Design With Constraints Known, Not Discovered
Start every project with clear zoning and regulatory constraints before you sketch.
- •Instantly see setbacks, height limits, overlays, and density bonuses
- •Design within real constraints — no late redesigns
- •Reduce back-and-forth with planners and clients
You're not paid to be a zoning researcher. You're paid to design excellent buildings. ArchiWise handles the regulatory archaeology so you can focus on architecture from Day 1.
3D Buildable Envelope
Auto-generated from zoning
Built for Architects Who Refuse to Design Blind
Your Practice
Firm Size
Solo practitioners to 10-person studios
Project Types
Residential, mixed-use, adaptive reuse, small commercial
Typical Projects
8-50 units, infill development, custom homes
Client Base
Developers, homeowners, small investors
Your Process
Traditional Project Start:
- 1.Client comes with site and program
- 2.You spend 1-2 weeks researching zoning
- 3.Request clarifications from planning department
- 4.Start schematic design with "best understanding"
- 5.Submit for preliminary review
- 6.Discover constraints you missed
- 7.Redesign (unpaid) → Repeat
What You're Tired Of:
- Regulatory archaeology eating billable hours
- Redesigns when you discover setback stacking
- Surprises from overlay zones not mentioned upfront
- Budget erosion from extra hours you can't bill
- Client frustration when timelines slip
The Hidden Costs of Starting Projects Blind
Zoning Research Eats Your Time
10-20 hours per project, unbillable
Every new project starts with downloading 200-page zoning ordinances, calling planning departments, and manually cross-referencing overlay zones.
What You're Doing:
- Download 200-page zoning ordinances
- Cross-reference overlay zones manually
- Call planning department (wait on hold, vague answers)
- Request GIS data from city
- Interpret dimensional standards yourself
- Hope you didn't miss anything
Annual Impact: 15 projects × $2,500 avg = $37,500/year
Costly Redesigns From Unknown Constraints
30-40% of projects require redesigns
You design based on your understanding of zoning. Submit for review. Planning identifies a constraint you missed. Redesign required.
Common Surprises:
- Setback stacking from multiple overlays
- Height plane restrictions you didn't know about
- Parking requirements higher than calculated
- Historic district design standards
- View corridor limitations
- Solar access regulations
Annual Impact: 3-4 redesigns/year = $25K-$33K lost
Can't Price Services Accurately
Fee erosion from unknown complexity
You don't know how complex the project will be until you're deep in it. Bid too high: lose projects. Bid too low: work for free.
Example:
- Budgeted: 60 hours budgeted for schematic design
- Zoning research: 25 hours (not 10)
- Overlay redesign: 30 hours additional
- Actual: 115 hours worked
- $8,250 lost on this phase alone
Annual Impact: Happens on 3-4 projects per year
You're Not the Zoning Expert
Nor should you be
Your expertise is design, not regulatory interpretation. Yet clients expect immediate answers about what's possible.
What Clients Ask:
- "Can we build 4 stories here?"
- "What's the maximum unit count?"
- "Do we qualify for density bonuses?"
- "Will this need a variance?"
"I need to research that" = 10 hours to find out
Annual Impact: Clients expect expertise, not research delays
Total Annual Hidden Cost
$83,400+
in unbillable time, redesigns, and fee erosion
How ArchiWise Transforms Your Project Start
BEFORE ArchiWise
- Download zoning ordinances (200+ page PDFs)
- Request GIS data from city
- Call planning department (vague answers)
- Manually calculate setbacks
- Search for overlay zones
- Miss amendments and recent changes
- 10-20 hours spent, no design started
- Design based on 'best understanding'
- Uncertainty about height limits
- Guess at maximum buildable volume
- Hope no overlays were missed
- Submit to planning for feedback
- Discover constraints you missed
- Redesign required
- Unpaid hours
- Client frustration
- Budget and timeline blown
AFTER ArchiWise
- Enter project address into ArchiWise
- 90 seconds later: Complete zoning analysis
- Base zoning + all overlays
- Setbacks, height limits, FAR, lot coverage
- Density bonuses identified
- 3D buildable envelope generated
- Parking requirements calculated
- Approval pathway clarity
- Design within known constraints from Day 1
- Maximum buildable volume visualized
- No guessing about setbacks or height limits
- Optimize design for maximum allowable yield
- Design progresses smoothly
- No surprises
- Compliance built in
- Client sees progress immediately
- Submit code-compliant design
- Minimal feedback
- No major revisions needed
Reduction in preliminary zoning research time
Costly redesigns from unknown constraints
Saved on every project start
Client relationships through proactive intelligence
Your New Project Workflow
See how ArchiWise integrates into every stage of your architectural practice
Pre-Contract Client Consultation
Scenario: Potential client calls about a property. Wants to know what's possible before hiring you.
Traditional Approach:
- "I'll need to research the zoning and get back to you"
- Spend 5-10 hours (unbilled) to answer basic questions
- Hope they hire you to recoup the time
With ArchiWise:
- During the phone call: Pull up property in ArchiWise
- 2 minutes later: "Here's what you can build..."
- Zoning allows X units, with density bonus: Y units
- Maximum height: Z feet
- By-right or requires variance
- Demonstrate expertise immediately
- Client impressed: "You know this already?"
Outcome: Higher conversion rate (credibility established instantly), zero unbilled research time
Contract Negotiation & Fee Setting
Scenario: Client wants to hire you. You need to scope the project and set fees.
Traditional Uncertainty:
- Unknown: How complex is the zoning?
- Unknown: Will there be redesigns?
- Unknown: Are there special approvals needed?
