Insights into architects' future roles in off-site construction

Today's construction industry is overflowing with new ideas about its future. Off-Site Manufacture and Construction (OSCM) is at the heart of the modern construction industry. Much has been written about the state and context of OSCM in different countries regarding its perceived benefits and b...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Construction economics and building 2017-01, Vol.17 (1), p.107-120
Main Authors: Luo, Jianing, Zhang, Hong, Sher, Willy
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Architecture
Building construction
Construction Industry Research and Information Association
Design
Design and construction
future roles
Manufacturing
Methodology
Off-site manufacture and construction
order and rules
Philosophy
Productivity
“architectural work” mode
“building product” mode
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Summary:Today's construction industry is overflowing with new ideas about its future. Off-Site Manufacture and Construction (OSCM) is at the heart of the modern construction industry. Much has been written about the state and context of OSCM in different countries regarding its perceived benefits and barriers to implementation. Off-site production (OSP) plays an important role in improving fragmented construction processes. Although most OSP research targets the attitudes and practices of OSP adoption, there is limited understanding of the philosophical issues underpinning OSP-related architecture. The roles of the architects' personal philosophies are neglected and this hampers their implementation of OSM (which has had a largely technical focus). This paper explores the traditional thinking patterns of architects in China and predicts possible future roles for them. It then conceptualizes an "architectural work" mode and a "building product" mode of design and construction and identifies the shortcomings of architects in an OSCM environment. The arguments made are based on practitioners' perceptions and the first author's practical experiences of leading several real-life projects in recent years. The findings reveal the implications and significance of the transformation from an "architectural work" mode to a "building product" mode. We foresee a study approach that focuses on the order and rules for OSCM, resulting in architects' existing mindsets being changed to thinking patterns and design methodologies better suited to OSM.
ISSN:2204-9029
2204-9029
DOI:10.5130/AJCEB.v17i1.5252