A case base of Case-Based Design tools for architecture

In the 1990s, Case-Based Design (CBD) seemed an appealing approach to develop intelligent design support. Based on an alternative view of human cognition, CBD systems ®nd new design solutions by adapting similar experiences from the past. Although several CBD applications have been built, a convincing breakthrough by these systems has yet to come. In search of reasons for this limited success, this article embarks on a critical review of the CBD approach. Its underlying cognitive model serves as a framework to analyse six CBD systems and to identify gaps in CBD research. The article focuses primarily on CBD applications for architecture, yet the ®ndings may be relevant for other design domains as well.