tessa.ai

What It Is

TESSA is an early-stage architecture and real estate design tool operated by 9seconds LTD. It positions itself as a single application that combines a “full consultant team” with a suite of design evaluation tools. The platform focuses on multifamily residential projects of 3 to 25 storeys, generating buildable design options within minutes while also providing cost and carbon metrics. It is aimed at landowners, developers, architects, and managed consulting clients.

Core Capabilities

Based on the official website, TESSA is not just about drawing schemes. Its core value lies in automated evaluation around residential site capacity, feasibility, cost, carbon emissions, and structural solutions. Landowners can search for sites by location or Land Registry title to quickly understand development potential. Developers can adjust project brief requirements and view changes to design options, costs, and carbon metrics in real time. Architects can use it to reduce speculative and repetitive concept design work, then collaborate on results with clients, consultants, and planning authorities. Its outputs are also described as being based on optimized apartment layouts and an approved modular construction system, with support for export to standard BIM software.

Pricing and Trial

The official website only offers a request demo option. It does not disclose subscription pricing, per-project fees, enterprise licensing, free quotas, or self-service trials. For budget-sensitive small and medium-sized teams, this adds uncertainty before procurement and means that feature boundaries and pricing need to be confirmed through a sales or demo process.

Pros and Cons

The main advantage is its highly vertical focus. It is well suited to rapid early-stage assessment for residential development, bringing design, cost, carbon, and structural feasibility into the same workflow and reducing early reliance on a full consultant team. For architects, BIM export and the collaboration model also have practical value. The limitations are that the website does not disclose details about the underlying AI models, algorithm validation methods, API capabilities, or data privacy. Its scope is also limited to 3- to 25-storey multifamily housing, and its cost and carbon data depend on its modular construction system. Suitability for other regions, non-modular projects, or non-residential developments still needs to be verified.

Who It’s For and Access from China

TESSA is better suited to landowners, developers, architecture firms, and institutional clients that need to evaluate sites in bulk for multifamily residential development in the UK or similar markets. The official website does not state access conditions from China, nor does it disclose payment methods. If using it from China, teams should further confirm network accessibility, data compliance, BIM format compatibility, and adaptation to local construction cost and carbon data. Comparable alternatives include Autodesk Forma, TestFit, Finch, Hypar, and others.