Towards design process validation integrating graph theory into BIM

The aim of this paper is to show the results of research that investigates the limitations and potential for using Building Information Modelling (BIM) as a tool for the assessment of alternative design solutions during the architectural concept design phase. BIM can be used to analyse the circulation aspects within a building, comparing several design solutions and highlighting the optimal one, considering several parameters. The layout of a building can be parameterized, abstractly rendered in a conceptual graph and then mathematically analysed. Although there has been substantial research in the field of space analysis, few attempts have been made to integrate this knowledge into BIM software. The main idea of this study is to show how mathematical values, derived from “graph theory”, can be used by the designer as an indicator to drive the decision-making process. The designer, especially in the early stage of design, needs access to more detailed information for developing better solutions. The method proposed integrates graph theory with the design process, with particular reference to circulation within a layout. Through a custom tool, spatial relationships are extracted from a BIM model and used to assemble a topology graph, then imported into MatLAB to calculate numerical values. In addition, the analysis of several case studies of recurrent typological schemes was used to collect data to define a reference metric.