Automated mapping of user activities onto flexible space in space-use analysis

Flexible space is an adaptable space that is increasingly used in many types of buildings because it increases space efficiency and contributes to sustainable development. However, the construction industry lacks a formalized method for dealing with the changeable configuration of flexible space and mapping activities onto flexible space automatically, such that this mapping information can be used in the computation of space utilization in space-use analysis during project development. To address this problem, this study builds on the existing activity-space mapping method and expands it to include the following four phases: choosing spatial requirements, finding available spaces, computing the number of usable units of flexible space, and mapping the activity onto the available space. By incorporating this expansion into current space-use analysis, architects will be able to predict the space utilization of their designs more comprehensively and consequently plan the use of building space toward sustainable building development.