Design rationale documentation and exchange in the Danish AEC industry

This paper examines how design intent and rationale are described in the Danish architectural, engineering and construction (AEC) industry, providing the description needed to investigate how design rationale is documented and which tools can be utilised to do so. Through semi-structured interviews, a need for capturing and exchanging design rationale between project participants was identified. It was, furthermore, revealed that design rationale is rarely captured and that documentation of design rationale is usually only found implicitly in CAD and Building Information models or in emails, documents, handwritten notes or minutes of meetings. Most design rationale is, however, never documented which can lead to information loss and re-working of already functional design solutions. Lack of design rationale can additionally lead to model-changes being discarded, as the argument or rationale for the solution or change is not accessible.