Plan the build before committing labour, materials and money
HomDera Construction Planner is being developed as a connected 2D and 3D workspace for early-stage building planning. Instead of starting with a finished room layout, the project begins with the land and progresses through earthworks, foundations, structural elements, storeys, the roof, external works and estimated costs.
The intended workflow connects every construction element to its geometry, material build-up and cost information. Changing the length of a wall, the depth of a foundation or the outline of a roof should update the affected quantities instead of leaving an unrelated spreadsheet or note behind.
Construction Planner is currently in development. The final tools, supported structures, calculation rules and export options will be confirmed after the working editor has been tested with complete projects.
A project organised around the real stages of a build
Planned Construction Planner workspaces
| Workspace | What it is intended to cover | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Site | plot boundaries, dimensions, area, orientation, access, roads, existing objects, land price and the position of one or more buildings | start with the actual land rather than an isolated floor plan |
| Terrain and earthworks | levels, gradients, excavation, fill, topsoil removal, trenches, basements, soil removal and backfilling | estimate how much preparation may be required before construction begins |
| Foundations and basement | strip and slab foundations first, followed by piles, ground beams, basement walls, waterproofing, insulation, drainage and structural slabs | connect the footprint of the building to concrete, reinforcement, formwork and ground-related work |
| Structure | storeys, structural walls, partitions, columns, beams, ring beams, openings, stairs and vertical shafts | develop the load-supporting and space-forming parts of the building in a consistent model |
| Floors and roof | precast slabs, in-situ concrete, timber or steel floor systems, flat roofs, pitched roofs, framing, insulation, membranes and coverings | review how horizontal structures and the roof relate to the walls below |
| Materials and quantities | construction assemblies, product sizes, wastage, rounding rules, custom materials and model-linked quantity calculations | understand where each quantity comes from and how a design change affects it |
| Estimate and programme | materials, labour, delivery, plant hire, construction stages, dependencies, planned cost and actual spending | organise the build as a sequence of work rather than a single final total |
| External works | paths, hardstanding, parking, boundaries, gates, drainage, planting, lawns, lighting and other landscape elements | plan the complete site instead of stopping at the external wall of the building |
Begin with the site, not an empty drawing
The planned site editor will support regular and irregular plot boundaries, precise side lengths, editable vertices, area and perimeter reporting, north orientation, road access and basic existing-site features. A project may contain a house, garage, workshop, outbuilding or several separate structures.
Building footprints will be positioned inside the site model rather than created in an unrelated coordinate system. This makes it possible to review boundaries, access routes, occupied area, remaining outdoor space and the relationship between buildings.
Reliable site planning starts with verified boundary information, levels, access points and service locations. Approximate dimensions are suitable for comparing ideas, but not for setting out construction work.
Work with structural objects rather than decorative room outlines
A wall in Construction Planner is intended to exist as one construction element with its own centreline, thickness, height, role, material assembly and openings. It will not be duplicated merely because two rooms or two apartments meet along the same structure.
Rooms and other enclosed spaces can then be derived from the boundaries created by walls, slabs and openings. This approach is important for multi-storey buildings, shared apartment walls, structural continuity and future transfer of a completed house or individual unit into a renovation planner.
Examples of modelled construction elements
| Element | Typical properties | Possible linked quantities |
|---|---|---|
| Wall | centreline, length, height, thickness, structural role, openings and layered assembly | blocks or bricks, mortar or adhesive, insulation, membranes, finishes and labour |
| Foundation | path or footprint, width, depth, height, base preparation, concrete and reinforcement | excavation, aggregates, concrete, steel, formwork, waterproofing and insulation |
| Slab | outline, thickness, support direction, openings, structural type and build-up | precast units, concrete, reinforcement, formwork, lifting and installation |
| Roof | footprint, pitches, ridges, eaves, framing, insulation, membranes and covering | timber or steel, roof covering, fixings, drainage and installation work |
| Opening | host wall, position, width, height, sill level, product and lintel | deducted wall material, lintels, frames, installation, reveals and sills |
Use fast modelling first and add construction detail only when it helps
The main editor is planned around complete construction objects. A user should be able to draw a wall, foundation strip, slab, beam or roof section without placing every individual component manually. This keeps ordinary projects practical and allows the model to calculate from clear dimensions.
A later hands-on mode is intended to expose individual bricks, blocks, beams, precast slabs, rafters and other repeated components. Placement assistance may include extending a course, copying a row, filling a selected area, applying bonding rules and returning the detailed arrangement to an aggregated construction object.
Detailed placement is planned as an optional learning and inspection layer. It should not force every user to build a complete house one brick at a time.
Keep material quantities connected to the model
The planned quantity engine will derive values from the source construction element and its selected assembly. A wall opening should reduce the applicable wall layers, while a change in wall height should update masonry, insulation, facade and related work together.
- identify the wall, foundation, slab, roof or landscape element that produced each quantity;
- show the base measurement before wastage and rounding are applied;
- support prices per item, length, area, volume, mass, pack or complete set;
- round products to usable packs, boards, rolls, blocks or delivery units where appropriate;
- keep the date, currency and source of a user-entered price;
- allow custom materials and assemblies instead of limiting every project to a fixed catalogue;
- send selected geometry to dedicated HomDera calculators for more detailed calculations.
Build an estimate with visible assumptions
The estimate is intended to separate materials, labour, delivery, plant, hire, services and contingency. Model-generated quantities can provide the starting point, while users will be able to add local rates, quotations, suppliers, notes and manual adjustments.
