Awesome AECO

AECO stands for Architecture, Engineering, Construction, and Operations. It refers to the integrated process of designing, building, and managing a building or infrastructure project throughout its lifecycle, from the initial design to ongoing maintenance and operations. This process involves various disciplines working together to create and manage a built environment.

A curated list of awesome AECO resources, tools, and technologies. Inspired by Awesome.

Contents

• Awesome AECO
  • Contents
  • BIM (Building Information Modeling)
  • CAD (Computer-Aided Design)
  • Revit Plugins & Extensions
  • Simulation & Analysis
  • Parametric & Computational Design
  • IoT & Smart Buildings
  • Facility & Asset Management
  • Generative Design
  • Construction Automation & Robotics
  • Digital Twins
  • GIS & Mapping
  • Project Management
  • Contribute

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BIM (Building Information Modeling)

• IfcOpenShell Open-source toolkit and geometry engine for BuildingSMART IFC files. Enables reading, writing, and modifying BIM models via a C++ library and Python API. GitHub: IfcOpenShell/IfcOpenShell

• xBIM Toolkit The eXtensible BIM Toolkit for .NET, providing libraries to work with IFC data (read, create, validate). Allows developers on the Microsoft stack to build BIM applications. GitHub: xBimTeam/XbimEssentials

• BIMserver Open-source BIM server platform (Java) that stores and manages building models using IFC. Acts as a model database with versioning and multi-user collaboration. GitHub: opensourceBIM/BIMserver

• IFC.js JavaScript toolkit (WASM-powered) for bringing IFC BIM data into web applications. Includes web-ifc for fast parsing and web-ifc-three for viewing in Three.js. GitHub: ThatOpen/engine_web-ifc

• That Open Engine Fragments High-performance 3D engine for efficiently handling massive amounts of BIM data using the Fragments format. GitHub: ThatOpen/engine_fragment

• That Open UI Components Collection of web components designed for Building Information Modeling (BIM) applications. GitHub: ThatOpen/engine_ui-components

• Speckle Open-source AEC data platform ("Git for BIM") that enables real-time collaboration and interoperability by streaming geometry and data between design tools. GitHub: specklesystems/speckle-server

• BHoM (Buildings and Habitats object Model) A collaborative computational framework and data schema for the built environment. Defines a core object model for AEC domains (structure, environment, MEP, etc.). GitHub: BHoM/BHoM

• Revit API Samples Official Autodesk repositories demonstrating Revit API usage for automation and plugin development. GitHub: Autodesk/revit-api

• BIMsurfer Web-based BIM viewer for IFC models with clash detection and collaboration features. GitHub: opensourceBIM/BIMsurfer

• GomeraX Experimental IFC viewer with AI-powered BIM assistant. Features WebGL and WebGPU rendering, advanced sectioning, first-person navigation, element clustering, and natural language commands for model interaction via local LLM. GitHub: salpbes/GomeraX

• .bim (dotBIM) Minimalist file format for BIM GitHub: paireks/dotbim

• xeokit convert Convert BIM and AEC models directly into XKT files with JavaScript for super fast loading into xeokit GitHub: xeokit/xeokit-convert/

• xeokit BIM Viewer Bundled BIM Viewer built on top of xeokit SDK with features like measurements, tree view explorer, annotations, slicing, first-person navigation GitHub: xeokit/xeokit-bim-viewer

• xeokit SDK Productive open-source JavaScript SDK and 3D engine with its own WebGL renderer and extensive library of feature examples for viewing BIM, IFC, BCF, Revit, Point Clouds and other with real-world coordinates and double precision with XKT format GitHub: xeokit/xeokit-sdk

CAD (Computer-Aided Design)

• FreeCAD Free, open-source parametric 3D CAD modeler with a modular architecture. Includes an Arch Workbench for BIM and supports exporting to IFC, DWG, and STEP. GitHub: FreeCAD/FreeCAD

• LibreCAD Open-source 2D CAD drawing tool based on QCAD's community edition. Provides a cross-platform GUI for drafting with DXF/DWG support. GitHub: LibreCAD/LibreCAD

• BRL-CAD Mature open-source solid modeling system featuring a powerful CSG geometry engine and high-performance ray tracing. GitHub: BRL-CAD/brlcad

• OpenSCAD "The Programmer's Solid 3D CAD Modeller." Users create 3D models by writing scripts that define primitives and boolean operations. GitHub: openscad/openscad

• SolveSpace A lightweight, parametric 2D/3D CAD program supporting constraint-based sketching and exports to STEP/DXF/STL. GitHub: solvespace/solvespace

• CadQuery Python-based parametric CAD scripting framework for mechanical and architectural design. GitHub: CadQuery/cadquery

Revit Plugins & Extensions

• pyRevit A rapid-development environment for Autodesk Revit. Lets users create custom tools in IronPython or CPython with an extensive API. GitHub: pyrevitlabs/pyRevit

• RevitLookup Interactive BIM database explorer for Revit. Inspects data of selected elements (parameters, properties) in real-time. GitHub: jeremytammik/RevitLookup

• Rhino.Inside Revit Embeds McNeel Rhino 3D and Grasshopper into Revit's environment, enabling seamless transfer of geometry and parameters. GitHub: mcneel/rhino.inside-revit

