AEC workflow
Plan & Test Feasibility
Move from project assumptions to transparent scenarios without presenting a planning ratio as an entitlement.
89 resources shown.
Follow the process
How to compare site and programme options on a consistent basis
Define the decision and separate known site facts from assumptions before generating options. Compare scenarios on the same area, cost and constraint basis, then record what must be verified before the preferred option can become a project commitment.
Your deliverable: An option-comparison matrix with traceable assumptions, unresolved constraints, a preferred next step and named verification actions.
Skip to the resource library ↓Before you start
- A site or parcel reference, client programme and decision to be made.
- Available surveys, ownership or access information and dated planning-source references.
- Consistent area and cost definitions for the options being compared.
- A decision owner and advisers able to resolve planning, technical and commercial unknowns.
Define the feasibility decision
- Inputs
- Client objectives, site reference, programme needs and the decision deadline.
- Action
- State what is being compared and the criteria that matter: capacity, programme fit, cost, access or another named requirement. Agree the minimum evidence required before recommending further work. Keep preferences separate from hard constraints.
- Output
- A decision brief with comparison criteria, exclusions and a responsible decision owner.
- Review checkpoint
- Is the team deciding what to investigate next, or claiming enough evidence for a commitment?
- Common mistake
- Generating attractive options before agreeing which decision those options must support.
Resources for this step
- Set the decision criteria
Record the decision, evidence threshold and unresolved questions before modelling options.
Build a sourced constraint register
- Inputs
- Survey and parcel information, applicable planning sources, utilities and access evidence.
- Action
- Record each site or planning condition with its source, date and status: verified, assumed or unresolved. Resolve inconsistent parcel and area definitions. Ask the responsible adviser or authority about unclear conditions rather than treating a ratio as approval.
- Output
- A constraint register with source references, assumptions and assigned verification tasks.
- Review checkpoint
- Can each constraint be traced to evidence for this site and the relevant decision date?
- Common mistake
- Using an entered FAR or planning ratio as proof that the proposed floor area is permitted.
Resources for this step
- FAR and density calculator
Use ratio arithmetic only with an explicit area definition and separately verified planning inputs.
Generate comparable programme options
- Inputs
- Decision brief, constraint register and a common model and measurement baseline.
- Action
- Create alternatives that answer the same brief. Record the assumptions behind access, circulation, capacity and excluded areas. Keep options that rely on unresolved constraints visibly provisional and retain enough information to reproduce each scenario.
- Output
- A set of revisioned options with consistent measurement and documented assumptions.
- Review checkpoint
- Would the apparent advantage remain if every option used the same area and scope definitions?
- Common mistake
- Comparing one option’s net usable area with another option’s gross floor area.
Resources for this step
- Autodesk Forma technology overview
Inspect a vendor-documented early-option workflow without treating generated geometry as planning approval.
- TestFit technology overview
Compare an alternative site-option workflow and check its actual inputs, assumptions and outputs.
Compare outcomes and test sensitive assumptions
- Inputs
- Options, measured outputs, comparable cost evidence and unresolved constraints.
- Action
- Build a side-by-side matrix using the agreed criteria. Vary important uncertain inputs and show when the preferred option changes. Do not assign a reassuring score to missing evidence; identify the information that would most change the decision.
- Output
- A comparison and sensitivity record identifying trade-offs and decision-critical unknowns.
- Review checkpoint
- Is the recommendation robust enough for the stated next step, and which unknown could reverse it?
- Common mistake
- Presenting a precise total or weighted score while concealing a decisive unverified assumption.
Resources for this step
- Record comparison and sensitivity
Keep consistent units, assumptions and decision-critical unknowns beside the option results.
Record the recommendation and verification plan
- Inputs
- Comparison matrix, sensitivity findings and required technical or authority advice.
- Action
- Recommend the next investigation or option with reasons and conditions. Assign each unresolved constraint to an owner and date. Explain what would trigger reconsideration before design, purchase or procurement proceeds.
- Output
- A decision record with conditions, investigation owners and a defined review point.
- Review checkpoint
- Does the recipient understand that an option study is not an entitlement or a final project budget?
