AN OBJECT SPACE FRAMEWORK FOR DESIGN CONSTRUCTION INTEGRATION

Design and Construction are two disciplines whose integration can be achieved through software. In this paper, the Skull Object Space framework is presented which allows for such integration to develop. The Skull Object Space is a collection of essential abstraction and part-of hierarchies to which the design objects of an artifact are attached. As the artifact's design objects enter and traverse through the Skull Object Space, they are augmented with implicit design intent otherwise taken for granted by design professionals. The object-oriented and rule-based programming paradigms are employed to derive or to query the designer about design rationale that would remain implicit otherwise. The artifact's design objects leave the Skull Object Space carrying with them geometrical, topological, rationale, and specification knowledge which contractors can then apply in such common construction tasks as Value Engineering proposals, Shop Drawing preparation, and Proprietary Brand Name or Equal Specifications interpretation. The name Skull Object Space was selected to convey the notion of a skeleton that can be fleshed out in many different ways, each corresponding to a specialized application, like Value Engineering.