BIM-Based method for the verification of building code compliance

Citation: Villaschi, F.S.; Carvalho, J.P.; Bragança, L. BIM-Based Method for the Verification of Building Code Compliance. Appl. Syst. Innov. 2022, 5, 64. https://doi.org/10.3390/ asi5040064 Academic Editor: Evangelos Bellos Received: 29 April 2022 Accepted: 28 June 2022 Published: 30 June 2022 Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. Copyright: © 2022 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https:// creativecommons.org/licenses/by/ 4.0/). Article BIM-Based Method for the Verification of Building Code Compliance Fernanda Schmitd Villaschi 1,*, JoséPedro Carvalho 2,3 and Luís Bragança 2,3 1FSV Projetos, Vila Velha 291010-010, Brazil 2Institute for Sustainability and Innovation in Structural Engineering (ISISE), University of Minho, 4800-058 Guimarães, Portugal; [email protected] (J.P.C.); [email protected] (L.B.) 3Civil Engineering Department, School of Engineering, University of Minho, 4800-058 Guimarães, Portugal *Correspondence: fsvpr[email protected]; Tel.: +55-27-99299-2400 Abstract: Urban planning is a valuable tool for growth control and city development, both to maintain the local urban identity and provide life quality for inhabitants. To regulate it, local governments have defined standards for a proper city’s growth through municipal and detailed urban plans. Such instruments identify a set of rules which constructions and buildings must fulfil for a careful and smooth integration within the urban areas. New projects are required to comply with such rules, and designers must adapt and guarantee that their projects fulfil all the local urban requirements. However, the verification process of construction projects is still a manual procedure and often a time-consuming process, with high possibilities for inaccurate measures. Thus, this paper aims to streamline the verification procedure of construction projects’ code compliance to enhance project design efficiency and save designers time. To do so, the Building Information Modelling (BIM) method will be used through the Dynamo programming software. By creating a Dynamo routine to check the building code and urban plan compliance from Brazilian municipalities, specific BIM models will be automatically analysed to detect and evaluate if it is according to local urban legislation. Results have provided a real-time decision support tool, where designers can assess if their buildings are complying with local urban codes at any time of the design stage, making it easy to innovate and integrate innovative design options, as well as to precisely communicate their buildings’ code compliance. Such a method can also support municipality authorities to verify project compliance, reducing assessment and calculation errors, as well as the required time and bureaucracy for project appraisal . Keywords: BIM; rule automation; parametric design; design process; urban design; urban indexes 1. Introduction Building design and construction processes are usually oriented by several regulations and guidelines. The requirements for those regulations are constantly evolving and include a set of data that must be analysed to verify construction compliance. Automated design review or automated code checking is a process or system that evaluates the design based on its objects, attributes and relationships without modifying the design itself [ 1 ]. The topic has been addressed since the 1960s, following the introduction of mandatory regulations in the building industry and is becoming increasingly important with the emergence of BIM [ 2 , 3 ]. Without system automation, compliance checking is usually manually conducted by designers and local authorities, which is still the case in many locations. As the complexity of the designs increases [ 2 ], as well as the number of complex building codes for distinct types of constructions [ 4 ], manual compliance analyses are very time-consuming and require a deep knowledge of the building, often leading to many assessing and/or calculation errors [5,6]. BIM can be defined as “a digital representation of a building, an object-oriented 3D model or repository of project information to facilitate interoperability and exchange of information with Appl. Syst. Innov. 2022,5, 64. https://doi.org/10.3390/asi5040064 https://www.mdpi.com/journal/asi Appl. Syst. Innov. 