ARLE GPS: a tool to support architects in the computer-aided design of spatial planning and generation of house designs

Abstract The ARLE GPS tool provides computer-aided design support for solving problems with the spatial planning and design of houses, using a robust design model with physical-biological and cost strategies. This enables architects to eliminate uncertainties and to make robust decisions by applying computational thinking to decision making and action implementation. This support enables the architect to deal with the complexity arising from the interrelationships between the design variables and transforms the spatial planning problem, which is conceptualized as illdefined, into a well-defined problem. A scientific method is used, based on mathematical modeling of the action-decision field of design geometric variables, rather than a drawn method involving sketches. This tool acts as an aid mechanism, an assembler, a simulator, and an evaluator of geometric prototypes (virtual or graphical) and can be used to systematize the assembly or modeling of the FPL structure, particularly with respect to the performance required of a house. This candidate solution, provided by the tool, defines the spatial dimensions of the rooms in the house, the topological data of the assembly sequence, and the connections between rooms. The architect converts this virtual prototype into a graphical FPL prototype, which is then modeled, refined and evaluated continuously and objectively with the aid of ARLE GPS until a solution is obtained that satisfies the requirements, constraints and objectives of the problem. In this way, a solution to the problem (i.e., the project) can be captured and generated.