Enhancing Project Collaboration and Sustainability with Matterport and Autodesk Construction Cloud

Challenge

Build Health International (BHI) faced significant challenges in managing healthcare construction projects, especially in remote, low-income settings, where timely and accurate site information is crucial. BHI's projects often involve existing healthcare facilities with incomplete or outdated blueprints, making the planning and execution phases complex and time-consuming. Traditional site assessments were labor-intensive, requiring weeks of manual measurements and drafting, and were prone to human error. Furthermore, the need to work in operational healthcare environments, like the Connaught District Hospital in Sierra Leone, demanded fast and precise documentation without disrupting ongoing medical services.

One of the key difficulties was the inefficiency in communication and collaboration across teams, leading to misunderstandings and rework. Approximately 52% of project rework was attributed to poor data and miscommunication, which not only delayed timelines, but also escalated costs. The lack of reliable As-Built documentation further complicated BHI's projects, especially when expanding facilities like the Adara Maternity Ward and NICU in Uganda, where unrecorded modifications created substantial discrepancies between the actual structure and available blueprints. Traditional methods were inadequate to address these issues efficiently, creating the need for a solution that could provide accurate, real-time data for better decision-making.

Customer Background

Healthcare infrastructure is essential for human health; Build Health International (BHI) is dedicated to delivering high-quality, dignified, and equitable healthcare solutions in low-resource settings around the world. Founded after the 2010 Haiti earthquake, BHI’s first project was the design and construction of a 300-bed national teaching hospital. Since then, BHI has completed over 200 projects globally, partnering with nonprofit organizations and local governments to provide architecture, engineering, construction, facilities maintenance, and training services. BHI’s mission is to strengthen healthcare infrastructure and build health equity in underserved regions, ultimately ensuring better health outcomes for those most in need.

Solution

• To overcome these challenges, BHI leveraged Matterport's digital twin technology combined with Autodesk Construction Cloud® to enhance their project planning, collaboration, and sustainability efforts. A Matterport digital twin provides a highly accurate, interactive 3D model of a physical space, which BHI utilized to streamline documentation, facilitate remote collaboration, and improve project management workflows.

• The Matterport Pro3 camera enabled BHI to capture detailed digital twins of their facilities in a fraction of the time required by traditional methods. Instead of spending weeks manually measuring and drafting, BHI was able to document the Connaught District Hospital in Sierra Leone in just a few hours. This rapid scanning process minimized disruptions to ongoing hospital operations, allowing BHI to gather the necessary data efficiently and accurately.

• With Matterport's robust integration into Autodesk Construction Cloud, BHI was able to synchronize the captured digital twins with tools such as Autodesk® Revit® and Autodesk® Build. This integration allowed stakeholders across various phases of the project to access up-to-date 3D models, providing a single source of truth. As a result, teams could collaborate in real-time, significantly reducing miscommunication that often leads to costly rework. The ability to tag locations, timestamp scans, and share them within Autodesk Construction Cloud ensured that every stakeholder, whether on-site or remote, had consistent and accurate information.

• For the Adara Maternity Ward and NICU in Uganda, Matterport's digital twin provided the precision required for facility expansion planning. The ability to generate accurate floor plans and visual walkthroughs was instrumental in gaining the trust of hospital management and securing privacy compliance in sensitive areas like the NICU. This level of detail and accuracy allowed BHI to confidently plan expansions and renovations, ensuring that the new additions are integrated smoothly with existing structures.

Matterport’s integration into Autodesk Construction Cloud improves team collaboration across continents. This enables more effective communication between project management, design, and field teams, allowing team members who are not on site to access information, analyze collected site data, and evaluate progress.”

^{- Rene Gasana. Architect & Medical Planner - Build Health International}

Project Highlights

Connaught District Hospital, Sierra Leone

• Challenges: Lack of original blueprints for the surgical department and a time-constrained need to capture as-built conditions without affecting ongoing operations.

• Solution: Matterport enabled the entire department to be scanned in just 2-3 hours, producing reliable floor plans that streamlined the renovation and expansion phases.

• Autodesk Integration: Integration with Autodesk Revit enabled scanned models to be combined easily with new designs, enabling precise planning.

Adara Maternity Ward & NICU, Uganda

• Challenges: Outdated blueprints and privacy concerns due to the NICU involving children and mothers.

• Solution: Matterport’s face-blurring feature was crucial for privacy compliance, and the scans provided exact measurements for expansion planning.

• Autodesk Construction Cloud Integration: Facilitated issue tracking without extensive photographic documentation, enhancing privacy and efficiency.

ACEGID Project, Nigeria

• Challenges: Manual scanning risks and inaccuracies.

• Solution: Matterport captured precise spatial data, generating accurate floor plans, thereby reducing manual errors and ensuring seamless coordination.

• Autodesk Construction Cloud Integration: Enhanced collaboration and issue tracking, supporting real-time construction management.

Results

The implementation of Matterport and Autodesk Construction Cloud yielded significant improvements in efficiency, cost savings, and project sustainability for BHI. By using digital twins, BHI was able to reduce the time required for site documentation by over 25%, which translated to quicker project kick-offs and reduced disruption to operational healthcare facilities. The Connaught District Hospital, for instance, was scanned and documented in under three hours, allowing BHI to address critical medical planning issues without delaying hospital services.

The reduction in rework was another major benefit. By providing a clear, visual representation of existing conditions, Matterport's digital twin technology helped BHI decrease rework, directly impacting project costs and timelines. The integration with Autodesk Construction Cloud ensured that every team member, whether involved in design, construction, or facility management, had access to the same up-to-date information, minimizing errors and enhancing coordination.

Sustainability was also a key outcome of this digital transformation. By reducing the need for frequent site visits, BHI was able to cut travel-related carbon emissions. In fact, leveraging Matterport's digital twins allowed BHI to decrease site visits by 50%, as stakeholders could conduct virtual walkthroughs and make informed decisions remotely. This not only supported BHI's sustainability goals, but also contributed to significant cost savings in travel and logistics.

For the Adara project in Uganda, the ability to create accurate, real-time digital twins helped BHI address privacy and structural challenges efficiently. The detailed scans provided precise measurements, which were critical for planning the expansion of the NICU. The digital twin served as a reliable reference, reducing ambiguity and ensuring that the new construction met the required standards without unnecessary delays or modifications.

In Nigeria, Matterport's technology played a crucial role at the ACEGID project site, providing real-time, accurate data for issue tracking and coordination. The ability to create and share detailed 3D models allowed on-site and remote teams to collaborate effectively, reducing misunderstandings and improving the overall quality of work. The integration with Autodesk Construction Cloud also facilitated the management of RFIs (Requests for Information), issues, and change orders, ensuring the project stayed on track and under budget.

Social Impact Integration

Matterport’s contributions go beyond project efficiency to create meaningful social impact. By partnering with organizations to develop innovative solutions, we help tackle some of society's biggest challenges and support resilience by providing equitable access to critical facilities. Through reducing rework, minimizing travel for site visits, and enabling better healthcare infrastructure in underserved regions, Matterport empowers organizations like BHI to efficiently allocate resources toward their mission and maximize impact. These efficiency gains align with Matterport’s commitment to advancing equity and sustainability in vulnerable communities.

Matterport’s ability to rapidly document spaces ensures that local healthcare systems can operate more effectively during critical upgrades or expansions. The digital twins created offer an enduring resource for long-term maintenance and future development, helping these facilities stay resilient and operational for years to come. Through its work with BHI and other nonprofits, Matterport shows how its technology can drive positive change in communities worldwide.

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