• IFC Exporter for Revit The open-source IFC plugin used by Revit for improved IFC support (IFC2x3/IFC4). GitHub: Autodesk/revit-ifc

Simulation & Analysis

• EnergyPlus The DOE's flagship whole-building energy simulation engine. Models heating/cooling loads, HVAC systems, and energy consumption. GitHub: NREL/EnergyPlus

• OpenStudio A cross-platform collection of tools for whole-building energy modeling that sits on top of EnergyPlus. GitHub: NREL/OpenStudio

• Ladybug Tools Suite of open-source environmental analysis tools connecting CAD modeling to physics engines (e.g., Ladybug for solar analysis, Honeybee for energy/daylight). GitHub: ladybug-tools/ladybug

• Radiance Industry-standard lighting simulation suite for evaluating daylight and electric lighting, producing accurate luminance values. GitHub: LBNL-ETA/Radiance

• OpenFOAM Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) toolkit for airflow and thermal simulations. GitHub: OpenFOAM/OpenFOAM-dev

• OpenSees Open System for Earthquake Engineering Simulation. Framework for structural FEA and seismic simulation of structures. GitHub: OpenSees/OpenSees

Parametric & Computational Design

• Dynamo Open-source visual programming platform for design automation. Popular for generative design and automating repetitive tasks in BIM. GitHub: DynamoDS/Dynamo

• COMPAS Python-based computational framework for architecture, engineering, and digital fabrication. GitHub: compas-dev/compas

• Rhino.Compute REST geometry server based on the Rhino 3D geometry kernel. Allows programmatic, headless access to Rhino's modeling capabilities. GitHub: mcneel/compute.rhino3d

• BlenderBIM Blender add-on for BIM workflows, supporting IFC import/export and parametric modeling. GitHub: blenderbim/blenderbim

• Grasshopper-IFC Grasshopper plugin for generating IFC-compliant geometries in Rhino. GitHub: MadsHolten/IFC-Grasshopper

• Polygonjs Node-based WebGL design tool for creating interactive 3D experiences and digital twins without coding. GitHub: polygonjs/polygonjs

IoT & Smart Buildings

• Home Assistant Platform for smart home automation and IoT device integration with a focus on local control and privacy. GitHub: home-assistant/core

• openHAB Vendor-agnostic open-source software for integrating and controlling smart building devices. GitHub: openhab/openhab-addons

• Eclipse VOLTTRON Platform for distributed sensing and control of building systems. Provides services to collect real-time data from building equipment. GitHub: VOLTTRON/volttron

• EdgeX Foundry Modular IoT platform for managing sensors and data in smart buildings. GitHub: edgexfoundry/edgex-go

• ThingsBoard Open-source IoT platform for device management, data visualization, and analytics. GitHub: thingsboard/thingsboard

• Google Digital Buildings Uniform schema and toolset for representing structured information about buildings and their installed equipment. GitHub: google/digitalbuildings

• Brick Schema Open-source uniform metadata schema for efficiently representing metadata in buildings. GitHub: BrickSchema/Brick

Facility & Asset Management

• Condo Open-source property management SaaS for tracking maintenance tickets, resident contacts, and fee payments. GitHub: open-condo-software/condo

• Atlas CMMS Self-hosted Computerized Maintenance Management System. Allows teams to schedule work orders and manage inventory. GitHub: Grashjs/cmms

Generative Design

• Anton Generative design framework for Blender leveraging topology optimization as a form-finding method. GitHub: senthurayyappan/anton

• Design Explorer Web application for exploring multi-dimensional design spaces, used to visualize options from parametric studies. GitHub: tt-acm/DesignExplorer

Construction Automation & Robotics

• ROS (Robot Operating System) Leading middleware for robotics, used in AEC to prototype construction robots or automation equipment. GitHub: ros/ros

• Gazebo Simulator High-fidelity 3D robotics simulator used to test construction robotics or automated equipment virtually. GitHub: gazebosim/gz-sim

Digital Twins

• iTwin.js Open-source library from Bentley for creating and visualizing infrastructure digital twins. GitHub: iTwin/itwinjs-core

• Digital Twin Toolkit Framework for creating digital twins of buildings and infrastructure. GitHub: digitaltwinconsortium/DigitalTwinToolkit

• PlayCanvas Open-source WebGL game engine for building interactive 3D visualizations and digital twins. GitHub: playcanvas/engine

GIS & Mapping

• QGIS Free, open-source GIS for viewing, editing, and analyzing geospatial data. GitHub: qgis/QGIS

• CesiumJS JavaScript library for 3D globes and map visualization, capable of streaming BIM data in a geospatial context. GitHub: CesiumGS/cesium

• OpenLayers High-performance JS library for interactive maps on the web. GitHub: openlayers/openlayers

• BlenderGIS Blender addon to make the bridge between Blender's 3D data and 2D geographic data. GitHub: domlysz/BlenderGIS

• Awesome GIS A curated list of GIS, remote sensing, 3D scanning, and other geospatial related sources. GitHub: sshuair/awesome-gis

Project Management

• OpenProject Collaborative project management tool with Gantt charts, Agile workflows, and BIM integration. GitHub: opf/openproject

• LibrePlan Resource planning and scheduling software for construction projects. GitHub: LibrePlan/libreplan

Contribute

Contributions welcome! Read the contribution guidelines first.