Project ideas from Hacker News discussions.

Launch HN: Drafted (YC P26) – Models for residential architecture

Hacker News Discussion

📝 Discussion Summary (Click to expand)

Key Themes from the Discussion

Theme	Summary	Supporting Quote
1. Multi‑story & ADU roadmap	Users are eager for the tool to handle multi‑story homes and accessory dwelling units, and the team has confirmed these features are in the pipeline.	• “I’d love to see a two‑storey use case in the future!” — amir_karbasi • “Yeah - we are working on adding multi‑story in the next 2 months.” — PrimalNick • “We plan to make the model better for ADU's after we get through multi‑story houses :)” — PrimalNick
2. Concerns about design realism	Several commenters pointed out odd or impractical layout details in the generated renders, warning that the visuals can be misleading.	“It took me just a few minutes to see this. I hope nobody ever builds a home based on these plans.” — summermusic
3. Future expansion into detailed planning & BIM‑style features	There is strong interest in adding structural, mechanical, cost‑estimation, and export capabilities (e.g., framing plans, material lists).	“Features like detailed framing plans, siding/wall/roof/insulation/etc all the detail cross‑section drawings would be welcome additions.” — conductr

All quotations are taken verbatim from the discussion participants.

🚀 Project Ideas

DraftedMulti-Story & Zoning Planner

Summary

Extends Drafted to generate valid multi‑story floor plans and enforce local zoning constraints.
Enables realistic house designs that respect lot size, setbacks, and FAR limits.

Details

Key	Value
Target Audience	Homeowners, DIY builders, and small firms designing custom houses (e.g., Toronto 2500 sqft lot owners).
Core Feature	Multi‑story layout generation with zoning rule enforcement (setbacks, height, FAR, lot coverage).
Tech Stack	React front‑end, Python back‑end; LLM fine‑tuned on building codes & GIS parcel data; rule‑based constraint engine.
Difficulty	Medium
Monetization	Revenue-ready: Subscription $15/mo

Notes

HN commenters explicitly asked for multi‑story support and zoning constraint handling; they would love a tool that resolves these blockers.
Sparks discussion on integrating open‑source zoning APIs and community‑driven rule libraries.

Drafted CodeSync – AI Building Code & Structural Advisor

Summary

Provides real‑time validation of floor‑plan designs against building codes, structural engineering requirements, and MEP conflicts.
Offers actionable feedback and generates basic framing, foundation, and MEP layout suggestions.

Details

Key	Value
Target Audience	DIY builders, small architects, and engineers needing quick compliance checks.
Core Feature	Code rule embedding, structural load calculations, and MEP clash detection with exportable PDFs/DXFs.
Tech Stack	FastAPI back‑end, Llama‑2 70B fine‑tuned on IRC, ASHRAE standards, and structural tables; integrates with Open Steel; React UI.
Difficulty	High
Monetization	Revenue-ready: Pay‑per‑design $5 or Subscription $12/mo

Notes

Commenters (e.g., “prawn”) highlighted missing structural details; this directly answers their requests.
Potential for community contributions of local code datasets and fuels discussion on AI‑assisted compliance.

Drafted CostBuilder – AI‑Generated Material Bill‑of‑Materials & Cost Estimator

Summary

Automatically produces a detailed Bill‑of‑Materials (BOM) and cost estimate based on generated floor plans.
Lets users explore budget impacts of design changes before construction.

Details

Key	Value
Target Audience	Homeowners, contractors, and small builders who wish to budget early in the design process.
Core Feature	Plan parsing → component classification → price lookup from local hardware stores (via APIs) → total cost report with sensitivity analysis.
Tech Stack	Python pipeline using vision model for plan reading, Llama‑2 for component tagging, external price APIs (Lowe’s, Home Depot), Streamlit dashboard front‑end.
Difficulty	Medium
Monetization	Revenue-ready: Freemium; basic reports free, detailed cost breakdown $9/mo or $90/yr

Notes

Users (e.g., “w10-1”, “pnagre05”) asked for cost estimation and BOM generation; this fulfills that demand.
Encourages discussion on integrating price elasticity and DIY shopping lists, appealing to both hobbyists and semi‑professional builders.