2022,5, 64 2 of 17 related software applications” [ 6 ]. Moreover, BIM is a working methodology that allows managing all the project design and data in a virtual environment during the project life cycle [ 7 ]. It creates the opportunity to virtually construct and simulate the building performance before the construction itself [ 8 ]. Some of the main benefits include constant communication among stakeholders, early detection of errors and incompatibilities, supporting decision-making and optimising costs and time [ 9 – 12 ]. Inherent to this methodology is the development and characterisation of a virtual model—the BIM model—which is created with object-oriented parametric modelling and is characterised by the level of development (LOD). The LOD ranges from 100 to 500 and it describes the model content and reliability [2]. With the emergence of BIM, novel approaches have been developed for automated code checking, creating better and more comprehensive procedures. Usually, automated code checking follows 4 different tasks [13]: 1. Rule interpretation—Interpretation of the requirements and translation to computerprocessable rules. 2. Building model preparation—Creation and characterisation of a digital BIM model. 3. Rule execution—Execution of the established rules, usually using text format coding (Python or C#) or visual programming language (VPL) through Dynamo or Grasshopper. 4. Rule check report—Final result with building evaluation. Following the successful results from this approach [ 14 , 15 ], this procedure was also adopted to conduct this research. For rule encoding, VPL was used through Dynamo software, as it is more transparent and easier to understand, especially for architecture engineering and construction stakeholders, which usually have limited knowledge of information technologies. Legislation Usually, buildings must comply with several rules defined in the local urban master plans, local construction codes and/or accessibility standards, depending on the building type, use and location. Such rules, exemplified in Figure 1for the Brazilian case [ 16 ], are later analysed and verified by city halls, which certifies whether the building can be built in that location, with its specified characteristics and with the purpose it was designed for. If not, local authorities are demanded to send back the project, requiring the fulfilment of all local regulations. Appl. Syst. Innov. 2022, 5, x FOR PEER REVIEW 2 of 18 BIM can be defined as “a digital representation of a building, an object-oriented 3D model or repository of project information to facilitate interoperability and exchange of information with related software applications” [6]. Moreover, BIM is a working methodology that allows managing all the project design and data in a virtual environment during the project life cycle [7]. It creates the opportunity to virtually construct and simulate the building performance before the construction itself [8]. Some of the main benefits include constant communication among stakeholders, early detection of errors and incompatibilities, supporting decision-making and optimising costs and time [9–12]. Inherent to this methodology is the development and characterisation of a virtual model—the BIM model—which is created with object-oriented parametric modelling and is characterised by the level of development (LOD). The LOD ranges from 100 to 500 and it describes the model content and reliability [2]. With the emergence of BIM, novel approaches have been developed for automated code checking, creating better and more comprehensive procedures. Usually, automated code checking follows 4 different tasks [13]: 1. Rule interpretation—Interpretation of the requirements and translation to computerprocessable rules. 2. Building model preparation—Creation and characterisation of a digital BIM model. 3. Rule execution—Execution of the established rules, usually using text format coding (Python or C#) or visual programming language (VPL) through Dynamo or Grasshopper. 4. Rule check report—Final result with building evaluation. Following the successful results from this approach [14,15], this procedure was also adopted to conduct this research. For rule encoding, VPL was used through Dynamo software, as it is more transparent and easier to understand, especially for architecture engineering and construction stakeholders, which usually have limited knowledge of information technologies. Legislation Usually, buildings must comply with several rules defined in the local urban master plans, local construction codes and/or accessibility standards, depending on the building type, use and location. Such rules, exemplified in Figure 1 for the Brazilian case [16], are later analysed and verified by city halls, which certifies whether the building can be built in that location, with its specified characteristics and with the purpose it was designed for. If not, local authorities are demanded to send back the project, requiring the fulfilment of all local regulations. Figure 1. Brazilian legislation. Figure 1. Brazilian legislation. Appl. Syst. Innov. 