The construction industry is living through a structural contradiction. On one hand, architects, engineers and builders have access to advanced 3D tools, BIM platforms and visualization engines. On the other, most real projects still crawl through a slow and largely manual transition from traditional 2D drawings to coordinated 3D models that teams can actually build from.

Plans are redrawn, geometry is rebuilt from scratch, layers are reorganized, and disciplines are manually aligned. Clashes are discovered late, after decisions have already been made. Clients wait days or weeks for updated views. Firms invest in software, hardware and training, yet still feel trapped in workflows that were never designed for the speed modern construction demands.

Empoli was founded to resolve this bottleneck at its source.

Using artificial intelligence, Empoli converts 2D AutoCAD drawings or even flat floor-plan images into intelligent 3D models for Revit and SketchUp. In many cases, this process reduces manual modeling time by up to 80%, freeing teams to focus on design quality and coordination instead of repetitive reconstruction work.

Once in 3D, projects can move seamlessly into Empoli’s real-time, cloud-based environment, where architects, builders and clients collaborate inside an interactive model rather than exchanging static files. From early concept to pre-construction, the platform is designed to keep everyone aligned around the same live, evolving representation of the project.

Taking the 2D-to-3D Bottleneck Off the Table

Traditional 2D-to-3D workflows are filled with invisible costs. A floor plan arrives from one team, needs to be interpreted by another, then rebuilt in 3D before it can be used for visualization, coordination or BIM. Every handoff introduces potential errors and delays.
Empoli automates this step.

By reading linework, symbols and annotations directly from 2D files or images, Empoli’s AI reconstructs walls, openings, slabs and other core elements as native 3D geometry inside Revit or SketchUp. Instead of starting from a blank model, firms begin with an intelligent base that already reflects the original plan.

This does more than save time. It standardizes and structures the information that flows into later stages of the project, making it easier to coordinate disciplines, detect clashes and generate consistent views. The conversion is not a separate service; it is the foundation of a more connected, data-rich workflow.

“When we remove 80% of the manual modeling time, we are not just accelerating a step,” explains Ferrer, founder of Empoli. “We are changing the economics of how many iterations a team can realistically do, and how early they can bring the client into a fully spatial experience.”

Design Without Downtime: Real-Time Collaboration as the New Standard

Once a project is in 3D, most firms still face another familiar bottleneck: visualization. A single change requested by a client can pause the project for hours. The model must be adjusted, the scene re-exported, materials re-applied and new images or animations rendered. It is slow, hardware-intensive and often impractical in live meetings.

Empoli’s answer is RTR—Real-Time Render—a proprietary cloud-based rendering and collaboration layer that turns static 3D models into live, shared environments.

Instead of relying on local GPUs, Empoli runs heavy rendering processes on its own servers. Teams and clients connect through a browser or dedicated interface and step directly into the model, walking through rooms, corridors and common areas as if the building already existed.

Inside this environment, clients and designers can:

• Change wall and floor textures in real time

• Experiment with lighting scenarios and time-of-day effects

• Rearrange furniture layouts and test different configurations

• Upload their own material libraries and design assets

• Explore the entire project through VR headsets or Meta glasses

Every adjustment is reflected instantly, even for large and complex models. Instead of a sequence of disconnected approvals, the design process becomes a continuous, interactive dialogue.

"When we remove 80% of the manual modeling time, we are not just accelerating a step. We are changing the economics of how many iterations a team can realistically do, and how early they can bring the client into a fully spatial experience."

Behind the scenes, Empoli’s Scene Importer, pixel-streaming technology and AI-driven geometry reconstruction ensure that models from SketchUp, Revit, Blender, 3ds Max and other tools integrate cleanly. By using FBX as a common language for 3D assets, Empoli allows teams to keep working in the software they prefer while still benefiting from a unified, real-time experience.

At the end of a session, all accepted changes are exported back into the original project files, preserving detail and avoiding the common problem of “lost work” between visualization and documentation. The result is a tighter loop between design intent, client feedback and technical delivery.

