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A Cost-Based Interior Design Decision Support System for

Large-Scale Housing Projects

Chapter  in  Electronic Journal of Information Technology in Construction · March 2010

DOI: 10.5772/9636 · Source: InTech

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 10

A Cost-Based Interior Design Decision Support

System for Large-Scale Housing Projects
Hoon-ku Lee1, Yoon-sun Lee2 and Jae-jun Kim3
1LIG
Engineering and Construction Co., Ltd.
2Department
of Architectural Design, Hanyang University
3Department of Sustainable Architectural Engineering, Hanyang University

Korea

1. Introduction
In the early stages of a large-scale housing project, many interior design alternatives remain
to be confirmed after a rough review of the costs. In general, interior designers consider the
overall concept, colour and style according to floor plans, spaces and elements. However,
because they generally do not consider the construction work required, the construction and
design characteristics are not connected, and the cost and design properties are controlled
separately. This is why the real-time management of cost change is not included in the
decision-making process. It is therefore necessary to consider the cost when making
decisions on interior design items for an apartment unit plan (Lee et al., 2007).
Rapid advances in information technology are changing the nature of most human activities
(Bennett, 2000) and are generating new requirements for clients such as the
owner/developer in large-scale housing projects. The clients’ requirements are stated in
ongoing communications among project participants in the early phase of a project and
become embodied in the design phase, during which design alternatives must be selected to
meet the clients’ requirements while satisfying them in a realistic way. A decision support
system for selecting design alternatives is intended to represent design information,
document design rationale and manage design changes (Geoffrion, 1987). Many studies on
the design phase have focused on the cooperation between various participants such as the
architects, engineers and contractors (A/E/C) (Demirkan, 2005; Kalay et al., 1998; Khedro et
al., 1994; Lee et al., 2001; Mokhtar et al., 2000), but few studies have examined cooperative
systems or decision support systems in which the end-user or client participates in the
selection of interior design specifications. In addition, it is unusual to propose a process or
database function that accepts and manages the extensive interior design information
generated by too many alternatives.
Integrated project systems would help streamline project activities by allowing downstream
disciplines to access design information. With this, they could evaluate the design and
assess the impact of design decisions on downstream project activities early in the design
process (Halfawy & Froese, 2005).
In this chapter, we aimed to devise a system that allows clients to make cost-based decisions
suited to their own interior design specifications and that enables the builder to plan
resource requirements and budget costs. We describe an information model that supports
Source: Convergence and Hybrid Information Technologies, Book edited by: Marius Crisan,
ISBN 978-953-307-068-1, pp. 426, March 2010, INTECH, Croatia, downloaded from SCIYO.COM
150 Convergence and Hybrid Information Technologies

cost-based decision making in the interior design phase. To do this, we derive the space
hierarchy for a large-scale housing project. We also propose a method for building a library
of interior design information based on the space hierarchy and interior object information.
The proposed model is validated using an example study analysis to show how it supports
the decision-making process of various participants in the interior design phase by
providing real-time cost information when the interior is initially planned or later changed.

2. A concept of cost-based interior design

2.1 Current interior design procedure
The interior design progresses through the stages of conception, modelling, review,
finalisation, detailing, drafting and costing as shown in Fig. 1. Interior designers working on
projects come up with design concepts, perform space modelling, review results, fill in
details of the finalised design and draft the results, all to calculate the costs for estimates.

Fig. 1. Interior design phases

In the existing interior design procedure shown in Fig. 2, owners/developers first produce
ideas or requests. Then interior designers propose designs and alternatives, and the results
are initially reviewed without any consideration of cost. In the detailed design stage, the
owner or developer reviews the interior design along with costs.

Fig. 2. Current interior design procedure

A Cost-Based Interior Design Decision Support System for Large-Scale Housing Projects 151

However, the procedure is a long one, and is subject to many problems in feedback
concerning alternative design proposals. During the design stage, design alternatives for
finishing materials are based on the planned space and rooms in a unit, according to the
demands of the project manager; these alternatives are then incorporated into the unit plan.
This process usually generates a good amount of cost information, although it usually fails
to manage cost information, one of the fundamental criteria of project performance. Design
characteristics and costs are generally not assessed simultaneously as finishing materials are
selected because the process is managed on a basis of dualization. Therefore, no cost
baseline is determined at each project stage. The interior designer usually does not consider
costs generated by the selection of finishing materials, focusing instead on design
characteristics such as the concept, color, and pattern for the space or unit plan.

