Workflow Recipes

Goal: Go from a written brief to a committed concept layout with structural and spatial analysis.

Journey → Start project, paste brief, advance to Feasibility
GIS → Run Site Analysis for the address
GIS → Run Solar & Orientation for building orientation
Tools → Room Programme — generate area schedule
Canvas → Draw the floor plan using the room schedule as a guide
Canvas → Press V to enable Space Syntax overlay — check integration scores
Canvas → Refine room arrangement until the main circulation spaces score above 0.5 VGA integration
Canvas → Press V to switch to Structural overlay — resolve any span warnings
Canvas → Press 3 to open 3D view and verify massing height against planning constraints
Journey → Advance to Concept Design
Chat → "Summarise the concept design and suggest structural approaches"

Goal: Validate an existing IFC model against UK Building Regulations.

Journey → Create project for the existing building
DocIntel → Upload IFC file, set Project ID
Wait for pipeline status to show DONE (~2-5 mins for large files)
Graph → Verify elements have appeared in the tree
Graph → Click Compliance tab → Run compliance checks
Review results — note any Part B (fire) or Part M (accessibility) failures
Chat → Paste compliance failures: "Fix these compliance issues: [paste]"
Canvas → Apply recommended changes and re-run the Structural overlay to verify spans

Goal: Comprehensive sustainability analysis of a proposed scheme.

GIS → Site Analysis — get climate zone and solar data
GIS → Solar & Orientation — confirm optimal orientation
GIS → Landscape & Ecology — BNG baseline
Canvas → Draw floor plan with correct north orientation (use the Compass tool on site)
Canvas → Press V → Zen overlay — review daylight and flow scores
Canvas → Click Full Analysis → from the Zen panel → Algorithms Phase 8.9
Algorithms → Phase 8.5 MEP Flow — run energy balance analysis
Chat → "Summarise sustainability performance and BREEAM/EPC implications"

Goal: Generate a feasibility-level cost plan for a scheme.

Tools → Room Programme — finalise room schedule with areas
Canvas → Draw the floor plan and name rooms (press R on each shape)
Canvas → Press 3 → ⚡ AI Audit — review the elemental cost estimate strip
Tools → Cost Estimate — cross-reference with regional benchmarks
Graph → BOM tab — detailed elemental cost breakdown
Chat → "Is this cost estimate consistent with regional benchmarks for 2026? Identify top 3 cost risks."

Goal: Assemble information for a planning application.

Journey → Ensure at stage Schematic Design or later
GIS → Urban Context — planning policy, conservation areas, PTAL
GIS → Site Analysis — constraints summary
Graph → Compliance — run to confirm no planning conflicts
DocIntel → Upload any existing planning documents (pre-application feedback)
Chat → "Prepare a planning statement for a [use class] development at [address]. Key constraints: [paste GIS results]"
Chat → "What is the likely planning determination period and key planning risks?"

Goal: Go from a drawn floor plan to full Phase 8 computational analysis without leaving context.

Canvas → Draw and close your room polygons
Canvas → Press V → Space Syntax overlay
Look at the Analysis panel (right edge) — check which rooms are most isolated
If average VGA integration is below 0.4, adjust corridor widths or remove dead-end rooms
Press V → Structural overlay — review span warnings in the panel
For any room with a span warning, either split the room or note the beam location
Press V → Zen overlay — read the daylight and flow scores
Click Full Analysis → from the Structural panel — this opens Algorithms Phase 8.2 with your project pre-loaded
Algorithms → Phase 8.2 — run full Structural Topology analysis (rigidity test, load path tracing, critical member detection)
Algorithms → Phase 8.1 — run full VGA analysis for the complete integration/connectivity/depth breakdown
Back → returns to your Canvas drawing
Canvas → Press 3 — open 3D view, enable section cut (✂) and check interior relationships at each floor

Workflow Recipes ​