Question 1

What is Adjacency Lab?

Accepted Answer

Adjacency Lab is a space-planning tool for architecture and interior design workflows. It combines bubble diagrams, adjacency matrices, layout planning, project sheets, building code references, and export tools in one workspace. You can add spaces, define relationships, organize departments, use physics-based layouts, and keep the diagram and matrix synced while you design.

Question 2

How do I get started with Adjacency Lab?

Accepted Answer

Sign up, open the editor, and create a project. Add spaces manually, start from a building type template, or use AI to generate space definitions and matrix suggestions. Then refine the relationships in the Bubble Canvas or Matrix Canvas and export when your diagram is ready.

Question 3

Who is this tool for?

Accepted Answer

Adjacency Lab is built for architecture students, thesis studios, architects, interior designers, planners, and educators who need to organize space programs, test adjacencies, prepare diagrams, reference code data, and create presentation-ready planning graphics.

Question 4

Is there a desktop app available?

Accepted Answer

There is no native desktop app yet, but you can install Adjacency Lab as a Progressive Web App in supported browsers such as Chrome or Edge. It opens in its own window, can appear in your dock or Start menu, and updates automatically when the web app updates.

Question 5

Can I use Adjacency Lab offline?

Accepted Answer

Yes, and the simplest answer is to work from a file: a project saved to your own computer with Ctrl+S opens and works with no connection at all, because there is nothing to fetch. A project stored in your account is more conditional. It can be opened offline only if this device has already downloaded it once, so if you know you will be without signal, open what you need while you still have a connection or save a copy to a file. Once a project is open, editing offline is safe either way: changes are written to this device and sync to your account by themselves the moment you reconnect, the header reads "Saved on this device" rather than warning you, and you can close the tab without losing the queued save. Two things do wait for a connection: sharing, folders and collaborator changes, and a very large project, which cannot sit in the offline queue and saves itself when you are back. Free AI definitions are generated on-device by the built-in space engine, so they keep working without a connection; paid plans add the richer cloud model with offline as a fallback.

Question 6

Can I export my diagrams for presentations?

Accepted Answer

Yes. You can export PNG and JPG images on free and paid plans. Paid plans unlock full export formats, including SVG, PDF, and DXF. PNG exports include quality presets up to 4x, and spreadsheet data can also be exported to CSV.

Question 7

Can I customize the colors and styles?

Accepted Answer

Yes. You can customize bubble colors, opacity, borders, line styles, legend settings, typography, labels, group styling, color palettes, and theme preferences. Color-blind display modes are also available for better accessibility.

Question 8

Can I import existing floor plans?

Accepted Answer

Yes. The Reference Image Underlay lets you upload a floor plan or site image as a background layer. You can adjust opacity, scale, and position, then lock the image so it does not move while you arrange your spaces.

Question 9

What file formats are supported for export?

Accepted Answer

Supported exports include PNG, JPG, SVG, PDF, DXF, JSON, CSV for sheet data, and calculator computation breakdowns. PNG and JPG are available on the free plan with weekly limits; SVG, PDF, and DXF are premium export formats.

Question 10

Is there an undo/redo function?

Accepted Answer

Absolutely. We support standard undo/redo shortcuts (Ctrl/Cmd + Z and Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + Z) so you can experiment with different layouts without fear of losing your work.

Question 11

Can I group bubbles together?

Accepted Answer

Yes. You can create visual groups for departments or related spaces using blob, rectangle, or circle group shapes. Groups support custom fill color, opacity, border style, label positioning, locking, hiding, and multi-group batch editing.

Question 12

Do you support keyboard shortcuts?

Accepted Answer

Yes, we have a full set of keyboard shortcuts for common actions like adding bubbles, creating connections, deleting items, and navigating the canvas. You can view the full list in the Help menu within the editor.

Question 13

Can I change the shape of the bubbles?

Accepted Answer

Yes. The Bubble Canvas supports circular and rectangular space shapes, and the group system supports blob, rectangle, and circle containers for organizing related spaces.

Question 14

Is there a dark mode for the editor?

