Finch 3D

What is Finch 3D?

Finch 3D is an AI design platform that helps architects generate and compare floor plans, unit mixes and building layouts early in a project. The company now markets it simply as Finch, an AI-native tool for building design.

The workflow begins with your own standards. Firms load past plans into a library and encode accessibility rules, local codes and internal constraints. Finch then fills a massing with layouts, shows performance figures as you change the design, and exports the chosen option as a BIM model for tools such as Revit or ArchiCAD. Supported building types on the website are master plans, residential schemes, high-rises and offices.

Finch is run by ArchFinch AB, a Swedish company whose terms fall under Swedish law with Malmö City Court as the venue. The homepage names Martin Kretz, Pamela Nunez Wallgren and Jesper Wallgren as founders, and its customers page claims more than 130,000 projects created in over 70 countries. One directory dates the first public release to November 2022.

Key Features

Rule-aware plan generation is the core of Finch, because every layout it proposes is checked against the codes and standards your firm has encoded.

• Floor plan generation: Finch fills a building massing with apartment or office layouts in minutes. Designers move from a feasibility outline to a detailed plan without drawing every wall by hand.
• Unit mix optimisation: The tool proposes unit mixes and circulation that fit a target brief. The Basic plan lists optimised unit mix and circulation generation, which helps residential teams balance apartment sizes against core layouts.
• Plan library: Firms store approved plans from past projects in a shared repository. Nordic Office of Architecture says it holds over 300 quality-controlled plans there, so new schemes reuse proven layouts.
• Encoded compliance: Accessibility rules, local codes and internal constraints are written into the design system. Generated options are then checked against those rules, which reduces errors caught late in a review.
• Archie AI agent: An assistant called Archie handles fiddly edits such as exact door placement and compliance checks. It also keeps changes consistent across linked units, so one correction spreads through repeated floors.
• BIM export: Finch builds a BIM model from the chosen option and sends it to your main authoring tool. The company says no redrawing is required, which saves a handover step between concept and documentation.

Pros

Speed of iteration is why practices adopt Finch: it replaces days of manual replanning with thousands of options that respond to changes in real time.

• Faster option studies: Teams can compare many massing and layout variants in one session. A user quoted on the product page reports producing several iterations in the time one used to take.
• Firm knowledge reused: The plan library turns an archive of past projects into a working resource. Dark Arkitekter says it helps the practice draw on that archive with consistent quality.
• Works with existing software: Connections to Rhino, Grasshopper, Revit, ArchiCAD and Forma keep Finch inside current workflows. Designers do not have to abandon the modelling tools their teams already know.
• Genuine free plan: A single user can access all editing tools and real-time performance metrics at no cost. That lets an architect test the approach on a live scheme before involving management.
• Early compliance checks: Encoded rules flag problems while options are still cheap to change. This reduces the risk of a layout failing an accessibility or code review late in design.

Cons

Cost is the main hurdle with Finch, since plan libraries, AI generation and BIM export sit in an Enterprise tier from €14,500 a year.

• Key features gated: AI floor plan generation, firm-wide libraries, compliance checks and custom BIM export appear only in Enterprise. Small studios on Basic get editing and unit mix tools but not the full system.
• Three-seat minimum: Enterprise requires at least three users and starts at €14,500 a year. A sole practitioner who wants AI generation pays for seats they may not need.
• Setup takes effort: Results depend on how well your rules and past plans are encoded. Expect time spent building the library before generated layouts match your house style.
• Narrow building types: The website lists master plans, residential, high-rise and office projects. Schools, hospitals or complex mixed-use programmes may not suit the tool without a good deal of extra work.
• Old terms and few documents: The terms of use we read were last updated in April 2021 and say little about AI training on user data. Firms should request a data processing agreement before uploading client work.

Who is Using Finch 3D?

Nordic architecture practices are Finch’s most visible users, with Dark Arkitekter, Nordic Office of Architecture and Sweco Denmark quoted on its website.

• Residential architects: Housing teams generate unit mixes and apartment layouts for feasibility studies. They compare yield and layout quality across options quickly.
• Large practices: Firms with many offices use Enterprise to share one plan library. It keeps standards consistent across teams and projects.
• Engineering consultancies: Multidisciplinary firms such as Sweco use Finch in early planning. They test massing and programme variants before detailed design.
• Computational designers: Specialists working in Rhino and Grasshopper connect Finch to their scripts. They add generated plans to parametric workflows.

Pricing

Finch charges in euros, from a free single-user plan to Enterprise from €14,500 a year for three seats (official prices, October 2026).

Futurepedia still calls Finch invite-only with prices on request, and one directory quotes $79 rather than €79, so trust the official page.

Disclaimer: VAT and exchange rates change the final bill, so confirm the quote for your country and seat count before signing.

What Makes Finch 3D Unique?

Encoded design systems are Finch’s real differentiator: rather than producing generic AI floor plans, it generates options from your own approved plans and rules. The output therefore resembles the firm’s previous work instead of a stock template.

Its handover to BIM is the second distinction. Many early-stage generative tools stop at massing or images, while Finch passes a structured model to Revit, ArchiCAD and other tools. That keeps feasibility work useful once a project moves into documentation.

Compatibilities and Integrations

Finch connects to five common design tools, Rhino, Revit, Grasshopper, Forma and ArchiCAD, according to its product page.

• Modelling tools: Rhino and Grasshopper support parametric and massing work. One directory describes two-way 3D data streaming with them.
• BIM authoring: Revit and ArchiCAD receive generated BIM models. This avoids manual redrawing at the end of concept design.
• Autodesk Forma: Forma appears among supported tools for early site and massing studies. Check the depth of this link during a demo.
• Enterprise security: SSO and data ownership options are listed for Enterprise. Lower plans do not mention SSO.

Finch 3D Tutorials

A first trial takes six steps and is easiest on the free plan using a residential scheme you already know.

1. Create a free account on the Finch website.
2. Import or draw a building massing for a known project.
3. Set the unit types, sizes and key rules you want to test.
4. Generate layouts and compare the live performance figures.
5. Refine the best option by editing walls, doors and units.
6. Send the result to Rhino, Revit or ArchiCAD and review it there.

How We Rated It

Finch 3D earns 4.0 out of 5 thanks to strong BIM integrations and rule-aware generation, held back by a steep Enterprise price.

Summary

Finch 3D suits residential and office architects who want to test many floor plan options early and carry the result into BIM. Its encoded rules and plan library make generated layouts look like the firm’s own work. The main limitation is cost, since AI generation and BIM export sit in an Enterprise plan from €14,500 a year. Smaller studios can still learn a lot from the free plan and the €79 Basic tier. Run one past project through the free plan first, then compare its options with what your team actually built.