Status at various municipalities

Each municipality is digitalising the permitting process at its own pace. Digitalising, structuring, and receiving construction data is a complex task, which means some municipalities are moving ahead faster than others

The choice of the image above is no coincidence.

It shows a stunning design by Calatrava in Valencia — almost impossible to conceive in traditional 2D.

"For me, architecture is an art the same as painting is an art or sculpture is an art. Yet, architecture moves a step beyond painting and sculpture because it is more than using materials. Architecture responds to functional outputs and environmental factors. Yet, fundamentally, it is important for me to stress the art in architecture to bring harmony."
— Santiago Calatrava

The data behind architectural masterpieces like this — just as with the Erasmus Bridge in Rotterdam or the Beurs van Berlage in Amsterdam — must be preserved for eternity, just like paintings. This is only possible when the data is properly structured and archived in a sustainable way. We now know which format we prefer to use, but there are still many challenges ahead.