Abstract
This chapter is a general introduction to the connections between brief and design. First, the two basic forms of this connection are considered, feedforward (the transfer of brief information to design representations) and feedback (where the connection is used to evaluate brief satisfaction in the design and subsequently to improve either the design or the brief). Then the attention turns to the prerequisites for design representations: the structures that allow direct recognition of relevant entities and the enrichment of these entities with external information, in this case, from the brief. Finally, these prerequisites are examined in more detail in CAD software (AutoCAD) and BIM editors (Revit and AutoCAD Architecture).
TopDesign Representation
Successful connection of a brief to a design depends on two prerequisites, the first being the structure of the brief. A brief that analyses goals, constraints, and requirements into specific and concrete items facilitates connection to design properties and aspects. Fire security, for instance, is a general goal but to make it operational we have to distinguish between goals and criteria for egress and compartmentation, constraints for door and corridor width, and so forth, and organize them analytically, as discussed in Chapter 2. The intention behind this is to develop a comprehensive, coherent, and consistent information system, but also ensure that each goal and especially each constraint and requirement can be explicitly linked to design objects, their properties, and relationships.