Raisbeck, P (2016) The architect as gleaner: Design practice as performance in the architectural office. In: Chan, P W and Neilson, C J (eds.) Proceedings of 32nd Annual ARCOM Conference, 5-7 September 2016, Manchester, UK.
Abstract
With the rise of digital software and BIM work practices the architect’s office is increasingly seen as a knowledge intensive digital workplace. Digital technologies are blurring the line between physical and virtual work practices both within and outside of the firm. Internally, physical and virtual workflows are now obviously interconnected. Externally, architects are now digitally connected to various stakeholders including clients, builders, consultants and sub-contractors. Yet, as a knowledge intensive digital workplace few studies have looked at the work practices that have emerged out of this situation.An ethnographic investigation of a small architectural firm is presented in order to ascertain to how digital software is used within the firm and how this forms a context for practice. Applied to digital-technical work practices ethnographic methods, compared to more positivist methods, enable countervailing insights to emerge in relation to digital practices.In this case, ethnographic methods of observation via site visits, video tours, and recorded interviews are utilised. It will be seen how digital practices within the firm can be described as a series of performances embodying a digital ecology for the production and distribution of design knowledge. The interconnection between physical design processes (such as sketching or model making) and digital design processes is described. The research identifies the complex interactions between digital tools in the practice and the shaping of design workflows.Emerging out of this it is argued that digital workflows and practices have became performance rituals within the firm. Taken together, this ensemble of rituals is used to re-theorise the prevailing model of the architects firm as a knowledge intensive professional service firm. Finally, the ethnographic methodology and methods employed in the study are evaluated in order to understand how such research methods might be applied to other design and construction contexts.
| Item Type: | Conference Paper (Paper) |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | architecture; design practice; digital practice; hybrid practices; ethnography; gleaning. |
| Index terms: | ethnography, builder, professional service firm, ecology, interview, design practice, architectural firm, design process, digital technology, workflow, interaction, work practice, hybrid practice, methodology, investigation, sub-contractor, design and construction, architect |
| Subjects: | behavioral psychology, design process, qualitative and interpretive research, research methods, management, contractual arrangements, environmental science, practitioner, computing systems, design methods, business, organization, data collection methods, profession |
| Topics: | Business Strategy, Research Practice, Roles and Professions, Procurement, Sustainability, Design Practice, Digital Applications, Organizational Design |
| 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