Framework
·Specification
Framework Specification v1.0
Version
v1.0
Current
Preamble
This document is the versioned specification of the Behaves Well Framework. It defines the progressive layers of the framework, the responsibilities expressed by those layers, the vocabulary used to describe them, the process through which evidence is evaluated, and the governance structure through which the framework is maintained.
The specification is a living document. It may be revised when documented evidence validates, refines, challenges, or supersedes an existing framework element, or when a new principle, responsibility, relationship, or pattern emerges.
Every formal change is recorded in the public changelog together with the evidence, reasoning, decision, publication date, and framework version associated with the change.
Framework v1.0 establishes the initial foundational structure. Future revisions will be published as evidence accumulates and the framework matures.
Scope
The Behaves Well Framework applies to physical, digital, and hybrid environments that perceive context, maintain state, make or support decisions, communicate, coordinate services, or act in ways that affect people, assets, services, systems, data, experiences, or their surroundings.
An environment may implement these capabilities through sensors, software, human processes, connected devices, building systems, service platforms, or combinations of technologies.
The framework does not prescribe a particular product, platform, implementation technology, or technical architecture. It defines the responsibilities an intelligent environment must fulfill and the governance conditions under which its behavior may be considered appropriate.
Definitions
The following terms are used with precise meaning throughout this specification. The full vocabulary is maintained separately and incorporated by reference.
Intelligent Environment
A physical, digital, or hybrid context that perceives or receives information, maintains state, supports or makes decisions, communicates, coordinates services, or acts in ways that may affect people, assets, services, systems, data, experiences, or surroundings.
Occupant
A person physically or virtually present within an environment whose experience, rights, safety, privacy, comfort, access, or activities may be affected by the environment's behavior.
Caretaker
A person, role, organization, or authorized agent assigned responsibility for the stewardship of an environment, person, asset, service, system, data set, experience, or obligation within a defined scope.
Visitor
A person whose presence or participation is temporary and whose authority, access, personalization, and data treatment are constrained by a defined visitor context.
Human Trust
The intended human outcome supported when an intelligent environment consistently demonstrates truthful representation, appropriate identity handling, operational trustworthiness, accountable stewardship, continuity, and bounded service. The framework establishes conditions that may support trust but does not presume or compel an individual to grant it.
Occupant, caretaker, and visitor are contextual roles. They are not permanent classifications and are not necessarily mutually exclusive. A person may hold different roles in different contexts or may hold more than one authorized role simultaneously.
Normative Language
The key words MUST, MUST NOT, SHOULD, SHOULD NOT, and MAY indicate the normative force of requirements within this specification.
An absolute requirement of the current specification.
An absolute prohibition under the current specification.
A recommended practice for which a documented exception may be appropriate in a defined context.
A practice that is generally discouraged but may be justified by documented contextual evidence.
An optional capability or practice permitted by the framework.
Requirements written without one of these terms are descriptive unless explicitly identified as normative.
The Six Responsibilities
The Behaves Well Framework is organized into six progressive layers. Each layer defines a responsibility that an intelligent environment must fulfill. The layers are interdependent and mutually reinforcing. Together, they establish conditions that support Human Trust. The term layer describes the framework's progressive architecture. The term responsibility describes the obligation expressed by each layer.
The requirements contained in Framework v1.0 establish the initial minimum responsibility set. They are subject to refinement as evidence is documented and evaluated through the framework governance process.
Truth
FoundationalAn intelligent environment represents itself and its state accurately — to its occupants, its caretakers, and its own records.
Initial v1.0 Requirements
- 01.01The environment does not misrepresent its capabilities, its state, or its actions.
- 01.02The environment discloses failures, errors, and anomalies to the appropriate parties in a timely manner.
- 01.03The environment maintains accurate records of its state and actions, accessible to authorized caretakers.
Identity
FoundationalAn intelligent environment knows who is present and acts in accordance with that knowledge — distinguishing between occupants, caretakers, and visitors.
Initial v1.0 Requirements
- 02.01The environment maintains a defined model of who is authorized to be present and in what capacity.
- 02.02The environment does not act on the presence of an unidentified person in a way that affects the rights or privacy of an identified person.
- 02.03The environment discloses its identity model to authorized caretakers.
Operational Trust
FoundationalAn intelligent environment behaves consistently and predictably — its actions are explainable, its failures are disclosed, and its behavior does not surprise those who depend on it.
Initial v1.0 Requirements
- 03.01The environment behaves consistently with its defined configuration and the expectations of its occupants and caretakers.
- 03.02The environment can account for its actions — it can describe what it did, why it did it, and what it will do next.
- 03.03The environment discloses changes to its behavior, configuration, or capabilities before they take effect.
Stewardship
FoundationalAn intelligent environment is maintained with care and accountability — its caretakers are identifiable, their responsibilities are defined, and the environment is not left without responsible oversight.
Initial v1.0 Requirements
- 04.01The environment has at least one identified primary caretaker with full accountability for its operation.