- review costs by site work, foundation, structure, roof, facade, services and external works;
- compare economical, standard, higher-specification and custom price scenarios;
- keep planned cost separate from actual purchases and payments;
- record supplier, quotation date, delivery and equipment-related charges;
- apply a contingency without hiding it inside individual material rates;
- see which design changes caused a quantity or cost difference;
- avoid automatically combining different currencies through an unknown exchange rate.
An early construction estimate is not a fixed quotation. Product availability, labour rates, ground conditions, design development, taxes, logistics and local requirements can change the final cost substantially.
Use 2D for exact editing and 3D for construction context
The 2D workspace is intended for accurate geometry, dimensions, snapping, alignment, layers and level-by-level editing. Site boundaries, walls, foundations, openings, slabs, roof outlines and external works will be edited from the same underlying project data.
The 3D workspace will use those same element IDs to show the complete site, a selected building, storey, section, apartment or construction stage. Planned review tools include transparency, hidden levels, horizontal and vertical cutaways, construction sequencing and direct object selection.
A 3D view can reveal missing relationships and awkward geometry, but precise dimensions should remain controlled from verified measurements and the 2D model.
Start with private homes and grow into multi-unit buildings
The first stable versions will focus on detached homes, garages, workshops and other small buildings. The project structure is nevertheless being designed to support multiple buildings, sections, repeated storeys, shared circulation and individual residential or commercial units.
For apartment buildings, a unit type should be created once and reused as positioned or mirrored instances. A particular apartment can retain its number, storey, section, status and individual overrides without duplicating the complete base geometry hundreds of times.
A future developer workflow may allow one apartment to be issued as an official interactive plan. Its owner could then create a separate renovation copy without changing the developer’s source building model.
Connection with HomDera Home Planner will be designed after the Construction Planner data model and project format are stable. It is not part of the initial editor release.
Follow a practical sequence from site to completed structure
- Create a project and choose its units, currency, cost scenario and building type.
- Draw or enter the plot boundary, orientation, road access and relevant existing features.
- Position one or more buildings and review their relationship with the site.
- Define excavation, a basement or a building without below-ground accommodation.
- Create the foundation system and assign its material build-up.
- Add storeys, structural walls, partitions, columns, beams, doors, windows and other openings.
- Create floor structures, stair connections, shafts and openings between levels.
- Build the roof and assign facade, insulation and external drainage systems.
- Add service routes and external works as the relevant tools become available.
- Review model-linked quantities, labour, delivery, plant and the complete provisional estimate.
Planned automatic checks
Examples of issues the editor may highlight
| Possible issue | What the editor can inspect | What it cannot prove |
|---|---|---|
| Wall without foundation support | whether the wall footprint overlaps a modelled supporting element | whether the foundation and ground have adequate structural capacity |
| Unsupported slab or beam | whether sufficient geometric bearing has been modelled | whether reinforcement, deflection, vibration and loading are acceptable |
| Opening conflict | whether an opening leaves its host wall or overlaps another opening | whether the lintel and surrounding structure are correctly designed |
| Disconnected stair | whether a stair reaches the intended level and related opening | whether rise, going, headroom, guarding and escape requirements comply locally |
| Incomplete roof coverage | whether the generated roof covers the intended building outline | whether the roof structure withstands wind, snow and imposed loads |
| Building outside the site | whether model geometry crosses the entered plot boundary | whether official boundaries, easements and planning setbacks have been verified |
Automatic checks are intended to identify modelling and sequencing problems. The absence of a warning does not establish structural safety, legal compliance or suitability for construction.
Who the Construction Planner is intended for
- landowners comparing possible positions and sizes for a future home;
- self-builders organising early quantities, stages and budget assumptions;
- households comparing a single-storey, multi-storey, basement or loft arrangement;
- owners planning a garage, workshop, guest house or other additional building;
- small contractors discussing approximate scope and material requirements with a client;
- people who want site, structure, materials and costs kept in one editable project;
- in later versions, developers preparing repeated floors and interactive apartment plans.
What must still be established by qualified professionals
Before construction, the project must be checked against verified site boundaries, survey levels, ground investigation, planning restrictions, local setbacks, utility information, drainage conditions, fire requirements and the applicable building regulations.
Foundation sizes, structural members, reinforcement, connections, stability, moisture protection, energy performance and regulated building services require appropriate design and approval. A browser model cannot inspect the actual ground, workmanship, product condition or concealed construction.
Material quantities also depend on product dimensions, installation method, cutting, bonding, laps, breakage, packaging, storage and manufacturer instructions. The values and prices used in the planner should be checked before anything is ordered.
A HomDera construction project is an early planning, comparison and cost-organisation aid. It is not an architectural drawing, structural design, land survey, building-services design, planning submission or construction approval document.
Current development status
Construction Planner is being developed as a separate editor with its own structural project model. Planned releases will progress through the application shell and storage, site planning, buildings, storeys, walls and openings, 3D review, materials, foundations, slabs, roofs, estimating, external works and multi-unit features.
This introductory page intentionally describes the direction of the product rather than claiming that every planned feature is already available. The content will be rewritten around the verified tools, limits, supported structures and export formats once the editor reaches a stable public release.
During development, the working editor remains the source of truth. Features shown in this provisional description may be changed, divided into later releases or replaced after testing.