Multiagent-Based Intelligent Environments: Collaborative Design as a Framework

Intelligent Environments can respond to the changing needs of their users, activities, and contexts by automatically adjust key environmental parameters. However, most of attempts focus on the technical aspects of physical artifacts instead of the dynamic interrelationship between the user and the built environment. Consequently, environmental conflicts among users, activities, and physical settings are not completely resolved. This study engages environmental design concepts to theorize a framework and propose a more comprehensive model for building Intelligent Environments. In contrast to the current approach based on systems theory, the method here looks to collaborative design. The proposed model is developed as a team-type organization of multiple intelligent agents that can sense immediate changes in its domain of responsibility and propose corrective measures by negotiating with other agents to form a collective response. The theory and framework presented in this study should be useful to those who have an interest in the application of computing to the environmental design fields, including architecture and interior design.

Jaewook Lee obtained his Ph.D in Architecture at the University of California, Berkeley. He is currently a senior researcher at KT infra Laboratory in Korea. His research interests include computer-aided architectural design, intelligent environments, building information modeling, collaborative design, and virtual environments.