6.3 Suspended Ceiling Design Process - Bilkent University

the ever-changing status of the project in an attempt to eliminate design
errors. However, in current processes of the AEC professionals,
communications are often informal and not documented. Thus, tracking
and managing changes is a cumbersome task (Austin et al, 1994).
2.2.3.2 What is a Model?
A model can be defined as a representation of relevant characteristics
of an artifact. In other words, it is a means of expressing certain
characteristics of an object, system or situation that exists, existed, or
might exist (Echenique qtd. in Rowe, 1991). According to the Oxford
English Dictionary, a model may be defined simply as “a representation
of structure.” In the information modeling field, a model is used to
represent the structure of information and how that information relates
to other information.
Discussing models, it should always be borne in mind that no matter
how much effort goes into its construction, a model can never be a
perfect or complete representation of reality, because human beings do
not have perfect information about the real world. Therefore, the
usefulness of models should be judged not against an imaginary
perfection, but in comparison with the mental and descriptive models
that could be used alternatively (Forrester qtd. in Radford and Gero,
1988).
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