Get your vision understood.

The most expensive phrase in development is “that’s not what I meant.” BuildBrief turns your early-stage housing idea into a professional Development Intent Brief — the numbers, priorities, and architect-ready language that make the professionals you hire understand your project the first time.

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Describe the visionSite, project type, who it’s for, unit mix, character, and what matters most — plain answers.
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Get the briefA one-page intent brief: quick numbers, a massing snapshot, priorities, and pro-ready translation.
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Hand it to your proArchitect, GC, or lender reads it in two minutes and starts in the right place — no lost weeks.
⭐ Pro — $29 one-timePro-translation layer in architect language · five first-meeting questions · print-ready brief
Cedar & Vine — a 12-unit workforce-housing infill on a half-acre corner lot. See how plain answers become a pro-ready brief — then edit anything; it’s yours the moment you type.
Lot size (SF)
Zoning, if known
Studios
1-bedroom
2-bedroom
3-bedroom+
Stories
Parking spaces / unit

A communication document — not architecture, engineering, or zoning advice. Verify all yields and requirements with your design professional and jurisdiction. Nothing you enter leaves this device.

Questions BuildBrief answers

What first-time and early-stage developers ask before they hire anyone.

What does an architect need from me before schematic design starts?
A written statement of intent: the site, the unit or space program, the budget range, the schedule, the parking and access assumptions, and the priorities you will not trade away. Arriving without those means the first billed hours are spent extracting them from conversation, usually twice.
What is a development intent brief?
A short structured document that says what you are trying to build, for whom, at what cost, and what matters most when something has to give. It is not a design. Its job is to let an architect, a general contractor and a lender all start from the same set of facts.
How do I explain my project to a contractor or lender without drawings?
Numbers and priorities, in that order: unit count and mix, gross square footage, target cost per square foot, site constraints you know about, and the three things that decide the project for you. A massing diagram helps them picture scale without implying a design you have not paid for yet.
What is a massing diagram?
A simple block representation of a building's volume, footprint and height on the site — no windows, no materials, no interior layout. It communicates scale and placement while making clear that design decisions are still open, which is exactly the right level of commitment before schematic design.

BuildBrief is free to run in your browser with no account, and it installs — see below to put it on your phone or desktop. Pro is a one-time $29 unlock that adds the printable exhibit, editing and depth — owned forever, not a subscription. Built by NESO, an advisory and tools practice for business and real estate. Questions: send them here.