CERN openlab Whitepaper on Future IT Challenges in Scientific Research

This whitepaper describes the major IT challenges in scientific research at CERN and several other European and international research laboratories and projects. Each challenge is exemplified through a set of concrete use cases drawn from the requirements of large-scale scientific programs. The paper is based on contributions from many researchers and IT experts of the participating laboratories and also input from the existing CERN openlab industrial sponsors. The views expressed in this document are those of the individual contributors and do not necessarily reflect the view of their organisations and/or affiliates

Integrated HBIM-GIS Models for Multi-Scale Seismic Vulnerability Assessment of Historical Buildings

The complexity of historical urban centres progressively needs a strategic improvement in methods and the scale of knowledge concerning the vulnerability aspect of seismic risk. A geographical multi-scale point of view is increasingly preferred in the scientific literature and in Italian regulation policies, that considers systemic behaviors of damage and vulnerability assessment from an urban perspective according to the scale of the data, rather than single building damage analysis. In this sense, a geospatial data sciences approach can contribute towards generating, integrating, and making virtuous relations between urban databases and emergency-related data, in order to constitute a multi-scale 3D database supporting strategies for conservation and risk assessment scenarios. The proposed approach developed a vulnerability-oriented GIS/HBIM integration in an urban 3D geodatabase, based on multi-scale data derived from urban cartography and emergency mapping 3D data. Integrated geometric and semantic information related to historical masonry buildings (specifically the churches) and structural data about architectural elements and damage were integrated in the approach. This contribution aimed to answer the research question supporting levels of knowledge required by directives and vulnerability assessment studies, both about the generative workflow phase, the role of HBIM models in GIS environments and toward user-oriented webGIS solutions for sharing and public use fruition, exploiting the database for expert operators involved in heritage preservation

Values and value in design

Relatively little is known about how concepts of human values and value interact during the construction design process. Whilst researchers of value management have expounded in this context upon the complexity of the design process, problem-solving and sense-making, little is said about the alignment and reconciliation of multiple-stakeholder values and value judgements. An abductive reasoning and a grounded theory approach was adopted that iterated between literature and empirical observation to obtain new insights. The initial phase created a values and value framework and Value in Design (VALiD) approach through seven unstructured interviews, a design workshop, four Schwartz Values Surveys (with 545 participants) and 55 semi-structured interviews. The values and value parts were then separately implemented, developed and validated through action research on five live education capital projects, involving over 250 participants. Subsequently, a middle-range theory of values and value is proposed through theoretical triangulation. This draws on seven related theories to provide greater explanatory pluralism, uncover hidden phenomena and enable convergence. The research findings are significant in focusing soft value management on underlying stakeholder values and subjective value judgements. A more nuanced and intertwined relationship between stakeholder values, attitudes, behaviours and qualities during the design process is offered that promotes compromise and sense-making

The Integration of Architectural Design and Energy Modelling Software

Intelligent and integrated architectural design can substantially reduce carbon dioxide emissions from energy used in buildings. However, architects need new tools to help them to design enjoyable, comfortable, attractive and yet technically rigorous, low energy buildings. This thesis investigates, by means of a Research Through Design approach, how architectural software could be better designed to fulfil this need by the integration of design, energy simulation and decision support systems. The problem domain of the design of buildings with very low energy requirements was analysed. Two case studies were employed to investigate the limitations with current software. User and domain software requirements were recorded and analysed. Conflicting requirements were noted, in particular, dichotomous views of the building model. An investigation was carried out into the different interoperable standards that result in these views and rules on how to compose the building model as a series of Intelligent Spaces proposed. The Intelligent Spaces would be abstract volumes, enclosed by zero thickness surfaces, which have data and rules attached. Early prototyping of integrated software was carried out by means of a series of sketches and diagrammatic examples. The novel feature of the proposal is that it maintains both an abstract and detailed version of the building model through all stages of the building design and use. Key features of the proposed software are: 1) the ability to move iteratively between sketch to detailed design to explore different approaches to the building form and construction, 2) the setting and monitoring of relevant energy targets throughout the different building design stages and 3) the integration of an advisory system linked to energy targets to support decision making. This space based approach to the software has the potential to provide a ‘designerly’ front to the sophisticated processes of a Building Information Modelling environment

Semantic discovery and reuse of business process patterns

Patterns currently play an important role in modern information systems (IS) development and their use has mainly been restricted to the design and implementation phases of the development lifecycle. Given the increasing significance of business modelling in IS development, patterns have the potential of providing a viable solution for promoting reusability of recurrent generalized models in the very early stages of development. As a statement of research-in-progress this paper focuses on business process patterns and proposes an initial methodological framework for the discovery and reuse of business process patterns within the IS development lifecycle. The framework borrows ideas from the domain engineering literature and proposes the use of semantics to drive both the discovery of patterns as well as their reuse

Information Systems and Models for Territorial and Cultural Heritage

The contribution considers in an introductory way synthetic frameworks relating to aspects of the organisation of the information heritage, the nature and format of data with respect to different thematic areas of the Cultural Heritage, the spatial processing of data in order to build digital information models, finally data management and processing environments, today's evolution of information systems. The topics will concern: data formats and coherence of interchange flows (some definitions for the design and implementation of interdisciplinary and multiscalar information systems and models); a brief review of methods and tools for the management and representation of data and information in the field of Cultural Heritage; methods and tools for the representation of models and interpretative conceptual schemes related to complex geodatabases; use of graphic information for technical and non-technical communication