P Perica Savanovic

Multi-Agent System Process Control Ontology

An optimal energy infrastructure is essential for adequate indoor comfort. In the design process of energy infrastructures there is no shared understanding (i.e. an ontology) of the design activities to come to an integral design of building and comfort systems. The purpose of this paper is to achieve an understanding of design activities in the context of designing architecture for Multi agents to optimize process control of the energy infrastructure of a building in relation to its surroundings. This paper presents a perspective of ontology of design activities in the Flexergy project based on the shared understanding by professionals of what each specific design activity entails. The Flexergy project aims to develop a multi-agent concept for innovative process control of a Flex(ible en)ergy infrastructure for buildings in relation to their environment and their internal processes.

Integral Design: The Reflective Morphological Overview

Integral Building Design is done by multi disciplinary design teams and aims at integrating all aspects from the different disciplines involved in a design for a building such as; archtitecture, construction, building physics and building services. It involves information exchange between participants within the design process in amounts not yet known before. To support this highly complex process an Integral Building Design methods is developed based on the combination of a prescriptive approach, Methodical Design, and a descriptive approach, Reflective practice. Starting from the Methodical Design approach by van den Kroonenberg, a more reflective approach is developed. The use of Integral Design within the design process results in a transparency on the taken design steps and the design decisions. Within the design process, the extended prescriptive methodology is used as a framework for reflection on design process itself. To ensure a good information exchange between different disciplines during the conceptual phase of design a functional structuring technique can be used; Morphological Overviews (MO). Morphology provides a structure to give an overview of the consider functions and their solution alternatives. By using this method it is presumed that it helps to structure the communication between the design team members and a such forms a basis for reflection on the design results by the design team members. This method is used in the education program at the Technische Universiteit Eindhoven and was tested in workshops for students and for professionals from the Royal Institute of Dutch Architects (BNA) and the Dutch Association of Consulting Engineers (ONRI). Over 250 professionals participated in these workshops.Copyright

Integral design pedagogy: Representation and process in multidisciplinary master student projects based on workshops for professionals

Abstract The development in (Dutch) building practice necessitates developments in other aspects, besides specialized and professional skills, a new integral approach in education and the introduction of such an approach into building design practice. In 2005, the Faculty of Architecture, Building, and Planning of the University of Technology Eindhoven commenced a multidisciplinary master project on integral design focused on a sustainable climatic design. Students of architecture, building technology, structural engineering, and building services participated in these multidisciplinary master projects. The students began with a 2-day learning-by-practice workshop that was implemented and tested in collaboration with experienced professionals from the Royal Institute of Dutch Architects and the Dutch Association of Consulting Engineers. These workshops have become part of the permanent educational and professional program of the Royal Institute of Dutch Architects. This is one of the few projects in which the practical experience is transferred into the educational academic program and vice versa; normally this process functions only in one of the two directions. The theoretical basis of the design method on which the education of students and professionals is based is discussed and results presented.

Multi Criteria Decision Support for Conceptual Integral Design of Flex(eble)(en)ergy Infrastructure

The use of sustainable energy will soon be the major guiding principle for building and spatial planning practice. This asks for new sustainable energy infrastructures which need new design approaches. Design tools for the energy infrastructure of the built environment in the conceptual phase of design combined with MCDM methods are presently lacking. Integral Design methodology is meant to help by providing methods to communicate the consequences of design steps on the building level for the energy infrastructure. In particular the use of Morphological Overviews, combined with the Kesselring method as a decision support tool, will support the early conceptual steps within the design process and make decisions taken during the design process more transparent. The main objective of this article is not so much identifying and exhaustively summarizing all MCDM methods useful for energy planning, than as a way of examining what to look for in judging the merit of a decision making approach in connection with the design processes within the energy infrastructure of the built environment.

Integral conceptual design workshop: innovation by knowledge transfer and knowledge creation

Innovation in the Building Industry is necessary to meet the new demands of society. In order to enhance team design in the most crucial phase for innovation, the conceptual design phase, a design method is proposed: Integral Design. This design method uses morphological charts which are transformed to a morphological overview as a framework for reflection on the design process itself by the design team and their stakeholders (project managers, clients). This design method supports creation of innovative building design concepts by design knowledge transfer and knowledge creation based on the ‘concept space’ and ‘knowledge space’ of the Concept-Knowledge (C-K) theory of Hatchuel and Weil. To reach for organizational/cultural innovation as well as product and process innovation, the design method was developed in cooperation with the Dutch Society of Architects, BNA, and the Dutch society of consulting engineers, ONRI. One of the main results achieved is the inclusion of the method in workshops for the Royal Institute of Dutch Architects’ permanent professional development program. Already more than 200 professional participated in these workshops.

Multidisciplinary Master Design Projects Based on Workshops for Professionals

The growing complexity in (Dutch) building practice necessitates developments in other aspects, besides specialized and professional skills. Therefore a new integral approach in building design education has been developed in close cooperation with building design practice. In 2005, the building services chair of the Faculty of Architecture, Building and Planning of the TU/e commenced a multidisciplinary master project ‘Integral Design’ focused on a sustainable climatic design. In this and the following Multidisciplinary Master projects students of architecture, building technology, structural engineering and building services participated. The students began with a two days learning-by-practice workshop which was implemented and tested in collaboration with experienced professionals from the Royal Institute of Dutch Architects (BNA) and the Dutch Association of Consulting Engineers (ONRI). This is one of the few projects in which the practical experience is transferred into the educational academic program; normally this process functions the other way around. The theoretical basis of the combined education of students and professionals is discussed and results presented. Quite remarkable is that these workshops by themselves have become part of the permanent professional educational program of the BNA.© 2009 ASME

Design Ontology for Comfort Systems and Energy Infrastructures: Flexergy

At present the main focus of research in Building Services is on reduction of energy consumption of buildings through high insulation and the application of high efficient equipment. In future however it will be no longer sufficient to look only at the building itself: the occupant and the energy infrastructure need also be considered too. Building, user and energy infrastructure together are linked strongly with a dominating position for the user. The strong focus on the energy reduction led to situations in which health and comfort are endangered. “Connecting” the end-user and/or the external energy sources to a climate process control system of a building is complex.

Integral Morphological C-K design approach for multi-disciplinary building design

This paper presents a theoretical approach to collaborative design management. The goal is to integrate design and engineering knowledge in the conceptual phase of building design. Based on an integral design process model, morphological overviews are used as a tool to implement C-K (concept-knowledge) theory, to increase knowledge creation and to stimulate knowledge exchange within the building design team. The project was carried out in close cooperation with professional societies within the building design field. The set-ups of the workshops used to implement and to test the theoretical approach are presented as well as the experiences of the participants. More than 100 experienced professionals participated in the workshops and the workshops now have become part of the permanent professional training program of one of the professional societies.