Code Compliance Agent — automated code checking for Revit
The Code Compliance Agent reads a Revit model and evaluates it against a 180-rule Dubai Villa Code library, flagging violations with the specific element ID, the measured value, the threshold value, and a suggested remediation. It is currently live with our launch customer (a Dubai villa-compliance practice) and ships as an addin signed under VitruAI’s EV certificate.
- ≥95% rule coverage on every model review, every revision, with a documented exception list per project.
- Every flag cites the specific rule clause and pins to the exact Revit element for direct in-model fix.
- First-pass code reviews land in ~1–2 hours per iteration, not 1–2 weeks of manual markup and email.
What the Code Compliance Agent does.
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Walks every visible element in the Revit model
The agent connects through the Revit API to walk every visible model element, including rooms, stairs, doors, windows, walls, floors, roofs, and site objects in the active views. It reads both instance and type parameters plus model-derived geometry such as clear widths and net areas. It skips annotation-only items, detail lines, and views that contain no model elements, so drafting views and title sheets stay untouched. For Revit-based workflows already wired into the VitruAI + Revit integration, it runs against the same central model your team uses for worksharing without requiring a detached copy.
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Runs the active rule library against every element
For each model walk, the agent runs the active Dubai Villa Code rule library clause by clause, applying all 180 rules to the relevant categories and parameter sets. It evaluates hard violations such as minimum room sizes, stair widths, setbacks, and parking counts separately from soft advisories like recommended daylight access or preferred door swings. Cross-domain dependencies are handled in one pass: setbacks affect allowable heights, which affect floor area ratio and site coverage, so a single change in a boundary wall or tower height triggers rechecks across all related clauses. The same evaluation engine underpins the Dubai Villa Code Compliance use case and can later host additional local codes without changing the Revit-side workflow.
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Element-pinned violations with citation back to the rule clause
Every failed check produces a structured record: the Revit element ID, the measured value from the model, the threshold value from the rule, the pass/fail status, and the exact clause reference from the Dubai Villa Code. The agent then writes violations back into Revit as view-specific annotations or schedules, so BIM Managers and project teams review them directly in the model instead of juggling exported PDFs. Flags can be filtered by rule category, severity, or responsible discipline, which lets a project architect hand a curated list to structural or MEP without exporting extra reports. This element-pinned output also feeds into downstream QA/QC runs with the Studio QA/QC Agent for batch resolution tracking across multiple projects.
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Drafted remediation suggestions and one-click “explain this flag”
For each violation, the agent drafts a short remediation note in plain language, for example suggesting a 100 mm stair width increase or a 0.5 m setback adjustment with reference to the governing clause. A one-click “explain this flag” action expands the note with the original rule text, the calculation method, and any assumptions such as net-versus-gross area or clear-versus-nominal width. The agent proposes options but never signs or seals; the architect of record remains responsible for design decisions and final code interpretation. Teams typically paste these explanations directly into internal review comments or authority-facing narratives, reducing the time spent rewriting the same justification across multiple submissions.
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Per-project audit log and same-week library updates
Each project keeps a time-stamped audit log of every run: rule library version, model revision, number of checks executed, and the list of passes and failures. When a designer moves a stair, adjusts a unit layout, or changes a boundary wall, the next run records exactly which elements changed outcome, which helps explain design revisions during coordination meetings and claim discussions. When the authority issues a Dubai Villa Code circular or errata, new rules and thresholds ship into the central library on a same-week cadence, with a 30-day grace period where both old and new versions can be run in parallel. The audit log records which version applied to each review, so a model checked under an earlier rule set is clearly marked and can be rechecked once the updated rules are in force. This same logging underpins the Dubai Villa Code Compliance benchmark data used by BIM Managers to compare projects.
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Works as part of a broader compliance and QA/QC toolchain
The Code Compliance Agent slots into existing BIM pipelines that already use clash detection, model checking, and drawing review, without replacing those tools. It focuses on written building code requirements—room sizes, setbacks, egress, parking—while tools like Navisworks or built-in interference checks continue to handle geometry clashes. Firms often pair it with the Studio QA/QC Agent to run nightly batches across multiple Revit models and push summaries into team dashboards. Outputs from the agent also feed the Dubai Villa Code Compliance workflow and contribute anonymised statistics into the Dubai Villa Code Compliance benchmark, giving Design Technology leaders a single view of compliance risk across their portfolio.
Code Compliance Agent — common questions
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Does it submit to the authority for me?
No. The Code Compliance Agent produces a reviewed Revit model and a citable report that your licensed architect or engineer of record uses as part of the submission package. It flags violations, suggests remediations, and documents which clauses apply, but it does not log into authority portals or sign any forms. Our launch customer (a Dubai villa-compliance practice) still owns the final narrative, drawing set, and digital signature for every permit application.
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What happens when the local code is updated?
VitruAI tracks the official Dubai Villa Code channels and updates the central rule library on a same-week cadence when circulars or amendments land. Old rules retire on the cut-over date, but you can run both the previous and current versions during a 30-day overlap to understand the impact on in-flight projects. Each run records the library version, so you can prove which standard applied to a given review if a dispute arises later.
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Can it handle a code we don’t already cover?
Yes. New jurisdictions or specialist codes are delivered as VitruAI Labs engagements under your MSA + Appendix, typically over ~6–10 weeks depending on rule complexity and language. The same Code Compliance Agent runtime then executes the new library against your Revit models once it is validated, so users keep the same workflows while the underlying ruleset changes. For example, a firm might run Dubai villas, a second Gulf jurisdiction, and an internal design standard from the same Revit ribbon, each as a separate selectable library.
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Does it work outside Revit?
The live release is Revit-first and runs through the VitruAI + Revit integration for model access, authentication, and audit logging. ArchiCAD and Rhino equivalents are scoped as bespoke Labs engagements, where the same rule libraries are applied to IFC or native geometry exported from those tools. In practice, many firms start with Revit for the Dubai villa portfolio, then extend the same libraries to other tools once the initial deployment proves out.
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Where does the data live?
Parsing happens inside your environment via the Revit addin, using the same credentials and access controls as your existing BIM tools. By default, no model geometry leaves your network perimeter; only rule evaluation results and audit logs persist, either into your project directory, a customer-managed database, or a VitruAI-hosted audit store depending on your deployment choice. This means a BIM Manager can review violation histories and run statistics across multiple projects without exposing full models outside the firm’s chosen boundary.
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How is this different from a clash-detection tool?
Clash detection tools focus on geometric conflicts between elements—ducts through beams, pipes crossing walls—using 3D interference checks. The Code Compliance Agent checks your Revit model against a written rule library instead, covering items like minimum bedroom sizes, corridor widths, stair riser counts, setbacks, and parking ratios defined in the Dubai Villa Code. Most firms run both: clash detection to keep disciplines coordinated, and automated code checking to keep designs permit-ready under the active rule library.