Virginia , Richmond , United States

AKIRA Corporation is a respected Planning & Estimating company. Together with our customers, we deliver landmark projects which promote progressive communities and economic growth. We use the most current technology and are always at the forefront of new developments. Our systematic approach consistently develops effective processes which enhance our ability to execute and maintain high quality performance to ensure projects are delivered on time and within budget.

Since 2017, we’ve helped to complete exceptional projects throughout Virginia & Maryland. Our company and our culture are built on a mission of leadership and strict adherence to our values, the core of which is safety, quality, reliability, responsibility and ethics. Our goal is to strengthen our communities, promote economic growth, ensure the safety and health…

The take-off process itself is most affected by digital technology advancements.
In a two-step process, take-offs build a digital picture of the project, taking into consideration a multitude of factors related to each structural component such as material types and quantities.
In the second step, estimators apply costs to the quantities to arrive at an estimate conclusion. Customized Excel spreadsheets have become the leading software for automating the estimating process. In fact, it is likely that more estimators use proprietary versions of Excel than all other take-off and estimating applications combined.

Another well-known process that is widely used to calculate areas, perimeters and counts is digitizing technology. Digitizing technology enables estimators to convert paper dimensions into digital formats with the simple use of a handheld stylus.

The adoption of onscreen electronic plans and takeoff capabilities eliminates almost all need for paper blueprints. Cost estimators can transfer quantities and dimensions directly from two-dimension electronic AutoCad drawings for immediate use in their estimates. Many firms use these onscreen take-offs to save time, improve efficiency and generate more accurate quantity takeoffs.

The latest advancement in the cost-estimating environment is the incorporation of BIM, which utilizes three-dimensional models. It has proven to provide an enhanced degree of certainty in that it exposes costly errors and omissions made visible by the BIM model. The BIM platform serves as a central location for both the construction and design teams to streamline their activity and provide more insightful and accurate reports.

The next generation of BIM can access design and construction models through a broad range of cloud-based systems that provide mobility, accessibility and virtually infinite computing power. Multidiscipline design and construction teams can improve project outcomes by moving computation-intensive tasks to