Computer aided architectural evaluation and design : a cost modelling experiment.

This dissertation addresses the problem of Computer Aided
Architectural Evaluation and Design, with particular reference to
building cost evaluation and cost modelling. It identifies the lack of
building evaluation tools in the CAAD environment, and suggests an
integrated approach to building modelling and cost modelling. The
interaction of elemental and spatial descriptions of a design solution is
considered as an original contribution to the field of computer aided
building modelling and evaluation. It demonstrates the potential of
CAAD and Bills of Quantities intergration to give an extra dimension
to cost modelling at early design stages.
Essentially, this research project advocates a larger overlap in the use of
computers for the generation and evaluation of design. It asserts that
any computer aided solution evaluation system must be able to
converse with the designer during the highly integrated iteration of
briefing, analysis, synthesis and evaluation stages of design. A working
example is produced after software specification and implementation,
to demonstrate to possibilities and/or limitations of such an approach.