- Common mistake
- Turning a preferred concept into a commitment before resolving the conditions supporting it.
Resources for this step
- Copy the feasibility decision checklist
Carry the recommendation, assumptions and required verification into the next project stage.
Worked journey: two options for one site
Synthetic training example only: the project, records and outcomes below are invented to explain the process. This is not evidence of a tested implementation, customer result or professional approval.
- Decision brief
- A client asks which programme option deserves more investigation; the study is not a purchase approval.
- Constraints
- The parcel area and one access condition are unresolved, so both receive source owners before firm capacities are reported.
- Options
- Options A and B use the same area definitions. B relies on an assumed access arrangement and is labelled provisional.
- Comparison
- A sensitivity comparison shows B loses its advantage if the assumed access arrangement is unavailable.
- Decision
- The team recommends resolving access first and records the condition under which the option preference would change.
Feasibility decision checklist
Select and copy the checklist into your project document. Complete it there; this page does not save project information.
Back to the feasibility process ↑
89 connected resources
Explore this workflow
AEC technology profiles connected to this workflow.
Autodesk Forma
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Area Information Modelling for data-driven urban development decisions
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Parametric urban design plugin for rapid massing and feasibility studies
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AI analyst for real estate site selection, due diligence, and entitlement risk assessment
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Browse technology directory →Public task agents connected to this workflow.
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Browse task agents →Bounded calculators and estimators that support this workflow.
FAR / Density
Lot area + entered FAR + user assumptions → transparent planning scenario
Open resource →Annual Heating Demand
Completed model result ÷ matching area vs verified target
Open resource →Building Site EUI
Annual site energy ÷ matching floor area → EUI; comparison targets remain separate
Open resource →California ADU Fee
ADU size + primary dwelling area → state impact-fee threshold and proportional factor
Open resource →California ADU Height
Verified ADU path + transit/site facts → bounded California minimum height limit
Open resource →California ADU Parking
Verified exemption facts + bedrooms → California parking exemption or local cap
Open resource →California ADU Permit
Verified receipt date + milestone conditions → bounded statutory planning date
Open resource →California ADU Setback
Verified project path + Coastal Zone status → bounded California setback baseline
Open resource →California ADU Size
Verified legal path + unit facts → bounded California state size comparison
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Temp + RH → dew point and surface condensation risk
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Room and window geometry → early-stage daylight-factor screening, not certification
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Σ (mass × A1–A3 factor) → cradle-to-gate kgCO₂e
Open resource →Energy Demand
Completed model needs ÷ matching reference area
Open resource →FAR
Lot area + entered FAR → FAR-derived floor area
Open resource →Parking Supply Scenario
Verified local or demand ratio + project quantity → transparent parking scenario
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Selected PHPP/test values vs verified project criteria
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Convert thermal R and U between SI and imperial units
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Insulation + layers (upward flow) → roof U-value
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Glass + frame + edge → whole-window Uw (ISO 10077)
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IBC Building Height and Area Limits: 2024 Stories and Allowable Area
Apply IBC 2024 Tables 504.3, 504.4, and 506.2 without shifting construction-type columns, and coordinate sprinkler, frontage, mezzanine, occupancy, and local-zoning checks.
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Use IBC 2024 Table 1806.2 presumptive bearing values without treating them as a blanket exemption from geotechnical investigation, settlement review, or complete footing design.
Open resource →US Zoning Research: FAR, Setbacks, Height, and Lot Coverage
Research parcel-specific US zoning controls using official maps and ordinances, calculate FAR with local floor-area definitions, and keep zoning height, setbacks, lot coverage, and IBC limits separate.
Open resource →What Is Floor Area Ratio (FAR)? Formula, Floor-Area Definitions, and Zoning Checks
Learn the FAR formula, calculate floor area from a user-supplied ratio, and verify local floor-area definitions, zoning maps, overlays, bonuses, lot coverage, height, and building-code limits.
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2.75 billion 3D building structures at 3-meter resolution derived from ~800,000 satellite images. Global coverage of footprints, heights, and LoD1 models.
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Open resource →Open City Model — 125M 3D Buildings (USA)
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Being data-driven goes beyond technology
It starts with good questions, trusted evidence, and clear decisions.