A Design System Based on Generic Representations

A wide variety of drawing packages is available for architectural design. However, most of these systems are oriented to the production of final technical drawings, and only few support the early phase of design. Here we introduce a new approach for a design system to support the early phase of design. The method is based on a theory from architecture on the meaning of drawings in 2D architectural design. In such drawings, not only standard graphics elements like contours, but also elements like grids and axes of symmetry play an important role. These are encountered also in standard drawing systems, but often only as tools. We propose to consider such elements as graphical objects with all corresponding characteristics. Furthermore, relations between these objects are used to capture higher-level information on the structure of the design. Additionally, we offer for the system a visual metaphor and interaction technique, which is natural for designers, and enable them to explore design space effectively and efficiently.