We developed a tailored web application for a facade subcontract design company to automate and manage architectural drawings more efficiently. Previously, the team manually reviewed every drawing to extract critical details and updated them in spreadsheets. Our new system allows users to upload PDFs or images of design drawings, and a custom AI workflow processes the files—automatically extracting key data like project numbers and revision details—then organizes and stores everything in the cloud.
Problem Statement
The company was relying on a fully manual process to manage its design documents, which resulted in inefficiencies and room for error.
Challenges included:
Reviewing each page manually to extract project numbers and revision info
Managing revisions across multiple versions of drawings
Manually entering and tracking data in shared spreadsheets
Limited control over user access to specific project data
Solution
We built a web-based solution using Next.js (React) that automates drawing management from upload to organization.
Core Features:
Upload design drawings in PDF or image format
A single, streamlined AI workflow powered by fine-tuned detection and multimodal models extracts relevant project data
Automatic project mapping and version control
Centralized storage of documents in the cloud (Firebase)
User access controls and an admin panel to manage team permissions
Clean and easy-to-use dashboard for browsing and managing all drawings
Process / Approach
N/A
Technical Workflow
Upload: Users upload architectural drawings (PDFs or images).
AI Processing:A fine-tuned detection and multimodal model pipeline extracts essential details like project number, revision ID, and revision date
Data Organization: Documents are automatically mapped to the correct project, versioned properly, and stored in cloud folders.
User Access Control: Admins can manage users, assign them to specific folders or projects, and restrict access as needed.
Challenges Faced
Ensuring accuracy across diverse drawing formats and varying scan quality
Developing the pipeline to work reliably
Building a user-friendly interface suitable for non-technical team members
Maintaining consistent version control without manual intervention
Impact
Significantly reduced manual labor and error-prone data entry
Centralized, secure access to all drawing versions and project files
Faster upload-to-organization time through automation
Role-based access improved collaboration and file safety
Scalable solution tailored to meet evolving project needs