Raisbeck, P (2008) Perceptions of architectural design and project risk: Understanding the architects' role in a PPP project. Construction Management and Economics, 26(11), pp. 1145-1157. ISSN 1466433X
Abstract
Southern Cross Station is one of the largest public-private partnership (PPP) projects undertaken in Australia. In this project the architects played a significant role in developing an iconic design which has received international professional design awards and much media attention. In the media the architects' design was perceived as having impacted negatively on capital costs. Given these contradictory perceptions, the aim of this study was to better understand perceptions of the architects' role in relation to project risks arising out of their design. A survey of key project executives working in the PPP consortium responsible for delivering the project was undertaken. The survey was structured by a framework combining the PPP life cycle, project risks and the idea that architectural design can be viewed as a research and development activity rather than simply as a problem-solving activity. The survey responses point to the fact that the architects mitigated technical and operating risks and their activities had little bearing on the project's substantial write-downs. This counters media perceptions of the project that the design activities of the architects created more risks than they mitigated.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | architecture; design; public-private partnerships; risk management |
| Index terms: | risk management, architect, executive, media, Australia, partnership, life cycle, consortium, architectural design, research and development, survey, capital cost |
| Subjects: | data collection methods, risk assessment, profession, value management, practitioner, sociology, research management, partnership management, accounting and finance, design practice, Geography |
| Topics: | Design Practice, Risk Management, Roles and Professions, Stakeholder Management, Business Strategy, Research Practice, Geographical Context, Project Management |
| Descriptive scope: | 3 PCE |
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