Representing Building Product Information Using Hypermedia

This paper presents and discusses a prototype implementation of a product model for building construction. The requirements for integrated construction software are first established on the basis of previous work. Organization of information is achieved through a product model. Information about an object is described through the architectural attributes of function, form, economy, and time. Three other classifications of information are the level of the object in the building hierarchy, the discipline views of those objects, and the stage of the process at which the information was developed. For software implementation, different data structures are explored to select the one best suited for representing building information. The prototype is implemented in hypermedia using frames because of the apparent significant advantages offered. To verify the suitability of the programming environment, a case study is also presented. Several questions posed to the system support the concept, but highlight software deficiencies. Requirements for a hypermedia-based software environment are then presented.