Opoku, A and Mills, S A (2019) Exploring the use of standardised design in addressing the shortage of primary school places in the UK. Journal of Engineering, Design and Technology, 17(2), pp. 383-401. ISSN 1726-0531
Abstract
Purpose: As part of the UK Government’s strategy to address the current shortage of primary school places is the construction of standardised designed schools. The UK Government has been facing an uphill battle to meet the demand for the ever-increasing number of school places it requires. This paper aims to explore the use of standardised school design in addressing the problem of primary school places in the UK. Design/methodology/approach: Due to the exploratory nature of this investigation, a pragmatic research philosophy is utilised and mixed-method data collection techniques are used. Quantitative data collection is in the form of a survey involving 306 construction professionals and stakeholders; this has been consolidated using qualitative data collection in the form of nine purposefully selected semi-structured interviews. Findings: The research highlighted the influence that people and their perceptions have on the successful implementation of standardisation. The results show that a high level of misunderstanding exists around the concept of standardisation and its definition. Standardised design has shown to have a remarkable influence in reducing the cost and time required for delivering the construction of new schools. Research limitations/implications: Due to the exploratory nature of this research, the results obtained have not been wholly conclusive but have instead provided a contribution to the area of standardisation in construction. Originality/value: The research has uncovered that, to truly promote and drive standardisation in the delivery of schools, a joint approach is required with designers, contractors, clients and manufacturers, working in partnership to develop successful solutions. The paper will, therefore, help the key stakeholders delivering standardised schools in UK to fully understand the concept and turn the challenges into opportunities.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | building standardisation; school places; schools buildings; standardised design; United Kingdom |
| Index terms: | designer, partnership, investigation, standardization, construction professional, implementation, manufacturer, interview, survey, philosophy, strategy, United Kingdom, methodology |
| Subjects: | philosophical studies, partnership management, professional development, Geography, research methods, management, performance measurement, contractual arrangements, practitioner, data collection methods, profession |
| Topics: | Quality Management, Procurement, Roles and Professions, Stakeholder Management, Geographical Context, Research Practice, Information Management, Business Strategy |
| Descriptive scope: | 5 PCTEA |
N.B. Descriptive scope is a count of how many of the five facets of empirical research are indicated by the words used in title, abstract and keywords. It is not intended as a judgement on the research; merely a count of the kind of word we would expect to indicate Phenomenon, Concepts, Theoretical framing, Empirical techniques, Analytical techniques. If all five are present, then a code of “5 PCTEA” will indicate this. If you feel the coding for this record is questionable, we welcome discussion around the terms we matched or the way we categorized them. The facet you would expect may not be coded, or a facet may be coded inappropriately. This can also bear on a larger question, of which facets should be treated as defining in construction management research. Please get in touch, and we will look at it. More details here