Accepted Answer

Yes! The editor interface fully supports both light and dark modes, so you can work comfortably in any lighting environment. Your preference is saved automatically.

Question 15

Can I save my custom color palettes?

Accepted Answer

Yes, you can create and save custom color palettes to reuse across different projects. This ensures consistency in your presentation graphics.

Question 16

Does it work with CAD or BIM software?

Accepted Answer

Yes. You can export SVG for vector editing or DXF for CAD workflows. DXF export is a premium feature and includes unit selection so the exported geometry can be used as a reference in AutoCAD and other CAD tools.

Question 17

Can I start from templates or presets?

Accepted Answer

Yes. The template library includes 22 building types with small, medium, and large variants. Spaces are organized by department with code references. The presets library also includes curated visual styles and 80+ special presets on paid plans.

Question 18

What are the different canvas views?

Accepted Answer

There are three main views: Bubble Canvas for force-simulated adjacency diagrams, Matrix Canvas for grid-based relationship editing, and Layout Canvas for scale-based planning with measurements and sheet integration.

Question 19

Does it integrate with Revit or Rhino?

Accepted Answer

Direct Revit or Rhino plugins are not available yet. For now, export SVG or DXF and bring the diagram into CAD, BIM, or illustration software as a reference underlay.

Question 20

Can I export to AutoCAD (DXF/DWG)?

Accepted Answer

Yes. DXF export is available on paid plans. Before exporting, you can select the drawing unit, such as meters, centimeters, millimeters, feet, or inches. DWG export is not listed as a supported format; use DXF for CAD transfer.

Question 21

How do I print to scale?

Accepted Answer

Since bubble diagrams are conceptual, they are typically 'not to scale' in the traditional sense. However, our PDF export allows you to set a paper size, ensuring your diagram fits perfectly on your desired sheet.

Question 22

Can I sync with Google Sheets?

Accepted Answer

Adjacency Lab does not sync directly with external Google Sheets. Instead, your program data lives in the built-in project sheet, and you can export that sheet data to CSV to open in Google Sheets, Excel, or any spreadsheet app.

Question 23

Does Adjacency Lab include FF&E planning?

Accepted Answer

Yes. The sheet workflow includes FF&E fields, and the FF&E Shopping Modal supports furniture, fixture, and equipment browsing, category filters, favorites, quantity adjustment, room-based recommendations, custom items, and shopping list export.

Question 24

Can I share my projects with others?

Accepted Answer

Yes, on every paid plan. You can share a project, or an entire project group, with specific people, and see everything shared with you under 'Shared With Me.' What sharing is not is live co-editing: there is no shared cursor and no merging of two people's changes, so a project is meant to be worked on by one person at a time. Everything is shared privately with the people you name; there is no public gallery.

Question 25

What is included in the free plan?

Accepted Answer

The free plan saves your work as files on your computer, as many as you like, with 10 offline AI definitions per day, up to 10 spaces per project, and PNG/JPG exports with a limit of 3 downloads per week. Projects saved into your account, which sync across your devices, are part of the paid plans.

Question 26

What do paid plans unlock?

Accepted Answer

Paid plans increase or remove project limits, unlock more AI usage, provide unlimited downloads, and enable premium formats such as SVG, PDF, and DXF. Paid plans also unlock premium features such as the full Code Library and its 33 design calculators, the AI codes assistant tab, advanced building type templates, unlimited spaces per project, and 80+ special presets.

Question 27

What is the difference between Plus and Pro, and how do I move up?

Accepted Answer

Pro is Plus with four times the AI, 1,600 definitions and 200 matrix fills a day (up to 20,000 and 2,000 a month), and up to 6 devices instead of 3. Everything else is the same. If you pay for Plus by card, open Account, go to Plan & Billing and choose Upgrade to Pro: you move up on the subscription you already have and keep your billing term, the difference for the rest of the current period is charged now, and renewals after that are at the Pro price. A founding member moves to Pro's founding price. If your Plus is not a card subscription, choose Pro on the Pricing page instead.

