In modern architectural debate, buildings are made by their description in the literature as much... more In modern architectural debate, buildings are made by their description in the literature as much as they are defined by the reality of their construction. On this point, a relatively small glitch in the celebratory narrative of the roof of the Sydney Opera House – four columns that do not appear in the descriptions of the building – offers the opportunity to reflect on the generation of architecture’s canons and perhaps the perceived need to elevate the subject matter by abstracting the engineering of its construction. While questioning the reasons for the absence of the columns from the biographies of the building, the article articulates the value of embracing even the smaller details in projects' histories.
Persistent fiscal and political mismanagement, together with the financial pressures of the COVID... more Persistent fiscal and political mismanagement, together with the financial pressures of the COVID-19 pandemic, have driven Sri Lanka into a social and economic crisis triggering a decrease in national foreign exchange reserves, an inability to purchase vital imports, and an unprecedented rise in internal inflation rates. Within the correspondingly distressed construction sector, the idea of ‘design circularity’ gains natural impetus beyond eco-system protection and responsible consumption views, as a critical strategy for responding to the material and fiscal scarcity of the country’s by-now relatively closed economy. This is also in light of the fact that the post-independence history of industrial policy in the island has produced an urban landscape characterised by large underused and increasingly derelict building stock with a significant potential - and need - to be programmatically reorganised, technically recycled, and spatially and culturally re-designed. This paper moves fr...
Journal of Construction in Developing Countries, 2021
In light of the limited impact research on construction in developing countries has had on theory... more In light of the limited impact research on construction in developing countries has had on theory and practice, this article discusses the meaning of development as it pertains to construction. The discussion distinguishes between studies addressing construction in developing countries, entailing focus on context and case-based approaches to research, and studies that focus on the process of construction industry development. Progress in research addressing the process of development has been hampered by a lack of data to support the examination of changes in construction industries over time and to compare industries in countries at different stages of economic development. To encourage more process-oriented research, a definition of development in construction is elaborated to include six important dimensions – i.e., important factors affecting construction industry development. Taking into account the lack of relevant statistics, correlates for these dimensions (i.e., statistical...
Enhanced global connectivity, networks' capacity to carry data, and increases in transmission spe... more Enhanced global connectivity, networks' capacity to carry data, and increases in transmission speed already affect the way architectural practices work. With computer-assisted drafting (CAD) equipment now used by the overwhelming majority of architectural offices globally, electronic transfer of drawings is on the rise, followed by opportunities to benefit from the economic advantage of digital technologies by setting up remote links. Researchers in areas such as the media, software engineering, accounting, and light manufacturing have examined the industrial, cultural and regional development underpinnings of such phenomena. By contrast, very few analyses exist in architecture that link technological opportunities to social transformations, and technical skills to market development. Our research responds to this challenge by investigating qualitative differences in the performance of distant actors, and aims to determine whether these differences can be related to environmental characteristics.
The developments in telecommunications infrastructure and digital technologies and their global d... more The developments in telecommunications infrastructure and digital technologies and their global diffusion have changed the modes of operation of the design professions, and drastically extended their territorial reach. Computer-assisted drafting equipment (CAD) is ...
The growing use of modern construction technologies with different tolerances and installation re... more The growing use of modern construction technologies with different tolerances and installation requirements in buildings has made the reliance on full size mockups essential for examining the various interfaces between design and construction. Over the past ten years, 3D/4D digital models have been introduced and developed to this end, and they are now seen by some as eliminating the need for physical mockups. In this study, based on the on-the-job experiences and project management records of the construction of one very significant building in North America, the authors argue that, notwithstanding the recognized capabilities of digital models, physical mockups are still needed for capturing and eliciting the tacit knowledge that characterizes many construction operations, and which cannot be visualized fully by the digital world. This is because some field conditions are very difficult to foresee and represent; as a consequence, construction workers may not achieve on the ground what seems achievable on design documents. Depending on situations, the process of constructing and successfully completing a mockup is still the essential locus where some (but not all) field conditions can be verified, the outcome of craft-based efforts can be observed and evaluated, and design intents and construction procedures modified accordingly. This argument is developed by illustrating the challenges experienced in the erection and testing of a full size mockup of Simmons Hall-an architectural award-winning dormitory completed at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 2002-particularly in terms of constructability and functional requirements. By looking at the relationship between initial designers' agendas and constructed solutions, and by considering the parameters informing specific project decisions, it will be argued that digital and physical models must be considered complementary tools in the realization of design intents.
