Organizational Strategies in the Building Industry and the Reaction of the Architectural Profession

This paper reports on the first step of a study, the objective of which is to investigate the instrumentality of retaining the traditions of the architectural profession in the light of findings in the fields of sociology, psychology and organizational behaviour. Having determined that the long-standing rigidly sequential form of project organization known as “the system” is increasingly less able to enhance either the ability or the motivation of architects in building design, four alternative organizational strategies are reviewed and their application in the building industry studied with special reference to the design/construction interface. The reaction of the architectural profession to the project organizations resulting from the application of each of these strategies is monitored and it is concluded that the cornerstone of the professional tradition—the role of the architect as agent of the building entrepreneur—may no longer be an appropriate means for enhancing the quality of building design.