Patent ID: 8160842

Claim:
A method of designing a multi-family dwelling building or the multi-family portion of a mixed-use building for a site of arbitrary dimensions, the method implemented in a computer system, the method comprising: storing a collection of dwelling unit module designs, each module design fitting onto uniform grid intervals defining a structural support system; wherein the collection of module designs includes designs for at least an end module and an interior module, each end module designed to fit at an end of a building to be designed and each interior module designed to fit between two of the modules, each module including at least one footprint for a bathroom and accommodating a corridor entrance to the dwelling unit module, the collection including at least one module design that accommodates a stairway, so that the entire collection permits a complete layout of the dwelling units for the multi-family dwelling building using only modules from the collection; using a graphical interface to the computer system to apply the grid intervals over a representation of the site and to define an outline for the building; storing the outline; using the computer system to access the stored collection of modules; filling the outline with a pattern of modules, so as to produce a design for the multi-family dwelling building, the design meeting requirements for all access, egress, and vertical circulation in the building; and storing the design.