In this paper we report on recent developments in the use of simulation as an aspect of design decision support for architecture and planning. This research is based on ARTHUR (Augmented Round Table for Architecture and Urban Planning). Although real time simulation has been incorporated in design support systems, little attention has been given to the simulation of pedestrian movement in collaborative AR based systems. Here we report on user evaluation tests of the ARTHUR system, which are focused on the effect of real time pedestrian simulation on the way pairs of designers work together.These tests suggest that the integration of simulated pedestrian movement on the design table plays a critical role in exploring possible design solutions and encourages different and new ways of thinking about design problems. Donald Schon's concept of the reflection- in- action provide a useful framework for interpreting these results.

Projects in the area of architectural design and urban planning typically engage several architects as well as experts from other professions. While the design and review meetings thus often involve a large number of cooperating participants, the actual design is still done by the individuals in the time in between those meetings using desktop PCs and CAD applications. A real collaborative approach to architectural design and urban planning is often limited to early paper-based sketches. In order to overcome these limitations, we designed and realized the ARTHUR system, an Augmented Reality (AR) enhanced round table to support complex design and planning decisions for architects. While AR has been applied to this area earlier, our approach does not try to replace the use of CAD systems but rather integrates them seamlessly into the collaborative AR environment. The approach is enhanced by inDigital Peer Publishing Licence Any party may pass on this Work by electronic means and make it available for download under the terms and conditions of the current version of the Digital Peer Publishing Licence (DPPL). The text of the licence may be accessed and retrieved via Internet at http://www.dipp.nrw.de/.

In this paper we report on recent developments in ARTHUR: an approach to support complex design and planning decisions for architects together with the simulation of pedestrian movement and the integration of existing CAD tools on the design table. Following a brief introduction, past and current work that has taken a similar approach will be reviewed. Next we describe a scenario that integrates agent-based simulations of pedestrian movement with space creation, and then give an overview of the system before finally discussing findings related to recent user evaluation studies of the system. This paper suggests that the integration of simulated pedestrian movement on the design table, while going through a cycle of reflection-in-action, plays a vital role in exploring possible design solutions and encourages new and different ways of thinking about design problems.

Abstract Inthis paper we report ,on recent ,developments ,in the use ,of simulation ,as an ,aspect of design ,decision support for architecture and planning. This research is based,on ARTHUR (Augmented Round Table for Architecture and Urban Planning). Although real time simulation has been incorporated in design support systems, little attention has been given to the simulation of pedestrian movement in collaborativeAR based systems. Here we report on user evaluation tests of the ARTHUR system, which are focused on the effect of real time pedestrian simulation on the way pairs of designers work together. These tests suggest that the integration of simulated ,pedestrian movement ,on the ,design table plays a critical role in exploring ,possible design solutions and encourages ,different and new ,ways of thinking about design problems. Donald Schon’s concept of the reflection-in-action provide a useful framework,for interpreting these results.