Design optimization approach comparing multicriterial variants using BIM in early design stages

Building design processes usually follow similar workflows with different stakeholders and interdisciplinary design teams incorporating their individual domain knowledge. To improve the holistic performance of building designs considering economic and environmental qualities, design decisions based on simulations and analysis in early phases have a significant impact on the resultant design. In this context, first, the advantages and limitations of the current approaches are analyzed with the help of a systematic literature review. Then, a framework for optimizing building designs is developed using Building Information Modelling (BIM) as a main source of truth for a multicriterial analysis. The framework compares multicriterial variants to support decisions during the early design stages, including the selection process and feedback communications of design changes. For a holistic variant comparison, several criteria are considered, with the main focus on life cycle assessment (LCA).