2.2 Proposed cost-based interior design procedure

Recently, experts have started to consider a design-to-cost philosophy to be a necessary
requirement for effective project cost management. The design-to-cost method can produce
accurate estimates of the cost to produce products or services before the project begins,
systematically constraining design goals based on available funds (Michaels & Wood, 1989).
Thus, the design-to-cost management strategy and supporting methodologies can achieve
an affordable product by treating target cost as an independent design parameter that needs
to be achieved during project development. Achieving highly cost-effective results requires
assessing costs related to various approaches and design solutions.
Parametric cost estimation models have been developed (Kim et al., 2004). Regression, or
multiple regression analysis as it is usually called, is a very powerful statistical tool that can
be used as both an analytical and predictive technique for examining the contribution of
potential new items to the overall cost estimate reliability (Hegazy et al., 2001). It is not
appropriate, however, when describing nonlinear or multidimensional relationships with
multiple inputs and outputs (Huyn et al., 1993). In addition, it is difficult to use parametric
methods when the number of alternatives tends be infinite, based on the different items of
the design.

Fig. 3. Proposed cost-based interior design procedure

152 Convergence and Hybrid Information Technologies

Therefore, we propose a procedure in which designers use an interior design object library
(IDOL) to select an interior design item based on cost. At that point, the total cost for the
interior can be reviewed. The builder’s constructability review and the suppliers’
availability review of the interior design are not included in this study, but the design
information stored in the interior design information model can be used in the construction
phase.

3. A model for representing interior design information

Various approaches have been proposed to provide structure to product models. Early
efforts included the A/E/C building systems model (Turner, 1990) and the general A/E/C
reference model (GARM) (Gielingh, 1998). The major standardisation effort in product
modelling today is ISO-STEP from the International Standards Organization (Hegazy et al.,
2001), and in recent years, researchers in the A/E/C industry have devoted considerable
attention to the representation of design information and the management of design
changes.
Researchers and practitioners have been investigating improved integration, that is, the
continuous and interdisciplinary sharing of data, knowledge and goals among all project
participants (Hegazy et al., 2001; Luiten & Tolman, 1997). The architectural information
model proposed in these studies manages the creation, modification and exchange of the
spatial design information created for all participants in the process for A/E/C purposes
(Hegazy et al., 2001). Other studies have proposed building information models from
various different perspectives. Anwar (2005) studied methods of structural analysis,
modelling and design with structural mechanisms for major members (e.g., foundation,
column, beam, wall, slab) in building structures using a structural information model. Choi
et al. (2007) provided a building data model including building components such as
building, plan, space, ring, wall skeleton, surface and column, for structured floor plans.
Figure 4 shows the building project hierarchy (BPH) of a building information model.

Fig. 4. Building project hierarchy according to the building information model

A Cost-Based Interior Design Decision Support System for Large-Scale Housing Projects 153

In this study, the structured floor plan (Choi et al., 2007) was used as the basis of the interior
design information for housing projects. The structured floor plan is roughly divided into
private space and public space. Its major components are surfaces such as floors, walls and
ceilings, and non-surfaces such as furniture, windows, doors and lighting fixtures. These are
the major components of private space for an apartment unit plan and serve as the primary
focus of this study.

4. A cost-based interior design decision support system

4.1 Roles of an interior design decision support system
4.1.1 Communicating with clients in deciding interior design specifications
The evaluation of design alternatives is an important ongoing phase in the design decision
stage and when producing new design concepts. Most design decisions are made intuitively
without predicting the actual performance with respect to a variety of parameters such as
lighting, energy and comfort (Reichard & Papamichael, 2005). In addition, design decisions
are made by expert project participants without regard to the requirements of the occupants
in terms of space, element colour, pattern, texture and materials. Consequently, the clients
frequently change the interior design when they review the feasibility study and plan the
target cost. The added cost, time delay and construction waste generated by such changes
lead to claims and waste resources. Therefore, a decision support system must allow client
input when the interior design specifications are selected. The owner/developer’s
requirements lead to design alternatives for each room, and the alternatives are
incorporated in space (i.e., the unit plan) in the interior design stage. Also present at this
stage is a deluge of cost information, which makes it difficult to generate and manage the
costs that predominate in project. Such a problem is also linked to the communication
difficulties among the project participants such as the owner/developer, interior designer
and builder.

