Your firm has people.
What it needs is clarity.
Most AEC firms aren't short on technology. They're short on the expertise to evaluate it, implement it, and actually get data value out of it. We help firms cut through the noise — from tool selection to AI strategy to custom-built dashboards — with the perspective of a team that's spent years at the intersection of architecture, technology, and data engineering.
Technology should move business metrics — not just check a box.
AEC firms don't need more tools. They need a strategy that ties technology to outcomes that matter — win rate, overhead, utilization, revenue, positioning. We work backwards from the business goal.
How we work
Every engagement starts with the business — not the tool. Three phases keep technology decisions tied to outcomes.
Before any tool conversation, we name the problem in plain terms — what's broken, who's affected, and what changes if it gets fixed. The brief drives everything downstream.
Time saved, error rate, throughput, win rate — pick the numbers that prove the work. We capture the baseline up front so ROI isn't a guess at the end.
Tools, workflows, training, and change management — sequenced for your firm's reality. We build for how you deliver, not how a vendor wishes you did.
Three ways to work together
Engagements are scoped to your actual situation — not a pre-packaged software subscription.
Free AI Strategy Workshop
A free one-hour working session on where AI actually fits your practice. We map your workflows against the current tool landscape and leave you with practical next steps — whether or not you ever work with us.
- →An honest read on where AI genuinely saves time in your workflows — and where it is hype
- →A live look at your current tool stack: overlap, gaps, and unused subscriptions
- →Two or three quick wins you can start this month
- →Answers to your team's questions: data privacy, client confidentiality, pricing, training effort
AI Implementation Sprint
A focused 3–4 week engagement to put working AI into your practice — implementation, training, and workshops. You leave with tools your team actually uses, not a slide deck full of buzzwords.
- →Current-state workflow analysis to identify the highest-impact opportunities
- →Hands-on implementation of AI workflows: AI rendering pipelines, proposal generators, document automation, and more
- →Team training sessions tailored to your tools and project types
- →Live workshops to get staff productive with the new workflows
- →AI roadmap with 90-day quick wins + 12-month vision
- →ROI projection framework using your firm's actual numbers
Advisory Membership
Your firm's AI and technology advisor on retainer. Ongoing guidance, implementation support, and a direct line for every tool decision — without hiring a full-time technology lead.
- →Monthly strategy session with your leadership team
- →Unlimited async questions with next-business-day answers (email/Loom)
- →Quarterly tool-stack review with specific recommendations from the 450+ tool catalog
- →Vendor evaluations and second opinions before you sign anything
- →Ongoing training refreshers as your team and the tools evolve
- →Month to month — cancel anytime
What this looks like in practice
Examples from recent projects — across custom AI tooling, data research, and implementation strategy.
Custom AI Customer Service Agent for a Local Woodworking Studio
A San Francisco woodworking shop was evaluating off-the-shelf customer service chatbots running $79–$165/month — tools that weren't purpose-built for their business and required ongoing SaaS subscriptions. Our team designed and built a custom AI agent integrated with their website and Gmail, using the Anthropic API with a FastAPI backend. The agent handles customer inquiries, appointment context from their scheduling system, and common questions about services and lead times — all trained on the shop's actual voice and offerings. The result: a purpose-built solution for roughly $5–20/month in API costs, with full ownership of the tool and no vendor dependency.
Aané — AI-Powered Architectural Detail & Material Search
Partnered with Aané (aane.io), an early-stage AEC software company building an AI-powered architectural detail and material search platform. The core problem: architecture firms were losing institutional knowledge when project teams turned over, and spending hours re-researching details and materials they'd already solved. We contributed to product strategy and ICP positioning — helping the team articulate why 'reduce research time by 80%' is the right lead metric, and how to sequence onboarding to demonstrate value before asking for firm-wide adoption. The platform now serves architects, interior designers, and engineering firms as a searchable knowledge repository with AI-enabled design intelligence.
Visit aane.io →AEC Hub Data Intelligence Platform
Built and maintain 7 live data dashboards pulling from BLS, FRED, Census Bureau, FHWA, and USAspending.gov — covering construction employment, material prices, building permits, bridge conditions, federal infrastructure spending, site risk, and AEC salaries across 44 occupations and 393 metro areas. Each dashboard is validated against source data, updated automatically, and built to serve real decisions — not just display numbers. The platform now attracts AEC professionals, researchers, and firms using it as a primary reference for market intelligence.
Simple process, clear output
No lengthy discovery questionnaires. No six-week onboarding. Here's what working together actually looks like.
We diagnose where technology or data is moving the needle — and where it isn't. Honest take on whether we're the right fit.
Simple scope document: engagement, timeline, deliverables, price. No bloated SOWs.
Focused collaboration with regular check-ins. Deliverables on schedule. Scope changes flagged early.
You walk away with something actionable — a report, roadmap, dashboard, or working tool. Retainer available for ongoing support.
The perspective behind the platform
AEC Hub started as an independent tool directory — we kept hearing the same question from firms: "great, but which one is right for us, and how do we actually use it?" Advisory was the answer. We bring architecture practice, AI product strategy, and data engineering to firms making real technology decisions.
Common questions from firms reaching out
How do I choose the right AI tools for my AEC firm?
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Start with our free AI Strategy Workshop. In a one-hour working session we map your workflows, review your current tool stack, and identify the highest-impact opportunities from our catalog of 450+ AEC tools. You leave with two or three quick wins you can start this month — free, no obligation.
Can a small architecture firm afford AI consulting?
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Yes. Our AI Strategy Workshop is completely free, and it's genuinely useful on its own — not a disguised sales call. If you want deeper help afterward, the $5,000 AI Implementation Sprint and the $1,000/month Advisory Membership are designed for firms that need expert guidance without enterprise consulting budgets. A 5-person studio and a 500-person firm both get the same quality of analysis.
What does the AI Implementation Sprint include?
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It's a focused 3-4 week engagement at a $5,000 flat rate covering implementation, training, and workshops. We analyze your workflows, then build and deploy specific AI tools with your team — AI rendering pipelines, proposal generators, document automation, and more — plus hands-on training sessions and workshops so your staff is actually productive with the new workflows, not just aware of them.
What does the Advisory Membership include?
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For $1,000/month you get an ongoing technology advisor on retainer: a monthly strategy session with your leadership, unlimited async questions with next-business-day answers, quarterly tool-stack reviews with specific recommendations, and vendor evaluations before you sign anything. It's month to month with no long-term commitment — the right fit for firms that want continuous guidance without hiring a full-time technology lead.
How do the three services fit together?
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Most firms start with the free AI Strategy Workshop to get an honest read on where AI fits their practice. Firms ready to build move into the $5,000 Implementation Sprint, where we deploy working tools and train your team. The $1,000/month Advisory Membership keeps the momentum going afterward — or works standalone for firms that want ongoing guidance without a big project.
Ready to stop guessing and start deciding?
Whether you're evaluating your first AI tool, ready to implement AI workflows across your team, or trying to get more value from data you already have — the first call is free.