From BIM Complexity to BIM Intelligence

If 2D-to-3D conversion and visualization represent the first wave of digital transformation, BIM is the second—and often more complex—frontier.

BIM today is inherently multidisciplinary. Structural, mechanical, electrical, plumbing and architectural systems must coexist in a single coordinated model. In practice, however, many firms specialize in just one or two disciplines and outsource the rest. When these different models are finally merged, clashes frequently appear and can take weeks to resolve.

Empoli is building an AI-driven BIM layer to address this challenge.

The platform is being developed to scan multidisciplinary models, detect patterns across different BIM layers, and surface potential conflicts as soon as files are combined. By analyzing geometry, routing and spatial relationships, Empoli aims to highlight high-risk zones early—before they become costly field issues.

“Anyone who has managed large projects knows that design clashes are inevitable when information is fragmented,” says Ferrer. “Our focus is to give teams full visibility from day one, so they can spend their time solving problems, not searching for them.”

This vision is reinforced by Empoli’s unification with MEP Network, a new venture dedicated to mechanical, electrical and plumbing design. Together, the two platforms are building a coordinated ecosystem where architectural, structural and MEP models can be exchanged, analyzed and refined more effectively.

The goal is not to replace existing BIM software, but to augment it with intelligence—detecting issues earlier, centralizing information and giving all stakeholders a shared, up-to-date representation of the project.

Validated in Brazil, Built for the World

While Empoli’s technology is designed with global construction in mind, its first proving ground is Brazil, one of the world’s most dynamic and demanding markets for architecture and real estate development.

The company is actively collaborating with leading architectural firms and furniture manufacturers to integrate its platform into real projects. These partnerships provide more than early revenue; they serve as live laboratories where features are tested, refined and stress-tested under real-world conditions.

One of Brazil’s largest furniture manufacturers, with an established presence in the United States, is partnering with Empoli to integrate its full product library natively into the platform. Designers working inside Empoli can pull from this catalog, configure pieces in context and instantly visualize how they fit within the 3D model.

For manufacturers, this creates a new digital channel where their products are not only seen, but experienced in realistic project environments. For architects and developers, it accelerates the transition from concept to specification, making it easier to align design decisions with actual supply capabilities.

Scaling With Intention

Empoli’s architecture is built on cloud infrastructure designed to handle complex rendering, real-time collaboration and BIM analysis at scale. But the company is deliberately pacing its expansion.

High-fidelity visualization and multiuser sessions require significant computing resources, and the team is focused on scaling responsibly—ensuring that performance, stability and security keep pace with adoption.

In the near term, Empoli is concentrating on large builders, developers and enterprise clients, where the impact of time savings and clash reduction is most pronounced. As its infrastructure grows, the platform will progressively open to a broader base of firms, including mid-sized and boutique practices that want access to the same capabilities without the burden of heavy hardware or complex setup.

A Platform the Industry Will Build On

Empoli’s ambitions extend beyond any single feature. The company envisions a future in which its platform becomes the natural starting point for construction workflows—the place where architects, builders, developers and clients first come together around a project.

“Our vision is for Empoli to become the industry’s go-to platform, the place where every architect, builder and developer begins their project,” says Ferrer. “With its simplicity and real-time capabilities, we believe Empoli will soon stand alongside—and in many cases, ahead of—legacy tools as the smarter, faster way to build.”

Silva, who leads Empoli’s research and development initiatives, draws a parallel to the rapid adoption of AI tools in other sectors. “Just as curiosity about AI assistants quickly turned into everyday reliance, we see Empoli following a similar trajectory in construction,” he explains. “Once teams experience what it feels like to design, coordinate and review in real time, it becomes very hard to go back.”

The ultimate goal is not simply to digitize existing steps, but to redefine how those steps connect. By pairing AI-powered 2D-to-3D conversion with cloud rendering, real-time collaboration and advancing BIM intelligence, Empoli is building more than software.

It is helping to define how the next generation of buildings will be imagined, coordinated and brought to life.