D.To

D.To, short for Design Together, is a technology company operating in the Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) sector, founded in 2019 and headquartered in Wellesley, MA. The company was co-founded by Juhun Lee and Youngjin Lee, who identified a persistent inefficiency in the architectural design process, particularly during the design development and construction documentation phases. They observed that despite advancements like Building Information Modeling (BIM), the methods for completing construction details and specifying products remained laborious and time-consuming, akin to practices from decades ago. The founders, a group of architects and software engineers, initiated development in July 2022 to address this gap.

The firm targets a dual-sided market: architects and building product manufacturers. For architects, D.To offers a subscription-based software-as-a-service (SaaS) platform that integrates directly into BIM software like Autodesk Revit. This platform functions as a collaborative digital tool designed to streamline the creation of building assembly designs and documentation. It utilizes AI to analyze design problems within a BIM model and suggests peer-reviewed, context-specific construction details and design solutions in real-time. This approach is intended to reduce the time spent on repetitive drafting and searching for product information, allowing designers to focus on creative and critical thinking. For building product manufacturers, D.To serves as a specialized marketing channel, embedding their products, components, and assemblies directly into the architect's design workflow at the moment of specification. This model provides manufacturers with a direct and contextually relevant way to engage with design professionals, shifting the interaction from disruptive sales pitches to value-added collaboration.

The core of D.To's service is its platform, which features an AI navigator that delivers design solutions for high-performance building envelopes, aiming to minimize building operational carbon. It provides a library of high-quality, pre-built BIM components and details that can be downloaded and customized. The platform also facilitates team collaboration through features like mark-ups and real-time feedback within the design session. Revenue is generated through tiered subscriptions for architects, with plans such as a free trial, a core feature plan at approximately $20/seat per month, and an enterprise plan for $30/seat per month that includes company detail library management. For manufacturers, the company offers an onboarding fee to list their products and gain access to the platform's architect user base. Key milestones include the release of the first beta product for architects in June 2023, followed by a version for manufacturers in October 2023.

Keywords: AEC technology, Building Information Modeling, BIM integration, construction documentation, architectural design software, design development, building assembly design, product specification platform, Revit plugin, SaaS for architects, construction technology, digital design tools, building product manufacturers, collaborative design platform, high-performance building envelope, sustainable design, AI in architecture, automated design, construction details, design automation