1

Collective Intelligence in Architecture:

The Collaborative Knowledge-based design of buildings


TERRY A. BEAUBOIS, STANFORD UNIVERSITY, ARCHITECTURE DESIGN PROGRAM

1. INTRODUCTION
This paper describes current “work in preparation” that is based on a career of research about the
advancing information technology applied to the creation of buildings and the collective
knowledge/intelligence required on the part of the numerous Building team members, for a successful
building project.

In light of current academic and societal events, it is timely to be reconsidering the content and
context of Architectural Intelligence in research, education, and practice. The locating, financing,
planning, design, reviews and approvals, construction, use of buildings, and the role of buildings in
the environment, represent a significant portion of the use of energy and in the quality of life for all,
globally. To teach and practice Architecture as an integrated portion of the building process, rather
than an isolated silo of academic and then professional practice, is to reflect the reality of the
profession.

The value of this collective information serves students, professionals, home owners and other
building type owners, developers, builders, and facility managers alike. The concept of “building
types” is the beginning of sorting information into application to specific buildings, as each building
type is different and has its’ own world of knowledge associated with that particular type of building.

As the developing Internet of Things begins to further evolve, opportunities are developing to
contribute to and benefit from the collective intelligence approach in each of the areas connected to
buildings, including automotive, smart phone, wearables, etc.

The combination of how to develop a computer-based ecosystem of connected objects within a building
with appropriate human/computer interface to successfully connect and manage such ecosystems is
magnitudes beyond the smart house / smart buildings systems in current use.

1.1. The Approach for Architecture Intelligence

While there have been attempts to unite the Building industry into an AEC conglomerate
(Architecture Engineering Construction) as a way to address the need for collaboration, none of these
attempts have resulted in a structure adequately prepared to meet the challenges of current
circumstances and opportunities, either in the academic setting or in professional organizations.

Knowledge of the history and existing momentum of the Building Industry teams members, the
technological advances of NASA, automotive, and Silicon Valley will be merged with the current
activity in the Internet of Things, with buildings featured as the biggest things in the internet of
things. Engaging research efforts, educational efforts, and professionals (including agency
professionals). This effort will be knowledge driven. An Architectural Intelligence instance of

Collective Intelligence 2015

2 T. Beaubois
Collective Intelligence. Outreach to other members of the Collective Intelligence community will
encourage engagement of the variety of disciplines actively seeking to accomplish

1.2. Implementation

At the base of this effort will be a system of infinite data (beyond big data). Infinite data is an ongoing
continuous flow of updating information based on the IBM Watson-model, so that new information is
added by users of the system whose views include the ability to input, so that an expert system is built
as the system is being used. Categories of users will include students, professionals, home owners,
building owners, developers, builders and many more. On top of that layer of data will be building
type filters, so that each building type — house, hotel, museum, office building, can filter information
for the specific application to each particular building type.

Working closely with Service Science concepts, as this system develops, new concepts in how to collect,
store and view this growing body of knowledge will be accommodated in ways to allow for the open,
non-proprietary system of knowledge to support the wide base of users. Alternate revenue models
with be fully explored and tested as the adoption of this knowledge system develops.

Engaging the Silicon Valley center of the U.S. Space Agency, NASA-Ames Research Center and their
technology transfer program, advanced modeling and simulation, and their mission of assisting with
better life quality on earth. Already involved with Facebook, Google (including Search), and Apple
technologies, relationships will be further developed and well as more new companies.

Bay Area Universities, k-12 educational activities, and continuing education will play a significant
role in engaging education at all levels — in what is a key factor in the introduction and continuing of
STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Architecture, Math). Architecture is the perfect combining
of these elements in an interesting activity that can benefit all communities.

Further development of this proposal will be available prior to the May - June 2015 Collective
Intelligence conference.

Contact information:
Terry Beaubois, Architect
Palo Alto, CA US
and
Lecturer, Stanford University, Architecture Design Program
tbeaubois@gmail.com
1-650-388-6643

Collective Intelligence 2015

 Collective Intelligence in Architecture 3

REFERENCES
Douglas C. Engelbart, 1962. AUGMENTING HUMAN INTELLECT: A CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK. SRI Summary Report
AFOSR-3223 • Prepared for: Director of Information Sciences, Air Force Office of Scientific Research, Washington 25, DC,
Contract AF 49(638)-1024 • SRI Project No. 3578 (AUGMENT3906,). http://www.dougengelbart.org/pubs/augment-3906.html

Space Industries Ins. Research Module Design for NASA SpaceLab, 1985. the Industrial Space Facility (ISF)
Kurtzman, Clifford R., 1989. "Experiment scheduling for the Industrial Space Facility". AIAA Computers in Aerospace
Conference, 7th, Monterey, CA, October 3–5, 1989: 1088–1094. Bibcode:1989coae.conf.1088K.

Alexander Singer, Chair of the Organizing Committee for the National Academy of Engineering, 2005. “Augmented Cognition:
Future Prospects for Human-Computer Interaction”, commissioned 2003 by DARPA (the United States Defense Advanced
Research Projects Agency). Presented at the Human/Computer Interface Conference in July 2005. The HCI proceedings
published on CD-ROM by Mira Digital Publishing (ISBN 0-8058-5807-5)

MSU News, 2010. Students, graduates collaborate on ecosmart house, http://www.montana.edu/news/8539/msu-students-

graduates-collaborate-on-ecosmart-house-in-bozeman

Candace Roulo, 2012. Collaboration, technology makes ecosmart house one of a kind. Contractor.
http://contractormag.com/geothermal/collaboration-technology-makes-ecosmart-house-one-kind

Dr. Martin Kohn, Chief Medical Scientist for IBM Research 2013. How Watson Can Transform Healthcare
http://www.theatlantic.com/sponsored/ibm-watson/archive/2013/04/innovator-chat-how-watson-can-transform-
healthcare/274584/#ixzz3REOM2Cq7

Collective Intelligence 2015