Automatic space type classification of architectural BIM models using Graph Convolutional Networks

The instantiation of spaces as a discrete entity allows users to utilize BIM models in a wide range of analyses. However, in practice, their utility has been limited as spaces are erroneously entered due to human error and often omitted entirely. Recent studies attempted to automate space allocation using artificial intelligence approaches. However, there has been limited success as most studies focused solely on the use of geometric features to distinguish spaces. In this study, in addition to geometric features, semantic relations between spaces and elements were modeled and used to improve space classification in BIM models. Graph Convolutional Networks (GCN), a deep learning algorithm specifically tailored for learning in graphs, was deployed to classify spaces via a similarity graph that represents the relationships between spaces and their surrounding elements. Results confirmed that accuracy (ACC) was +0.08 higher than the baseline model in which only geometric information was used. Most notably, GCN was able to correctly distinguish spaces with no apparent difference in geometry by discriminating the specific elements that were provided by the similarity graph.