Forward-thinking farmers will take time to plan farmyard design carefully. A poorly designed yard leaves no room for expansion and utilisation of existing buildings can be limited as a result.

Many farmers unfortunately have the attitude that a new shed should be built as close as possible to existing buildings to keep a yard compact. This often rules out any chance of future extensions or alterations and a yard jam-packed with buildings can be difficult to navigate with machinery.

By simply drawing out your plans on paper and studying the effects of positioning of a new development on existing buildings, common mistakes can be avoided. It is always good to talk to as many people as possible to get their input on your plans such as farmers, agri-consultants and builders.

If it is a livestock-related development, perhaps vets and AI technicians could be consulted because they visit hundreds of farms every week and they may have good advice to offer before the concrete lorries arrive.

Some farmers find the planning stage very challenging. New developments can be difficult to visualise when looking at a 2D format.

There are new planning services available now for farmers who find the planning stage problematic. Last August, the Irish Farmers Journal featured an agricultural consultant who was providing a 3D imaging service to design a shed. The concept of 3D design is great and does aid the planning of new farmyard developments.

This week, we talk to Bertie Troy from Grasstec about their new 3D design service. He believes the service will be in mainstream use in the near future. However, the current price structure will be prohibitive for the majority of farmers, but it is very useful for large-scale developments where several stakeholders are involved.

What is 3D design?

3D design is complete visualisation of 3D space. It has developed from 2D and is the next generation in design, bringing traditional flat drawings to life. By adding another dimension, you are adding another level of information. 3D is visually realistic and allows you to experience the environment.

Why is it useful?

3D is how we see things, so it is easier to understand and visualise designs. It eliminates hard-to-follow 2D drawings and symbols. Views from different locations of the yard, varying ground levels and identifying efficient cow flow can all be achieved from one 3D model instead of several 2D drawings.

3D design is beneficial where there are several stakeholders. Also, for sites with multiple and varying buildings, a 3D model can identify and utilise the available space for further development. 3D models can be live projects, ever changing and updating in time.

Surely 2D plans are enough to understand a new building layout. Why would farmers need 3D plans?

Yes, 2D plans work in a lot of situations but with advances in technology, the ability to present information like building plans in a 3D format is something that will have greater relevance to farming projects going forward. Farmers have always been early adopters of technology and we feel 3D will find application on farms going forward.

Anyone with marketing requirements would benefit greatly from 3D design. For larger-scale sites, fire safety, asset management, staff/student inductions and facilities management can all be incorporated into a 3D model. If developing or expanding, then possible issues as well as benefits can be spotted more easily using 3D design.

Is this a new phenomenon in agriculture construction and has it been in use in other sectors?

3D design is new to agriculture construction but has been widely used in other sectors – commercial, industrial, and real estate.

On the current RTE TV series Room To Improve, Dermot Bannon uses 3D models at the start of his weekly programme to show his clients how the proposed design will look in reality. The client gets a faster understanding of what is planned as opposed to solely depending on 2D drawings.

Can you take farmers on a virtual reality tour of a farmyard?

There are a number of ways that a virtual reality tour can be provided:

  • Model shots of the proposed project as shown in the pictures.
  • An animated video created showing an overview of the complete farmyard.
  • Using an Oculus Rift head set like the one in the photo, one can go on a virtual tour of the farmyard and see what it is like to be in the middle of a new shed.
  • 3D models can be provided with interactivity such as a project we created for Gurteen Agricultural College.

    • How much detail are the plans capable of showing?

    3D models can be created to almost any level of detail required by the customer. All the internals of, say, a cubicle shed are drawn to a specific scale so one can see the cubicles and the passageways at the correct scale relative to each other.

    Textured surfaces and equipment, down to nuts and bolts, can all be included in a 3D model. Also, people, animals and vehicles can be added to a model for better visual effects.

    How are 3D plans drawn up? How do they take into account existing buildings in the yard? Is this work done with the aid of drones?

    For new builds on greenfield sites ,we can create 3D models from our 2D drawings and surveys.

    When creating a 3D model of a new building within an existing yard, we need to get accurate information on the existing buildings and facilities. For this, we use a Leica P40 laser scanner on the ground and where necessary a DJI drone in the air. These scans collect billions of data points that are processed back in our offices. The result is an accurate digital representation called a point cloud, from which we can create a 3D model.

    How long does it take to draw up a plan for a farmer?

    This is job-dependent, but the main factors are the size of the site and the level of detail required. For a typical 100-cow dairy farm to design a new farmyard could take a week to 10 days’ work.

    How much does it cost to plan a 100-cow cubicle shed in an existing yard? Does Grasstec also do planning applications and how much does that cost?

    A 2D plan and full spec for the standard 100 cow cubicle shed and slurry facilities costs €1,500 excluding VAT.

    The planning application costs €2,000 excluding VAT. The 3D model of the 100-cow cubicle shed costs an additional €1,000 excluding VAT.

    Is there a market out there for this technology? Will more 3D mapping be carried out in the future?

    Yes; there is definitely a market for this technology. 3D design grabs the attention in this digital age and is usable across so many platforms such as on the internet and through social media.