The Circle: Architecture for Integrating Software

Abstract

This paper proposes “circle integration” as a simple, testable approach to structure the integration of architecture/engineering/construction (A/E/C) software applications. In circle integration, each application is linked to exactly one predecessor and one successor application. Thus, changes made to the design or construction plan of a facility will be propagated automatically to all other applications. A pass “around the circle” thereby defines and completes one design iteration, making the definition of design versions explicit and simplifying version management. We expect that specialists will have private copies of all applications on the circle for a particular project. With modern computers, a single pass will be very fast, and specialists will be able to evaluate proposed alternatives quickly and independently from multiple perspectives. Specialists will continue to use normal social conventions of their organizations and take their recommendations to project meetings. In these meetings, specialists will propose changes, identify conflicts through “quick runs of the circle,” discuss these conflicts, make decisions, and accept new design versions. In summary, circle integration provides clear, accurate, rapid, and maintainable support for the creation and management of design versions.