Connor K – Virtual Construction Engineer
When Kidwell took on the Skylark apartment complex in Omaha—a five-story residential building above a two-story parking garage—Connor Kaeding knew the details would define the project. As a Virtual Construction Engineer, he was tasked with translating precision from the computer screen to the construction site, ensuring every piece fit exactly where it needed to go.
“The biggest challenge was maintaining a high degree of accuracy and detail,” Kaeding said. With cast-in-place walls and post-tension floors, even minor deviations could ripple through the entire installation. Adjusting to evolving site conditions meant constant communication and quick decision-making. For Kaeding, it was less about avoiding obstacles and more about navigating them with intention.
Laying the Groundwork
Kaeding’s primary role centered on the building’s electrical backbone. “Our Virtual Construction Team and I laid out the exterior meter centers and planned blockouts through both the cast-in-place wall and the post-tension floor so we could bend and cut all of the feeder conduit to run up through the building and serve each unit,” he said. This upfront planning allowed the Prefab Shop to fabricate components in advance, reducing surprises during installation.
The process started in the office with detailed modeling. “We were able to model the entire service from meter center up to building panel in our Revit software,” Kaeding explained. “From that we were able to spit out a list of cuts and bends that our prefab foreman Robbie could give to his guys to bend in the shop and then from there we were able to get that delivered to the job site for an easy install.” The approach streamlined the workflow, turning complex field tasks into repeatable steps that could be executed safely and efficiently.
Communication in Real Time
Success on Skylark hinged on coordination between the field and the office. “We managed the timeline by staying in close contact with the foreman on site, Ryan H., and him and his team did a great job of communicating the overall project schedule, which really helped from a prefab standpoint,” Kaeding said. Regular check-ins kept everyone aligned and allowed the team to adjust quickly when conditions changed.
The daily rhythm of the project included updates and feedback loops. “By following the daily reports and maintaining consistent communication, whether that be once or twice a week, was really helpful in conveying what needed to happen, both with the prefab team and the team on site,” Kaeding said. That steady flow of information became the backbone of the project’s momentum.
More About The Project
Safety and Teamwork
Behind the scenes, safety remained a constant priority. “We pride ourselves in maintaining a safe work environment in the prefab shop. Robbie and Chuck do a good job of making sure all involved are on the same page on how to safely execute a task, and we were able to complete this without any incidents or near misses,” Kaeding said. The culture of care extended from the shop to the job site, reinforcing a standard the team carries from project to project.
Looking back, Kaeding points to the team’s adaptability as the project’s defining strength. “I’m most proud of our team’s ability to effectively communicate between the office and the field,” he said. Adjustments made after the first pieces of conduit went in set the tone for the rest of the build. “We were able to make adjustments that needed to happen after the guys on site started to install some of the first few pieces of pipe, and then we were able to apply those throughout the rest of the build, so things went smoothly.”
For Kaeding, the completion of Skylark stands as proof that when communication, planning, and safety work together, even the most complex projects can be delivered with precision.”
