Putting Co-Design-Supporting Data Lakes to the Test: An Evaluation on AEC Case Studies

Leveraging data from various stakeholders in the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) industry is an essential prerequisite to harness the potential of digitization and Artificial Intelligence (AI) in addressing major challenges such as productivity or sustainability. ArchIBALD is a recently proposed information system architecture that caters to AEC applications by its integrative, modular, extensible, and feedback-centered design. Its goal is to support co-design applications, characterized by processes optimized through a holistic view across traditionally isolated AEC steps and data silos. This paper evaluates the suitability of the ArchIBALD system architecture through three scenario-based co-design case studies. They relate to the design and construction of a real building demonstrator. The evaluation focuses on the functionality and several quality criteria of the information system’s architecture and validates that the architecture is amenable to a variety of real-world co-design applications.