4.1.2 Providing a cost baseline when selecting interior design specifications

Project cost management deals with the procedures to ensure that the project is completed
within the approved budget. The Project Management Body of Knowledge explains project
cost management as a four-phase process consisting of resource planning, cost estimation,
budget establishment and cost control (PMI, 2000). By linking this with the project work
breakdown structure (WBS), we propose a cost baseline to control costs during the design
phase, which enables the builder to examine resource and cost planning during the interior
design phase of a project. Our system reports the changes that a client makes to the interior
design, which affect resource planning in the WBS and alter the costs.

4.1.3 Managing an IDOL for integrating design and cost information

To control costs during the interior design phase, interior design information, process
characteristics, and cost information must be interrelated. To control the information on the
finishes work item generated through the interrelation of the construction and design
characteristics, we developed an IDOL. We used a relationship analysis to examine several
completed apartment projects to identify interior design objects. The relationships involve
spaces, rooms, components (surfaces and non-surfaces), work items, and design • cost •
work information. A work item is defined as an interior design object that is integrated with
154 Convergence and Hybrid Information Technologies

the proposed BPH. For work items, the IDOL includes the surfaces and Non-surfaces design
information (colour, material, pattern, texture, image), cost information (quantity, unit, unit
price, cost), and work information (specification, size, cad file, work breakdown structure),
as shown in Fig. 5. Surfaces include floors, walls and ceilings, while non-surfaces include
furniture, windows, doors and lighting fixtures. These are the major components of private
space for an apartment unit plan and serve as the primary focus of this study.

Project
Legend

Building Class

A
Space
B is a subclass of A

Public space B
Private space
(Unit plan)
Utility room Entrance
Object information Sample values

Living room Room Design description

Kitchen
Name Wood flooring
Colour Brown
Bathroom Dining room Material Oak
Bedroom Pattern
Texture Smooth
Image file
Mechanical Cost description
Furniture Quantity 20
Surfaces Non-surfaces
Unit M2
Unit Price 30$/M2
Cost 600$
Floor Wall Ceiling Window Door Lighting
Work description
Specification Doct-#001
Size W:0.1 H: 0.9
Interior object information Cad file name #AD01.DWG
WBS Finish

Design Cost Work

Fig. 5. Hierarchy schematic for interior object information

Once the information is integrated, it can be used by each project participant for his or her
particular responsibilities as Fig. 6 suggests. For example, the interior designer reviews the
costs and plans several different design alternatives for each room based on the unit plan.
The owner/developer can review the project costs for each interior design alternative, and
the builder will be able to prepare resource and budget plans for each WBS.

4.2 Schematic of the interior design decision support system

The Interior Design Decision Support System suggested here is capable of controlling
interior design costs and supporting client decisions. This is achieved by referring to
resource consumption plans from the early phases of a project, and by implementing and
using the IDOL database to link the construction and design characteristics for interior
design. The procedure involved is shown in Fig. 7, and the components of the system are
described in the following section.
A Cost-Based Interior Design Decision Support System for Large-Scale Housing Projects 155

Buidling Project Hierarchy (BPH) Architecture

Save project BPH

Load BPH
Unit-A

Load BPH (1) Owner/Developer

Project Object Sample

Project information values
data database
Bedroom 1 Project Description
? Alternative 1 21,075,000$
? Alternative 2 21,075,000$
? Alternative 3 21,439,000$

Load BPH (2) Interior Designer

Object Sample
Interior design Interior information values
Design
data database Design description
Surfaces ? Name Wood flooring
? Color Brown
? Material Oak tree
? Pattern ?
? Texture Smooth
? Image file