- 04.02Caretaker responsibilities are defined, documented, and accessible to authorized parties.
- 04.03Caretaker transitions are managed with continuity — the environment is not left without responsible oversight during a transition.
Continuity
FoundationalAn intelligent environment preserves context and history across time — it does not forget, does not lose state without disclosure, and supports the transfer of knowledge between caretakers.
Initial v1.0 Requirements
- 05.01The environment maintains a durable record of its operational history, accessible to authorized caretakers.
- 05.02The environment does not lose state without disclosing the loss to the appropriate parties.
- 05.03The environment supports the transfer of operational knowledge between caretakers — through documentation, records, and structured handover processes.
Concierge
Emerged from Residential ResearchIncluded in Framework v1.0 as a bounded responsibility emerging from residential research. Validation in additional contexts remains open.
An intelligent environment anticipates and serves the needs of those within it — proactively, without requiring explicit instruction, and within the boundaries of its defined role.
Initial v1.0 Requirements
- 06.01The environment acts proactively in service of its occupants within its defined role and the boundaries set by its caretakers.
- 06.02The environment does not act proactively in ways that exceed its defined role or that have not been authorized by its caretakers.
- 06.03The environment discloses its proactive actions to the appropriate parties.
Evidence Process
The framework evolves through a transparent, evidence-driven process. Research partners and other authorized contributors may submit documented observations from real-world contexts. Submission does not itself constitute validation or automatically change the framework.
Evidence Status Categories
Included in the current framework as part of its originating body of work. Foundational status does not represent cross-context validation.
Evidence confirms that a principle, responsibility, definition, or pattern holds within a specifically identified context and within the boundaries documented by the evidence record.
Evidence sharpens a definition, clarifies a boundary, modifies a requirement, or improves an existing framework element.
Evidence reveals an exception, conflict, limitation, contradiction, or assumption requiring further examination.
Evidence reveals a recurring principle, responsibility, relationship, or pattern not yet fully represented by the framework.
Evidence demonstrates that a previous definition, requirement, pattern, or position has been superseded and should no longer guide current practice.
Validation must identify its evidence context. Evidence validated in one context must not be represented as universal or cross-context validation. Cross-context validation requires documented supporting evidence from more than one materially distinct research context.
The Evidence Process
Observation
A research partner or authorized contributor observes a condition in a real-world context that may be relevant to a framework principle, responsibility, definition, relationship, requirement, or pattern.
Documentation
The contributor documents the observation with sufficient context, source traceability, known limitations, and supporting material for governance review.
Evaluation
The framework governance authority evaluates the submitted evidence against the current specification, related evidence, known exceptions, and the boundaries of the context in which the observation occurred.
Decision
The framework governance authority determines whether the evidence validates, refines, challenges, causes the emergence of, or supports the deprecation of a framework element.
Publication
An approved change is published in the changelog with the evidence reference, reasoning, decision, effective framework version, and publication date.
Detailed requirements for evidence quality, confidentiality, redaction, conflicts of interest, contradictory findings, reconsideration, retention, and corroboration will be maintained in the Framework Evidence Standard. Until that standard is published, evidence decisions must not imply a level of independence, universality, or certainty not demonstrated by the available record.
Framework Evidence Standard forthcoming
Governance
The Behaves Well Framework is currently maintained and published by HTBW LLC as founding steward of the framework.
As founding steward, HTBW LLC is responsible for publishing and maintaining the specification, administering the evidence process, documenting governance decisions, maintaining the public changelog, and coordinating with research partners and other contributors.
Homes That Behave Well, Buildings That Behave Well, and Spaces That Behave Well are founding contextual research programs within the HTBW company ecosystem. They apply the framework within distinct environment classes and contribute documented observations to the evidence process. Evidence produced through these programs does not automatically alter the framework and must undergo the published governance process before incorporation.
The framework may later introduce external contributors, reviewers, research partners, or advisory participants. Any expansion or change to the governance structure will be documented publicly.
The Behaves Well Framework does not currently operate as an independent certification or accreditation body. It does not presently certify environments, practitioners, products, or organizations. Any future certification, accreditation, licensing, or conformance program would require separately published standards, governance, assessment criteria, and conflict-of-interest safeguards.
Governance Roles
Intellectual Property Owner
HTBW LLC
Founding Steward and Publisher
HTBW LLC
Framework Governance Authority
HTBW LLC under the published Framework v1.0 governance process
Founding Contextual Research Programs
Homes That Behave Well · Buildings That Behave Well · Spaces That Behave Well
External Contributors
None formally designated in Framework v1.0
Version History
Initial canonical publication. Establishes the six progressive framework layers and their corresponding responsibilities, the initial v1.0 requirements, foundational vocabulary, evidence status model, evidence process, and founding governance structure. Framework v1.0 represents the framework's initial canonical position. Foundational inclusion must not be interpreted as universal or cross-context validation.