Ah, BIM, brave new world. As long as not even 16 federal states can agree on a unified state building code, an automated calculation of setback distances is already doomed; so the digital lifecycle model of a building including the digital approval process will probably still take a while. But well, visions have to exist.
Today, things mostly still run like this in NRW, using the example of a simple single-family house according to §64 Building Code NRW, without special features with a development plan and optional surveyor:
- Surveyor downloads the cadastral data in NAS format from the cadastral authority’s server, integrates the analog/digital development plan and the conducted topographical survey, and sends the preliminary site plan as a DWG to the authorized applicant
- Authorized applicant creates floor plans, elevations, sections and sends them as DWG files to the surveyor
- Surveyor adds the projected building to his site plan, calculates setback distances, floor area ratio, gross floor area ratio, proof of number of storeys and provides five printed copies to the authorized applicant
- Authorized applicant fills out the forms (building application, building description, statistics, exemption request...) according to the state building code and prints floor plans, elevations, sections fivefold
- One package goes to the builder, one remains with the authorized applicant, and three go to the approval authority
- this authority involves other authorities (case-dependent, e.g., municipality, environmental office, survey office, land registry office, planning office, civil engineering office) by sending copies by post
- after evaluation of the comments and completion of the review, the building permit is issued by official notice to the builder
Are 1. and 2. thereby answered?
3. What exactly do you mean? For example, in the attic of a single-family house, it is checked whether the roof window is large enough and the parapet height is low enough to serve as a second rescue route. For larger halls, the planner has to enter the escape route lengths within the fire compartments into the plans. For large projects, a fire protection report is required.
4. The builder receives a letter with the detected defects and a request to remedy them within a deadline. A copy is sent to the authorized applicant.
Lots of text and yet incomplete. For more detailed information, I recommend an internship in an architectural office or at an approval authority.
There are even one or two municipalities that know and use the digital signature!