Exploring Multiple Disciplines in Building Design Practice
Vol. 16 No. 1 (2019): Systems and Ecosystems
Research Articles
August 5, 2019
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While there are numerous benefits to working in teams comprising multiple disciplines, we do not have sufficient documented information on the functioning of multi-disciplinary teams in the building design context. As functioning impacts project outcomes, an understanding of the operation of building design teams comprising multiple disciplines is important.
To contribute to the body of knowledge that addresses this gap, this paper examines literature on disciplinary types and team performance. Using an analytic framework identified in literature, this paper studies the organizational and social aspects of building design practice in order to shed light on the ways in which the multiple disciplines involved building design work together. Findings presented in this paper suggest that building design teams combine and integrate knowledge, skills and capabilities in a multidisciplinary manner. In addition, this paper discusses four social and organizational characteristics of multidisciplinary building design teams – the project delivery approach, disciplinary roles, preexisting social and professional relationships, and location and geographic proximity – and documents their impacts on team functioning.
Awomolo, O. “Exploring Multiple Disciplines in Building Design Practice”. Enquiry The ARCC Journal for Architectural Research, vol. 16, no. 1, Aug. 2019, pp. 29-45, doi:10.17831/enq:arcc.v16i1.455.
References
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AIA. (2017). The Architecture Student's Handbook of Professional Practice. John Wiley & Sons.
AIA California. (2008). Integrated Project Delivery: Frequently Asked Questions. Retrieved January 24, 2017, from http://aiacc.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/AIACC_1108FAQ.pdf
Anderson, B. (2016, November 29). Facilitating Teamwork. Retrieved July 4, 2017, from http://www.sigmaassessmentsystems.com/facilitating-teamwork/
Bernard-Bonnin, A.-C., Stachenko, S., Bonin, D., Charette, C., & Rousseau, E. (1995). Self-management teaching programs and morbidity of pediatric asthma: a meta-analysis. Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, 95(1), 34–41. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0091-6749(95)70150-8
Bianca, A. (2012). What Do Silos Mean in Business Culture? Retrieved January 4, 2017, from http://yourbusiness.azcentral.com/silos-mean-business-culture-3448.html
Blau, J. R. (1987). Architects and Firms: A Sociological Perspective on Architectural Practices. https://doi.org/10.2307/2392840
Bradbury, T., & Kamey, B. (2010). Chapter 11: Stress and Social Support: Intimate Relationships in Context | Intimate Relationships: W. W. Norton StudySpace. Retrieved January 31, 2017, from http://www.wwnorton.com/college/psych/intimate-relationships/ch/11/summary.aspx. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4899-3740-7_8
BUILD LLC. (2008). The Process of Architecture | BUILD Blog. Retrieved February 2, 2017, from http://blog.buildllc.com/2008/09/the-process-of-architecture/
Choi, B. C. K., & Pak, A. W. P. (2006). Multidisciplinarity, interdisciplinarity and transdisciplinarity in health research, services, education and policy: 1. Definitions, objectives, and evidence of effectiveness. Clinical and Investigative Medicine. Medecine Clinique Et Experimentale, 29(6), 351–364.
Cyert, R. M., March, J. G., & others. (1963). A behavioral theory of the firm. Englewood Cliffs, NJ, 2. Retrieved from https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=qqZ_FDFoDcMC&oi=fnd&pg=PA60&dq=behavioural+theory+of+the+firm&ots=9V4LTmwz4T&sig=US-gWE_dOSeXpwXsheFimTSHY-I
Derry, S. J., Schunn, C. D., & Gernsbacher, M. A. (2014). Interdisciplinary collaboration: An emerging cognitive science. Psychology Press. Retrieved from https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=Ktx4AgAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PP1&dq=Interdisciplinary+collaboration:+An+emerging+cognitive+science&ots=d6ZqgHFaPr&sig=fLzXDUmg_k_g_vuc7gXSZWbiCnw
Designing Buildings. (2017). Building design process - Designing Buildings Wiki. Retrieved February 2, 2017, from https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/Building_design_process
Ellinger, A. D., Watkins, K. E., & Bostrom, R. P. (1999). Managers as facilitators of learning in learning organizations. Human Resource Development Quarterly, 10(2), 105–125. https://doi.org/10.1002/hrdq.3920100203
Garner, H. G. (1994). Multidisciplinary versus interdisciplinary teamwork. Teamwork in Human Services: Models and Applications across the Life Span, 19–36. https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-7506-9519-0.50007-6
Grossman, D. G. (1979). A quantitative system for the assessment of initial organizational needs in transdisciplinary research. Masteruppsats, the Faculty of the College of Natural Science Michigan State University.