Question 28

How many devices can I use my plan on?

Accepted Answer

Free covers 1 device at a time, Plus covers 3 and Pro covers 6. If you subscribed to Plus before September 20, 2026, you keep unlimited devices, because that is what you bought, and renewing does not change it. The retired Starter Weekly plan stays at 2 and Lifetime is unlimited. A device means a browser profile, so every tab on one computer counts once, and one you have not used for 7 days stops counting. Going over your limit never blocks you: the device you used least recently is signed out instead, and you can sign back in on it any time.

Question 29

Do subscriptions auto-renew?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Plus and Pro, monthly and annual, renew automatically at the end of each term until you cancel, and the checkout says so before you pay. To stop, cancel any time from Account, under Plan & Billing, and you keep access until the term you have already paid for runs out.

Question 30

What payment methods are supported?

Accepted Answer

Card, including Visa, Mastercard, Apple Pay and Google Pay, from anywhere. Payment is taken on the page of Polar, our payment provider, in US dollars, and your bank converts it at its own rate if your card is in another currency. Promo codes are entered on that same payment page.

Question 31

How does payment actually work, and how long does activation take?

Accepted Answer

It is immediate. You choose a plan, are taken to our payment provider's own page, pay there, and your plan is usually active before the browser has finished bringing you back. The page you land on waits for the confirmation rather than guessing, and tells you plainly if anything is taking longer than it should.

Question 32

Who is charging me, and whose name appears on my statement?

Accepted Answer

Polar. They are our payment provider and the merchant of record, which means they are the legal seller for that transaction: they charge the card, issue the invoice, and collect and remit any tax due where you live. Your statement will read Polar rather than Adjacency Lab, so it is worth knowing that before you see it, and refunds or billing disputes are handled through them.

Question 33

Do you store my card details?

Accepted Answer

No, and we never see them. Card details are typed on our payment provider's own page, not on this site, so nothing about your card passes through Adjacency Lab or is stored here. Changing the card on a renewing subscription is done in their customer portal, which you can reach from Account, under Plan & Billing.

Question 34

Do the prices include tax?

Accepted Answer

Yes. VAT, GST or sales tax is worked out for the country you are buying from and is already inside the price you are quoted, rather than being added at the end, so the figure on the checkout is the figure you pay. The invoice from our payment provider shows the breakdown if you need it for accounting.

Question 35

How do I cancel a subscription that renews?

Accepted Answer

Open Account, go to Plan & Billing, and choose Manage subscription. That opens our payment provider's customer portal, where you can cancel, change the card, and download past invoices. Cancelling stops the next charge and nothing else: you keep everything until the term you have already paid for ends, and the account screen changes to say the date that happens.

Question 36

Can I pause my subscription instead of cancelling it?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Open Account, go to Plan & Billing, choose Manage subscription, and pause it in our payment provider's customer portal. Pausing stops the next charge rather than the current term: you keep paid access until the term you have already paid for ends, and after that the account runs on the free plan's limits until you resume. Nothing you have made is deleted while it is paused. Resuming from the same portal starts a new term and charges you straight away, on the same subscription and at the same price, so a founding price stays yours.

Question 37

What is the founding price, and will mine go up later?

Accepted Answer

The first 50 paying accounts buy at the founding price and keep it for as long as they keep paying: $10 a month or $99 a year on Plus, $20 a month or $199 a year on Pro. After those 50 are claimed the price becomes $14 or $140 on Plus and $29 or $290 on Pro for new customers. The 50 places are shared by both plans and belong to the person, so a founding member who moves from Plus to Pro pays Pro's founding price. If you are one of the 50, your renewals stay at the price you signed up at: your subscription is held against the founding product at our payment provider, so the lower price is what it charges every term rather than something we have to remember to honour. The seat is yours once claimed and is not released if you cancel, so coming back later still costs you the founding price. The pricing page shows how many places are left, and that number is the real count of paid accounts, not a marketing figure.

Question 38

Can I get a refund?