Load BPH
(3) Cost Estimator
Cost
Floor Cost database Object Sample
Cost data information values
Wall Cost Description
? Quantity 20
Ceiling ? Unit M2
? Unit Price 30$/M 2
? Cost 600$
Load BPH
(4) Builder
Work Work data Work Object Sample
database information values
Non-surfaces Work description
? Specification Document-#001
Furniture ? Size W:0.1 H: 0.9
? Cad file name #AD01.DWG
Lighting Fixture ? WBS Finish

Window, Door

Fig. 6. Multidisciplinary use of the BPH and the IDOL

4.3 Components of the interior design decision support system

4.3.1 Users
The main users of the Interior Design Decision Support System are the client, the interior
designer and the builder, who participate in the decision-making process. The interior
designer has the responsibility for the interior design process. Once the interior designer
selects the default values for the IDOL, clients can change the colour, pattern, texture and
material by viewing images of the interior design objects. They can also examine costs, one
of the unit measures, on a real-time basis. As shown in Fig. 7, after receiving a BPH from an
expert group involving A/E/C, the interior designers select the default values for the IDOL.
Then clients are given the task of making selections from the IDOL. With help from a cost
estimator, construction costs are estimated for the selected interior design, and in addition,
the particulars of the changes in the IDOL are updated and controlled.
156 Convergence and Hybrid Information Technologies

Collaborative system
with experts

Interior design Interior design

(Default value) (Select value)
(Fig. 10) (Fig. 12,13 )
DATABASE DATABASE
(BPH) (IDOL)

(Fig. 11)
Client Client
Interior designer’s UserForm (VBA)
design object Client
Unit Unit
selection Client interior design
- Interior design object selection - Interior design Area
object object
- Total account - Total account
DATABASE
Interior design information
(Default value) object selection
DATABASE
Interior design information
Builder (Default value) Builder
Integration with
BPH and IDOL UNIT, WBS UNIT, WBS
- Resource plan Builder
(Fig. 8) - Resource plan
- Budget costs - Budget costs Area
Spreadsheet(EXCEL)

Analy sis (Fig. 14)

Project Cost Management

Fig. 7. Schematic of the proposed Interior Design Decision Support System

4.3.2 Decision-making procedure

After the A/E/C group produces the BPH during the detailed design phase, interior
designers select the design objects from the IDOL and set the default values for the interior
design. Targeting these default values, the clients use the decision support system and make
decisions by selecting interior design objects to their requirement from the IDOL. Clients can
make decisions either under the constraint of fixed costs (e.g., simply changing the colour of
wallpaper), or with the option of variable costs to change the design items.

4.3.3 Information model

The underlying data of the Interior Design Decision Support System are related to the work
involved and the costs of the interior specifications. As stated previously, the information on
interior design decisions comes from the creation of the IDOL and its integration with the
project BPH.
As shown in Fig. 8, the proposed BPH and the IDOL produce interior design information
that is integrated after being selected by the client. Here, the IDOL holds the elements such
as work items, specification, image, colour, material, unit, unit price and work breakdown
structure. The interior design information (the selected value) generated here is displayed
and used to meet the requirements of the client and builder.
A Cost-Based Interior Design Decision Support System for Large-Scale Housing Projects 157

Interior designer and

Experts(A/E/C) Cost estimator supports

Building Project Interior Design

Hierarchy(BPH) Object Library(IDOL)

Client selects
e.g., BPH design object e.g., IDOL
Project : 00Housing W orkitem : W ood flooring
Building : Apartment Specification : W F-1
Unit Plan : Unit-A Integrating Object Image :
Room : Bedroom BPH and IDOL Quantity : 14
Surface : Floor Unit : ㎡
Unit Price($) : 30/㎡
Project : 00Housing Cost ($) : 420
W BS : Finish
Building : Apartment
Unit Plan : Unit-A
Room : Bedroom
Surface : Floor
W orkitem :W ood flooring
Specification : W F-1
Object Image :
Quantity : 14
Unit : ㎡
Unit Price($) : 30/ ㎡
Cost ($) : 420
W BS : Finish

Fig. 8. Integrating the BPH and the IDOL

As seen in Fig. 9, an information model was suggested to integrate the BPH and IDOL that
supports cost-based interior design decisions.

