It’s 2025, and it blows my mind that the foundational rules (Codes) of an industry that employs over 1.6 million Canadians, contributes $162 billion annually to our national economy, and is responsible for nearly 40% of global greenhouse gases are still so hard to access and nearly impossible to untangle for most (Source – Canadian Construction Association, ‘Value of the Industry’, www.cca-acc.com/about-us/value-of-industry).
I can’t think of a single reason why, in today’s world, this needs to be so hard. Gone are the days I have to direct people to the public library to reference the most recent version of the Codes (I abided (mostly) by copyright infringement laws).
The National Building Code (NBC) is now online, free to view. Yes, it is a 1536 page pdf, but it’s a good start. I worked for ten years in government and know how hard it is to change things from within the system so commend this progress.
But I rarely settle for ‘a good start’, and I’ve been known to be a bit impatient. And if change isn’t happening at the pace I’d like it to, I love playing catalyst.
THE KILO's notes | DIGITIZATION
In Canada, there are five model Codes: National Building Code of Canada (NBC), National Fire Code of Canada (NFC), National Energy Code for Buildings (NECB),
National Plumbing Code of Canada (NPC) and National Farm Building Code of Canada (NFBC). These are typically developed and released on a five year cycle.
The Codes become law once they are adopted by provinces/territories/municipalities, which is typically a few years after release. They may adopt the model Codes as is, adopt mostly as is but with some location specific amendments, or develop their own Code with a large amount of modifications. After the province/territory/municipality has made a Code law, it is then up to each Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ) to interpret and administer it.
This is all important to note, as even though the documents are now available online, depending what geographic location you are working in, the rules change. There are over 5,000 municipalities in Canada, so you can imagine why this may pose a problem.
The other part of the problem is that even though the various rules are now available online, they can be incredibly hard to find on various government websites. Now imagine if all the rules specific to where your construction project was (not just Codes, but all other provincial legislation relating to building and developing, and municipal variations) were at your fingertips. But not all the rules that exist, just the ones you need.
If you can’t imagine it, I’ll tell you what it can look like. It can look like thousands and thousands of pages of words across many documents, condensed into a single, easy to understand, teeny-tiny playbook curated just for you and specific to your project. Wouldn’t that be nice?
AI is doing exactly this in a bajillion other industries. The only reason it has not happened in the Code industry yet is because it takes a special type of person to want to thoroughly understand the complex web of the Codes (I call them Code Geeks), and a whole other sub-brand of Code Geek to believe in the potential so much to take the long-game risk that comes along with the tech industry and invention.
Hi, I’m Kelsey. I am one of that sub-brand. And I’m still here believing in the dream that is a utopian Codes industry.
Next up | Automation
Next post we’ll talk automation. Digitization is great and all, but without automation, getting to that teeny-tiny curated playbook I talked about earlier is near impossible.
Digitizing the Codes really only helps those who already know how to navigate them…which is not a lot of humans. To revolutionize the industry, we need to automate. And to automate, we need an army of Code Geeks to train AI to understand the Shakespearian written labyrinth that is the Canadian Construction Codes. I’ve recruited some of this army. Meet the Villagers. If you are a Code Geek and something has sparked in you reading this, you may be a Villager too. And if you are, I welcome you to the fun side with open arms. All you gotta do is reach out and say hello. I’ll take care of the rest.
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WANT TO DIVE DEEPER?
Digitization is the first of the 6 Ds of Exponential Growth, with Democratization being the end goal. Democratization per its definition of ‘making something accessible to everyone’. I first read about the 6 Ds in 2020, and man did my brain explode. In the best way possible.
I have told Code specialists across the country for years that I’m going to completely Disrupt the status quo (third ‘D’) and they should prepare for change as much of their work will be automated. Their time and energy will need to be shifted towards pushing the industry forward as opposed to regurgitating requirements (that’s what AI is for).
If you read this section and have your doubts and think I’m talking nonsense, this is a completely normal response. We’re in the Deceptive phase (second ‘D’), and it’s how it’s supposed to be.
