Mixed initiative in design space exploration

Abstract

An alternative to the manual construction of building designs is the exploration of design spaces. Designers engage in model construction guided by a formal generative process. One formal model for exploration is traversal under an informational ordering of design concepts. In our system, formal generation is provided by /spl pi/-resolution over a domain of typed feature structures. Given this machinery, we describe a mixed initiative environment for unfolding a design space description. We represent building design knowledge using typed feature structures, supporting intensionality, partialness, structure sharing and cyclicity.