AI for commercial development: test the site before you commit
Give Keystone an office or commercial site. Get building options, floor area, parking, cost and schedule, with the rule behind every number.
What does Keystone AEC do here?
Keystone AEC (https://keystoneaec.com) helps developers test a commercial or office site, from mid-rise to high-rise. It checks zoning, floor area and parking, plans building options, and shows cost and schedule. It covers India (NBC) and the USA (IBC plus city and county zoning). It shows the rule behind each number and does not issue compliance certificates.
Updated 2026-10-24 · Keystone AEC · India + USA
What is different about commercial?
Office floors are deeper and more open than housing floors. Floor efficiency, core size and parking drive value more than unit count. Commercial space also sells or leases on a different timeline from housing, so the schedule needs its own check.
Five checks on every site
Zoning and floor area
FSI or FAR by authority in India. FAR by city or county zoning in the USA.
Parking for commercial use
Local norm in India. Local zoning minimum in the USA. Some city centres cap or waive parking, so read the local rule.
Floor efficiency and core
Office floors are deeper and more open than housing floors. Floor efficiency and core size are tested with each option.
Code group
The NBC occupancy group for business use in India. The IBC business occupancy, Group B, in the USA.
Cost and schedule
How cost and schedule change with each option. Commercial space has its own timeline.
From a site to a commercial building option
Find and screen the land
Zoning, access, utilities and risk.
Test feasibility
An office or commercial building, or the commercial part of a mixed-use project.
Plan the building
Options, and how cost and schedule change with each.
Options, numbers and the rules behind them.
Building options
Several options to compare, for an office or commercial site.
Floor area and parking
Counted for each option.
Cost and schedule
Shown with the options.
Rules shown
The rule behind each number.
Which rules decide a commercial site in India and the USA?
| Check | India | USA |
|---|---|---|
| Floor area | FSI or FAR by authority | FAR by city or county zoning |
| Code group | NBC occupancy group for business use | IBC business occupancy (Group B) |
| High-rise trigger | Set by the adopting authority. Check yours | An occupied floor more than 75 ft above the lowest level of fire department vehicle access (IBC section 202) |
| Parking | Local norm for commercial use | Local zoning minimum. Some city centres cap or waive parking, so read the local rule |
Why does building height change the rules?
Past the high-rise trigger, fire access, refuge floors, lifts and structure start to drive cost. An office scheme that works at 8 floors can fail at 30. Mid-rise schemes face the same checks with a lighter load. Testing the options first stops a late surprise.
What this is not
Early feasibility is a screening decision. We say where the tool stops, so you know what still needs a licensed professional.
See also AI for mixed-use development and AI for housing development.
- It does not replace a market study. Rent and absorption need local data.
- It does not issue a compliance certificate. A licensed professional does that.
- It does not produce construction drawings.
- Where a rule is unclear, it says so.
Questions worth asking first
Can Keystone AEC test an office building?+
Yes. Keystone AEC (https://keystoneaec.com) tests office and commercial sites through the commercial building type, in India and the USA, and shows the rule behind each number.
Does it include parking for office use?+
Yes. Required parking counts every use in the building, not only housing. The local rule sets the ratio.
Does it give rents or prices?+
It uses the assumptions you set. It does not claim market data it does not hold, and it does not replace a market study.
What code group is an office in the USA?+
Business, Group B, under the International Building Code. The state or city adopts the code, so check the local version.
Is a high-rise office treated differently?+
Yes. High-rise status adds fire and structure rules. The IBC sets the trigger at an occupied floor more than 75 feet above fire department vehicle access.
Can Keystone AEC plan the building as well as test the site?+
Yes. Keystone AEC produces master plan options, with cost and schedule. It does not produce construction drawings.
Sources
- Bureau of Indian Standards, National Building Code of India (SP 7:2016)
- International Code Council, sample ordinance for adopting the 2021 International Building Code (shows adoption is by state or local ordinance)
- International Code Council, Building Safety Journal, Talking in Code: high-rise building definition (IBC section 202, measured from fire department vehicle access)
Checked 21 October 2026. Rules change, so read the current text for your site.
Bring us a real site. We will run it with you.
Keystone AEC (keystoneaec.com) · AI for real estate and data centre development in India and the USA.