Constructions Matter

I'm in Copenhagen, having just attended the 'Constructions Matter' conference at the Copenhagen Business School (http://www.clibyg.org/conference2010/). There were, as usual, a great set of people, papers and conversations. The conference raised questions about how people engage with digital technologies, and the consequences of this for the built environment. There are some interesting connections between the set of papers in the session on 'Management Practices and Digital Designs,' and some early ideas about taking these conversations forward....

Metamorphosis of design

Yesterday I participated in a workshop on the metamorphosis of design management, involving a coalition of researchers, teachers and practitioners and organized by the http://www.mdmn.org/ I was particularly struck by Peter Swann's presentation about e-waste (what happens to your computer when you upgrade) and the need for systemic thinking in design.

Project processes in the digital economy

The introduction of new technologies into project-based organizations is a challenge. The scale of this challenge is captured in an image of a wedge, by Mark Bew and Mervyn Richards, showing the road map associated with implementing new building information models in the construction industry.

They show different levels of implementation, where at the thin end there is poor information, but a well known and traditional project management process. At the other end of the wedge, data is much more tightly coupled, but there is much less known about the processes of design and delivery. The practical challenge for project-based firms is to understand how to develop new processes, to gain competitive advantage and drive up the productivity of the sector. 

These issues inform the AIM Fellowship research. They, as well as the new questions about information technologies and sustainability, will be discussed at a construction industry event, being hosted by the University of Reading on 19th May 2010.

For more details and to register for the "United Construction Information" event see: http://www.comitproject.org.uk/events/UCI%20Spring%202010%20Event%20Flyer.pdf

New Paper

A new paper is published by Chris Harty and Jennifer Whyte:

Harty, C. and Whyte, J. (2010) Emerging hybrid practices in construction design work: the role of mixed media, ASCE Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, Vol 136, No. 4, pp. 468-476.