System and method for realizing a building using automated building massing configuration generation

Abstract

Computer based methods and systems for evaluating different building designs are disclosed. In one embodiment, the method involves generating a first set of different building massing configurations using a shape grammar, storing the generated first set of different building massing configurations in a building massing library, reducing the first set of different building massing configurations according to a parameter search to form a second set of different building massing configurations, the second set being a subset of the first set, and using the second set of different building massing configurations to evaluate an aspect of a building system.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A computer based method for evaluating different building designs, the method comprising:
 generating a first set of different building massing configurations using a shape grammar;   storing the generated first set of different building massing configurations in a building massing library;   reducing the first set of different building massing configurations according to a parameter search to form a second set of different building massing configurations, the second set being a subset of the first set;   using the second set of different building massing configurations to evaluate an aspect of a building system.   
     
     
         2 . The computer based method of  claim 1 , wherein the shape grammar comprises a set of rules for generating building letters from a building mass and at least one void object. 
     
     
         3 . The computer based method of  claim 2 , wherein the shape grammar comprises a set of rules for generating building words from the building letters. 
     
     
         4 . The computer based method of  claim 3 , wherein the shape grammar comprises a set of rules for generating building sentences from at least one of the building letters and building words. 
     
     
         5 . The computer based method of  claim 1 , further comprising characterizing the energy use of the second set of different building massing configurations. 
     
     
         6 . A computer based system for realizing a building, the method comprising:
 a building massing generation engine configured to generate a first set of different building massing configurations using a shape grammar;   a building massing library configured to store the generated first set of different building massing configurations;   a query engine configured to reduce the first set of different building massing configurations according to a parameter search to form a second set of different building massing configurations, the second set being a subset of the first set;   wherein the second set of different building massing configurations is used by a building realization system to evaluate an aspect of a building system.   
     
     
         7 . The computer based system of  claim 6 , wherein the shape grammar comprises a set of rules for generating building letters from a building mass and at least one void object. 
     
     
         8 . The computer based system of  claim 7 , wherein the shape grammar comprises a set of rules for generating building words from the building letters. 
     
     
         9 . The computer based method of  claim 8 , wherein the shape grammar comprises a set of rules for generating building sentences from at least one of the building letters and building words. 
     
     
         10 . A computer based method for realizing a building system, the method comprising:
 receiving input related to customer needs for a building system, the input being received through a user interface at a remote client device and being expressed in a formal description language;   generating multiple different business models from the customer needs input, wherein the business models define, in a functional language, types and volumes of services that will be provided within the building system to satisfy the customer needs;   generating multiple different spatial arrangements from at least one of the business models, wherein the spatial arrangements define a form and shell of the building system, a block and stack of the building system, and room locations within the building system;   generating multiple different systems integration designs from at least one of the spatial arrangements, wherein the systems integration designs define three dimensional spaces of infrastructure of the building system;   tracking dependencies between the customer needs, the business models, the spatial arrangements, and the systems integration designs;   wherein generating multiple different spatial arrangements comprises:   generating a first set of different building massing configurations using a shape grammar;   storing the generated first set of different building massing configurations in a building massing library;   reducing the first set of different building massing configurations according to a parameter search to form a second set of different building massing configurations, the second set being a subset of the first set;   using the second set of different building massing configurations to evaluate an aspect of the building system.   
     
     
         11 . The computer based method of  claim 10 , wherein the shape grammar comprises a set of rules for generating building letters from a building mass and at least one void object. 
     
     
         12 . The computer based method of  claim 11 , wherein the shape grammar comprises a set of rules for generating building words from the building letters. 
     
     
         13 . The computer based method of  claim 12 , wherein the shape grammar comprises a set of rules for generating building sentences from at least one of the building letters and building words.