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S. Emrich:
"Deployment of Mathematical Simulation Models for Space Management";
Supervisor, Reviewer: F. Breitenecker, R. Wiegandt, G. Karigl; Institut für Analysis und Scientific Computing, 2013; oral examination: 2013-10-23.

Buildings are responsible for roughly one third of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions
within developed countries, yet space utilization e ciency is still a widely
unidenti ed topic. With the sector only starting to become aware of it as a
means to reduce GHG emissions and save ( nancial) resources there are hardly
any strategies to improve space utilization e ciency.
Mathematical modeling and simulation (MMS) o ers a wide variety of tools
and approaches to analyze and improve systems and for producing answers to
problems that cannot (or only at a very high \price") be answered in real life.
Yet, at the time being MMS is generally not being used in the realm of real
estate management.
This thesis' original contribution to knowledge is bridging the gap between
space management and MMS, covering multiple aspects of the problem. First
an introduction to the problem of space utilization and management, including
identi cation of potentially interesting objects (educational facilities) and (legal)
obstacles, is given. Next the classical de nition of the MMS-process is expanded
in order to reduce chances for misunderstandings and poor project-design in
MMS-projects, followed by an evaluation of the mathematical options for improvement
of space utilization, which shows a lack of practical solutions to solve
real-world problems in this area (timetabling and scheduling). Subsequently
the focus is shifted from timetabling to room allocation, for which a tool-set is
assembled. This includes methods for system analysis, model-deployment and
-integration and approaches for mathematical modeling of the respective systems.
For system analysis the Business Process Modelling Notation (BPMN)
is adapted for improved e ciency and the Stakeholder Analysis (SHA) process
is formalized. For model-deployment methods from computer sciences (Entity
Relationship Modelling) are transferred and combined with techniques from
information visualization. Based on this a guideline for deployment of mathematical
simulation models is created, which allows identi cation of obstacles for
model-deployment within real-world systems and provides options for project
modi cation to overcome those. Finally mathematical de nitions are introduced,
allowing formalization and quanti cation of the problems faced in space
management.
This elaborated theoretic base is put to test in a case study at Vienna University
of Technology (TU Vienna). In the course of the project it is found
that the institutional obstacles (identi ed at the very beginning) hinder great
improvement. Workarounds, based on the developed deployment guideline, still
allow for a reasonable outcome of the simulation project. In the hope that nancial
savings are a su ciently strong motivation for a thorough implementation
in the private sector, an outlook is given for improvement of space utilization
in the eld of o ce buildings. For this a dynamic, agent-based (AB) simulation
model is developed and presented along with general results for this business
area.
The thesis shows the big potential that MMS o ers for improvement of
space management utilization. Besides providing the tools for practitioners of
both areas (MMS and real estate development) which should allow improved
interdisciplinary cooperation, recommendations are given to overcome the (institutional)
obstacles that remain.

http://publik.tuwien.ac.at/files/PubDat_224807.pdf