amanbh997/skills-architects/geographic-foundations

Geographic Foundations

Auto-activated layer that detects geographic context and routes architectural queries to the correct country-specific regulatory dossier. Loads before any code, life-safety, structural, or planning analysis.

1. Geographic Context Detection

When a user query includes any of the following signals, route to the named country skill before applying generic content from building-codes, fire-life-safety, or accessibility-design.

1.1 Direct Detection Triggers

1.2 Indirect/Inferential Triggers

• Site climate description ("hot-arid", "tropical monsoon", "Mediterranean", "temperate maritime", "subarctic", "humid subtropical") combined with a city name -> resolve city -> country.
• Cultural cue ("vastu compliance", "qibla orientation", "feng shui", "minka", "haveli", "courtyard house with majlis") -> infer country/region (India, MENA, China/HK, Japan, India respectively).
• Standard organisation reference ("BIS spec", "DIN-tested", "JIS-marked", "GB-stamped", "BSI-certified") -> country.
• Regulatory authority name ("Civil Defence approval", "Trakhees", "Tatweer", "MoHUA", "MLIT", "Bauamt") -> country.
• Language cue in proper noun ("brise-soleil"+"ECBC" Indian usage; "rohbau" German; "shikkui" Japanese; "majlis" Arab; "joglo" Indonesian; "shophouse" Singaporean).

1.3 Default Behaviour

If no geographic context is established after the first user message, ask one clarifying question: "Which jurisdiction does this project sit under? It affects code compliance, structural design loads, energy targets, and accessibility standards."

If the user is ambiguous or operating cross-border (international firm, design competition, master-plan study), apply the international reference cluster (IBC + Eurocodes + ASCE 7 + ASHRAE + ISO 21542 accessibility + ISO 23932 fire) and explicitly state the assumption.

2. Global Regulatory Hierarchy

Each country sits in one of five regulatory archetypes. The archetype determines how clause-level questions are answered.

2.1 Archetype A -- Unitary National Code

A single nationally adopted code applies uniformly with no state/municipal variation. Cities adopt by reference.

• Singapore (Building Control Act + Building Control Regulations, administered by BCA centrally)
• Saudi Arabia (Saudi Building Code series SBC 201-1001 issued by SBCNC, mandatory in all regions since 2018)
• France (Code de la construction et de l'habitation; departments adopt by reference -- not in our Tier-1 but for context)

2.2 Archetype B -- National Model + State/Provincial Adoption

A national model code is issued but each state/province adopts a version (or modifies). Practitioner must check the state edition.

• USA (ICC publishes IBC/IRC/IECC/IFC; each state/county adopts a specific year. California adds Title 24; NYC, Chicago, Florida publish significant amendments.)
• Australia (NCC 2022 published by ABCB; each state administers via Building Act, with state-specific variations published as appendices.)
• India (NBC 2016 issued by BIS; states/UTs notify their own Building Bye-Laws and Development Control Regulations -- DCR/DCPR. Code is not legally binding by itself.)
• Canada (NBC of Canada 2020; provinces adopt -- Ontario OBC, BC BCBC, Quebec separate regime. Out of Tier-1.)

2.3 Archetype C -- Federal Framework + State/Land Sovereignty

The country has a federal framework but actual building law is state-sovereign. Each state has its own primary statute.

• Germany (Musterbauordnung MBO is a model only. Each of 16 Lander has its own Landesbauordnung -- e.g., BayBO Bavaria, BauO NRW, BauO Bln Berlin -- which is legally binding. Energy is federal: GEG.)
• UAE (Federal Civil Defence Code applies to fire; each emirate has its own building code: Dubai Building Code 2021, ADIBC Abu Dhabi, etc.)
• UK (Building Regulations 2010 apply to England; Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland have separate regimes -- Welsh AD, Scottish Technical Handbooks, NI Technical Booklets.)

2.4 Archetype D -- Centralised National + Mandatory Strong-Form Clauses

A single national code with "mandatory provisions" that override anything else, plus permissible local supplements.

• China (GB series codes issued by MOHURD; "Mandatory Provisions" (qiangzhixing tiaowen) in red text are legally binding nationally. Cities publish DB local supplements -- DB11 Beijing, DGJ08 Shanghai, DBJ45 Guangxi -- which may only be more stringent.)
• Japan (Building Standards Act + Cabinet Order + MLIT Notifications; designated cities have planning autonomy under City Planning Act but structural and safety provisions are national.)

2.5 Archetype E -- Performance-Based Outcome Regulation

Code prescribes outcomes; deemed-to-satisfy paths are advisory. Engineered solutions admitted via approved verification methods.

• Australia (NCC 2022 fully performance-based; DTS and Performance Solution both legal.)
• UK (Approved Documents 2010+ are guidance; performance route via fire engineering reports under BS 7974, structural performance under EN 1990, etc.)
• New Zealand (NZBC, out of Tier-1.)

Many Tier-1 countries are hybrid: e.g., Japan permits performance verification (Article 38 prior to 1998; replaced by Article 37 type approval and BCJ structural performance evaluation post-1998).

3. Comparison Matrix -- Tier-1 Countries

3.1 Primary Code, Energy Code, Fire Code, Accessibility Code

3.2 Seismic, Wind, Snow Loading Codes