Association of Architecture Schools in Australasia, 2007
As with many other 'industries' routinely engaged in the digital production and exchange of infor... more As with many other 'industries' routinely engaged in the digital production and exchange of information, global interconnectivity is driving a worldwide relocation of architectural design production and documentation facilities from higher-wage to lower-wage regions. With common professional and linguistic legacies from the colonial past, India is emerging as a key provider to Australia in this emerging market of offshore architectural services. Conversely, India is also one of Australia's most important emerging consumers of architectural education. Until recently, a 'foreign-returned' Indian architect with a degree from an overseas university could anticipate architectural employment in an 'upstairs' position of responsibility and prestige. Overseas qualifications typically entailed overseas work experience as well, and the enhanced professional judgement these implied to perform the higher order 'symbolic analysis' of a designer or project leader. It was the 'downstairs' staff of locally trained drafters and technicians who did the 'routine production' and were paid accordingly. With the rapidly increasing volume and sophistication of 'offshore' architectural work now being 'outsourced' to Indian firms, however, the old 'upstairs-downstairs' division of labour and expertise is no longer clear. This paper interprets relevant findings from the Indian case study of a larger comparative study of the changing geography of architectural work. Here we question what an Australian architectural degree is actually worth, or should be, to an Indian graduate architect when locally trained architectural technicians based in Delhi, Mumbai, and even provincial Kanpur are routinely working on major projects around the Globe as remote digital collaborators with some of the largest architectural firms in the world.
Developments in information technology have reduced the need for spatial proximity in the geograp... more Developments in information technology have reduced the need for spatial proximity in the geography of architectural employment: computer-based drafting allows for better standardisation and more efficient production of project information, whilst electronic communication links make the immediate transfer of this information possible across long distances. The ability to compress time and space may be paving the way to the relocation of architectural production facilities from higher-wage to lower-wage regions: numerous examples already exist of firms that have adopted this strategy to reduce their overheads. Thus far, discussion of the viability and desirability of this emerging trend has been hampered by its close focus on the type of work carried out, and a consequently narrow view of its costs and benefits. Remote drafting is seen as a cheap form of professional north-south exploitation in architecture's intellectual circles that should be ignored if not deplored. By stressing the connection between the task and the culture in which it is developed, this paper seeks to produce a broader, alternative perspective, which identifies the several limitations of current offshore collaborations but also points out possible future strengths, development strategies, and necessary environmental conditions. The Indian context provides an opportunity to highlight analogies and differences between the recent growth of the export-oriented IT industry and the construction of a colonial professional practice at the turn of the twentieth century. If properly acknowledged by the domestic profession and considered by policy-makers, the development of a framework for distant architectural collaborations could be used not only to support the local design sector and bring the contested components of its post-colonial tradition in sharper focus and possibly closer together, but also to respond to the many challenges posed by the country's economic policies, growth, and infrastructural conditions. Architecture: a labour-intensive and traditionally local practice Architectural services in Australia provide work to approximately 19,000 people. Of these, about 40% are proprietors or directors, 45% are technical staff (either qualified professionals or unqualified fee-earners) and 15% fulfil support and administrative functions. Since it is estimated that one-third of the 4,500 registered firms consist of sole practitioners, the remaining 3,000 employ 12,000 people, for an average employer-employee ratio of 1:4. 1 This ratio is relatively small when compared to other Routine production or symbolic analysis?
