A Bit of History on Architectural Management
It was during the 1960s that the architectural profession in the UK started to take the issue of management seriously. This resulted in the publication of many guides, such as the RIBA Plan of Work and the Architect’s Job Book. This early work has been continually revised and updated over the years, providing architects, architectural technologists and technicians with essential guidance to the administration of projects. Parallel to this has been the growth and evolution of construction management literature, which more recently has expanded into the areas of design management and briefing.
Worldwide (architectural) design management has been evolving since the 1960s as architects, engineers and contractors have sought to better understand the design process and the interdependency of the organizations and individuals contributing to construction projects. In 1964 British chartered architects Brunton, Baden Hellard and Boobyer published a seminal work Management Applied to Architectural Practice, in which they highlighted the link between the successful management of the design office and the management of individual projects. They did not use the term design management, instead ‘job management’ was used to cover the management of individual projects and “office management” to cover the management of the business (the main focus of their book). The term ‘architectural management’ was used to represent the synergy between the management of the office and individual projects.
Leading research into architectural management is the CIB’s working group W096 Architectural Management. In 1992 the first conference on architectural management, initiated and organized by Paul Nicholson, was held at the University of Nottingham in the UK, following which the International Council for Research and Innovation in Building and Construction (CIB) approved the formation of the working group W096 Architectural Management. Since this time the Commission has been active in the area, with regular conferences, meetings and published conference proceedings. The Architectural Management working group attempts to bring together researchers and practitioners concerned with the whole life cycle of building and construction projects.
Recently the members of the working group have concentrated on achieving value for stakeholders and this work has led to a focus on integrated design teams and improved communications. Active working areas are; revaluing design, communicating design, inclusive design, design management, design integration, design management education and revaluing architectural practice — all with an underlying sustainable agenda.
Stephen Emmitt and Matt Prins,
joint coordinators of CIB-W096
List of conferences and coordinators of CIB-W096 Architectural Management
- 1992 – Nottingham, United Kingdom, not a formal CIB meeting, but first exchange of ideas about Architectural Management
- 1993 – Eindhoven, The Netherlands, first offical conference of W096
Coordinators: Paul Nicholson and Dick Spekkink
- 1993 – Antwerp, Belgium
- 1994 – Nottingham, United Kingdom
- 1995 – Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- 1995 – Dublin, Ireland
- 1996 – Prague, Czech Republic
- 1996 – Surrey, United Kingdom
Coordinators: Paul Nicholson and Matthijs Prins
- 1997 – The Hague, The Netherlands
- 1997 – Trondheim, Norway
- 1998 – Brighton, United Kingdom
- 1999 – Venice, Italy
- 1999 – Antwerp, Belgium
- 2000 – Atlanta, United States
Coordinators: Colin Gray and Matthijs Prins
- 2001 – Wellington, New Zealand
- 2001 – Reading, United Kingdom
- 2002 – Hong Kong, China PR
- 2004 – Toronto, Canada
Coordinators: Stephen Emmitt and Matthijs Prins
- 2005 – Lyngby, Denmark
- 2006 – Eindhoven, The Netherlands
- 2007 – Cape town, South Africa
- 2008 – Helsinki, Finland
- 2008 – Sao Paolo, Brazil
- 2009 – Rotterdam, The Netherlands
- 2009 – Tainan, Taiwan
- 2010 – Salford, UK