About
Why Orcvix exists
Orcvix began as an entry to the Building Codes Challenge, part of the Built World Challenge that Edmonton Unlimited runs in Edmonton, Alberta.
Building codes are prescriptive. Innovators are creative.
the challenge's own line, Edmonton Unlimited
How it began
When a builder wants an alternative to what the building code prescribes, the builder prepares an alternative-solution application. It has to show that the alternative performs as well as or better than the code, and it goes to the Safety Codes Officer for the jurisdiction. An application that arrives incomplete, or that cites the wrong articles, can be refused for lacking information, and the applicant starts over.
The Building Codes Challenge asked for an AI-powered tool that prepares these applications before they reach an officer: one that takes in the key details of the proposed alternative, identifies the relevant code articles, and checks the whole application for completeness. Orcvix is our answer to that brief.
It is the work of one student founder in Edmonton, built during the program.
The Built World Challenge
The Built World Challenge is an eight-week program from Edmonton Unlimited. It pairs Alberta innovators with local corporations to solve problems those companies face now. Teams of one to five people build a real solution and compete for a chance to put it in front of a paying customer. The program is free to join, and teams keep ownership of their solutions.
Two challenges run in the current cohort: Building Codes, which is the one Orcvix answers, and Embodied Carbon. The strongest teams may be invited to apply to Edmonton Unlimited's Venture Pilots Program to try their solution with real customers.
- Sept 17: Applications open
- Oct 6: Program kickoff at Startup Week
- Oct 13: Applications close
- Oct 17: Hackathon Day at the University of Alberta
- Nov 10: Semi-final presentations
- Dec 1: Demo Day, open to the public
Edmonton Unlimited: Built World Challenge
What we decided from the first day
- Never invent a citation. Every article shown exists in the code database. Anything the AI proposes that does not exist is dropped before you see it.
- Completeness, not correctness. Orcvix says what is missing from an application. It never says a design is safe, or that an application will be approved.
- The professional keeps the judgment. Section D, the evidence that an alternative performs, is written and signed by the responsible professional. Orcvix says what it must cover and who signs.
- Say what is not verified. Code data that a code advisor has not confirmed is labelled unverified on screen, never presented as checked.
The challenge and its partners
The program lists these organizations around the challenge. They are the challenge's partners, not endorsements of Orcvix.
- Challenge partners: Safety Codes Council, Build Forward Alberta, City of Edmonton, BILD Alberta, Jayman
- Program sponsor: University of Alberta, ERIN
- Compute partner: ISAIC
Where it stands
Orcvix is a prototype. It covers Edmonton and Calgary, is built around the National Building Code – 2023 Alberta Edition, and part of its code data is still waiting for a code advisor to confirm it.
What it needs next is people who work with these applications every day to try it and tell us where it is wrong: Safety Codes Officers, code consultants, engineers and builders.
Team Propty
The people behind this prototype.
Sebastián Álvarez Villa
Co-founder & CEO, Asterisko · AI consultant
Hey, I'm Sebastián, an international student from Colombia and a first-time founder, based in Edmonton. I've always liked building things from scratch, and today that means AI agents and automations for processes full of rules and documents, starting with real estate. At Asterisko I lead product, go-to-market and AI workflows; through Propty Holdings I consult on AI and automation. I'm studying Business Technology Management at the University of Alberta as a President's International Distinction Scholar.