Abstract

Integrated design in architectural practice utilizes holistic design methodology to address major considerations from the earliest stages of the process. This paper discusses methodologies for integrated design, particularly focusing on information technologies that support analysis and information search. Role of digital technologies is crucial in analysing design decisions, understanding correlation between building elements, parts and the whole, materials and performance, as well as building and the environment. Currently, building information modeling is widely used to construct databases of knowledge about a building that can be shared among agents and utilized during the building’s lifecycle. However, various applications are utilized for research, design, collaboration and simulation, since there is a lack of tools that fully address integrated design process, and actively aid the decision-making. Knowledge-based systems are discussed as a method for computational representation of design factors, utilized for design reasoning and support.