Gate 0 — Brief Interrogation
Gate 0 is the first gate in the 6-Gate Design Process. Its job is to make sure the AI has everything it needs before starting to design — by analysing your brief, identifying gaps, and filling them intelligently.
What Gate 0 does
- Parses your input — extracts the key design parameters from your prompt or uploaded brief document
- Identifies gaps — finds missing information that is essential for design (site area, number of units, target standard, budget, etc.)
- Makes reasonable assumptions — for non-critical gaps, applies sensible defaults based on building type and location
- Flags critical gaps — for information it cannot reasonably assume, it asks you directly
- Produces the Brief Summary — a structured record of all confirmed parameters
The Brief Summary
The Gate 0 output is a Brief Summary card containing:
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Project type | Building type and use class |
| Scale | GIA target, unit count, or key area |
| Location | Site address or region |
| Tenure / procurement | Ownership model, procurement route |
| Quality target | BREEAM rating, EPC, Passivhaus, etc. |
| Budget | Total or cost-per-m² if provided |
| Key constraints | Planning, heritage, access, programme |
| Assumed values | Everything the AI filled in (always shown explicitly) |
| Open questions | Things you still need to decide |
Assumptions are always shown
Every assumption Gate 0 makes is listed explicitly in the Brief Summary. Nothing is hidden. If the AI assumed "residential mix: 60% 1-bed, 30% 2-bed, 10% 3-bed based on Bristol city plan policy", you will see that assumption and can change it.
Approving Gate 0
Review the Brief Summary and either:
- Click Approve — the process moves to Gate 1
- Click Edit on any field to change a value — the Brief Summary updates immediately
- Type a correction in the chat: "Change the affordable tenure to 35% not 40%" — the Summary updates and shows the change
Once approved, the Brief Summary is saved as a Requirement node set in the Purple8 Graph and persists through all subsequent gates.
Example
Your prompt:
Design a 60-unit residential development in Bristol on a 0.4ha brownfield site.
Mixed tenure. BREEAM Excellent target.Gate 0 output (Brief Summary):
| Field | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Project type | Residential — Build to Rent | Inferred |
| Units | 60 | Explicit |
| Site area | 0.4ha | Explicit |
| Location | Bristol, UK | Explicit |
| Mix | 50% 1-bed / 40% 2-bed / 10% 3-bed | Assumed (Bristol city plan) |
| Affordable % | 35% | Assumed (Bristol local plan policy) |
| Quality | BREEAM Excellent | Explicit |
| EPC | B minimum | Assumed (BREEAM Excellent req.) |
| Budget | Not specified | ⚠️ Open question |
| Programme | Not specified | ⚠️ Open question |
| Ground floor | TBC | ⚠️ Open question |
The three open questions are presented to you. You can answer them, skip them (the AI will handle them at the relevant gate), or note them as TBD.