Building performance information and graphs approach for the design of floor plans

Abstract

This research focuses on a new workflow between the fields of Space Layout Planning (SLP) and Building Performance Simulation (BPS) for the early stages of building design with the aim of reducing the energy needs of a building and improving indoor environment quality. Parameters of environmental performance requirements, such as temperature, view, acoustics, and so forth, were selected from different international standards. The intention is to link these performance parameters to a graph that supports schematic design tasks during the creation of architectural floor plans. Programming tests were run to add the information to the graph. A prototype for the early stages of the design is presented in which designers can visualize performance information during the schematic design of floor plans for a building. The complete framework for a BIM (Building Information Modeling) application is described and a case study is presented to demonstrate the usability of the concept.

Keywords: building information modeling, space layout planning, floor plan design, building performance simulation, building energy performance, architectural design.