Kestrel Labs
Kestrel running inside a BIM environment, highlighting building code issues on a model.

Your design changes. Kestrel checks the code.

Every time your team updates a model in Autodesk Forma, Kestrel automatically checks for new code violations and alerts the people responsible for design quality. Run checks directly in Revit whenever you need them, or review flagged issues in an interactive 3D model, with the relevant code cited.

Run the Demo
A modernist concrete tower with bold orange geometric shapes overlaid, evoking architectural intent meeting structured logic.

Catch code violations before they become costly design problems.

Kestrel monitors your design as it evolves, automatically flagging new compliance issues so your team can address them earlier, with less rework and fewer surprises.

Learn more

Partners:

ICC Code Connect API

Built on officially licensed building code content from the International Code Council (ICC), providing a trusted foundation for every compliance check.

[ Problem ]

Code compliance can't wait until the next review.

Designs change constantly. Traditional compliance reviews happen at intervals, leaving new issues undetected until someone checks again.

Manual

[01]

Architect reading a printed building code book — manually interpreting requirements against a project.

Code compliance still requires too much manual work.

Architects spend valuable time researching requirements, interpreting code provisions, and checking them against the design.

Fragmented

[02]

Designer interrupted mid-flow by a manual code check — design and compliance handled in disconnected tools.

Code knowledge lives in too many places.

Requirements, interpretations, and project decisions are scattered across documents, spreadsheets, and individual team members.

Visibility

[03]

Stacked compliance issues growing in scale across project phases — small missed requirements compounding into rework.

Project leaders can't see every emerging risk.

Between formal reviews, new compliance problems can go unnoticed as the design evolves.

Costly

[04]

Permit delays and rework costs surfacing late in the design process — illustration of expensive last-stage corrections.

The later an issue is found, the harder it is to fix.

A code issue discovered after design decisions are coordinated can mean rework, delays, and additional cost.

[ What's Checkable ]

Kestrel checks every code issue your model can surface before the building department does.

[ Active code analysis · Phase 01 / Context assembly ]

Site map · 1:6000 34.04°N · 118.55°W Pre-design

Pacific Palisades

Los Angeles, CA

Coastal hillside · urban-wildland edge · Mid-rise multifamily / mixed-use

Project status
Context assembly active
Project type
Mixed-use multifamily
Building condition
New construction identified
Construction type
Type IIIA assumed
Fire protection
Sprinklered condition identified
Active overlays
17 conditions
Review authorities
6 jurisdictions
Applicable code set
IBC 2024 · CBC 2024 · LA Amendments
Compliance pathway
First-pass review · design phase
  1. Project Jurisdiction Identified
  2. Applicable Code Cycle Identified
  3. California Building Code Applies
  4. Los Angeles Building Code Amendments Applies
  5. Occupancy Classification Identified
  6. Construction Type Identified
  7. Allowable Height and Area Requires review
  8. Fire-Resistance Ratings Applies
  9. Means of Egress Applies
  10. Accessibility Applies
  11. California Fire Code Applies
  12. Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone Triggered
  13. Wildland Urban Interface Requirements Triggered
  14. Hillside Ordinance / Slope Conditions Triggered
  15. Seismic Design Requirements Applies
  16. Geotechnical Review Requires review
  17. FEMA Flood Map Review Cross-checking
  18. Stormwater / Low Impact Development Applies
  19. California Energy Code / Title 24 Applies
  20. CALGreen Applies
  21. Local Zoning Applies
  22. Community Plan / Specific Plan Triggered
  23. Coastal Development Permit Review Cross-checking
  24. Parking and Transportation Applies
  25. Construction Documents Noted
  26. Agency Review Path Noted

From one site location, Kestrel builds the full compliance context before review begins.

Topographic site map of Pacific Palisades, Sunset Mesa, Castellammare, and Inceville in the Santa Monica Mountains coastal interface, with the project parcel marked.
[ 01 ] Responsibility

Architects carry the compliance obligation from concept through submission. Reading, interpreting, and applying code requirements at every stage.

[ 02 ] Disconnection

That work happens outside the design itself, forcing you to step away from creative flow and revisit compliance in fragments.

[ 03 ] Clarity

Kestrel brings compliance into the design process, showing what passes and what doesn't, as you work, so you're not surprised at submission.

[ How It Works ]

Building code compliance, built into your workflow.

How building code compliance works in Revit

Check your design directly in Revit, or let Kestrel automatically monitor updates through Autodesk Forma. Either way, your team gets actionable results tied to the building model and the applicable code.

The Kestrel portal with the model colored by result: a sectional 3D view of the hotel with an accessible work surface height violation in the staff lounge, beside the checker results panel showing 1,759 results.
Kestrel running inside Revit on a building floor plan, with the Compliance Analysis sidebar on the right listing live building code violations against the BIM model.

  1. 01

    Design in Revit

    Keep working in your existing design environment. Run compliance checks directly in Revit or share model updates through Autodesk Forma.

  2. 02

    Kestrel checks the code

    Kestrel checks your model against applicable building code requirements, either on demand in Revit or automatically when your Forma model is updated.

  3. 03

    See what needs attention

    Identify compliance issues with clear explanations, the affected building elements, and citations to the relevant code sections.

  4. 04

    Review and resolve

    Investigate issues in Revit or review them in an interactive 3D model in your browser, so the right people can take action.

