Enhance the Simulation of Architecture and Engineering Design Process: A Data-Driven Based Approach

Abstract

Virtual design team (VDT) is one of the architecture and engineering (A&E) design planning and control methods. Current VDT software is not data-driven like most available methods, and its simulation is based on questionnaires and on designers' experiences. Managers may end up making decisions using limited information because there is no simple process that allows them to become familiar with all team members' performances. There is a need to investigate the benefits of a data-driven approach that supports design process simulations by using A&E designers' performance parameters. This study explored the performance parameters of a designers' performance statistics, being how early they started tasks. Designers' outputs for the same tasks can be different when they are working for different clients and managers. Designers' performances described and extracted from data acquired from past projects allow for the customization of design simulations by changing their inputs and parameters according to specific project characteristics. The comparison between original simulations and simulations with features extracted from an existing A&E database revealed that a process simulation that is data-driven can improve the accuracy of the simulation to help better plan and control the design process.