5. Example study and application

5.1 Establishing the interior design information (default values)
To set the values for the interior design objects and costs in the early phase, the BPH of the
target project is configured in co-operation with the A/E/C experts, and the default values
of interior design objects are created with the help of the designer and cost estimator.
The cost of each unit is established when the interior designer inputs the interior design for
the units using design objects from the BPH, and the cost estimator inputs the cost estimates
for the selected interior design. Figure 10 shows an example of the default values set by the
interior designer for each element.

5.2 The client selects the interior design objects

The client makes decisions with the support of the IDOL database, which is linked to the
default values. As design objects are selected, the cost is changed accordingly. Using the
basic default values, the client selects the interior specifications that their requirements. Two
scenarios for changes can be simulated involving the fixed and variable costs.

5.2.1 Fixed cost example

When the client selects the fixed cost condition, he or she can decision making the
alternatives provided in the IDOL database, as presented in Fig. 11. The results of these
decisions are displayed on a spreadsheet, as shown in Fig. 12. For example, when the client
changes the wallpaper pattern, the interior design objects change, although no change in the
158 Convergence and Hybrid Information Technologies

cost is indicated. Nevertheless, the client can still choose from a variety of alternatives. The
information generated in this example is then used in resource planning and project cost
management.

Project Building Floor Unit Room

Proj_Name Proj_Name Proj_Name Proj_Name
Proj_Name
Proj_Type Building_Name Building_Name Building_Name
Building_Name
Proj_Site Building_Type Floor_Name Floor_Name
Floor_Name
Floor_Numeric Unit_Name Unit_Name
Unit_Name
Unit_Numeric Designer_Name
Room_Name
Room_Net Area

Surface_Name Surface_Area Surface

Library
Proj_Name Surface_Name Surface_Name
Building_Name Floor_Area Floor_Library
Floor_Name Wall_Area Wall_Library
Unit_Name Ceiling Area Ceiling Library
Room_Name
Surface Name

Floor Wall Ceiling

Library Library Library
Workitem_Name Workitem_Name Workitem_Name
Colour Colour Colour
Material Material Material
Pattern Pattern Pattern
Texture Texture Texture
Size Size Size
Unit Unit Unit
Unit Price Unit Price Unit Price
Specification Specification Specification
WBS WBS WBS

Non-surface Non-surface Non-surface

_Name _Num Library
Proj_Name Non_Surf_Name Non_Surf _Name
Building_Name Furniture_Num Furniture_Lib
Floor_Name Windows_Num Windows_Lib
Unit_Name Doors_Num Doors_Lib
Room_Name Lighting_Num Lighting_Fixture_Lib
Non Suf_Name Fixture_Num Bath_Fixture_Lib
Bath_Fixture_Num

Furniture Windows Doors Lighting_ Bath_

Library Library Library Fixture Fixture
Workitem_Name Workitem_Name Workitem_Name Lib
Workitem_Name Workitem_Name
Colour Colour Colour
Material Material Material Colour Colour
Pattern Pattern Pattern …………… ……………
Texture Texture Texture
Size Size Size
Unit Unit Unit
Unit Price Unit Price Unit Price
Specification Specification Specification
WBS WBS WBS

Unit_Cost Unit_Interior Unit_Work

Information Information Information
Proj_Name Proj_Name Proj_Name
Building_Name Building_Name Building_Name
Floor_Name Floor_Name Floor_Name
Unit_Name Unit_Name Unit_Name
Room_Name Room_Name Room_Name
Surface_Name Surface_Name Surface_Name
Object_Name Object_Name Object_Name
Quantity Colour Workitem
Workitem Material Size
Size Pattern Unit
Unit Texture Specification
Unit Price WBS
Cost(Quantity*Unit Price)

Fig. 9. Interior design information model

A Cost-Based Interior Design Decision Support System for Large-Scale Housing Projects 159

Default (1) Information Floor Wall Ceiling Decoration Doors Fixture Total
Interior Wood Wood Lighting
Wallpaper Wallpaper Moulding
work item flooring door fixture
Specification WF-1 WP-1 WP-1 MD-1 0.9*2.0 LF-01

