VirtualSTEP to Guide San Francisco-based SKS Investments

SAN FRANCISCO-SKS Investments will use VirtualSTEP Inc.’s Project Studio 2000 software to assist in the completion of a 260,000-sf office and retail development in Portero Hill neighborhood of San Francisco. The $20 million project includes two interconnected four-story buildings designed by Gordon H. Chong & Partners and Pfau Architecture, as well as an illuminated pedestrian sky-bridge and three levels of underground parking.

VirtualSTEP says its software, released last month, eliminates the need for project members to perform lengthy drawing and schedule analysis by providing a three-dimensional project image with building elements, scheduling components and cost factors. The company says the software will allow SKS to manipulate various aspects of the building’s design and determine how to complete the project on time and within budget.

“If they want to shift the project, they can input the information into our software and see how the results would turn out,” says a source for VirtualSTEP. “They can determine what method is the most cost-effective way to complete the project by deadline.” Adds founder and CEO Yee Sue Chiou: “Now a building owner from San Francisco can verify the on-going progress of a New York project, without leaving their office.”