This tool is an interactive editor for bubble diagrams. Given the list of required spaces and desired adjacencies, the Bubble Diagram Builder allows the architect to visualize the spaces and their functional groupings through the creation and connection of bubbles. Each bubble represents a type of space (such as faculty offices, or classrooms, or storage). The architect creates such bubbles, and then may create associations between bubbles by using "connections". Connections may specify affinity or rejection between the spaces, in accordance with the adjacency matrix. Bubbles can also be grouped hierarchically.
Given a bubble diagram, the Floor Space Manager provides a way for the architect to turn the abstract bubble diagram into a schematic floor plan diagram describing the rough physical layout of the floor. It allows bubbles in rectangular form to be arranged on an outline of the floor space. The Floor Space Manager automatically keeps track of used and available square footage, which helps the architect respect the square footage requirements of the building as it is being designed.
This tool adds default doors and windows to the input floor plans, and automatically creates double-line floorplans (with thick walls) that start to resemble architectural floorplans.
This tool accepts the above floor layout schematics with added portals (doors and windows), and evaluates this building plan based on how well it conforms to the adjacency matrix. Distances between any pair of rooms or any room and the outside can be queried interactively. This provides the architect with a quantitative way of evaluating his or her design.
This tool takes layout schematics of the Floorplan Generator and extrudes them into a three-dimensional model of the building for viewing and analysis. The model can be virtually walked-through, so that the user can get an impression of the design from the occupants' perspective.
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