Accepted Answer

Yes, within the windows in our Refund Policy at /refunds. A new paid plan is refundable in full for 7 days, for any reason, and so is a renewal you did not intend, counted from that charge. The one thing the window does not cover is buying the plan for the paid work and asking for the money back afterwards, so an unusual volume of premium exports just before the request can reduce or end it. Ordinary use never counts against you. Duplicate charges and payments that never activated a plan are refunded whenever you report them. Email billing@adjacencylab.com with the date and amount of the charge and we reply within 2 business days; on a card purchase we approve the refund with Polar, who issued the invoice, and it lands back on the card in 5 to 10 business days. A refund ends the paid access it paid for right away, but nothing you have made is deleted.

Question 39

Do you offer educational licenses for schools?

Accepted Answer

Yes! We love supporting architecture and design schools. Contact us for information about bulk licenses and educational discounts for entire studios or departments.

Question 40

What happens to my data if I cancel my subscription?

Accepted Answer

Nothing is deleted. Your paid access ends when the term you have paid for runs out, whether that is because you cancelled a renewing plan or because a one-off term simply expired. Every project stays in your account exactly as you left it. What changes is what you can do with them: the free plan's limits apply again, and premium features such as the Code Library, the calculators and the premium export formats stop being available until you buy another term.

Question 41

Are there download limits?

Accepted Answer

Free users can export 3 PNG or JPG downloads per week. Paid tiers include unlimited downloads and access to the full export formats.

Question 42

Is my data secure?

Accepted Answer

Absolutely. Your diagrams are stored securely in the cloud using industry-standard encryption. You own your data, and we never share it with third parties without your permission.

Question 43

Does it work on tablets or iPads?

Accepted Answer

Yes. The interface includes mobile and tablet responsive layouts, touch-friendly controls, mobile-optimized modals, and tab-based mobile navigation. Desktop browsers are still recommended for the most complete editing experience.

Question 44

Is there a limit to the number of spaces I can add?

Accepted Answer

Free projects support up to 10 spaces per project, and the Weekly (Starter) plan raises that to 50. Plus, monthly or annual, unlocks unlimited spaces per project. For readability and performance, very large diagrams are still easier to manage when split by zone, department, or phase.

Question 45

My diagram is lagging, what should I do?

Accepted Answer

If you have a very large number of bubbles (>100), the physics simulation might slow down. Try pausing the simulation (Spacebar) when you're not actively rearranging bubbles, or break your diagram into smaller zones.

Question 46

Which browsers are supported?

Accepted Answer

We support all modern browsers, including Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge. For the best performance, we recommend using the latest version of Chrome or Edge.

Question 47

How do I report a bug?

Accepted Answer

Open the account menu (your avatar, top right) in the editor and choose Report a Bug under Help & Info. The form attaches your app version and browser details for you.

Question 48

How do I suggest a feature?

Accepted Answer

You can submit feature requests through the roadmap or support channels. User feedback helps prioritize improvements to templates, exports, AI tools, code references, and workflow integrations.

Question 49

Can I roll back to an older version of a project?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Version history and rollback tools are included so you can review previous saved states and restore an earlier version when needed.

Question 50

What AI features are included?

Accepted Answer

Adjacency Lab includes an AI Definition Generator, AI Matrix Filler, AI Connection Suggestions, and AI Standard Sizes Generator. AI suggestions can use Balanced, Conservative, or Aggressive density modes depending on how many relationships you want suggested.

Question 51

Are there AI usage limits?

Accepted Answer

Yes. The free plan includes 10 offline AI definitions per day (synthesized on-device, resetting daily); AI matrix fills are a paid feature. Paid plans use the richer cloud model: Weekly gets 200 cloud definitions and 25 matrix fills a day, Plus gets 400 and 50, and Pro gets 1,600 and 200 (with a monthly ceiling of 20,000 and 2,000). The daily counts reset at midnight UTC and are held per account rather than per device. The two features that cost us money to run are the only ones metered; offline definitions and standard sizes are unlimited on every plan, because they are served from data bundled in the app.

Question 52

Can AI suggest standard room sizes?

