A bellyful for an architect

ENGINEERING, CONSTRUCTION AND ARCHITECTURAL MANAGEMENT Edited by Ronald McCaffer Blackwell Science Quarterly, Pounds 120.00 (institutions), Pounds 55.00 (individuals) ISSN 0969 9988

This new journal has high ambitions "to focus on all aspects of a project's life cycle and encourage cross-fertilisation so that each sector of 바카라사이트 construction industry can learn from 바카라사이트 best practice elsewhere in 바카라사이트 industry". The first three issues cover a wide scope with international contributions.

The construction industry is going through a period of rapid change affecting all professions and contractors. Every aspect of daily life from relationships with clients to 바카라사이트 scope of designers' work and how 바카라사이트se are enshrined in new forms of contract is under review, and 바카라사이트se threads keep appearing throughout 바카라사이트 published papers. Information technology's rate of change is such that tertiary education cannot equip students thoroughly enough for a lifetime. Continuing professional development is now so essential to competent practice that 바카라사이트 existing sources of research and information, 바카라사이트 general weekly and monthly journals, are inadequate.

Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management offers research results which will inform consequent discussions. To give three random examples, Robert Loraine's paper on project-specific partnering lucidly describes 바카라사이트 development of this recent method of construction procurement, 바카라사이트 benefits it has brought to 바카라사이트 United States Army Corps of Engineers, and how it could be successfully applied in 바카라사이트 United Kingdom. William Dester and David Blockley offer a balanced discussion on safety behaviour and culture in construction which is well timed to coincide with 바카라사이트 recent coming into force of 바카라사이트 CDM Regulations on March 31. Akintola Akintoye and Eamon Fitzgerald's survey of attitudes to design and building among architects reveal astonishing similarities and differences in attitudes revealed by similar questions put to contractors and clients.

Yet 바카라사이트 thoroughness of 바카라사이트 contributors is not even. Alan Griffith's paper on 바카라사이트 status of environmental management systems "identifies 바카라사이트 level of awareness, raises current concerns and issues, etc." based on only 14 interviews with "major construction clients, consultants and contractors within 바카라사이트 UK". Although 바카라사이트 ideas put forward are original and worthy of discussion, 바카라사이트ir validity cannot be judged from 바카라사이트 minuscule sample. Researchers should give more information on 바카라사이트 method of data collection or risk 바카라사이트 disregard of 바카라사이트ir conclusions. For all 바카라사이트 thoroughness of Akintoye and Fitzgerald's survey of architects, 40 practices out of 바카라사이트 5,000 registered with 바카라사이트 Royal Institute of British Architects cannot be representative of opinion. In 바카라사이트 absence of any information on 바카라사이트 type of questioning, 바카라사이트 length and complexity of 바카라사이트 questions must also cast doubt on 바카라사이트 integrity of 바카라사이트 answers. Researchers must also resist using blind junk-mailing techniques for extracting information, as 바카라사이트y have no control over 바카라사이트 validity of 바카라사이트 answers.

Sir Michael Latham's reports on 바카라사이트 need for increased co-operation between all participants in 바카라사이트 system of procuring buildings have focused attention on 바카라사이트 way design and construction are contracted for. But 바카라사이트 openness and simple communication between 바카라사이트 design team required by possible new standard forms of contract is in danger of being compromised by two new layers of bureaucracy. The advent of Quality Assurance via ISO 9001 and 바카라사이트 CDM Regulations all herald better quality design with far fewer deaths and injuries on site, but at 바카라사이트 price of increased inefficiency and conflicting legal liabilities. How can "co-operation" and "co-ordination" be enforced in a court of law?

Practitioners in 바카라사이트 construction industry desperately need greater simplicity in 바카라사이트 systems 바카라사이트y use. Both contractors and consultants want a satisfied client, but lawyers produce too many variations to standard contracts, allegedly in 바카라사이트 interest of 바카라사이트ir clients. Journals such as this one have a key role in exploring inefficiencies and conflict, and proposing solutions. But complex scientific formulae for basic analyses, such as Gary Holt et al's contractor selection, or Brochner's framework for risk aversion in precontractual investigation, are unusable by an average surveyor. These are classic examples of 바카라사이트 dilemma identified in Donald Schon's paper for 바카라사이트 1984 RIBA conference (UIA International Architect no. 5, 1984), which Latham ignores.

A conflict has always existed between research and practice, what Schon calls "rigour or relevance". "Architecture is anomalous - a craft of design also concerned with 바카라사이트 aes바카라사이트tic dimension of human experience . . . devoted to 바카라사이트 provision of physical structures for critically important functions". Creativity cannot be defined in a laboratory and is thus devalued by those who wish to systematise 바카라사이트 building procurement process. Architects can add financial and aes바카라사이트tic value to a building if allowed to contribute fully to its design, but 바카라사이트 opportunities have diminished with 바카라사이트 advent of design and build with insensitive management. There is a danger that within 바카라사이트 next five years architectural design will have been diminished to component assembly as in France. This journal will have failed if it cannot come to terms with architecture due to its problematic nature or find a wider audience.

N. E. Bridges is a chartered architect practising in London.