- Risk: Underbid and lose money
With ArchiWise Intelligence:
- By-right approval = straightforward (lower risk fee)
- Variance needed = add contingency hours
- Multiple overlays = account for complexity
- Density bonus available = extra value you bring
Outcome: Accurate fee proposals (less risk of scope creep), value-based pricing
Schematic Design Phase
Scenario: Design phase begins. You need to create code-compliant schematics.
Traditional Approach:
- Design based on best understanding
- Hope setbacks are correct
- Submit and wait for feedback
- Redesign when issues discovered
With ArchiWise:
- Start with 3D buildable envelope (precise dimensions)
- Design within known constraints
- Test design variations with regulatory impact
- Present options: "Option A is by-right, Option B requires variance"
- Client decision-making supported by data
Outcome: Design what can be built (not what has to be redesigned), no surprises in review
Planning Department Submittal
Scenario: Submitting for preliminary review or permits.
Traditional Approach:
- Submit and hope for minimal feedback
- Wait 2-4 weeks for review
- Receive list of issues to address
- Redesign and resubmit
With ArchiWise:
- Export professional zoning reports to include with submission
- Demonstrate code compliance with buildable envelope analysis
- Anticipate planning feedback (Track-Record shows common concerns)
- Preemptively address objections
Outcome: Faster approvals, fewer revisions, professional credibility with planning staff
Client Presentations & Approvals
Scenario: Presenting design to client, investors, or planning commission.
Traditional Approach:
- Show design without regulatory context
- Answer questions about compliance on the spot
- Hope for approval without detailed backup
With ArchiWise:
- Export 3D buildable envelopes for presentations
- Show: "Here's the max envelope, here's our design within it"
- Demonstrate optimization: "We maximized the buildable area"
- "This design uses the full density bonus, adding 6 units"
Outcome: Client confidence, planning commission approval, investor confidence
How Architects Are Using ArchiWise
Zero Redesigns
5-person firm, residential focus, Los Angeles
The Problem:
30% of projects required at least one significant redesign due to discovered zoning constraints. Eating into fees, frustrating clients, delaying timelines.
ArchiWise Solution:
Started using ArchiWise on every project from Day 1. Complete zoning intelligence before first sketch.
1-Year Results:
"We used to spend a week researching codes before we could even sketch. Now we start designing on Day 1 with complete confidence. Zero redesigns from zoning surprises in the last year. ArchiWise transformed our practice."
Sarah Mitchell, AIA
Principal Architect
Faster Client Acquisition
Solo practitioner, custom homes, Bay Area
The Problem:
Potential clients would call about properties. Architect would need to research zoning (5-10 unbilled hours) before providing guidance. Many wouldn't hire after getting free consultation.
ArchiWise Solution:
During initial consultation call, pull up property in ArchiWise and provide immediate answers: "You can build 2,800 SF... Height limit is 28 feet... You qualify for a junior ADU..."
1-Year Results:
"Clients are blown away that I can tell them exactly what's possible during the first phone call. I close 72% of consultations now vs. 40% before. ArchiWise made me look like the expert I am."
David Park, AIA
Solo Practitioner
Density Bonus Expertise = Higher Fees
8-person firm, multifamily focus, Portland
The Problem:
Many developers don't understand density bonuses. Architects who can identify and design for bonuses provide substantial value but most miss these opportunities.
ArchiWise Solution:
AI Zoning Expert automatically identifies all applicable density bonus programs. Present to clients: "We can design this for 22 units using affordable housing bonus" when they expected 16 units.
1-Year Results:
"We've become the go-to firm for maximizing density. ArchiWise finds the bonuses in seconds. We present value-added design strategies that competitors miss. Clients happily pay premium fees for that expertise."
Jennifer Rodriguez, AIA
Principal, Urban Design Collective
What Architects Say
"Week of research → 90 seconds"
"We used to spend 5-7 days researching zoning before we could start designing. Now it takes 90 seconds. We start projects immediately, clients see progress from Day 1, and we've eliminated the 'waiting for zoning research' phase entirely."
Michael Chen, AIA
Chen Architecture Studio
"Zero redesigns in 18 projects"
"Our redesign rate dropped from 30% to zero. In the last 18 months, we've had one revision from a zoning issue, and that was because the client changed their program mid-project. ArchiWise caught everything else upfront."
Sarah Mitchell, AIA
Mitchell Architects
"Close 70%+ of consultations now"
"I can answer zoning questions during the initial phone call. Clients are amazed I already know what's possible. My conversion rate went from 40% to 72%. That's 6 more projects per year just from better first impressions."
David Park, AIA
Solo Practitioner
"$90K in additional annual revenue"
"We became the density bonus experts. ArchiWise finds opportunities our clients' consultants miss. We present value-added strategies and charge 15-20% higher fees for that expertise. Added $90K annually to our practice."
Jennifer Rodriguez, AIA
Urban Design Collective
Getting Started
For Architects: Quick Start Guide
Free Trial
- Start 14-day trial, no credit card
- Load your current 2-3 active projects
- Run zoning analysis, compare to your research
- See how much time you would have saved
Test on Next Proposal
- New client consultation comes in
- Use ArchiWise during the call
- Answer questions immediately
- Win the project
Integrate Into Workflow
- Make ArchiWise your project start routine
- Brief team on how to use
- Create templates for zoning reports
- Start tracking time savings
Scale the Benefits
- Every project starts with ArchiWise
- Zero unbilled zoning research
- No redesigns from surprises
- Clients impressed with expertise
FAQ for Architects
Stop Researching. Start Designing.
Join 600+ architects who eliminated weeks of zoning research and design with complete regulatory intelligence from Day 1.