Rule-Based Process Governance in Early Architectural Design

Early architectural design is a dynamic stage characterised by high uncertainty, in which decision-making directly shapes process behaviour. Traditional approaches model this stage as linear, phase-based workflows, leaving feedback conditions, decision triggers, and process reconfiguration largely implicit. This study addresses that gap by extending the concept of rules from object production to process organisation, proposing a conceptual framework in which the design process itself is governed by explicit condition–action relationships. Accordingly, the study asks how explicit condition–action rules can be used to govern process transitions, decision gates, feedback, convergence, and traceability in early architectural design. The framework is developed through three integrated components: a process architecture defining phases and decision gates, a rule execution mechanism, and a process data layer. Within this structure, six rule families govern phase transitions, decision nodes, feedback thresholds, convergence, conflict resolution, and traceability. The framework treats the designer as the central agent: rules define the conditions under which judgement is exercised and recorded, rather than replacing it. The primary contribution is to reposition rule-based thinking from design objects to process organisation, enabling early-design transitions, decisions, and feedback to be specified rather than managed implicitly. The framework's operation is illustrated through a scenario across three threshold calibrations, with empirical validation identified as the primary direction for future work.