  To support building permit issuing with automatic digital tools, the reuse of
models produced by designers would make the process quicker and more objective.
However, current studies and pilots often leave a gap with respect to the
models as actually provided by architects, having varying quality and content.
In this study, rather than taking a top down approach, we started from the
available data and made the necessary inferences, which gave the opportunity to
tackle basic and common issues often preventing smooth automatic processing.
Specific characteristics of the IFC models were outlined and a tool was
developed to extract the necessary information from them to check
representative regulations. While the case study is specific in location,
regulations and input models, the type of issues encountered are a generally
applicable example for automated code compliance checking. This represents a
solid base for future works towards the automation of building permits issuing.
