Simulation of processes in building as a factor in the object representation of built environments

This paper explores the implications of object oriented representation of buildings in the simulation of dynamic processes in architectural environments. Two main groups of objects are represented in such simulations: architectural objects, and active agents that drive the events in a simulation. To accommodate the data needs of a wide range of simulations and expert systems, architectural objects must be represented as a single data model. on the other hand, active agents are usually application specific, i.e. they are only used in a specific simulation. Furthermore, the properties of objects, and the relationship of objects to each other must be clarified within the framework of the behavior of agents in the simulation. Emergency egress behavior model, BGRAF (Ozel, 1985) is used to illustrate some of the issues discussed in the paper. Interface to CAD systems and the need for a standardized object-graphic entity relationship is also addressed.