Building and Databases: the SEED Experience

We describe the database requirements of SEED (Software Environment to Support the Early Phases in Building Design). The requirements are typical for a database that intends to support a heterogeneous design support environment consisting of independent software modules with diverse internal design models, requirements not met by any commercial database system. The design and implementation of this database is an integral part of the overall software engineering effort. We describe the SEED approach that integrates external and in-house software based on a shared information model specified in the modeling language SPROUT, which allows for the specification of domains, and classes, relationship types and their behavior, and multiple classifications. The SPROUT run-time system organizes and coordinates the communication between the software modules and the databas