Architecture & engineering

Pitch your project without fear of seeing someone else build it.

Concept studies, plans and renders circulate in meetings, tenders and chat groups before any contract exists. When your idea shows up executed by someone else, proving it's yours — and that it came first — makes all the difference. Record every stage of the project in seconds and bring that proof to any negotiation.

See how it works

The challenge

Where proof usually breaks down

The project leaves the meeting without you

Clients often keep the study, don't sign, and hire someone else to build the same idea.

Tenders without a trail

In competitions, similar entries spark authorship disputes. Without an undeniable date, it's one word against another.

Versions get lost

Successive revisions, renamed files and scattered emails make it hard to show how your work evolved and when.

How Docmint helps

Technical proof that's simple to create and easy to check

Every stage dated

Record from sketch to construction set. The sequence of block-dated records tells the story of your design.

Heavy files, no upload

The hash is computed on your machine, so models and plans of hundreds of megabytes never need to be sent anywhere.

One batch per project

Plans, sections, elevations and renders recorded together in a single transaction, with individual proof per file.

Leverage in negotiation

Mentioning that the study is recorded on a blockchain, with a verifiable receipt, changes any conversation about misuse.

What to record

Files worth recording

Concept studies and scanned sketches
Plans in DWG, PDF or RVT
3D models (SKP, IFC, BLEND) and renders
Specifications and descriptive memos
Client proposals and presentations
Competition and tender entries
Structural calculations and spreadsheets
Site photos and progress reports

Any format works: Docmint records the file's fingerprint, not its content.

In practice: before the client meeting

You've finished the concept study for a house and will present it tomorrow.

1
Export the sheets as PDF and the final renders to a project folder.
2
Record the folder as a batch in Docmint, with the project name and phase in the title.
3
Download the receipts and mention in your proposal that the study is recorded.
4
If the idea is used without you, the records show the work was yours and existed on that date.

Best practices

Record at the end of each phase: concept, design development, construction documents.
Record exported files (PDF, images) as well as native files.
Keep a "Recorded" folder per project with originals and receipts.
Use consistent titles such as "House X — Design development — v2".
Pair the record with a services contract and a copyright clause.

What the law says

Under the Berne Convention, followed by most countries, copyright in architectural and engineering works exists from creation, without registration. The practical challenge is proving authorship and date — which is where Docmint's technical record helps. It does not replace professional or permit filings required by your licensing body.

Frequently asked questions

Should I record the native file or the PDF?

Ideally both. The PDF is what the client receives; the native file shows the origin of the work. Both can go in the same batch.

Do very large files work?

Yes. The computation happens on your computer and only the fingerprint is sent, so file size doesn't matter.

Does it replace professional filings?

No. Mandatory professional filings remain. Docmint is additional proof of authorship and precedence for the design content.

Start with your next file.

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