The opening of the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao in 1997 heralded the beginning of an era in world ... more The opening of the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao in 1997 heralded the beginning of an era in world architecture defined by iconic buildings underpinned by mediatic exposure and the belief in the power of design to leverage urban conditions. Today, a conspicuous number of such buildings featuring non-standard geometries are experiencing accelerated forms of decay with the emergence of construction defects. This study compares the type of problems encountered in the Jubilee Church in Rome (1996–2003), analysed in previous studies, with the failures of other two contemporary buildings of analogous features, namely: the Palau de les Arts Reina Sofia in Valencia (1996–2005) and the Museum of the Arts of the XXI Century in Rome (1998–2010). The findings of the study show that the accelerated decay of the three buildings shares familiar features and common challenges: geometry of the façade, local environmental factors, labour organisation, and limited regard of maintenance principles. Build...
This analysis shows how the increasing availability of computers in architectural practice and th... more This analysis shows how the increasing availability of computers in architectural practice and the steady development of electronic networks around the world could encourage the relocation of professional structures into countries with lower production costs. Starting from the existence of sharp professional wage differentials between developed and developing regions, it formulates the hypothesis that, in a few years, most architectural work could be documented in places such as SouthEast Asia and transferred digitally over to America, Australia or Europe.
... DOI: 10.1080/13602360600786084 Paolo Tombesi a ... photograph: Mears Photography); b) Underwo... more ... DOI: 10.1080/13602360600786084 Paolo Tombesi a ... photograph: Mears Photography); b) Underwood Primary, Andrews (Texas), 1957 (photograph: Julius Shulman); c) Montrose Elementary, Laredo (Texas), 1952 (photograph: Roland Chatham); d) Albany Elementary, Albany ...
In modern architectural debate, buildings are made by their description in the literature as much... more In modern architectural debate, buildings are made by their description in the literature as much as they are defined by the reality of their construction. On this point, a relatively small glitch in the celebratory narrative of the roof of the Sydney Opera House – four columns that do not appear in the descriptions of the building – offers the opportunity to reflect on the generation of architecture’s canons and perhaps the perceived need to elevate the subject matter by abstracting the engineering of its construction. While questioning the reasons for the absence of the columns from the biographies of the building, the article articulates the value of embracing even the smaller details in projects' histories.
Persistent fiscal and political mismanagement, together with the financial pressures of the COVID... more Persistent fiscal and political mismanagement, together with the financial pressures of the COVID-19 pandemic, have driven Sri Lanka into a social and economic crisis triggering a decrease in national foreign exchange reserves, an inability to purchase vital imports, and an unprecedented rise in internal inflation rates. Within the correspondingly distressed construction sector, the idea of ‘design circularity’ gains natural impetus beyond eco-system protection and responsible consumption views, as a critical strategy for responding to the material and fiscal scarcity of the country’s by-now relatively closed economy. This is also in light of the fact that the post-independence history of industrial policy in the island has produced an urban landscape characterised by large underused and increasingly derelict building stock with a significant potential - and need - to be programmatically reorganised, technically recycled, and spatially and culturally re-designed. This paper moves fr...
Journal of Construction in Developing Countries, 2021
In light of the limited impact research on construction in developing countries has had on theory... more In light of the limited impact research on construction in developing countries has had on theory and practice, this article discusses the meaning of development as it pertains to construction. The discussion distinguishes between studies addressing construction in developing countries, entailing focus on context and case-based approaches to research, and studies that focus on the process of construction industry development. Progress in research addressing the process of development has been hampered by a lack of data to support the examination of changes in construction industries over time and to compare industries in countries at different stages of economic development. To encourage more process-oriented research, a definition of development in construction is elaborated to include six important dimensions – i.e., important factors affecting construction industry development. Taking into account the lack of relevant statistics, correlates for these dimensions (i.e., statistical...
