Building image reconstruction and dimensioning of the envelope from two-dimensional perspective drawings

In the construction industry, a project typically begins with the creation of two-dimensional (2D) building plans, defining the client’s specifications. Using these plans, a digital three-dimensional (3D) model is developed to visualize the anticipated outcome and to verify the model’s alignment with the client’s expectations. The process of converting from 2D to 3D can become time-intensive if there is a need for modifications or if the project’s overall complexity is high. To enhance efficiency and accuracy, this research introduces an end-to-end framework referred to as BIRD which stands for B uilding I mage R econstruction and D imensioning. BIRD is capable of accepting five 2D perspective drawings of a building as inputs and generating a proportionate 3D model of the building envelope as an output. This is accomplished through the integration of multiple techniques that use convolutional neural networks to extract a refined set of line segments, identify measurements, and align each perspective with the floor plan drawing. The key contributions of this study includes: (1) a novel deep learning model designed for the identification of line segments in building plans; (2) novel algorithms that facilitate the generation of information required for 3D modeling; (3) an end-to-end framework for building reconstruction; and (4) novel performance metrics specifically tailored for the 2D to 3D conversion challenge. The practical application of this research was validated through the use of complete building plans provided by an industry partner. In summary, it was observed that BIRD demonstrated high accuracy in the creation of 3D visualizations, highlighting its real-world efficacy. • A framework is proposed to convert 2D building plans into 3D envelope models. • A novel dual-branch approach is used to extract line segments from building plans. • A novel algorithmic approach works to wrap line segments in three-dimensional spaces. • The framework is ran on building plans from an industry partner with high accuracy. • A preliminary user interface is described to highlight the practical use in industry.