Mapping the early stages of the design process - a comparison between engineering and construction

Abstract

The conceptual stage of a construction project is a vibrant, dynamic and creative period. Ideas\nare generated rapidly about the nature of the project, the requirements and desires, and\npotential solutions. But this period can also be disorganised and even chaotic; there are many\nuncertainties about the project, and the risks are high. Design team members may be\nunfamiliar to each other and unaccustomed to one anothers' ways of working. Maps of the\ndesign process are intended to obviate the need for the design team to re-invent the process\neach time, and to contribute to a working environment in which good design can flourish.\nSeveral process maps already exist for construction. One of the best known in the UK is the\nPlan of Work published over 30 years ago by the Royal Institute of British Architects, and\nwhose terminology continues to be used throughout the industry. Recently other maps of the\nprocess have begun to emerge, some from industry, others from academic institutions. Neither\nthe RIBA Plan of Work, nor more recent maps, give in-depth support to the concept phase.\nAt the Department of Architecture at Cambridge University we are working with a number of\nconstruction industry firms (AMEC Design, BAA, Hotchkiss Ductwork Ltd, Hutter, Jennings\n& Titchmarsh, Matthew Hall, Pascall & Watson) on Mapping the design process during the\nconceptual phase of building projects. The project runs from April 1998 to March 2000 and is\nfunded by the UK Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council. Loughborough\nUniversity is also involved in the project. It focuses on two areas: i) the collation, evaluation\nand potential transfer of established mapping methods and design techniques at the concept\nstage from engineering and other industries to construction; and ii) the refinement, testing and\nexploitation of these design techniques by construction industry designers.