Integrative framework for automated building area calculation from IFC data

The accurate and efficient calculation of building areas is a critical aspect of the AEC industry, yet it remains prone to human errors and inefficiencies. Current methodologies rely excessively on manual corrections due to three persistent bottlenecks: the inability to automate height-dependent area coefficients, ineffective extraction of building boundaries, and the misclassification of vertical spaces. To address these gaps, this paper proposes ArchAreaSynth, an integrative framework, combining three key algorithms: the VarHeight Solver for dynamic height analysis, the GeoMax Contour Detection for precise external wall boundary extraction, and Shaft Detection algorithm to distinguish vertical shafts from atriums. Validation experiments on 100 diverse floor plans demonstrate that the framework achieves over 99% accuracy in complex scenarios. It significantly outperforms commercial tools (e.g., Revit built-in tool) and manual measurements, improving mean time efficiency by over 30 times. This research offers a promising solution to streamline BIM workflows and enhance productivity in the AEC industry. • GeoMax algorithm resolves external boundary identification as maximum-union contour problem, robust to irregular geometries. • ArchAreaSynth integrates VarHeight, GeoMax and shaft detection for automated BIM floor area computation. • >99% accuracy on 100 real-world BIM floors, eliminating manual overrides in complex typologies. • 30× faster than traditional workflows, significantly streamlining regulatory compliance tasks.