A Multi-Agent System in Education Facility Design

Abstract

This paper deals with a multi-agent system which supports the designer in solving complex design tasks. The behaviour of design agents is modelled by sets of grammar rules. Each agent uses a graph grammar or a shape grammar and a database of facts concerning the subtask it is responsible for. The course of the design process is determined by the interaction between specialised agents. Space layouts of designs are represented by attributed graphs encoding both topological structures and semantic properties of solutions. The agents work in parallel on the common graph, independently generating layouts of different design components while specified node labels evoke agents using shape grammars. The agents’ cooperation allows them to combine a form-oriented approach with a functional-structural one in the design process, where the agents generate the general 3D form of the object based on design requirements together with the space layout based on the functional aspects of the solution. Based on the given design criteria, the agents search for admissible solutions within the design space that constitutes their operating environment. The proposed approach is illustrated by the example of designing kindergarten facilities.