Automatic Generation of Electrical Plan Documents from Architectural Data

Abstract

This paper explores a novel application of document generation: the automatic creation of residential electrical plans from architectural data. Electrical plan documents, crucial to all residential construction and renovation projects, are currently generated manually by electrical designers who must adhere to the local electrical code and follow industry best practices. The designers decide the type and location of all household electrical devices and outlets based on the architectural floor plans. This is a tedious, highly repetitive, and time-consuming task. We propose a procedural approach to automate the generation of residential electrical plans via a stack-based finite state machine model that mimics the electrical designer's thought process. The system receives 2D architectural data (e.g. wall location) as input and yields a customized electrical plan as output. Experimental results on a variety of architectural layouts of bathrooms, bedrooms, and kitchens are very promising and demonstrate the approach's functionality and usefulness. This paper paves the way for new algorithmic tools facilitating the design cycle of building projects.