A Framework for Design Review in a Virtual Environment

Design review is a process of reviewing construction design documents to ensure the owner s design intent is reflected, and the owner s desired facility is accurately described. As the design stage progresses, the generation of information becomes more intensive. In current design review practices, valuable information is scattered , thus not efficiently utilized. Studies have shown that the effective use of information during design and design review leads to a more comprehensive and high quality design, a facility that is constructible, and within the intended budget. As such, the author developed a framework for design review process in a Virtual Environment that incorporates 3D CAD model, a centralized information repository, and the filtering of design review information based on context-aware concept. The four contexts of information filtering are discipline-centric, task-centric, object-centric, and location-centric; which led to only the relevant information (textual, numerical and graphical) being presented to the reviewer. A design review prototype software application was developed using a low cost 3D Game Engine as the VE development and enabling tool.

Autorentext

The author holds a Ph.D. in Environmental Design and Planning and a MS in Architecture (Virginia Tech, USA), a MS in I.T. (University Utara, Malaysia), and a B.Eng in Electrical and Electronics (Northumbria University, UK). He teaches at the University of Southern Mississippi, USA. His research interests are Virtual Environment and Serious Games.