Decriptive design study: A building facility renewal planning study

This paper describes a design-planning study for a building facility renewal project. The study concentrates on the design management role of a project management organization. The objective of the paper is to determine from empirical observations how early project design is carried out. The background and context of the management organization is described, the client's design objectives are outlined and design process models are developed to illustrate the evolution of the design. One of the objectives of this paper is to highlight instances where sequential design and information flows cause reactive design tasks to be initiated. This untimely flow of information affects the quality of decision making. The study identifies the need for more proactive design planning at the outset of a design project and interactive design approaches throughout the duration of the design project. The research reveals the relationships and the effects design contract delivery methods, organizational management behaviour, and communication technologies can have on design tasks and the subsequent quality of the decision making process. Recommendations are made to improve design processes used within the project management organization based on lean design principles.