Interactive space generation through play: exploring the role of simulation on the design table

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.