2022,5, 64 3 of 17 In Brazil, the urban master plan is the basic instrument for the urban development and expansion policy. It comprises a set of guiding principles and rules for architects and engineers to plan quality and comfortable construction for citizens. Adopting the Brazilian specific case, the master plan establishes several zones to impose different urban indexes for an orderly use of that territory, according to the construction site location and building use. These zones are studied, evaluated and changed according to the city’s expansion and use. After identifying which land zone is the building in, it is required to analyse which kinds of buildings and characteristics are allowed for the referred region. Master plans define both the building types and uses (such as commercial, institutional, residential and mixed, among others) for each identified zone. Depending on the building use, the master plans also identify a set of specific urban indexes that must be followed to guarantee safe and comfortable constructions. These indexes are usually defined by national and local governments and are mandatory for any project approval. Urban indexes are composed of different rules to aid and regulate constructions, both to provide a better quality of life for its inhabitants, as well as to ensure a correct framing of buildings with their surroundings. According to the basis for the Brazilian master plans, the following indexes must be addressed for all the municipalities: • Utilisation coefficient: represents the relationship between the built-up area and the site area. It indicates the maximum amount of gross square metres that can be built. • Occupancy rate: is the percentage of the site that can be occupied by any kind of construction, including the building’s projection. • Permeable rate: corresponds to the construction site permeable area percentage, to ensure proper and natural soil permeability. This permeable area must ensure the water reaches the groundwater table without any barrier during its path. • Number of levels: maximum number of useful levels that the building can have in a specific location. • Maximum height: represent the maximum limit for the building height. It is calculated through the relation of the distance between the street level and the highest point of the building. • Building offset distances are also mandatory and are often seen as setbacks for the building implementation: • Front offset: represents the maximum distance between the building’s front façade and its parallel street. • Back offset: represents the maximum distance between the building’s back façade and its parallel street. • Lateral offset: represents the maximum distance between the building’s lateral façades and its parallel streets. Together with the city zoning, urban master plans also contain the building code, which defines rules to organise the internal spaces of cities and the requirements for building habitability. These rules are valid for both new and existing buildings and aim to provide a healthy room environment for users. Some of the most commonly established requirements are: • Minimum window area: minimum window area to ensure proper lighting and ventilation . • Minimum room area: minimum room dimensions to serve its purposes and functionality. •Minimum ceiling height: minimum distance between the floor and ceiling of a room. All of the presented indexes are applied in every Brazilian city with small variations on its limits, depending on the city characteristics and building type but are always mandatory for project approval. Another set of requirements concerns the accessibility standards for Brazil, namely the NBR9050 [ 17 ], which provides criteria and parameters for installing equipment and adapting spaces to enhance users’ accessibility. To establish these criteria and technical parameters, different mobility conditions and environment perceptions are considered, including the use of assistive devices (such as prostheses), support equipment, wheelchairs, Appl. Syst. Innov. 2022,5, 64 4 of 17 tracking canes, assisted listening systems or anything else that may complement human individual needs. This standard aims to provide an autonomous, independent and safe use of the environment, buildings, furniture, equipment and urban elements to the greatest number of people, regardless of age, height or mobility limitation or perception. Technical service areas, or restricted areas such as engine rooms, technical passages, barrels, etc., are not required to fulfil accessibility requirements. On the other hand, multi-family residential buildings, condominiums and townhouses are required to have accessible common spaces, according to the NBR9050. Accessible autonomous units must be located on accessible routes. As an example, one of the criteria which defines room accessibility is the ramp slope, which has different requirements for pedestrians and vehicles. To verify the compliance of all these requirements, there is a set of procedures to approve the building project. Given the number of criteria and the increased complexity of building design, these requirements usually take a significant amount of time to be assessed, as well as require multi-disciplinary knowledge about the building. Designers must guarantee