CIAS-DM: A Model-Based, Human-Centered Architectural Modeling Method + Tool

A recent trend in architecture is for the built environment pro-actively contributes to enhancing human health, well-being, performance, and social interactions in measurable, predictable, and adaptable ways. Buildings are becoming interfaces and digital machines and their roles and capabilities are expanding. Accommodating this trend will require architectural design methods and tools to evolve. Sensing, monitoring, actuation, intelligence, and communication subsystems are now integral components of environmental designers’ vocabularies and considerations when designing space and form. At present, the theories, methods, and tools for representing and incorporating these elements during design do not exist. Developing these artifacts is an active area of research. This dissertation focuses on representing the affordances of complex, interactive, architectural systems (CIAS) and proposes, evaluates, and refines the Complex, Interactive, Architectural Systems Design Methodology (CIAS-DM). The purpose of CIAS-DM is to aid designers in making sure they understand the design challenge well at the start of the project. The Validation Square Research Design is used to evaluate CIAS-DM. Results are preliminary, but indicate that using a method similar to CIAS-DM may be useful for helping designers manage the scope of complex,interactive design challenges