our team at Adyantrix was enlisted to tackle this challenge using an advanced Building Information Modelling (BIM) approach. By leveraging our extensive experience in the hospitality sector, we developed a single, highly detailed BIM model that comprehensively integrated waterproofing systems, diverse service lines, and final finishes.
The first step was to collaborate closely with architects, engineers, and construction managers. This collaboration ensured that each stakeholder's input was captured in the BIM model accurately. Using Autodesk Revit, our experts created detailed 3D models that accounted for every pipe, duct, and service line—assuring their positions were optimised to avoid overlap or conflicts.
Further refinement involved meticulous coordination of the waterproofing systems. Recognising that water exposure is a critical concern in spa environments, we utilised clash detection tools within BIM to preempt and rectify potential issues between the waterproofing membranes and other building components. This proactive approach helped in developing seamless transitions between various finishes while adhering to strict waterproofing standards.
Key Results
Through precise BIM integration and coordination, the spa and wellness centre project achieved remarkable results:
- Timeline Efficiency: The project was completed 20% faster than traditional construction timelines due to the elimination of on-site clashes and reworks.
- Cost-Effectiveness: Preventing service line clashes and waterproofing failures reduced potential cost overruns by an estimated 15%.
- Enhanced Quality: The integration in the BIM model ensured that high-end finishes and design specifications met the luxury standards required.
- Stakeholder Satisfaction: The comprehensive BIM model facilitated real-time visualisations and updates, allowing for greater stakeholder engagement and satisfaction throughout the project lifecycle.
Overall, our BIM-centred approach not only streamlined the construction process but also ensured that the spa and wellness centre delivered an unparalleled guest experience, in line with the client's prestigious brand identity. This case stands as a testament to the transformative power of BIM in the hospitality industry.
Technical Approach
The technical foundation of this project rested on Autodesk Revit as the primary authoring environment, supplemented by Navisworks Manage for multi-discipline federated clash detection. The spa's wet zones—including hydrotherapy pools, steam rooms, hammam enclosures, and shower galleries—were each modelled to Level of Development (LOD) 350, capturing precise interface details between structural slabs, waterproofing membranes, screed build-ups, and surface finishes.
Waterproofing was coordinated through a bespoke Revit family library we developed in-house to represent tanked system assemblies, upstand heights, and drainage channel positions. Each element carried parameter data corresponding to the specified product system, enabling quantity take-offs directly from the model. For MEP service coordination, we ran Navisworks clash detection rounds at weekly intervals across five discipline sets: structural, architectural finishes, plumbing, mechanical ventilation, and electrical containment. Clash reports were issued via a cloud-hosted BCF (BIM Collaboration Format) workflow so that all disciplines received actionable issue cards without relying on email attachments.
We also produced annotated clash matrices that categorised conflicts by severity—hard, soft, and workflow—to help the project team prioritise resolution order and avoid holding up the construction programme on low-priority items.
Implementation Highlights
Delivery proceeded in clearly defined coordination phases aligned to the client's procurement programme. During the concept design stage, we focused on macro-level service zone allocation, establishing dedicated ceiling voids for mechanical ventilation distribution above each wet room without compromising the specified slab-to-slab heights.
The most technically demanding phase involved the pool hall and hydrotherapy suite, where recessed floor drainage channels, below-slab suction pipework, and recirculation plant connections all converged within a 300 mm structural void. Through iterative BIM revisions and direct dialogue with the waterproofing subcontractor, we resolved six critical spatial conflicts before any fabrication drawings were issued—conflicts that would each have required disruptive remediation works on site had they gone undetected.
Specialist finishes presented a separate coordination challenge. The client specified large-format stone tiles, backlit onyx panels, and bespoke mosaic artwork, each with varying substrate requirements and different fixing build-up depths. We modelled every finish assembly as a parametric wall type to ensure that service penetrations and conduit routes were offset accordingly, preserving the visual integrity of the finished surfaces.
Measurable Outcomes
The project's measurable impact extended beyond the headline figures cited in the results section. Prior to our BIM coordination, the project team's pre-construction estimates had provisioned for 48 remedial clash events during the fit-out phase based on historical benchmarking from comparable spa projects. Our coordination process reduced that figure to fewer than four minor on-site adjustments—a 92% reduction in anticipated remedial works.
Material waste from over-ordered waterproofing membrane was reduced by approximately 11% because the model provided accurate substrate areas for each wet zone, replacing the conservative rule-of-thumb quantities previously used at tender. From a programme perspective, the waterproofing subcontractor reported that having precise 3D sequencing drawings derived from the model allowed them to mobilise trades in an optimised order, compressing their own delivery programme by nine working days.
The client's quantity surveyor independently verified that the combined saving across rework avoidance, reduced material wastage, and programme compression equated to a net financial benefit of approximately 1.8 times the cost of the BIM coordination service itself.
Lessons Learned
Several insights from this project now inform how we approach comparable spa and wellness commissions. First, early engagement with the waterproofing subcontractor—ideally during the detailed design stage rather than at tender—is critical. When the subcontractor's product-specific build-up data is available before the coordination model is finalised, the number of late-stage revisions drops significantly.
Second, finish assemblies must be treated with the same rigour as MEP services. On this project, the decision to model every finish type as a parametric wall assembly rather than a simple symbolic layer paid dividends during the snagging phase, where the digital record of intended build-up depths became the benchmark for quality inspection.
Third, a BCF-based issue management workflow proved far more efficient than traditional PDF mark-up rounds. Issue closure rates improved when each trade coordinator could access, respond to, and close clash cards directly from within their own BIM authoring tool, without the friction of translating comments between formats.
Why This Approach Worked
The effectiveness of this BIM strategy stemmed from treating the coordination model as a single source of truth rather than a visualisation aid. By embedding product data, finish assembly parameters, and waterproofing specifications directly into the model objects, every discipline was working from the same information base at the same time. This eliminated the version-control issues that commonly arise when architects, MEP engineers, and specialist subcontractors maintain separate, asynchronously updated drawing sets.
The spa environment is uniquely unforgiving—moisture ingress behind a tiled finish or a service clash within a sealed wet-room ceiling void can remain hidden until it causes significant structural or operational damage. The investment in a rigorous, data-rich BIM process was therefore not merely a construction efficiency measure but a long-term quality assurance strategy. For a hospitality brand whose guest experience depends on every detail performing as intended, that assurance carried real commercial value.
Speak with our BIM Consulting team at Adyantrix to find out how we can support your next project.
Work with Adyantrix
If you are looking to tackle a similar challenge, Adyantrix has the expertise to help across the full project lifecycle. Our BIM consulting practice covers BEP authoring, ISO 19650 strategy, and CDE implementation. Our clash detection & coordination practice covers multidisciplinary coordination and conflict resolution. Our Revit family creation practice covers parametric Revit content built to project and manufacturer standards. Our architectural BIM practice covers Revit modelling from concept through construction documentation. Get in touch to discuss your requirements — no commitment required.
