Purpose and function in a collaborative CAD environment

In a multidisciplinary design environment, such as the architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) domain, the various designers will have their own concepts and representations of the design object making communication in such an environment a complex task. Computer-aided design (CAD) modelling is seen as the vehicle for interdisciplinary communication and integration. However, this paper stresses the need for a multiple view approach based upon an assumption that different views of an object are based on different functional contexts. The paper demonstrates that an understanding of concepts such as function, purpose and intent is critical since the representation of the functional properties of design objects is the underlying basis for the formation of different representations and the coordination of these representations. The paper puts forward definitions for function and purpose which allow for the representation of these properties of a design object and the communication of intent and effects.