Innovation through practice

Abstract

Purpose Through the study of visualizations, virtual worlds and information exchange, the purpose of this paper is to reveal the complex connections between technology and the work of design and construction. The authors apply the sociotechnical view of technology and the ramifications this view has on successful use of technology in design and construction. Design/methodology/approach This is a discussion paper reviewing over a decade of research that connects three streams of research on architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) teams as these teams grappled with adapting work practices to new technologies and the opportunities these technologies promised. Findings From studies of design and construction practices with building information modeling and energy modeling, the authors show that given the constructed nature of models and the loose coupling of project teams, these team organizational practices need to mirror the modeling requirements. Second, looking at distributed teams, whose interaction is mediated by technology, the authors argue that virtual world visualizations enhance discovery, while distributed AEC teams also need more traditional forms of 2D abstraction, sketching and gestures to support integrated design dialogue. Finally, in information exchange research, the authors found that models and data have their own logic and structure and, as such, require creativity and ingenuity to exchange data across systems. Taken together, these streams of research suggest that process innovation is brought about by people developing new practices. Originality/value In this paper, the authors argue that technology alone does not change practice. People who modify practices with and through technology create process innovation.

Visualizing a New Sustainable World: Toward the Next Generation of Virtual Reality in the Built Environment

“…For this reason, the interdisciplinary integration of disciplines becomes a critical "intersection" for sourcing novel ideas [80] and learning and also a source of many challenges, particularly with the influx of novel technologies. New technologies and ever-increasing amounts of data may give the false impression of gradually gaining control over future predictions and realizing improved built environment performance.…”

“…New technologies and ever-increasing amounts of data may give the false impression of gradually gaining control over future predictions and realizing improved built environment performance. However, despite calls for discipline integration, fragmentation is still very much present not only between the engineering, architecture, and construction fields [81] but also allied environmental disciplines, while the adoption of new tools has yet to realize significant innovation and productivity improvements [80]. As such, traditional linear work processes remain well embedded in current practices, despite the development of information sharing initiatives such as BIM and integrated project delivery.…”

“…Thus, the realization that the artifacts alone do not guarantee reaching a collaborative understanding lead some scholars to argue for the value of realtime [84] and co-located interaction [60] for problem-solving and decision-making tasks. Communication technologies that are discipline-agnostic, such as VR, offer flexibility for bringing disparate information into an intuitive environment for users to view and interact with while having conversations and "messy talk" [80], and thus can be ideal canvases for drafting different narratives. VR allows the designers to view the design or a situation from another user's perspective to account for multiple and different needs.…”

“…Issues of realism requirements and effectiveness have also been broadly recognized in engaging interdisciplinary teams. While eliciting emotional or behavioral responses from end users or securing approvals from clients or policy makers often require highly realistic representations, abstract representations have been seen to support more creative solutions due to interpretive flexibility [3,80]. Furthermore, integration of disciplines may require broader contextualization of information at greater scales or integration with additional data and types of information (Figure 5), such as temporal or procedural elements that create more dynamic scenarios (e.g., visualizing growth or deterioration over time, comparing/anticipating future performance, affecting or simulating behaviors, etc.).…”

Digital Transitions for Future Building Scenarios

“…Among the main issues that are being faced for implementation of BIM in the facility management stage, are both the business case for using BIM during use and the FM stage as well as the lack of input from FM professionals in the development of the BIM models that could then be updated and used after the design and construction stage [13]. The industry also has traditionally been slow in taking innovation IOP Publishing doi:10.1088/1755-1315/1176/1/012007 6 in, and the collaboration among stakeholders and disciplines has been "fragmented" [24]. "Process innovation" in such a context is often considered as a process reliant on communication between those different disciplines [24], something that often proves challenging.…”