AEC Co-design workflow for cross-domain querying and reasoning using Semantic Web Technologies

The Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) industry faces data integration challenges due to fragmented silos and diverse data representations, hindering cross-domain queries and early detection of design constraints. Semantic Web Technologies (SWTs) address data integration challenges. This paper evaluates the impact of SWTs on co-design workflows by comparing them with alternative approaches to assess their effectiveness in supporting interdisciplinary collaboration and design constraint detection. Using Design Science Research, a co-design methodology is developed that integrates SWTs with AEC tools for reasoning and federated querying. A component of this methodology is a bidirectional mapping strategy for translating object-oriented data models, demonstrated with the Building Habitat Object Model (BHoM), an AEC interoperability framework. Findings reveal that integrating SWTs enables reasoning and complex queries across federated datasets, improving co-design efficiency. These findings support AEC professionals in advancing co-design and data-driven decision-making, while also informing future research on integrating SWTs into AEC design workflows. • Integrating Semantic Web Technologies with building design tools improves co-design. • Proposed workflow offers disciplinary building representation and linked data view. • Developed data translators as design tool plugins address interoperability challenges. • Case study showcases query and reasoning effectiveness in constraint identification.