flexiblefullpage
billboard
interstitial1
catfish1
Currently Reading

Austin, Texas, adopts AI-driven building permit software

Codes and Standards

Austin, Texas, adopts AI-driven building permit software

Successful pilot program shows system understands zoning regulations


By Peter Fabris, Contributing Editor | October 17, 2024
Austin, Texas, adopts AI-driven building permit software, Image by Kate Baucherel from Pixabay

Image by Kate Baucherel from Pixabay

After a successful pilot program, Austin has adopted AI-driven building permit software to speed up the building permitting process.

The city tested Archistar’s AI eCheck system that allows applicants to submit designs for a pre-check assessment. The software accurately understood the zoning code and implemented regulations accordingly during reviews of residential projects.

The system will not be used to review every element of building plans, but it will decrease the amount of data that permitting personnel need to scrutinize. Initially, the system will be limited to single-family residential properties, but the city plans to expand its use to other building types. Using this software, city reviewers can focus on unique aspects of an application and spend more time on customer service.

The city is pursuing a second pilot program with Archistar in partnership with the International Code Council (ICC) that is focused on automating compliance review of the International Building Code.

Related Stories

Office Buildings | May 1, 2023

Office building owners face potential legal liabilities when adding new workplace amenities

Many landlords in the war for tenants have turned to offering new amenities such as conference room services, fitness centers with nutritionists, and high-end food and beverage offerings. To provide new services, landlords often engage with third-party vendors, which can present thorny legal liability.

Codes and Standards | May 1, 2023

Hurricane Ian aftermath expected to prompt building code reform in Florida

Hurricane Ian struck the Southwest Florida coastline last fall with winds exceeding 150 mph, flooding cities, and devastating structures across the state. A construction risk management expert believes the projected economic damage, as high as $75 billion, will prompt the state to beef up building codes and reform land use rules. 

Codes and Standards | Apr 21, 2023

Federal court overturns first natural gas ban in the U.S.

A recent ruling by the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco invalidating Berkeley, California’s ban on natural gas within new building construction puts similar measures adopted around the country in legal jeopardy.

Codes and Standards | Apr 21, 2023

Sixteen-year-old climate law not having intended impact on decarbonizing federal buildings

Sixteen years out from a 2007 law that aimed to end the use of fossil fuels in federal buildings, gas heat is still being installed within the federal sphere.

Green | Apr 21, 2023

Boston to adopt stringent climate-friendly building code

Boston will soon adopt a new stringent green state building code that aims to significantly reduce carbon emissions in new construction and major renovations.

Multifamily Housing | Apr 21, 2023

Arlington County, Va., eliminates single-family-only zoning

Arlington County, a Washington, D.C., community that took shape in the 1950s, when single-family homes were the rule in suburbia, recently became one of the first locations on the East Coast to eliminate single-family-only zoning.

Contractors | Apr 18, 2023

New York City construction fatalities, injuries rise in 2022 as activity booms

New York City’s construction fatalities rose from nine in 2021 to eleven in 2022, according to a report by the New York City Department of Buildings. Recorded injuries also rose to 554 last year after leveling off in 2020 and 2021.

Resiliency | Apr 18, 2023

AI-simulated hurricanes could aid in designing more resilient buildings

Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have devised a new method of digitally simulating hurricanes in an effort to create more resilient buildings. A recent study asserts that the simulations can accurately represent the trajectory and wind speeds of a collection of actual storms. 

Green | Apr 18, 2023

USGBC and IWBI unveil streamlined certification pathway for LEED and WELL green building programs

The U.S. Green Building Council, Green Business Certification Inc., and the International WELL Building Institute released a streamlined process for projects pursuing certifications for the LEED green building rating system and the WELL Building Standard. The new protocol simplifies documentation for projects that are pursuing both certifications at the same time or that have already earned one certification and are looking to add the other. 

K-12 Schools | Apr 18, 2023

ASHRAE offers indoor air quality guide for schools

The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) has released a guide for educators, administrators, and school districts on indoor air quality. The guide can be used as a tool to discuss options to improve indoor air quality based on existing HVAC equipment, regional objectives, and available funding. 

boombox1
boombox2
native1

More In Category




halfpage1

Most Popular Content

  1. 2021 Giants 400 Report
  2. Top 150 Architecture Firms for 2019
  3. 13 projects that represent the future of affordable housing
  4. Sagrada Familia completion date pushed back due to coronavirus
  5. Top 160 Architecture Firms 2021