ArcChain is our work in construction: putting information about building materials and equipment into a common industry standard so it can circulate. At its centre we operate BIM Commons, the public data platform we took over following an open call by the BIM Library Consortium Japan (BLCJ), and we run it as a neutral party.
Product information for building materials and equipment differs from manufacturer to manufacturer in catalogue format, field names and units. Architects and contractors end up re-keying it, and manufacturers end up rebuilding their data for each recipient. The same work is repeated across the whole industry. Putting that shared data in order is where we start.
On that foundation we provide a platform that joins owners, architects, contractors, distributors and manufacturers around the building itself, so that one place covers a building from construction through decades of renovation and maintenance.
The public data platform we operate
BIM Commons
Following an open call by the BIM Library Consortium Japan (BLCJ), the systems and data comprising the BIM library site were transferred to SAGBRAIN in February 2026, and we now operate the platform.
Consolidated under an industry standard
- Manufacturer catalogues consolidated in one place under the classifications and attributes of the BLCJ BIM Object Standard V2.1
- 298 BLCJ generic objects published — manufacturer-independent objects usable when selecting equipment at schematic design stage
- Architects and contractors can search and reference without logging in
- Manufacturers publish free of charge in their own CSV or ZIP format, with AI assisting the conversion. Copyright stays with the manufacturer, and a listing can be withdrawn at any time
- CAD and BIM tool vendors can pull the standardised data into their own tools through the member API
Growing the manufacturer data
- Listing is free and can be withdrawn at any time. Submitted data is reviewed and approved by us before it goes live, so nothing is published unintentionally
- Catalogues can be submitted in three ways: uploaded through the member screen as CSV or ZIP, sent by email, or pulled from a CSV URL hosted on the manufacturer’s own site so that updates are picked up automatically. Any format is accepted — AI proposes the mapping of column names and the BLCJ classification, and we check it
- Three manufacturers have begun submitting data on a trial basis. From here we are widening the range of participating manufacturers and listed products
- Should parts of the service for data users be charged for once the platform matures, listing products will remain free of charge for manufacturers
Operated neutrally
- As a BIMSIA member we work closely with BIMSIA and operate neutrally, in conformance with the published BLCJ standard
- For information security we hold ISO/IEC 27001 (ISMS) certification, registration number MSA-IS-532
ArcChain as a platform
For you
On top of the data we put in order, we run the platform that carries the actual work. The same building information, in the form each party needs.
Building owners
- Drawings and contracts held in the cloud with version control, so the current as-built drawing is easy to find
- Key equipment registered by the architect or contractor — model numbers and installation dates — stays with the building for the next replacement
- The reasoning behind earlier design decisions remains, so the basis is visible at the next renovation
- Requests, design decisions and 3D pin comments recorded in sequence, removing disputes about what was agreed
Architects
- IFC quality checking — automatic detection of missing elements, naming and geometry issues in BIM models
- Regulatory conformance checking — rule-based automatic inspection against the Building Standards Act and other major codes
- Bills of materials extracted from the BIM model and sent out for quotation
- An RFI board handling design changes, specification queries and schedule questions as a kanban
Contractors
- AI site reports — a daily report and the materials needed, extracted automatically from a single site photograph
- An instruction board making tasks, confirmations and completions visible; crew scheduling as a day-by-person matrix with group messaging
- A dashboard across multiple sites, with a weekly AI summary
- A mobile interface for site managers, and a trade mode reduced to four buttons: clock in, check instructions, reply with a photo, mark complete
Distributors and manufacturers
- An order inbox handling approval, delivery-date response, shipping notice and receipt confirmation in one screen
- AI order intake — purchase orders arriving as PDF, image or email turned into order drafts, with part numbers learned and matched automatically
- Customer-specific price lists that fill in unit prices on order drafts
- Manufacturers register and edit their own products themselves, with bulk import in the BLCJ format
Main features
Features
From design through site work and ordering to maintenance.
Ordering and accounts
- Materials the AI identifies as missing in a site report can be ordered from the distributor directly
- AI quotation intake — supplier quotations structured down to item, quantity and unit price, ready for comparison
- Delivery-date and shipping emails normalised by AI and reflected against your own purchase orders
- Purchase orders converted to whatever exchange format each counterparty uses, so they need not change their way of working
- Invoicing and receivables through to payables and payment
Maintenance and environment
- Equipment information and repair history after completion
- CO2 emissions counting, with ZEH and LCCM indicators
Connected to industry master data
- Cross-search of the building material and equipment library, aligned to the BLCJ standard
- Order straight from the catalogue — purchase orders can be emailed even when the counterparty does not use ArcChain
The data belongs to the owner
Data sovereignty
The platform holds the data; ownership stays with the building owner.
Take it with you at any time
- Export a building in full with one click — drawings, equipment and renovation history as JSON plus the original files in a zip
- IFC, JSON and original files only. No proprietary formats
- Download access continues for 90 days after closing an account
Free for owners
- Registering and managing a building is permanently free
- Charges apply only to the B2B functions
Get in touch
Contact
ArcChain is currently offered as a prototype and does not guarantee that a building will pass regulatory confirmation. For adoption, for listing products on BIM Commons, for embedding the data in a CAD or BIM tool, or for integration with your existing systems, please get in touch through the form below.
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