Darwin Manifesto

Core Concepts

Darwin organizes construction information around modular, reusable entities that reflect the real-world structure of projects. These concepts appear consistently across the user interface, database, and API.

1.1 Module

A Module is the fundamental knowledge block of Darwin. It represents a self-contained construction element—for example, a concrete footing, masonry wall, or steel beam—that groups:

• Materials: each with quantity, unit, and base cost.
• Labor: trades, hours, and hourly rates.
• Expenses: indirect or transport-related costs.

Modules are reusable and versionable. Once validated, they form the company’s cost DNA, allowing rapid replication across projects with updated price lists.

1.2 Composite Module

A Composite Module groups several individual modules to represent complex assemblies, such as facades or foundations. This abstraction aligns with how BIM structures composite systems, preserving traceability from design to cost.

1.3 Price List

Price Lists define market conditions at a given time: material prices, labor rates, and logistics costs. They decouple the logical structure of modules from the economic reality of projects. Recalculations with updated lists allow consistent comparisons over time.

1.4 Project

A Project is the top-level container for all estimations, documents, and BIM data. It unifies:

• Estimations and their revisions
• IFC design files
• Client and supplier documents
• Contracts and correspondence

Projects ensure that all knowledge lives contextually rather than scattered across tools.

1.5 Estimation

An Estimation applies modules and prices to a project to quantify materials, labor, and overheads. It follows a lifecycle:

1. Creation (linking to a project)
2. Cost computation via EstimationDetails and EstimationCosts
3. Collaborative review and approval

Results can be exported as WBS (Work Breakdown Structure) documents or re-embedded into the IFC model.

1.6 IFC Import Session

An IFC Import Session represents the ingestion cycle of a BIM model:

1. Upload IFC file
2. Extract elements (IfcElementService)
3. Map layers and categories (IfcMappingService)
4. Enrich with cost and classification data (IfcEnrichmentService)

Each session is auditable and can be regenerated or updated without losing traceability.

1.7 Distribution Center & Distance Tiers

Distribution Centers represent warehouses or logistical hubs used to calculate transportation costs. Distance Tiers define mileage thresholds that affect logistics pricing. Together, they support the automation of transportation and handling expenses.

1.8 Expense & Expense Type

An Expense is any indirect cost outside material or direct labor: insurance, permits, subcontracting, or administration. Expense Types categorize these for consistent reporting and analytics.

1.9 User & Collaboration

Darwin is inherently collaborative. Each User can create, review, or approve estimations. User Tasks assign responsibilities within the workflow, while notifications use Azure Communication Services for real-time collaboration. This transforms estimation from an isolated task into a coordinated, auditable process.

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Manifesto

Abstract Construction estimation often breaks down due to redundant data entry, outdated price references, and fragmented document handling. Darwin introduces a modular framework combining reusable cost blocks, dynamic price lists, and collaborative workflows. The result is rapid, precise, and auditable estimations that scale across teams and projects.

1. The Core Idea: Eliminating Redundancy

Traditional workflows force estimators to repeatedly define elements, retype supplier prices, and attach documents in separate systems. Darwin resolves this by:

• Defining construction knowledge once (modules).
• Anchoring estimates to time-stamped price lists.
• Managing documents directly inside each project context.

2. Modules as Knowledge Blocks

Modules capture the complete cost structure of an element:

• Materials (quantity × price)
• Labor (hours × rate)
• Expenses (transport, insurance, overheads) Modules are reusable across projects. Once validated, they become the company’s “cost DNA”—applied instantly to new estimations with only price updates.

3. Price Lists as Temporal Anchors

Darwin separates logic (modules) from market conditions (prices).

• Price Lists store material, labor, and logistics values at a given moment.
• Projects can be recalculated with new lists without redefining modules. This ensures historical estimates remain reproducible while future ones reflect current conditions.

4. Design Integration as Input

Darwin can parse IFC BIM files to extract elements and map them into modules. This acts as a fast input channel into the cost engine—reducing manual entry but still relying on the core principles: modules, price lists, and collaborative validation.

5. Collaboration as a First-Class Citizen

Darwin is not a single-user tool. Teams can:

• Draft an estimation and request a price reviewer to update or validate costs.
• Assign roles such as approvers, reviewers, and contributors for controlled workflows.
• Track modifications with time-stamped histories. Collaboration ensures estimations are not just technically correct but also organizationally accountable.

6. Projects as Organized Repositories

Every estimation lives inside a Project container. Projects can store:

• Estimations and revisions
• IFC design files
• Supplier and client documents
• Contracts, drawings, and correspondence This makes Darwin a structured document repository, ensuring all knowledge is preserved and accessible in context, rather than scattered across emails or drives.

Conclusion

Darwin reframes estimation as a scientific, collaborative process. By unifying reusable modules, dynamic price lists, auditable formulas, and project-based document repositories, Darwin enables teams to produce precise budgets quickly, avoid redundant work, and maintain transparency across stakeholders. Its IFC integration provides an optional accelerator, but the foundation remains a robust cost engine and a collaborative knowledge system.