Custom Estate Home, Mirable, Cullum Homes
Project Showcase
Luxury Home Design
with Cullum Homes
Cullum Homes is a family-owned design and construction firm based in Scottsdale, Arizona, specializing in luxury custom homes and renovations.
Firm Name: Cullum Homes
Location: Arizona, USA
Type: High-end custom residential projects
Software used: Archicad, BIMx, BIMcloud SaaS
ABOUT CALLUM HOMES
Delivering quality
Cullum Homes specializes in high-end custom residential projects in Scottsdale and Paradise Valley, Arizona. Their services include building communities on their land and designing and constructing estate homes on individual client-owned property.
Each home is fully customized to meet the needs and preferences of homeowners, both inside and out, resulting in unique and personalized designs for every project. The firm is committed to delivering quality, craftsmanship, and excellence in every home they build.
The firm uses Archicad to design and construct projects. As a design/build firm, they employ a unique approach that gives them more control and flexibility over the entire process, from the initial concept to the final product. The firm exclusively uses Archicad for all project stages without relying on other software programs. They benefit from feedback from the construction side of things, which they use to improve their models and drawings. Additionally, they document and adjust any issues during construction and use the lessons learned to enhance their future projects.
THE FIRM & ARCHICAD
Using Archicad has imparted many important benefits to the firm.
Since adopting Archicad many years ago, firm principals cite increased efficiency, measurable time savings on projects, and streamlined collaboration with team members outside the firm it supports. Beginning from a large macro scale and working together collaboratively within the firm – the team comes up with a Master Plan in Archicad.
According to Cullum Homes IT Manager Ted Guilmette, the firm owes some measure of its success to using Archicad. “Archicad has been a rock-solid solution for us. We moved from the BIM server to the BIMcloud SaaS and are close to completing more than 100 builds designed in the software. I don’t think we could produce that number of homes if we weren’t using Archicad. Archicad helped push us to a new limit.”
I don’t think we could produce that number of homes if we weren’t using Archicad”
Ted Guilmette
Cullum Homes IT Manager
Efficiency gains
Cullum Homes Vice President of Design Dan Marshalsay agrees and adds that the software helps the firm be more efficient. That efficiency has helped the firm nearly triple in size.
“Archicad has provided me with significant time savings. With the software, we can create permit submittable sets of drawings quickly, without having to interact with changing designs for homeowners. It’s possible to complete a set of drawings within 48 hours if we know what we’re going for. This has allowed us to take on more projects and add staff. Over the past eight to ten years, we have increased our staff from thirty to eighty employees, and we’ve had tremendous growth recently.”
Learn more about ArchicadIt’s possible to complete a set of drawings within 48 hours if we know what we’re going for. This has allowed us to take on more projects and add staff.
Dan Marshalsay, Vice President of Design, Cullum Homes
THE DESIGN PROCESS
Coordination, collaboration and clash detection
Since the design-build firm also purchases land and lots, their process evolves to meet the demands of varying challenges and requirements. Archicad supports them on each custom home they design and build on their lots. Marshalsay explains, “We treat each home as a unique project, following the same steps as any other architectural or residential project, but keep the civil drawings and pre-subdivide materials separate from the main file. We import them as PDFs or DWGs, which Archicad can handle very well.”
The architects can access model changes and manage parts of the model in real-time. When the time comes to share permits, the team can grant access to consultants as needed.
“We store our files on the server and use teamwork to collaborate with our team members and consultants. Our structural and mechanical engineers also use Archicad to access the same file through teamwork and make changes in real-time. This saves us a lot of time and hassle of exchanging and updating files.”
The sharing and continuous updating of the model through a shared server reduces errors in the model. When a pipe, ductwork, or beam is in the wrong place, Archicad provides clash detection to fix the error virtually – making the eventual building process more efficient. Seeing and fixing issues such as these before getting to the job site reduces the need for corrections in the field.
Marshalsay adds, “Our skills have improved in spotting potential conflicts between the ductwork and the beams. This problem can occur in the field, but now that we use Archicad, we see it in the model and fix it before it becomes an issue. The main benefit is coordinating the structural and mechanical systems. We use the model from our mechanical engineer to check for collisions and find solutions for areas where we can adjust the soffit if needed.”
Design projects of any size with Archicad’s professional built-in tools and user-friendly interface.
THE DESIGN PROCESS
Concept Development
When taking on a new client for an architecture project, the first step for the team at Cullum Homes is to discuss their client’s needs. After this initial discussion, the firm’s architects use Archicad to create a floor plan and zones to block out areas of square footage. They work with homeowners to make changes or add more space for circulation and mechanical systems. Once the layout is finalized, the team refines additional areas, such as window heights. At the final stage of the design, Cullum Homes homeowners get a chance to “walk through” the Archicad model in 3D so they can experience the space virtually, provide feedback, and allow the design to be adjusted accordingly. Marshalsay says there are times when homeowners get to see the model update immediately.
Since the model is so detailed, [homeowners] can get and give feedback to us as they see it. Archicad lets us respond right away, making changes on the fly.
Dan Marshalsay, Vice President of Design, Cullum Homes
“The “walk-through” lets homeowners get to know their space virtually. Occasionally, when we show 3D aspects of the house, we’re asked to make slight adjustments here and there. Since the model is so detailed, they can get and give feedback to us as they see it. Archicad lets us respond right away, making changes on the fly.”
Cullum Homes teams also use BIMx to visually present work on a mobile device or tablet. When on the job site or meeting virtually, the BIMx sharing app can offer practical options for remote communication to convey project updates and collaborate on design plans.
“We utilize BIMx for all our projects, allowing homeowners to view a virtual model of their house and share it with friends and family. Our team is skilled in importing surfaces and creating custom designs in Archicad, thus enabling us to approximate the final design concept closely. We share all BIMx links with homeowners, and they are consistently impressed with the results. BIMx is a valuable tool for enhancing our projects and providing a better understanding of the final product.
More about BIMxProject timelines
The typical timeline for a project from design concept to completion can range from 14 months to five years, depending on the specifications and client requirements. Yet most Cullum Homes client models take about two years from the first meeting to handing the keys over.
Within the typical timeline range, if there’s a software version update, the team has migrated projects into a new version. On some projects, they updated objects to be the current objects; for other ones, if they were closer to the end, it made more sense to leave the previous version’s objects. A general sheet setup template and schedules are preset so that everything needed regarding representation is available within the model.
Organizing objects into favorites allows for storing commonly used items, such as cabinetry. Each favorite has all the settings required for representation and later combinations that can be adjusted from there. Further streamlining their process, the firm has favorites set for everything, including windows, doors, wall types, and composites.
We have seen how deeply Archicad can impact the firm’s success.
Dan Marshalsay, Vice President of Design, Cullum Homes
“We have seen how deeply Archicad can impact the firm’s success. That has made us want to get more into its features. Making sure we have accurate scheduling takeoffs, populating for sale homes with specs so that it’s even quicker. Using the classifications and properties in Archicad, moving forward, I think that’s where most of our growth will be. We’re using it well, but we’re still just scratching the surface of its capabilities.”