D-CodeWeaver: Integrating Real-Time Code Compliance Analytics into Modular Timber Housing Design
TL;DR
D-CodeWeaver is introduced, an interactive computational design system that incorporates prioritized regulatory logic directly into parametric design environments to support early-stage decision-making in modular housing projects and contributes a human-centred approach to regulatory integration.
Abstract
Regulatory constraints play a conclusive role in shaping housing design outcomes, yet their operational integration into early-stage workflows remains limited. This paper introduces D-CodeWeaver, an interactive computational design system that incorporates prioritized regulatory logic directly into parametric design environments to support early-stage decision-making in modular housing projects. Rather than pursuing comprehensive automated code compliance, D-CodeWeaver formalizes selected high-impact regulatory requirements as parametric design rules that operate alongside geometric modelling. The system enables designers to generate modular building blocks, allocate residential unit mixes, and receive continuous spatial and analytical feedback on regulatory implications as design configurations evolve. Developed in collaboration with industry partners, the system integrates modular massing logic and unit-distribution strategies within a unified design analytics interface. By evaluating both building-level and site-level conditions during design exploration, D-CodeWeaver supports rapid “what-if” reasoning without relying on external compliance-checking tools. This work contributes a human-centred approach to regulatory integration, demonstrating how regulatory knowledge can serve as a design-support mechanism that enhances early-stage, data-informed exploration while preserving the designer’s control.