Harrison, D. A., Mohammed, S., McGrath, J. E., Florey, A. T., & Vanderstoep, S. W. (2003). Time matters in team performance: Effects of member familiarity, entrainment, and task discontinuity on speed and quality. Personnel Psychology; Durham, 56(3), 633–669. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1744-6570.2003.tb00753.x
Hoegl, M., & Proserpio, L. (2004). Team member proximity and teamwork in innovative projects. Research Policy, 33(8), 1153–1165. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.respol.2004.06.005
Iliffe, S. (2008). Myths and realities in multidisciplinary team-working. London Journal of Primary Care, 1(2), 100–102. https://doi.org/10.1080/17571472.2008.11493220
IPCC. (2007). Climate Change 2007 - Mitigation of Climate Change: Working Group III contribution to the Fourth Assessment Report of the IPCC. Cambridge University Press.
Jantsch, E. (1947). Inter- and Transdisciplinary University: A Systems Approach to Education and Innovation. Higher Education Quarterly, 1(1), 7–37. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-2273.1947.tb02067.x
Jehn, K. A., & Shah, P. P. (1997). Interpersonal Relationships and Task Performance: An Examination of Mediating Processes in Friendship and Acquaintance Groups. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 72(4), 775–790. https://doi.org/10.5465/ambpp.1996.4980697
Kasali, A., & Nersessian, N. J. (2015). Architects in interdisciplinary contexts: Representational practices in healthcare design. Design Studies, 41, 205–223. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.destud.2015.09.001
Kozlowski, S. W., & Bell, B. S. (2003). Work groups and teams in organizations. Handbook of Psychology. Retrieved from http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/0471264385.wei1214/full
Lau, D. C., & Murnighan, J. K. (2005). Interactions within groups and subgroups: The effects of demographic faultlines. Academy of Management Journal, 48(4), 645–659. https://doi.org/10.5465/amj.2005.17843943
Lee, E. (2015). The Building Blocks for a Truly Multidisciplinary Practice. Retrieved January 10, 2017, from http://www.contractdesign.com/practice/business-practice/The-Building-Blocks-for-a-Truly-Multidisciplinary-Practice-37124.shtml
Lee, S. (2001). Challenges in Building Design and the Construction Industry: The Future of Design and Construction in the Internet Age. In The Human Society and the Internet Internet-Related Socio-Economic Issues (pp. 225–236). Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/3-540-47749-7_18. https://doi.org/10.1007/3-540-47749-7_18
Lichtenstein, R., Alexander, J. A., Jinnett, K., & Ullman, E. (1997). Embedded intergroup relations in interdisciplinary teams effects on perceptions of level of team integration. The Journal of Applied Behavioral Science, 33(4), 413–434. https://doi.org/10.1177/0021886397334001
Nooteboom, B., & Six, F. (2003). The Trust Process in Organizations: Empirical Studies of the Determinants and the Process of Trust Development. Edward Elgar Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-0297.2004.00258_12.x
NSERC. (2016, June 28). NSERC - Guidelines for the Preparation and Review of Applications in Interdisciplinary Research. Retrieved February 2, 2017, from http://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/NSERC-CRSNG/Policies-Politiques/prepInterdiscip-prepInterdiscip_eng.asp
Patrick, V. (2016, May 10). The Benefits of Facilitation | IIFAC. Retrieved July 4, 2017, from http://english.iifac.org/coffee-break/the-benefits-of-facilitation/
Pfeiffer, S. I. (1981). The problems facing multidisciplinary teams: As perceived by team members. Psychology in the Schools, 18(3), 330–333. https://doi.org/10.1002/1520-6807(198107)18:3<330::aid-pits2310180314>3.0.co;2-q
Polzer, J. T., Crisp, C. B., Jarvenpaa, S. L., & Kim, J. W. (2006). Extending the Faultline Model to Geographically Dispersed Teams: How Colocated Subgroups Can Impair Group Functioning. The Academy of Management Journal, 49(4), 679–692. https://doi.org/10.5465/amj.2006.22083024
Shove, E., Pantzar, M., & Watson, M. (2012). The dynamics of social practice: Everyday life and how it changes. Sage publications. Retrieved from https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=cx4HTDrmOxkC&oi=fnd&pg=PP1&dq=the+dynamics+of+social+practice&ots=SuPr_TZmrK&sig=jlDepfvbpgFTsoVXNg0zk04cm9U
Simon, H. A. (1988). The science of design: Creating the artificial. Design Issues, 67–82. https://doi.org/10.5040/9781474282932.0013
Sole, D., & Edmondson, A. (2002). Situated Knowledge and Learning in Dispersed Teams. British Journal of Management, 13(S2), S17–S34. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-8551.13.s2.3. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-8551.13.s2.3
Thomsen, C., Darrington, J., Dunne, D., & Lichtig, W. (2009). Managing integrated project delivery. Construction Management Association of America (CMAA), McLean, VA, 105. Retrieved from http://danzpage.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/Construction-Management-Resources_CMAA_White_Paper_Managing_IPD.pdf
Valkenburg, R., & Dorst, K. (1998). The reflective practice of design teams. Design Studies, 19(3), 249–271. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0142-694x(98)00011-8
Yin, R. K. (2013). Case Study Research: Design and Methods (5 edition). Los Angeles: SAGE Publications, Inc.
