American counties and municipalities alone have nearly 93,000 different building codes. If you are an architect, that can be an overwhelming amount of requirements to navigate, which is why Upcodes has been working on what it describes as a 'spellcheck' for construction.
Started by two brothers—one, an architect and the other, a software engineer—UpCodes uses AI to help the construction industry manage compliance. Currently compatible with Revit (though they are looking to apply it to Sketchup, ARCHICAD, and IFC models in the future), the plug in analyzes BIM data to make sure the project is meeting the necessary standards. It also automatically syncs with the latest updates, ensuring code checks are working with the most current data.
By using Upcodes, the code review process becomes instantaneous, highlighting code errors in realtime. So far, the founders say that on average, the plugin has identified 27 violations per project, most of which have revolved around egress and accessibility. Upcodes hopes that by alerting architects of these errors in realtime, the app will help firms save on costly delays that often come through having to fix code errors.
“This is like Grammarly for the construction industry" says co-founder and CEO Scott Reynolds. "By highlighting code errors in real-time, the software acts as a code consultant working beside you at all times.”
UpCodes is already being employed by major firms like Ennead and FXCollaborative. It officially launched to the public last week and is available in a majority of states. Asked about what is on the horizon for the company, Reynolds says the "next logical step is to shift into generative design - having an AI design buildings or at least some of the tedious components of a building such as a bathroom."
I tried it, it's a good backup check, for sure. It doesn't differentiate between elements of a certain Family Type, though, so if you create in-place (or normal) families in the Type it's checking it comes back with an error. It's got my attention, though. I love tools that get me 25-50% on the path to being compliant, that way I can focus on the more important stuff.
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Nice, no one needs architects now.
or... you know... just do your job and don't let shitty staff do the code parts.
Computers aren't good at thinking.
I tried it, it's a good backup check, for sure. It doesn't differentiate between elements of a certain Family Type, though, so if you create in-place (or normal) families in the Type it's checking it comes back with an error. It's got my attention, though. I love tools that get me 25-50% on the path to being compliant, that way I can focus on the more important stuff.
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