Abstract: The overall arrangement of a number of non-overlapping rectangles with constraints on their size and shape, may be generated with relation to a number of objective functions such as, size and shape of the enveloping rectangle, size of an interconnecting network, and distance between pairs of individual rectangles, by first embedding a distance space, reflecting the desired proximity structure, in the plane; next, by refining containment relations, fixing the relative positions of rectangles within such a containment in accordance with the corresponding positions in the embedding; and on the basis thereof estimating the space required for the local realization of the interconnecting network in a configuration satisfying the constraints on the individual rectangles, and optimal with respect to any quasi-concave objective function on the dimensions of the enveloping rectangle that is monotone in its arguments. The method can be implemented even on relatively small computers.