AIA. (2006). AIA Pittsburgh | Six Phases of Your Project. Retrieved January 9, 2017, from http://aiapgh.org/aia-architects/working-with-an-architect/six-phases-of-your-project/
AIA. (2017). The Architecture Student's Handbook of Professional Practice. John Wiley & Sons.
AIA California. (2008). Integrated Project Delivery: Frequently Asked Questions. Retrieved January 24, 2017, from http://aiacc.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/AIACC_1108FAQ.pdf
Anderson, B. (2016, November 29). Facilitating Teamwork. Retrieved July 4, 2017, from http://www.sigmaassessmentsystems.com/facilitating-teamwork/
Bernard-Bonnin, A.-C., Stachenko, S., Bonin, D., Charette, C., & Rousseau, E. (1995). Self-management teaching programs and morbidity of pediatric asthma: a meta-analysis. Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, 95(1), 34–41. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0091-6749(95)70150-8
Bianca, A. (2012). What Do Silos Mean in Business Culture? Retrieved January 4, 2017, from http://yourbusiness.azcentral.com/silos-mean-business-culture-3448.html
Blau, J. R. (1987). Architects and Firms: A Sociological Perspective on Architectural Practices. https://doi.org/10.2307/2392840
Bradbury, T., & Kamey, B. (2010). Chapter 11: Stress and Social Support: Intimate Relationships in Context | Intimate Relationships: W. W. Norton StudySpace. Retrieved January 31, 2017, from http://www.wwnorton.com/college/psych/intimate-relationships/ch/11/summary.aspx. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4899-3740-7_8
BUILD LLC. (2008). The Process of Architecture | BUILD Blog. Retrieved February 2, 2017, from http://blog.buildllc.com/2008/09/the-process-of-architecture/
Choi, B. C. K., & Pak, A. W. P. (2006). Multidisciplinarity, interdisciplinarity and transdisciplinarity in health research, services, education and policy: 1. Definitions, objectives, and evidence of effectiveness. Clinical and Investigative Medicine. Medecine Clinique Et Experimentale, 29(6), 351–364.
Cyert, R. M., March, J. G., & others. (1963). A behavioral theory of the firm. Englewood Cliffs, NJ, 2. Retrieved from https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=qqZ_FDFoDcMC&oi=fnd&pg=PA60&dq=behavioural+theory+of+the+firm&ots=9V4LTmwz4T&sig=US-gWE_dOSeXpwXsheFimTSHY-I
Derry, S. J., Schunn, C. D., & Gernsbacher, M. A. (2014). Interdisciplinary collaboration: An emerging cognitive science. Psychology Press. Retrieved from https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=Ktx4AgAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PP1&dq=Interdisciplinary+collaboration:+An+emerging+cognitive+science&ots=d6ZqgHFaPr&sig=fLzXDUmg_k_g_vuc7gXSZWbiCnw
Designing Buildings. (2017). Building design process - Designing Buildings Wiki. Retrieved February 2, 2017, from https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/Building_design_process
Ellinger, A. D., Watkins, K. E., & Bostrom, R. P. (1999). Managers as facilitators of learning in learning organizations. Human Resource Development Quarterly, 10(2), 105–125. https://doi.org/10.1002/hrdq.3920100203
Garner, H. G. (1994). Multidisciplinary versus interdisciplinary teamwork. Teamwork in Human Services: Models and Applications across the Life Span, 19–36. https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-7506-9519-0.50007-6
Grossman, D. G. (1979). A quantitative system for the assessment of initial organizational needs in transdisciplinary research. Masteruppsats, the Faculty of the College of Natural Science Michigan State University.
Harrison, D. A., Mohammed, S., McGrath, J. E., Florey, A. T., & Vanderstoep, S. W. (2003). Time matters in team performance: Effects of member familiarity, entrainment, and task discontinuity on speed and quality. Personnel Psychology; Durham, 56(3), 633–669. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1744-6570.2003.tb00753.x
Hoegl, M., & Proserpio, L. (2004). Team member proximity and teamwork in innovative projects. Research Policy, 33(8), 1153–1165. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.respol.2004.06.005
Iliffe, S. (2008). Myths and realities in multidisciplinary team-working. London Journal of Primary Care, 1(2), 100–102. https://doi.org/10.1080/17571472.2008.11493220
IPCC. (2007). Climate Change 2007 - Mitigation of Climate Change: Working Group III contribution to the Fourth Assessment Report of the IPCC. Cambridge University Press.
