An Evaluation of Space Planning Methodologies

While numerous algorithms and approaches have been suggested and applied to the problem of space planning, there has not been any systematic comparison or evaluation of these methods. Such an evaluation is important because the spatial configurations produced by such methods vary considerably. In this paper the major space planning techniques, as well as several new approaches and modifications to existing methods, are described, compared and evaluated. The use and consequences of certain options and/or modifications to the basic methods are included and evaluated. The results for each method using an identical problem are given, indicating the comparative speed and optimality of each approach, as well as the final plans generated. The implications of these results and their relationship to the design process are discussed.