Transformer-based framework for mapping client requirements to BIM
Translating heterogeneous, client-authored textual requirements into constructible, information-rich models constitutes a primary impediment to digital transformation in early design phases. Legacy workflows demand high frequency client architect iteration, manual decoding of narrative requirements, and bespoke parametric modeling, introducing latency and inconsistency. This paper introduces an end-to-end automation pipeline that couples advanced Natural Language Processing (NLP) with Building Information Modeling (BIM) to dynamically interpret design intent from user inputs and instantiate corresponding BIM assemblies. A semantic translation layer maps parsed entities to a curated BIM model repository and propagates constraints into the authoring environment. On a multi project evaluation set the framework achieved 92 % mapping accuracy between client inputs and instantiated BIM elements. Embedding this capability enhances requirement traceability, clarifies intent for stakeholders, and enables scalable data driven design analytics. This contribution operationalizes AI assisted construction automation by unifying NLP and BIM within a single extensible workflow. • Introduces a fully automated NLP-to-BIM pipeline for early-stage design automation. • Applies fine-tuned BERT to map building requirements to typologies. • Integrates fine-tuned BERT into BIM workflow to enable AI-assisted model retrieval. • Supports design automation through scalable and language-agnostic model mapping. • Automates interpretation of client requirements in digital design workflows.
Authors
- Inhan Kim (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1426-108X)
- Saddiq Ur Rehman
- Kyung-Eun Hwang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9759-4049)
- Syed Haseeb Shah
Institutions
- Kyung Hee University (KR)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Automation in Construction
- Published
- 2025-10-13
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1016/j.autcon.2025.106601
- Primary Topic
- BIM and Construction Integration
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00