Grant: Strategic Projects - Group

Designing and constructing buildings where people live and work is a complex process that depends onspecialized professionals (architects, engineers, and construction experts) being able to effectively manage andshare information. The design and construction process is currently inefficient because information is scatteredacross physical locations, the process leading to decisions can be difficult to remember, and professionals havesubstantial knowledge that is not written down for easy access by others. The proposed research will examinehow future collaborative computer systems can be designed to make it easier for construction professionals toshare information across both time and space.The research project will involve developing and evaluating a series of prototypes that will integrate the diversesources of data involved in a construction project, make the data easily accessible to users through a visualinterface, and allow users to easily share and work collaboratively with information. Prototype developmentwill be intertwined with field studies that will examine collaborative work in practice for the design andconstruction of a unique infrastructure project, the Center for Interactive Research on Sustainability.The results of this research will be used to develop collaborative technology of benefit to many applications,but the construction industry in particular. This technology will enable construction professionals to utilizetime in meetings more effectively and make better-informed decisions, leading to building designs that aremore constructable, maintainable, sustainable, and cost-effective.