that their projects fulfil all the requirements prior to submission, and city halls must verify project compliance to issue building permits. These similar tasks are usually associated with a manual calculation procedure, requiring extra time both during the design and approval stages, to verify the same indexes. The problem gets more notorious when concerning complex and large projects, where the indexes assessment takes a significant amount of time, causing several delays during the project life cycle. To overcome such an issue, the opportunity arises for process automation, both for designers and city hall experts. The automatic calculation of urban indexes can significantly reduce the required assessment process time, as well as avoid duplicate work, bureaucracy and human errors in assessing data and performing calculations. Moreover, a real-time assessment could also support decision-making during the design stage for faster achievement of an optimal building design. This need for automation allied with the recent city hall demand for innovative systems to reduce the bureaucracy of construction processes [ 18 ], such as the integration of BIM in the submission process, highlights the potential contributions of a BIM-based automated code compliance analysis. Therefore, the research question of this study regards the development of an innovative BIM-based method to automate code compliance assessment of Brazilian buildings’ virtual models. Such a method will minimise time and avoid errors when assessing a building project’s compliance with local and national regulations, as well as support the project design process. The Brazilian context will be considered, and a routine will be created in Dynamo to gather and process building data from BIM models for real-time automatic verification of building code and urban indexes compliance for different Brazilian cities. 2. Materials and Methods To reach the intended research goals, the specific case of Brazil’s master plans and two different municipal regulations will be considered—Vila Velha and Florianópolis. Currently, the Brazilian submission process of building projects is analysed, verified and approved by each city hall. Projects must be submitted in a digital format, avoiding the need to be handled by different instances, but the project verification procedure is still a manual process. Each municipality analyst or expert must manually verify each project item according to the current legislation, spending a significant amount of time, delaying the licensing procedure and creating room for calculation and misunderstanding errors. Together with the need to provide a real-time decision tool for designers, this research aims to develop an automated assessment methodology to verify the master plan and building code compliance of building projects, through the use of BIM models. 2.1. Methodology To accomplish the research objectives, an automated routine will be developed and applied to two different building case studies. The methodology is divided into five different stages, as presented in Figure 2. Appl. Syst. Innov. 2022,5, 64 5 of 17 Appl. Syst. Innov. 2022, 5, x FOR PEER REVIEW 5 of 18 2.1. Methodology To accomplish the research objectives, an automated routine will be developed and applied to two different building case studies. The methodology is divided into five different stages, as presented in Figure 2. Figure 2. Research methodology. The first stage will consist in collecting and identifying all the applicable legislation for buildings, both in Vila Velha and Florianópolis, Brazil. This will be made by consulting the city hall’s regulations to further understand the municipal master plan requirements for the case studies building types and locations. Then, all the collected data will be carefully organised and analysed to clearly identify and assess mandatory rules. During the following stage—rule design—the identified requirements from the previous stage will be theoretically designed to match the software code, as they are originally produced in human language format and must be interpreted and translated for software codification, in order to create a more conducive format for rule checking [19]. The next step will be the building model’s creation. To do so, the BIM platform Autodesk Revit will be used to model and characterise the case studies. This authoring platform was chosen as it is the most used among researchers in the field [20,21]. It also offers the possibility to develop personal interfaces through Dynamo, which is the purpose of this study. The adopted case studies are presented in the following section. To conduct the modelling, an Autodesk Revit template was used, containing predefined schedules of room-type keys, windows and rooms, as well as settings and parameters to facilitate usability. Such definitions allow for a faster data collection from Dynamo, in order to quickly proceed