Integrating Ontologies and AI for Enhanced Workspace Planning and Knowledge Management

The evolution of industries requires the integration of knowledge and innovation to drive productivity. Accordingly, the construction sector must adapt by embracing emerging technologies and data-driven decision-making. In this context, strategic workspace planning, a crucial factor in workflow optimization, remains under-researched in its impact on project delivery. Therefore, this paper introduces a novel framework that integrates semantic ontologies and artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance workspace planning. Using a design science research (DSR) methodology, it employs quantitative and qualitative methods, including developing ontologies, creating a graphical user interface (GUI), and conducting an interview with an industry professional. The framework captures both explicit and tacit knowledge within a workspace-related ontology, which offers a deeper understanding of workspace dynamics. A GPT-powered AI bot for spatiotemporal analysis is included to provide predictions and optimization strategies. Feedback from practitioners ensures the ontology and AI reflect real-world construction scenarios, demonstrating the framework’s practical potential to improve workspace planning. The framework automates decision-making in workspace planning and provides a structured approach to addressing complex spatial and temporal challenges in projects, which advances the current automation capabilities in the field.