Machine-interpretable standards to help green transition

The British Standards Institution (BSI) and Norway-based software provider Cobuilder have signed an agreement to allow access to machine-interpretable standards information for the British and international built environment sector. The goal is to help the sector strengthen collaboration and get closer to carbon neutrality.

Dan Rossiter, head of built environment at BSI (Photo: BSI)

The objective of the agreement is to digitise the content of BSI standards into a machine-interpretable form to create a common language for people and their software systems. In doing so, the company believes this will close the gap between design, construction, operation and decommissioning.

According to the agreement, Cobuilder will gain access to the standards distributed by BSI and develop purpose-driven data sets. This will mean that the relevant authorities and organisations are given the opportunity to provide trustworthy data for built environment stakeholders through Define Data Dictionary – a software solution that enables organisations to implement international standards for data management.

Dan Rossiter, head of built environment, BSI, said, “Standards are the framework of the built environment; supporting the building regulations as well as providing good practice relating to topics such as fire safety, use of energy, and sustainability. In doing so standards are helping to bring together and support stakeholders across the built environment, accelerating innovation and progress.

“For the sector to deliver on the challenges ahead, it is vital that the good practice within standards is used as the starting point. Making this information available in a machine-interpretable form will provide built environment stakeholders with a common language to face these challenges together.”