[01]
Building code compliance is too important to live outside the model, and far too costly when errors are made. Kestrel brings it in with one-click code compliance checks.
[ About Kestrel Labs ]
Building code should be computable.
A rule set that runs against your model.
[02]
Architects still cross-reference PDFs, mark up drawings, and catch expensive problems at plan check, after decisions have already compounded. That's what Kestrel is built to prevent.
[ What We're Building ]
The building code compliance platform for every role on the design team.
Kestrel translates building code into structured, machine-executable logic. That's what lets compliance run directly in the model, rather than getting resolved in a stack of markups the week before submittal.
Interface
[01]
Compliance Analysis + Compliance Chat
Kestrel Compliance Analysis runs inside Revit, evaluating your BIM models against jurisdiction-specific requirements, tying every flagged issue directly to the element in your model with a cited code reference.
Kestrel Compliance Chat answers in-the-moment compliance questions specific to your project.
Workflow
[02]
Continuous Compliance
Checks take one click, about 30 seconds. Teams run them continuously during design, not once at the end. The earlier issues surface, the less there is to fix.
Visibility
[03]
Project Dashboard
Results surface in a project dashboard that gives principals and project managers a real-time view of where the model stands, by discipline and by issue, without waiting on a redline, or opening the model.
Foundation
[04]
ICC Code Data
Built on official code data through our collaboration with the International Code Council. Always updating, always current.
[ Why Now ]
Why now
BIM standardized building geometry. Kestrel is structuring the regulatory layer to match.
-
[01]
BIM As Substrate
BIM is now the standard substrate of practice, which means compliance can be evaluated against structured geometry instead of static drawings.
-
[02]
AI Rule Library
At the same time, advances in AI have made it possible to translate large bodies of regulatory text into executable logic at scale. Kestrel's rule library has grown from dozens of checks to tens of millions in under a year.
-
[03]
Industry Shift
The industry is shifting. In a 2026 survey of the QA/QC landscape, the architectural firm /slantis placed Kestrel in the first tier of model-side compliance tools: "Instead of treating accessibility, fire separation, or zoning review as something that only happens at the end, these tools surface issues while the model is still being developed."
Therefore — what we believe
[ What We Believe ]
Building code is a rule system, not just a document.
Four principles behind Kestrel's compliance engine.
[01]
Compliance happens during design, not after.
[02]
Every requirement ties directly to the element in your model.
[03]
Every issue comes with a cited source.
[04]
The tool handles the tedious work. The architect makes the decisions.
[ Team ]
Architects and engineers building the first structured compliance data layer for the built environment.
Creating the shared language between building code and computational design.
[ Bio ]
Marian Pulford's background spans the intersection of the built environment and emerging technology. Before co-founding Kestrel, she led the $5M capital campaign for RiNo ArtPark, a nationally recognized adaptive reuse arts center in downtown Denver, coordinating across permitting, public agencies, architects, contractors, and community stakeholders. She previously served as Director of Operations at an early AI-native marketing agency developing its own AI products, and later advised government and nonprofit organizations on communications and organizational change management. At Kestrel, she leads company strategy, partnerships, and market development, including relationships with the International Code Council (ICC), Autodesk, and Trimble. She holds degrees in Fine Art and Art & Architecture History.
[ Bio ]
Brian has led engineering across AI, fintech, and eCommerce for two decades — domains where accuracy is non-negotiable and platforms must scale. As VP of Engineering at ezCater, he ran a 70-person organization and rearchitected the company's platform for scale. He previously founded Excelsior Solutions, whose transaction platforms were adopted by Amazon, Coinstar, and Coinme — including the Coinme cash-to-Bitcoin kiosks featured in TechCrunch and USA Today.
[ Bio ]
Marissa is a licensed architect with 15+ years leading complex residential and commercial projects across the U.S. — Architectural Director at Electric Bowery in Los Angeles, Project Manager at Shawmut Design and Construction, and most recently a senior role at Rowland+Broughton. That triangulation gives her fluency across the architect, contractor, and client sides of a project — the perspective Kestrel needs to make sure compliance tooling actually fits how architects work.
[ Bio ]
Austin is a licensed architect who has led commercial and mixed-use projects totaling over 2 million square feet and $1B+ in value — work that required navigating dense regulatory frameworks daily, the exact problem Kestrel was built to solve. As a Senior Architect at Davis Partnership, he specialized in high-rise residential, large commercial developments, and urban master planning.
[ Bio ]
Joe has spent two decades building transaction systems where accuracy is non-negotiable — across financial services, healthcare, and flight simulation. As Domain Architect at ezCater and at Coinstar, he built cloud platforms processing millions of daily transactions and designed compliance and anti-money-laundering infrastructure — translating regulatory language into machine-executable logic, the same problem Kestrel solves for building code.
[ Bio ]
Dave is a senior engineer and former corporate attorney with a rare blend of technical depth and legal fluency — the right combination for interpreting and encoding building code. He spent five years in private equity and venture fund formation before moving to tech, where he has taken three startups from concept to production and led backend and data engineering at venture-backed companies. He holds a JD from the University of Colorado and a Master's in Computational Data Analytics from Georgia Tech.
[ Bio ]
Ken is a finance executive with 30+ years in capital formation, financial modeling, transaction structuring, and compliance — including time as Chief Compliance Officer at Braddock Financial. He is Principal at Three Bridges Advisors and a Managing Director at Braddock Holdings, with earlier roles at Booz Allen, Ernst & Young, and Salomon Brothers. Northwestern engineering undergrad, Kellogg MBA.
[ Bio ]
Brian spent nearly seven years as Autodesk's Head of Global PR for Architecture, Engineering, and Construction, shaping how the AEC category communicates with media, analysts, and customers. Before Autodesk, he was a White House appointee at the U.S. Department of Transportation, leading communications across federal infrastructure policy. He now runs Monument Square Strategies and advises Kestrel on narrative, media, and policy positioning.
[ Advisors ]
Advisors
[ Bio ]
Ryan built Procore's Sales Engineering organization from 0 to 30 as part of the revenue leadership team that scaled the company from ~$10M to $100M+ ARR in four years — the playbook for AEC SaaS growth. He contributed to Procore's multi-product transition, international expansion, and the launch of the App Marketplace and Groundbreak. He is an active angel investor, LP across multiple VC funds, and advisor to select ConTech and PropTech companies.
[ Bio ]
Bob is a software engineer and systems architect with two decades leading enterprise and startup product teams in highly regulated industries. He also co-founded Bruder Design House, a high-end residential design-build firm operating across four states, where he served as Principal Builder. That combination — enterprise software in regulated domains plus hands-on construction — gives him direct fluency in both halves of Kestrel's problem.
[ Bio ]
Sean is a practicing architect and architectural lecturer with a background in commercial real estate finance — a combination that gives him a clear view of how compliance, capital, and design decisions intersect on real projects. Before architecture, he spent 17+ years in commercial banking, financing more than $140M in real estate projects and managing loan portfolios exceeding $150M.