with the analysis. With the BIM model created, the Dynamo routine will be properly developed both to gather the required data from the models, as well as to perform the analysis calculations. Then, the results for each index will be faced with the master plan and local requirements to check if the building is complying with local standards and if a construction license can be issued. Finally, the Dynamo routine will be performed to assess understudy indexes and a compliance report will be produced, indicating which indexes are being properly complied with and if the project can be approved or not. 2.2. Case Studies To prove the concept and apply the developed method, two different case studies have been selected in two different Brazilian locations. The aim is to prove the method’s Figure 2. Research methodology. The first stage will consist in collecting and identifying all the applicable legislation for buildings, both in Vila Velha and Florianópolis, Brazil. This will be made by consulting the city hall’s regulations to further understand the municipal master plan requirements for the case studies building types and locations. Then, all the collected data will be carefully organised and analysed to clearly identify and assess mandatory rules. During the following stage—rule design—the identified requirements from the previous stage will be theoretically designed to match the software code, as they are originally produced in human language format and must be interpreted and translated for software codification, in order to create a more conducive format for rule checking [19]. The next step will be the building model’s creation. To do so, the BIM platform Autodesk Revit will be used to model and characterise the case studies. This authoring platform was chosen as it is the most used among researchers in the field [ 20 , 21 ]. It also offers the possibility to develop personal interfaces through Dynamo, which is the purpose of this study. The adopted case studies are presented in the following section. To conduct the modelling, an Autodesk Revit template was used, containing predefined schedules of room-type keys, windows and rooms, as well as settings and parameters to facilitate usability. Such definitions allow for a faster data collection from Dynamo, in order to quickly proceed with the analysis. With the BIM model created, the Dynamo routine will be properly developed both to gather the required data from the models, as well as to perform the analysis calculations. Then, the results for each index will be faced with the master plan and local requirements to check if the building is complying with local standards and if a construction license can be issued. Finally, the Dynamo routine will be performed to assess understudy indexes and a compliance report will be produced, indicating which indexes are being properly complied with and if the project can be approved or not. 2.2. Case Studies To prove the concept and apply the developed method, two different case studies have been selected in two different Brazilian locations. The aim is to prove the method’s applicability and functionality for different building types with distinct local requirements. Thus, the first case study (Figure 3) consists of a one-level single-family residential building (SF building) located in Vila Velha, Brazil. It has some of the most representative characteristics of Brazilian houses—a detached single-family house, with a colonial ceramic tile roof and ceramic brick masonry walls. The house has 2 bedrooms, a kitchen, laundry, Appl. Syst. Innov. 2022,5, 64 6 of 17 dining room, living room, balcony and garage (each compartment area is described in Figure 3). The construction is located on a plan site of 280.00 m 2 and has a gross construction area of 72.23 m 2 , a permeable area of 141.27 m 2 and a projection area of 100.99 m 2 . The distances between the building and its limits are also presented in Figure 3, where it is possible to identify the 8.00 m front offset, the 3.35 m back offset and the lateral offset, which ranges between 2.80 m and 2.85 m. Concerning the ceiling interior height, it ranges between 240.00 cm and 270.00 cm for interior areas, while the garage has a height of 300.00 cm. The total building height is 4.05 m, while the total window area is 9.12 m 2 , corresponding to 12.63% of the floor area. To access the building, there are two different ramps—one for vehicles (garage) and another for pedestrians—with 1.39% and 8.33% respectively. Appl. Syst. Innov. 