Object Image

Quantity 14 28 14 15 1 1
2 2 2
Unit M M M M EA EA
Unit Price ($) 30 5 5 3 250 150
Cost ($) 420 140 70 45 250 150 1,075
WBS Finish Finish Finish Decoration Doors Electric

Fig. 10. Interior designer-selected values (default values)

DATABASE
(IDOL)
DATABASE
(BPH)

Client Select

DATABASE
(BPH + IDOL)

Default Alt. 1 Alt. 2

Fig. 11. Decision making the alternatives in IDOL database

Alternative 1 Components Floor Wall Ceiling Decoration Doors Fixture Total

Interior Wood Wood Lighting
Wallpaper Wallpaper Moulding
work item flooring door fixture
Specification WF-1 WP-2 WP-1 MD-1 0.9*2.0 LF-01

Object Image

Quantity 14 28 14 15 1 1
Unit M2 M2 M2 M EA EA
Unit Price($) 30 5 5 3 250 150
Cost ($) 420 140 70 45 250 150 1,075
WBS Finish Finish Finish Decoration Doors Electric

Fig. 12. Options for the client-selected values under the fixed cost scenario

5.2.2 Variable cost example

Alternatively, the client can select finishes and confirm the final costs on a real-time basis.
These decisions are made by selecting from alternatives proposed in the IDOL database
when selecting the variable cost option. As Figure 13 shows, when the client changes work
items for the floor, wall and ceiling, the cost changes from $1,075 to $1,439. A system
example study was run using the default values proposed by the interior designer using the
fixed and variable cost options. The change in cost is the difference between the cost of the
interior design objects proposed by the interior designer, and the cost of those selected by
the client. Under the fixed cost scenario, the client changed the design of wall objects
160 Convergence and Hybrid Information Technologies

without changing the costs relative to the default values set by the interior designer. With
the variable cost option, changing the wood flooring to tile carpet and the wallpaper
material from paper to fabric increased the cost to $1,439 from the default value of $1,075.

Alternative 2 Components Floor Wall Ceiling Decoration Doors Fixture Total

Interior Wood Lighting
Carpet tile Wallpaper Wallpaper Moulding
work item door fixture
Specification CT-2 WP-3 WP-3 MD-1 0.9*2.0 LF-01

Object Image

Quantity 14 28 14 15 1 1
Unit M2 M2 M2 M EA EA
Unit Price($) 50 7 7 3 250 150
Cost ($) 700 196 98 45 250 150 1,439
WBS Finish Finish Finish Decoration Doors Electric

Fig. 13. Options for the client-selected values under the variable cost scenario

5.3 Application for the client and builder

Considering the needs of the client/builder described in Section 4.1, the interior design
objects selected for the target project are integrated for each space and WBS, and the results
are displayed for the client and builder. When examining the costs, the client can also check
the interior design total project cost by decisions made concerning the unit interior design.
The builder can make a project interior construction cost plan and resource consumption
plan according to the WBS. The following detailed summaries are produced for the client
and builder.

5.3.1 Application for the client

As shown in Fig. 14, the developer or owner can establish a baseline cost of $21,075,000
against which to compare the alternative proposals. Alternative 1 has no cost impact
compared to the baseline, while Alternative 2 would increase the project cost by $364,000
due to the interior changes.

D ATA B A S E
(B P H + ID O L )

V a ria n c e ($ )
D e fa u lt ($ ) A lt. 1 ($ ) A lt. 2 ($ ) A lt.2 -D e fa u lt
P ro je ct
2 1 ,0 7 5 ,0 0 0 2 1 ,0 7 5 ,0 0 0 2 1 ,4 3 9 ,0 0 0 3 6 4 ,0 0 0
(e .g ., 1 0E a A p a rtm e n t)

B U IL D IN G
2 ,1 0 7 ,5 0 0 2 ,1 0 7 ,5 0 0 2 ,1 4 3 ,9 0 0 3 6 ,4 0 0
( e .g .,2 5F /1 A p a tm e n t)

