Patent Document ID: 9721046
Application ID: 14216258
Patent Flag: 1

Claim One:
1. A computer based method for realizing a building system within which healthcare services will be provided, the method comprising: accessing types and volumes of healthcare services to be provided within the building system from memory of a computer system; accessing adjacency preferences between pairs of service types from memory of the computer system; matching, using the computer system, the accessed types and volumes of healthcare services to department blocks stored in a library of department blocks and to building massing configurations stored in a library of building massing configurations, the matching being performed as a function of the accessed adjacency preferences between pairs of service types; selecting, using the computer system, for display on a graphical user interface, an arrangement of department blocks within a building massing configuration that reflects a best match between the accessed types and volumes of healthcare services and the department blocks and the building massing configuration; and displaying the selected arrangement on the graphical user interface; wherein the matching comprises: defining, using the computer system, a set of department blocks to be placed within the building massing configuration; enumerating, using the computer system, sub-spaces within the building massing configuration; evaluating, using the computer system, multiple different department block arrangements within the enumerated sub-spaces by application of a genetic algorithm, wherein application of the genetic algorithm results in a fitness value for each of the multiple different department block arrangements; wherein the fitness value is a function of at least one cost parameter; wherein the at least one cost parameter is a constraint cost parameter that is representative of adjacency preferences of department blocks; wherein the adjacency preferences are represented by values that fall within a range of values, in which values at one end of the range are indicative of meeting an adjacency preference and values at the opposite end of the range are indicative of not meeting an adjacency preference.