[18] Building Information Graphs (BIGs): remodeling building information for learning and applications

Paper Description extracted from PDF · abstract · 147 words

Despite significant advances in Building Information Modeling (BIM) and increased adoption, numerous challenges remain. Discipline-specific BIM software tools with file storage have unresolved interoperability issues and do not capture or express interdisciplinary design intent. This hobbles machines ’ ability to process design information. The lack of suitable data representation hinders the application of machine learning and other data-centric applications in building design. We propose Building Information Graphs (BIGs) as an alternative modeling method. In BIGs, discipline-specific design models are compiled as subgraphs in which nodes and edges model objects and their relationships. Additional nodes and edges in a meta-graph link the building objects across subgraphs. Capturing both intradisciplinary and interdisciplinary relationships, BIGs provide a dimension of contextual data for capturing design intent and constraints. BIGs are designed for computation and applications. The explicit relationships enable advanced graph functionalities, such as across-domain change propagation and object-level version control.