2022, 5, x FOR PEER REVIEW 7 of 18 Figure 3. Single-family case study floor plan (in metres). For approval, this project must comply with all Florianóplis building code and master plan standards for this building typology—multi-family residential building—and location—AMC 12.5 Zone (central mixed area). Figure 3. Single-family case study floor plan (in metres). For this project to be approved by the Vila Velha city hall, it must comply with the norms and rules defined in Vila Velha’s Municipal Master Plan, for this building typology— single-family residential buildings—and location—Priority Occupation Zone 03 (one of the city preferential zones for residential occupation). The second case study (Figure 4), is a multi-family residential building (MF building) with 7 levels, located in Florianópolis, Brazil. The building is inserted in an 800.00 m 2 Appl. Syst. Innov. 2022,5, 64 7 of 17 site and has a total gross construction area of 1732.56 m 2 , a permeable area of 334.99 m 2 and a projection area of 303.50 m 2 . The building is intended for residential use and has a service area on the 7th floor, as well as an entrance and common areas on the ground floor. The building has also a basement for garage purposes, which is accessible through a vehicle ramp with a 15.00% slope. The building has a total of 10 dwellings and a total height of 20.30 m. Regarding the building implementation, it has a 4.12 m front offset, a 7.18 m back offset and a lateral offset ranging between 3.80 m and 5.15 m. Each residential level is composed of two dwellings, as presented in Figure 4, with approximately 122.76 m2 of floor area each. Each apartment is divided into several rooms: two bathrooms, three bedrooms, a kitchen, hall, laundry, living room and a balcony. The room’s interior height is 270.00 cm for every dwelling, which has a window area of 14.76 m 2 , corresponding to 12.02% of the floor area. Appl.Syst.Innov.2022,5,xFORPEERREVIEW9of19     Figure4.Multi‐familycasestudy. 3.Results Followingtheadoptedmethodology,thefirststepwasthelegislationdatacollection fromthemunicipalities.Byconsultingtheurbanmasterplan,therequirementspresented inTable1wereidentifiedforresidentialbuildingslocatedinthePriorityOccupationZone 03(VilaVelha)andlocatedintheAMC12.5zone(Florianópolis). Table1.VilaVelhaandFlorianópolismasterplanrequirements. RequirementsVilaVelhaFlorianópolis Maximumutilisationcoefficient3.504.80 Minimumfrontoffset3.00m4.00m Minimumbackoffset3.00m1.50m Minimumlateraloffset1.50m1.50m Maximumnumberoflevels15floors10floors Maximumbuildingheight47.00m45.00m Maximumoccupancyrate60.00%50.00% PermeablerateMin.15.00%Max.70.00% Maximumslopeforapedestrianramp8.33%8.33% Figure 4. Multi-family case study. For approval, this project must comply with all Florianóplis building code and master plan standards for this building typology—multi-family residential building—and location—AMC 12.5 Zone (central mixed area). Appl. Syst. Innov. 2022,5, 64 8 of 17 3. Results Following the adopted methodology, the first step was the legislation data collection from the municipalities. By consulting the urban master plan, the requirements presented in Table 1were identified for residential buildings located in the Priority Occupation Zone 03 (Vila Velha) and located in the AMC 12.5 zone (Florianópolis). Table 1. Vila Velha and Florianópolis master plan requirements. Requirements Vila Velha Florianópolis Maximum utilisation coefficient 3.50 4.80 Minimum front offset 3.00 m 4.00 m Minimum back offset 3.00 m 1.50 m Minimum lateral offset 1.50 m 1.50 m Maximum number of levels 15 floors 10 floors Maximum building height 47.00 m 45.00 m Maximum occupancy rate 60.00% 50.00% Permeable rate Min. 15.00% Max. 70.00% Maximum slope for a pedestrian ramp 8.33% 8.33% Maximum slope for a vehicle ramp 20.00% 20.00% When analysing the remaining local standards, namely the building code of each municipality, there are other indexes and rules that the building must comply with: minimum ceiling height; minimum compartment area; minimum window area for ventilation and lighting. These minimum limits are the same for both municipalities and are defined in each building code [ 22 , 23 ], respectively, for the different compartment types, according to Table 2. The local regulation defines both the minimum area and ceiling height for different compartments, while the minimum window area depends on the compartment floor area. For this specific case, the building code limits are the same for both locations. Table 2. Building code minimum requirements in Vila Velha and Florianópolis. Minimum Requirements Hall Service Bathroom Social Bathroom Living Room Kitchen Pantry Laundry Garage Area (m2)1.00 1.60 2.50 10.00 4.50 1.60 1.60 10.35 Window area - 1/8 1/8 1/6 1/8 1/10 1/10 1/20 Ceiling height (cm) 230.00 230.00 230.00 260.00 230.00 260.00 230.00 230.00 During the modelling stage, there are a set of guidelines that must be followed to ensure Dynamo routine functionality: • A personalised template should be used, which already contains the required building code parameters that must be analysed. •Rooms must be created and characterised for every building compartment. • Walls must be segmented in every intersection, as the routine will specifically assess the building rooms and identify the associated elements. • Roofs must be modelled under