Jantsch, E. (1947). Inter- and Transdisciplinary University: A Systems Approach to Education and Innovation. Higher Education Quarterly, 1(1), 7–37. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-2273.1947.tb02067.x
Jehn, K. A., & Shah, P. P. (1997). Interpersonal Relationships and Task Performance: An Examination of Mediating Processes in Friendship and Acquaintance Groups. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 72(4), 775–790. https://doi.org/10.5465/ambpp.1996.4980697
Kasali, A., & Nersessian, N. J. (2015). Architects in interdisciplinary contexts: Representational practices in healthcare design. Design Studies, 41, 205–223. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.destud.2015.09.001
Kozlowski, S. W., & Bell, B. S. (2003). Work groups and teams in organizations. Handbook of Psychology. Retrieved from http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/0471264385.wei1214/full
Lau, D. C., & Murnighan, J. K. (2005). Interactions within groups and subgroups: The effects of demographic faultlines. Academy of Management Journal, 48(4), 645–659. https://doi.org/10.5465/amj.2005.17843943
Lee, E. (2015). The Building Blocks for a Truly Multidisciplinary Practice. Retrieved January 10, 2017, from http://www.contractdesign.com/practice/business-practice/The-Building-Blocks-for-a-Truly-Multidisciplinary-Practice-37124.shtml
Lee, S. (2001). Challenges in Building Design and the Construction Industry: The Future of Design and Construction in the Internet Age. In The Human Society and the Internet Internet-Related Socio-Economic Issues (pp. 225–236). Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/3-540-47749-7_18. https://doi.org/10.1007/3-540-47749-7_18
Lichtenstein, R., Alexander, J. A., Jinnett, K., & Ullman, E. (1997). Embedded intergroup relations in interdisciplinary teams effects on perceptions of level of team integration. The Journal of Applied Behavioral Science, 33(4), 413–434. https://doi.org/10.1177/0021886397334001
Nooteboom, B., & Six, F. (2003). The Trust Process in Organizations: Empirical Studies of the Determinants and the Process of Trust Development. Edward Elgar Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-0297.2004.00258_12.x
NSERC. (2016, June 28). NSERC - Guidelines for the Preparation and Review of Applications in Interdisciplinary Research. Retrieved February 2, 2017, from http://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/NSERC-CRSNG/Policies-Politiques/prepInterdiscip-prepInterdiscip_eng.asp
Patrick, V. (2016, May 10). The Benefits of Facilitation | IIFAC. Retrieved July 4, 2017, from http://english.iifac.org/coffee-break/the-benefits-of-facilitation/
Pfeiffer, S. I. (1981). The problems facing multidisciplinary teams: As perceived by team members. Psychology in the Schools, 18(3), 330–333. https://doi.org/10.1002/1520-6807(198107)18:3<330::aid-pits2310180314>3.0.co;2-q
Polzer, J. T., Crisp, C. B., Jarvenpaa, S. L., & Kim, J. W. (2006). Extending the Faultline Model to Geographically Dispersed Teams: How Colocated Subgroups Can Impair Group Functioning. The Academy of Management Journal, 49(4), 679–692. https://doi.org/10.5465/amj.2006.22083024
Shove, E., Pantzar, M., & Watson, M. (2012). The dynamics of social practice: Everyday life and how it changes. Sage publications. Retrieved from https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=cx4HTDrmOxkC&oi=fnd&pg=PP1&dq=the+dynamics+of+social+practice&ots=SuPr_TZmrK&sig=jlDepfvbpgFTsoVXNg0zk04cm9U
Simon, H. A. (1988). The science of design: Creating the artificial. Design Issues, 67–82. https://doi.org/10.5040/9781474282932.0013
Sole, D., & Edmondson, A. (2002). Situated Knowledge and Learning in Dispersed Teams. British Journal of Management, 13(S2), S17–S34. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-8551.13.s2.3. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-8551.13.s2.3
Thomsen, C., Darrington, J., Dunne, D., & Lichtig, W. (2009). Managing integrated project delivery. Construction Management Association of America (CMAA), McLean, VA, 105. Retrieved from http://danzpage.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/Construction-Management-Resources_CMAA_White_Paper_Managing_IPD.pdf
Valkenburg, R., & Dorst, K. (1998). The reflective practice of design teams. Design Studies, 19(3), 249–271. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0142-694x(98)00011-8
Yin, R. K. (2013). Case Study Research: Design and Methods (5 edition). Los Angeles: SAGE Publications, Inc.
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