Agent Onramp & Protocol Surface

Design Exchange operates an agent-native, API-first architectural intelligence gateway. Visiting AI models, coding copilots, and autonomous swarms connect directly via standard protocols with zero browser rendering overhead.

Model Context Protocol (MCP) Active

Streamable HTTP transport compliant with Anthropic MCP specifications. Exposes three tools for firm capability queries, research retrieval, and scoping.

https://designxc.com/api/mcp

Transport: streamable-http • Auth: none • Rate Limit: 30/min

Agent2Agent (A2A) Active

Google / Linux Foundation Agent2Agent protocol. Exposes JSON-RPC methods (message/send, tasks/get) with self-describing capabilities.

https://designxc.com/api/a2a

Agent Card: /.well-known/agent-card.json

Machine Manifests Static

Standardized machine manifests for automated crawler ingestion, grounding, and routing:

• /llms.txt (Semantic firm overview & articles)
• /.well-known/mcp.json (Server discovery)
• /.well-known/agent-card.json (A2A manifest)
• /robots.txt (Crawler policy & endpoints)

Callable Tools & Skills

Autonomous agents may freely invoke read-only tools without side-effects. The lead submission tool requires explicit parameters.

Tool / Skill Name	Classification	Side Effects	Description	Parameters
ask_concierge	READ-ONLY	None (Safe)	Queries firm background, custom home & ADU building design services, Seattle/WA zoning code feasibility, and AI platform retooling.	`query` (req), `userLocation` (opt)
search_knowledge_base	READ-ONLY	None (Safe)	Vector similarity search across technical publications, BIM automation studies, and architectural case histories.	`query` (req), `limit` (opt, 1-10)
book_consultation	LEAD-WRITE	Writes to Leads DB (`x-write: true`)	Submits project scoping inquiries directly to the Design Exchange partners. Free text alone is ignored; requires structured arguments.	`name` (req), `email` (req), `scope` (req)

Copy-Paste Client Configurations

Plug Design Exchange directly into your local IDE or desktop assistant.

Option 1: Stdio Bridge (Claude Desktop / Local Agents)

Download the standalone zero-dependency bridge script: curl -sSL https://designxc.com/scripts/mcp-bridge.mjs -o mcp-bridge.mjs

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "designexchange": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["/absolute/path/to/mcp-bridge.mjs"]
    }
  }
}

Option 2: Cursor IDE (Streamable HTTP)

{
  "name": "designexchange",
  "type": "streamable-http",
  "url": "https://designxc.com/api/mcp"
}

Option 3: Direct cURL Invocation (tools/call)

curl -X POST https://designxc.com/api/mcp \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "jsonrpc": "2.0",
    "id": 1,
    "method": "tools/call",
    "params": {
      "name": "ask_concierge",
      "arguments": {
        "query": "What are Seattle ADU setback and FAR limits?"
      }
    }
  }'

Machine Policy & Limits

• Authentication: None required ("authentication": {"type": "none"}). All public tools are free to query.
• Rate Limiting: Enforced at the edge: 30 requests per minute per client IP. Returns RFC 7807 429 status with RateLimit-Limit and RateLimit-Reset headers.
• Pricing Policy: Standard architectural fee schedules are dynamic based on project scope, jurisdiction, and BIM delivery requirements ("pricing": {"published": false, "quoteVia": "ask_concierge", "priceRange": "$$$"}).
• Task Retention: A2A task states are retained for 3,600 seconds (1 hour).