A new cutting-edge digital compliance technology is expected to speed up the building approval process in Victoria, helping address both housing affordability and supply in the state.

Tech innovator Archistar has partnered with Digital Twin Victoria (DTV), a Victorian State Government initiative to launch an innovative digital compliance tool called ‘Archistar Comply’, which aims to transform the building approval process for Victoria's Small Lot Housing Code.

A collaboration between DTV and industry stakeholders, the DTV eComply project supports the transition to digital systems for builders, designers, architects, planners, and building surveyors, and is built on Archistar Comply. The digital compliance technology will help streamline building approvals for small-lot housing and expedite the supply of much-needed housing in Victoria.

Archistar Comply is designed to use advanced analytics to perform over 90 complex compliance checks against the Small Lot Housing Code, providing feedback on a 3D digital model of a new house in just 90 seconds, and potentially reducing the building approval timeline by up to four weeks.

The technology, which has been developed and rigorously tested by industry professionals through the DTV eComply project, simplifies the review process, generating immediate visual feedback on a new building's compliance with the Small Lot Housing Code and highlighting areas of non-compliance. This enables designers and builders to make quick modifications to ensure compliance, thereby, speeding up the approval process.

Archistar Comply will also contribute to building new digital workforce capacity by standardising Building Information Modelling (BIM) for digital assessment, encouraging wider adoption of BIM in residential home development.

"Archistar is proud to continue its ongoing work with governments, both internationally and domestically, to reduce the barriers to timely and quality design," Archistar CEO Dr Ben Coorey stated.

"Going back and forth through the approval process and not knowing the outcome can be a frustration for industry and homeowners, which could be significantly reduced with this technology. Ultimately, we are aiming to put efficiency and good quality outcomes at the heart of the development process," he said.

Elaborating on the technology's potential impact on the broader housing market, Prabhat Sethi, Archistar chairman and former managing director of Murdoch Media, said, "Following success in several Australian states, North America, and Canada, Archistar is pleased to have partnered with the Victorian Government. The technology, which uses innovative data-driven decision-making, helps remove the barriers to building, which is essential as we face cost and supply issues across the nation."

Industry stakeholders can explore the capabilities of Archistar Comply through a free demonstration and training tool named ‘Archiland’.

Image: https://roadsonline.com.au/digital-twin-victoria-harnesses-data-for-better-planning/