Creating collaboration: The use of collaborative space in large-scale infrastructure development

Collaborative project delivery models (CPDMs) have been introduced in the construction sector in order to renew and improve the productivity, quality and performance of the field. The procurement phase of utilising CPDM is well researched, but less is known about their implementation. The importance of a shared project space for collaboration and especially knowledge sharing is discussed often in literature, but there is less focus on the relevance of space for forming a collaborative network. A relevant question is the role of collaborative project space in large-scale infrastructure projects, a context where CPDM recently has gained popularity. This area is especially topical with the rise of distance work related to the Covid-19 pandemic, as the idea of a collaborative project space is based mainly on working in the same physical space. The research applies a project network lens and focuses on collaborative space consisting of physical, social and virtual space to study the implications of shared project space for network and tie formation in large-scale infrastructure projects. In order to investigate this matter, we studied a project utilising a CPDM and a collaborative space ("big room"). We found that participation and engagement in a shared space impacts network formation and collaboration between actors. Collaborative space in the form of physical, social and virtual spaces, facilitates a shared understanding and informal social ties and thus shapes the project network. The paper gives insight into the relevance of shared space to CPDM and project network literature. However, when one of these spaces becomes unavailable as in the case of Covid-19, this has implications for the project network and the development of social ties.