Accepted Answer

Yes. The AI Standard Sizes Generator can recommend dimensions for spaces based on the selected building type and planning context, helping you move from early program data toward more realistic space requirements.

Question 53

Can AI fill my adjacency matrix?

Accepted Answer

Yes. The AI Matrix Filler can auto-populate adjacency relationships, and AI Connection Suggestions can review your diagram for missing or likely relationships. You can still edit every relationship manually afterward.

Question 54

Can I control how many AI connections are suggested?

Accepted Answer

Yes. AI connection suggestions include Balanced, Conservative, and Aggressive density modes so you can choose whether the tool suggests fewer critical links or a broader set of possible relationships.

Question 55

What is the Code Library?

Accepted Answer

The Code Library (/designtools) is a searchable reference of Philippine building regulations built right into Adjacency Lab. It contains 9 code databases, including the National Building Code, Fire Code, Accessibility Law (BP 344), Green Building Code, housing and subdivision rules, healthcare guidance, transportation guidance, and the Architecture Act. Every visible section is deep-linkable, bookmarkable, and searchable.

Question 56

What building codes are included?

Accepted Answer

The library covers the National Building Code (PD 1096 and IRR), Fire Code of the Philippines (RA 9514), Accessibility Law (BP 344, updated to the 2024 Revised IRR), Philippine Green Building Code, Housing and Land Use rules (BP 220 / RA 7279), Subdivision Regulations (PD 957), DOH healthcare guidance, DOTr standards, and the Architecture Act (RA 9266).

Question 57

What design calculators are available?

Accepted Answer

There are 33 interactive calculator tools: occupant load, parking, fire exit width and count, fire sprinkler, fire alarm, fire pump, ramp design, stair design, elevator sizing, ventilation, HVAC, building height and area, lighting power density, acoustics, solar PV, OTTV and RTTV, pneumatic waste, water demand and tank sizing, septic tank and STP sizing, storm drainage, rainwater harvesting, zoning envelope, FLAR and development controls, setbacks, subdivision open space, turning radius, structural, building cost estimation, permit and fee estimation, hospital room sizing, airport design, floating structures, and sightline and tiered seating. Each tool includes interactive inputs, formula breakdowns, code references where applicable, SVG diagram output, and export-to-image support. The calculators are a premium feature included with any paid plan.

Question 58

How do you make sure calculator data and computations are accurate?

Accepted Answer

We prioritize official regulations, standards, and recognized technical references. Each calculator shows its formula, substituted values, units, assumptions, and source so the result can be checked independently. Core calculation rules are regression-tested against known results, boundary values, unit conversions, and calculation branches. Regulatory requirements are kept separate from editable planning factors. Results still support preliminary planning, so project conditions, local amendments, and authority interpretations must be confirmed by the responsible licensed professional and approving authority before permitting or construction.

Question 59

Can I save code sections for my project?

Accepted Answer

Yes! The Code Notebook feature lets you compile relevant code sections into project-specific notebooks. Create multiple project notebooks, add personal notes to each entry, reorder sections, and export as a text file. The Insights tab also provides smart suggestions: it cross-references related codes and detects topic patterns to recommend sections you may have missed.

Question 60

Are the codes up to date?

Accepted Answer

We regularly update the code databases to reflect the latest revisions. Most recently, all BP 344 accessibility data was completely overhauled to match the official 2024 Revised IRR published by NCDA, including major corrections to ramp slopes, accessible parking widths, restroom dimensions, and handrail specifications. Always verify against the latest official IRR for compliance.

Question 61

Can I deep-link to a specific code section?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Every section in the Code Library has a unique anchor ID. Click the link icon on any heading to copy a direct URL (e.g., /designtools#nbc-occupancy-classification). You can share these links with classmates, embed them in your documentation, or bookmark them for quick access.

Question 62

Do I need a paid plan to access the Code Library?

Accepted Answer

Yes. The Code Library and its design calculators are premium features available on Plus and Pro, monthly or annual. They are not included in the Weekly plan or the free plan.

Adjacency Lab frequently asked questions