Aerial Image taken with NKB’s UAV

Documenting existing conditions can often times be difficult for Architects & Engineers, because the conditions are concealed, too high, out of reach, or outright unsafe to get to.  The question is, how can you see things that you cannot ordinarily see?  Technology.  Using technology to your advantage is the way you get the job done.

When posed with performing a condition assessment and preparing the design for the restoration of the steeple on the historic St. Mary’s Anglican Church in Liverpool, NY, NKB offered the use of our unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) with an onboard high definition digital camera to document the conditions that were otherwise unobservable from the ground.  The conditions were too high and unsafe to try to get to with a ladder or lift.  By using our UAV, NKB could provide high definition still or video imagery of conditions on the steeple that the owner, design professional, and contractor could not otherwise see.  Having this visual documentation of an otherwise obscured condition is allowing the design team and the contractor to proceed with the design and construction activities on the steeple in an orderly manner.

The next big thing in Architecture and Engineering is not necessarily some earth-shaking new approach to re-invent the built environment.  The next big thing is how we as design professionals can use technology in creative ways to provide unparalleled service for our clients.

Using technology in creative ways to work for you.

Aerial Image taken with NKB’s UAV

Up close on a hard to reach spot using NKB’s UAV

N.K. BHANDARI is pleased to announce it has recently received the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Certificate of Waiver or Authorization (COA) and a Section 333 Grant of Exemption allowing the firm complete use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV’s) for commercial use.  This added capability allows NKB to provide an expanded set of services to our clients while also ensuring greater safety for the public, our clients, and our employees.

Through the use of our UAV technology, we are able to perform visual inspections of various types for structures including building facades, roofs, towers, bridges in both high definition still images, and 4K video in both the visual and infrared spectrums.  Utilizing our DJI Phantom quad-copter UAV and automatic waypoint navigation, we are also able to provide terrain mapping services through photogrammetry.  These technologies provide us with a set of files which can be utilized in our design platform software to create existing condition drawings and to obtain a topographical representation of any property with greater ease than was previously possible.

At N.K. BHANDARI, we embrace the use of technology to deliver a higher level of service as Architects and Engineers.  By welcoming this technology, we are positioning ourselves at the leading edge of the design community.  Through compliance with current FAA regulations relating to the usage of UAV’s we are able to provide a heightened level of peace of mind for our clients.  All of our clients know that NKB not only works within the existing regulatory framework, but we also maintain all required insurances and operator training to ensure the highest level of client, employee, operator, and most importantly, public safety during our UAV operations.

NKB is excited to continue to lead by example by embracing and utilizing leading edge technology such as unmanned aerial vehicles with visual and infrared sensors to deliver unique results through unrivaled service.