Design and Construction Building in Value




Design and Construction:

Building in Value

edited by Rick Best and Gerard de Valence

University of Technology Sydney



Preface

This is the second book in a series devoted to the concept of value in buildings, and how

those who involved in building procurement may ultimately produce buildings that

represent the best ‘value-for-money’ outcomes. Like its precursor, Building in Value: Predesign

Issues,

it is intended both for students in construction- and property-related courses

at

the tertiary level and as a useful resource for industry professionals: property

developers,

project managers and cost engineers among others.

Once again a wide range of topics have been included, however, the design and

construction of buildings is a broad and complex area and no single book could cover all

the relevant areas. Once again, though, it brings together in one volume an introduction

to many of the parts of the building procurement process that make up the design and

construction phase. The reference and bibliography lists at the end of each chapter point

readers to a wealth of related material and will thus facilitate in-depth self-directed study

of selected topics, while the editorial comments that precede most of the chapters tie the

content of individual chapters to the central theme of ‘building in value’.

The book is broken into three parts: the first is a review of recent trends and changes

in building procurement, the second examines specific functional and procedural issues,

while the third looks to the future and examines some of the innovations that are emerging

in areas such as the production of ‘space age’ materials, automation of the construction

process and new methods of space conditioning.

Contributions have come from many countries including Australia, New Zealand,

Singapore, the USA, England, Scotland and Finland, and the authors once again include

academics and practitioners.

The first book in the series has been a success as it gives readers a convenient onevolume

reference that provides a basic but solid grounding in the topic areas covered by

the

various authors. We

believe that this book will serve a similar purpose and hope that

students

and professionals will find it equally useful.

Rick Best

Gerard de Valence

November 2001



Foreword

As US architect Frank Lloyd Wright wrote in the New York Times Magazine (4 October 1953):

The physician can bury his mistakes, but the architect can only advise his clients to plant vines.

In the last 50 years, buildings have become more complicated, technology has

continued at a relentless pace, work practices have changed, litigation abounds,

globalization is a fact of life and we are all swamped with information.

So why read another book about building best value buildings?

The simple answer is that this book is vital to enhancing your knowledge. Today’s

professional has to keep abreast of all the new developments in design, technology,

building codes, and new materials and processes. Rick Best and Gerard de Valence have

hit on the winning combination of knowing a lot about the design and construction

industry and bringing together experts to write about the important issues in building

today. Their last book, Building in value: pre-design issues, used the same format and has

proved very successful. The editors have moulded a diverse range of topics into a coherent

and interesting text.

Everybody likes to think they are operating at the leading edge of their subject area,

whether it be design, cost management, materials technology, or construction. If you want

to stay at the leading edge, then you must read this book – it has taught me a lot about a

wide range of topics. Remember – you don’t know what you don’t know!

But building in value for whom? For the investor, developer, owner, designer,

contractor, specialist contractor, or supply chain, who all played a part in the design and

construction phases? Or for the customers, and the customers’ customers who will be

involved in the whole life of the building? The editors have clearly considered these

questions and have compiled a collection of expert views that cover the whole spectrum

of construction, from inception to construction to operation.

Today’s speed of change in new materials and communication technologies means we

can no longer use the events of the past to predict the future. However, whatever the speed

at which new technology is created, the changes are incremental, they do not all happen

at once. Take, for example, the construction of tall buildings in the world: Petronas Towers

in Kuala Lumpur relied upon advances in lift manufacture, e-commerce relies upon faster

and faster processor speeds and communication advances, while nanotechnology provides

an opportunity for scientists to make single molecules act like transistors – which makes

computers the size of a sugar cube a possibility!

The book recognizes the speed of change and includes sections on managing change

and innovation, and future technologies, as well as dealing with today’s issues of

constructability, occupational health and safety, lean construction, cost management,

waste management, and quality assurance.

The book represents value for money for both students and professionals alike.

Roger Flanagan

The University of Reading


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