Create a layered construction — ordered material layers from outside to inside.
AI agents use create_construction to create or update resources in Openstudio — usually the action step of a workflow, after the agent has gathered context. Every call changes real data in your Openstudio environment.
This tool creates new construction objects (layered material definitions) within an OpenStudio building energy model. This is a reversible Write operation—constructions can be modified or deleted later. While it affects simulation results, it does not execute simulations, delete data irreversibly, or involve financial/external system operations.
From the tool's definition Tool name 'create_construction' and description 'Create a layered construction' indicates creation of new data structures within the energy simulation model.
Documented attack patterns abuse exactly the kind of access create_construction gives an agent:
PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway — it sits between your AI agents and Openstudio, and nothing reaches the server without passing your rules. This is the rule we recommend for create_construction:
{
"version": "1",
"default": "deny",
"tools": {
"create_construction": {
"limits": [
{
"counter": "create_construction_rate",
"window": "minute",
"max": 30,
"scope": "grant"
}
]
}
}
}create_construction stays usable, but capped — an agent stuck in a loop can't make hundreds of changes a minute. Everything else on the server is denied unless you say otherwise.
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Create a layered construction — ordered material layers from outside to inside. It is categorised as a Write tool in the Openstudio MCP Server, which means it can create or modify data. Consider rate limits to prevent runaway writes.
Register the Openstudio MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for create_construction: allow, deny, rate-limit, or require approval. Point your MCP client at the PolicyLayer proxy URL and the rule is enforced on every call, before it reaches Openstudio. Nothing to install.
create_construction is a Write tool with medium risk. Write tools should be rate-limited to prevent accidental bulk modifications.
Yes. Add a rate_limit block to the create_construction rule in your PolicyLayer policy. For example, setting max: 10 and window: 60 limits the tool to 10 calls per minute. Rate limits are tracked per agent session and reset automatically.
Set action: deny in the PolicyLayer policy for create_construction. The AI agent will receive a policy violation error and cannot call the tool. You can also include a reason field to explain why the tool is blocked.
create_construction is provided by the Openstudio MCP server (natlabrockies/openstudio-mcp). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.
Start from Openstudio, add the rest of your stack, and see everything your agents can call. Then put policy on all of it.
Free to start. No card required.
146 Openstudio tools catalogued and risk-classified — across an index of 43,000+ MCP servers.