[ Kestrel // Revit live check ]

Basement 02 · IBC 2021 · Frame 01

[ Kestrel // Portal · Forma monitoring ]

Boutique hotel · IBC 2021 · 1,759 results

Kestrel doesn't replace your judgment. It gives you something worth judging.

[ The Kestrel Platform ]

From automatic checks to actionable results.

Kestrel brings code compliance into your team's existing workflow. Check directly in Revit or automatically through Autodesk Forma, then review results in a shared 3D environment where every issue is tied to the model and the applicable code.

Automatic Checks

[01]

Every model update. Automatically checked.

Connect your model through Autodesk Forma, and Kestrel checks each update for new code violations. When a change introduces a compliance issue, your team is notified automatically.

Run additional checks on demand through the Kestrel portal or directly in Revit.

Schedule a Demo

Explore the platform →

The Autodesk Forma cloud checks panel in the Kestrel portal: a linked Revit cloud model, version and phase selectors, and a Run cloud check button.

[ Autodesk Forma // Automatic compliance checks ]

The Kestrel web portal: an isometric 3D view of a boutique hotel model with a flagged element marked, beside the checker results list showing five open items including ADA toilet clear floor space and door fire rating vs wall rating.

[ Kestrel // Portal · Results on the model ]

Boutique hotel · IBC 2021 · 5 open items

Results on the Model

[02]

See code violations directly in 3D.

Explore flagged issues in an interactive building model, with each violation linked to the affected element and relevant code section.

Project leaders, QA/QC teams, and other reviewers can investigate results in their browser without opening Revit.

A violation opened in the Kestrel web portal: ADA toilet clear floor space, with the explanation citing ICC A117.1 section 604.3, the individual result for the fixture in room W.C, and buttons to show it on the model, read the references, explain, or dismiss. Below, the run history shows what is new, resolved, and returned.

[03]

Investigate an issue

Every violation. Explained and located.

Select an issue to see exactly where it occurs, which building elements are affected, and the code requirement behind it.

Review the explanation, consult the cited references, or dismiss an issue with a documented reason. Kestrel also tracks what’s new, resolved, or returned across successive checks.

[ Kestrel // Portal · ADA toilet clear floor space · ICC A117.1 §604.3 ]

[ Best of Show · Architosh AIA26 ]

“Every few years … a brand-new tool comes out that really has the ability to capture a critical beachhead — that Omaha Beach moment. We believe Kestrel is that.”

Anthony Frausto-Robledo, AIA

Founder & Editor-in-Chief, Architosh

Read the announcement

[ Awards & recognition ]

Architosh Best of Show Innovation award, AIA26 San Diego. Best of Show for Innovation Architosh · 12th Best of Show Honors · AIA26 San Diego Trimble 0-60 Global Innovation Challenge 2025 Finalist badge. Finalist — Global Innovation Challenge Trimble 0-60 · 2025 Cover of Architectural Products magazine, July/August 2026: a BIM model with a Kestrel compliance check panel. On the Cover of Architectural Products Must-See Products from AIA 2026 · July/August 2026 Rosette medallion with the numeral 1, marking Kestrel's No. 1 ranking on the Colorado Startups Leaderboard, Q3 2026. No. 1 Fastest-Growing Startup in Colorado Colorado Startups · The Leaderboard · Q3 2026

[ As seen in ]

[ Design Phases ]

Code compliance through every stage of design.

From early planning through construction documents, Kestrel helps your team identify code requirements, check evolving designs, and resolve compliance issues before they become harder to address.

Concept / Pre-Design

[01]

Establish the code requirements that shape the project, including occupancy classifications, construction type, allowable height and area, and jurisdiction-specific provisions.

Schematic Design

[02]

Check early design decisions against occupancy, egress, and life safety requirements while there's still flexibility to make changes.

Design Development

[03]

Monitor the evolving model for accessibility, fire protection, and egress issues as building systems and details take shape.

Construction Documents

[04]

Run comprehensive checks against supported code requirements and address identified issues before submitting drawings for permit.

Construction Administration

[05]

Reference documented compliance findings and applicable code requirements as questions and design changes arise during construction.

[ Compliance Infrastructure ]

Kestrel is the first structured compliance data layer for the built environment.

The rules that decide what gets built have always lived in books and PDFs. Kestrel structures them into logic your model can be checked against, jurisdiction by jurisdiction.

Architects use case illustration. Interior designers use case illustration. Owners and developers use case illustration. Code consultants use case illustration. AHJs use case illustration. Universities use case illustration: a figure ascending a monumental stair. Insurers use case illustration: a cantilevered walkway with guardrails.

[ Use Cases ]

Every role. Every phase. One platform.

[01] Architects

Keep designing. Kestrel checks every model update, so issues surface during design: not at submission.

[02] Interior Designers

Catch accessibility, egress, and clearance issues early, before they turn into redesign.

[03] Owners / Developers

Permit delays can cost tens of thousands a day. Kestrel catches compliance issues during design, well before they become your problem at submission.

[04] Code Consultants

Run comprehensive checks across applicable codes in a fraction of the time of manual review.

[05] AHJs

Spend reviewer time on judgment calls, not checklist items. Submissions arrive pre-checked against your jurisdiction's requirements.

[06] Universities

Bring jurisdiction-specific code checking into the studio, so code literacy is something students practice on their own designs, not just read about.

[07] Insurers

A code issue caught during design never becomes a claim. Less defect risk reaches the job site, and cleaner projects reach underwriting.