RESOLVING CONFLICT IN THE FORMULATION OF BUILDING DESIGN OBJECTIVES

S. D. GREEN

Department of Construction Management & Engineering, University of Reading, Whiteknights, PO Box 219, Reading, RG6 6AW, UK

Abstract

This paper describes the benefits of developing a formal decision model during the briefing and outline design stages of a new laboratory building. A case study illustrates how understanding and communication between the design team and client can be considerably improved by the formulation of a requisite decision model based on the simple multi-attribute rating technique (SMART). The terminology of value management is considered to provide a useful way of introducing decision modelling to unsophisticated clients. However, notions of 'design optimisation' and 'value maximisation' are rejected as being unrealistic.

Keywords: Building Design Objectives, Value Management, Decision Theory, Soft Systems Methodology.