F loo r
( e .g ., 4 U n its / 1F ) 8 4 ,3 0 0 8 4 ,3 0 0 8 5 ,7 5 6 1 ,4 5 6

U n it 2 1 ,0 7 5 2 1 ,0 7 5 2 1 ,4 3 9 364

B e d ro o m 1 B e d ro o m 1 : B e d ro o m 1 : B e d ro o m 1 :
Room : 1 ,0 7 5 1 ,0 7 5 1 ,4 3 9 364

O th er R o o m : O th e r R o o m : O th e r R oo m : O th er R o o m :
2 0 .0 0 0 2 0 .0 0 0 2 0 .0 0 0 0

Fig. 14. The total costs according to the changes

A Cost-Based Interior Design Decision Support System for Large-Scale Housing Projects 161

5.3.2 Application for the builder

Based on the client’s decisions, the builder is provided with cost and resource data
according to the WBS (e.g., finishes, doors, windows and furniture), displayed as the
amount per construction type as shown in Fig. 15(a). The builder or other agents can also
use work items from the spaces as shown in Fig. 15(b).

(a) According to WBS (b) According to space resources

Fig. 15. The user interface of default interior design and client-selected items

SPACE COST ANALYSIS WORK COST ANALYSIS

5,000 5,000
COST-AGENT COST-AGENT
4,000 4,000
COST-CLIENT COST-CLIENT
COST($)

COST($)

3,000 3,000

2,000 2,000

1,000 1,000

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Fig. 16. Cost analysis charts
162 Convergence and Hybrid Information Technologies

The design objects and costs generated here are used as data for managing project costs in
the WBS as shown in Fig. 16. By analysing the costs according to the different spaces (Fig.
16(a)) and work (Fig. 16(b)), the builder can make a construction cost plan and resource
consumption plan in accordance with the WBS. From the perspective of project cost
management, the default cost proposed by the interior designer and the costs determined by
client selection can increase the estimate accuracy of the project costs in the early phases of a
project.

6. Conclusion
We proposed an interior design decision support system that enables clients to participate in
the early phases of the interior design for a housing project. This allows them to select
objects (e.g., colours, patterns, material) for the interior design based on the unit measure of
costs with input from various A/E/C experts. This also allows the interior designer and cost
estimator to check the costs accordingly. The proposed system was implemented using the
BPH and IDOL. In an example study, interior design objects and default costs were
proposed while examining the fixed and variable cost options.
This study examined how client decisions made during the early design phases and based
on restrictions in the interior design can affect a project. An analysis of the results confirmed
that our interior design decision support system leads to client satisfaction with the interior
design, while enabling clients to manage project costs by providing a cost baseline. Overall,
this increases the accuracy of early estimates made during the project concept phase.
Cost and time are both very key indicators for assessing project performance. In the earlier
phases of large-scale housing projects, the review of construction costs is important (Kim et
al., 2004).
It is not appropriate to state that high-cost interiors designs are good and low-cost ones are
not. However, making interior designs or design changes without any consideration of the
cost is a source of serious problems for the interior designer and other project participants,
especially the owner/developer. Moreover, despite considerable information on costs for
alternative proposals selected by interior designers, existing procedures have many
problems as seen in a review and feedback of these alternatives.
To address these problems, we investigated various alternative proposals for surfaces (floor,
wall and ceiling) and non-surfaces (furniture, windows and doors) on a unit plan basis for
large-scale housing development projects, and provided an interior information model. The
model was validated through an example study to show how it could be used in the
decision-making process by various participants in a construction project. The proposed
model is useful in providing a total interior cost review and cost baseline for the
developer/owner, a means for cost-based decision making by interior designers, and the
interior material information required by builders.
Future studies will focus on the automation of quantity surveying and graphics to reinforce
the use of Internet-based decision support systems. In future studies, further subdivision of
the design objects characteristics will be necessary, as well as the development of a system
that enables clients to make interior design decisions by changing layers, a subject outside
the scope of the present study. Additional work is also required to enable interior designers
to use the information provided by vendors and suppliers directly, and to provide the
information for the procurement phase without any additional processing.
A Cost-Based Interior Design Decision Support System for Large-Scale Housing Projects 163

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