Describes ongoing research projects on the development of user interfaces for energy software to be used by building designers. Takes the position that the goal of knowledge-based design software should be to help the building designer visualise the unimagined. In order to approach this goal, the unique characteristics of the building design process must be understood and used in the creation of software. The two characteristics discussed are (1) that the architectural design process emphasises synthesis rather than analysis and (2) that the symbols used to transmit knowledge are primarily graphic abstractions rather than alphanumeric abstractions.

KEYWORDS: expert systems, computer programs, architects, research, designing, buildings.