the “Roof” category, as the building height will be evaluated through the highest point of the roof. • Users cannot model elements using the “model in place tool”, as the Dynamo routine will not consider the created categories. • The user must identify the site area, the construction area and the permeable area using the “area plan” function under the Autodesk Revit Architecture tab. The personalised template was created to automate the aggregation and collection of the required building data for the local code analysis. By organising the information through means of tables, the template provides all the input data for the Dynamo routine. For each room/compartment, it is identified whether the room should have a window, the minimum area for each type of room, the minimum window area for an adequate natural Appl. Syst. Innov. 2022,5, 64 9 of 17 lighting and ventilation and the minimum ceiling height (considering the height from the floor finishing to the room’s ceiling). This process was automated within the Autodesk Revit template, following the procedure presented in Figure 5. The model rooms are turned into a list, which has sub-lists of information for each room, including the required data for the analysis. These data are then used to verify if a specific room is complying with the understudy rules by facing its characteristics with the building code standards. Appl. Syst. Innov. 2022, 5, x FOR PEER REVIEW 10 of 18 Figure 5. Room data information flow. To allow the building code compliance analysis, the template quickly generates a schedule of windows and rooms (Figures 6 and 7), which will be used in the Dynamo routine to compare with the building code minimum requirements. Within these two schedules, all the information for the building code analysis is listed, including the dimensions and quantity of windows, the room’s area and ceiling height. Figure 6. SF building window and room schedule. Figure 7. MF building window and room schedule. Figure 5. Room data information flow. To allow the building code compliance analysis, the template quickly generates a schedule of windows and rooms (Figures 6and 7), which will be used in the Dynamo routine to compare with the building code minimum requirements. Within these two schedules, all the information for the building code analysis is listed, including the dimensions and quantity of windows, the room’s area and ceiling height. Appl. Syst. Innov. 2022, 5, x FOR PEER REVIEW 10 of 18 Figure 5. Room data information flow. To allow the building code compliance analysis, the template quickly generates a schedule of windows and rooms (Figures 6 and 7), which will be used in the Dynamo routine to compare with the building code minimum requirements. Within these two schedules, all the information for the building code analysis is listed, including the dimensions and quantity of windows, the room’s area and ceiling height. Figure 6. SF building window and room schedule. Figure 7. MF building window and room schedule. Figure 6. SF building window and room schedule. Appl. Syst. Innov. 2022,5, 64 16 of 17 Author Contributions: Conceptualisation, F.S.V. and J.P.C.; methodology, F.S.V.; software, F.S.V.; validation, J.P.C., F.S.V. and L.B.; formal analysis, F.S.V. and J.P.C.; investigation, J.P.C. and F.S.V.; writing—original draft preparation, F.S.V. and J.P.C.; writing—review and editing, F.S.V., J.P.C. and L.B.; visualisation, J.P.C.; supervision, L.B.; funding acquisition, J.P.C. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript. Funding: This research was funded by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology, through the Regional Operation Programme of North (Grant number SFRH/BD/145735/2019). Institutional Review Board Statement: Not applicable. Informed Consent Statement: Not applicable. Data Availability Statement: Data is contained within the article. Conflicts of Interest: The authors declare no conflict of interest. Abbreviations AMC “Área Mista Central”, Central Mixed Area BIM Building Information Modelling LOD Level of Development MF building Multi-Family Residential Building SF building Single-Family Residential Building VPL Visual Programming Language Appendix A Appl. Syst. Innov. 2022, 5, x FOR PEER REVIEW 17 of 18 Appendix A Figure A1. Dynamo routine. References 1. Miettinen, R.; Paavola, S. Beyond the BIM utopia: Approaches to the development and implementation of building information modeling. Autom. Constr. 2014, 43, 84–91. 2. AIA. AIA Document G202-2013. In Project Building Information Modeling Protocol Form; AIA: Washington, DC, USA, 2013. 3. Häußler, N.M.; Esser, S.; Borrmann, A. Code compliance checking of railway designs by integrating BIM, BPMN and DMN. Autom. Constr. 2021, 121, 103427, ISSN 0926-5805. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.autcon.2020.103427. 4. Eastman, C.; Teicholz, P.; Sacks, R.; Liston, K. 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