Enhanced global connectivity, networks' capacity to carry data, and increases in transmission spe... more Enhanced global connectivity, networks' capacity to carry data, and increases in transmission speed already affect the way architectural practices work. With computer-assisted drafting (CAD) equipment now used by the overwhelming majority of architectural offices globally, electronic transfer of drawings is on the rise, followed by opportunities to benefit from the economic advantage of digital technologies by setting up remote links. Researchers in areas such as the media, software engineering, accounting, and light manufacturing have examined the industrial, cultural and regional development underpinnings of such phenomena. By contrast, very few analyses exist in architecture that link technological opportunities to social transformations, and technical skills to market development. Our research responds to this challenge by investigating qualitative differences in the performance of distant actors, and aims to determine whether these differences can be related to environmental characteristics.
The developments in telecommunications infrastructure and digital technologies and their global d... more The developments in telecommunications infrastructure and digital technologies and their global diffusion have changed the modes of operation of the design professions, and drastically extended their territorial reach. Computer-assisted drafting equipment (CAD) is ...
The growing use of modern construction technologies with different tolerances and installation re... more The growing use of modern construction technologies with different tolerances and installation requirements in buildings has made the reliance on full size mockups essential for examining the various interfaces between design and construction. Over the past ten years, 3D/4D digital models have been introduced and developed to this end, and they are now seen by some as eliminating the need for physical mockups. In this study, based on the on-the-job experiences and project management records of the construction of one very significant building in North America, the authors argue that, notwithstanding the recognized capabilities of digital models, physical mockups are still needed for capturing and eliciting the tacit knowledge that characterizes many construction operations, and which cannot be visualized fully by the digital world. This is because some field conditions are very difficult to foresee and represent; as a consequence, construction workers may not achieve on the ground what seems achievable on design documents. Depending on situations, the process of constructing and successfully completing a mockup is still the essential locus where some (but not all) field conditions can be verified, the outcome of craft-based efforts can be observed and evaluated, and design intents and construction procedures modified accordingly. This argument is developed by illustrating the challenges experienced in the erection and testing of a full size mockup of Simmons Hall-an architectural award-winning dormitory completed at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 2002-particularly in terms of constructability and functional requirements. By looking at the relationship between initial designers' agendas and constructed solutions, and by considering the parameters informing specific project decisions, it will be argued that digital and physical models must be considered complementary tools in the realization of design intents.
Association of Architecture Schools in Australasia, 2007
As with many other 'industries' routinely engaged in the digital production and exchange of infor... more As with many other 'industries' routinely engaged in the digital production and exchange of information, global interconnectivity is driving a worldwide relocation of architectural design production and documentation facilities from higher-wage to lower-wage regions. With common professional and linguistic legacies from the colonial past, India is emerging as a key provider to Australia in this emerging market of offshore architectural services. Conversely, India is also one of Australia's most important emerging consumers of architectural education. Until recently, a 'foreign-returned' Indian architect with a degree from an overseas university could anticipate architectural employment in an 'upstairs' position of responsibility and prestige. Overseas qualifications typically entailed overseas work experience as well, and the enhanced professional judgement these implied to perform the higher order 'symbolic analysis' of a designer or project leader. It was the 'downstairs' staff of locally trained drafters and technicians who did the 'routine production' and were paid accordingly. With the rapidly increasing volume and sophistication of 'offshore' architectural work now being 'outsourced' to Indian firms, however, the old 'upstairs-downstairs' division of labour and expertise is no longer clear. This paper interprets relevant findings from the Indian case study of a larger comparative study of the changing geography of architectural work. Here we question what an Australian architectural degree is actually worth, or should be, to an Indian graduate architect when locally trained architectural technicians based in Delhi, Mumbai, and even provincial Kanpur are routinely working on major projects around the Globe as remote digital collaborators with some of the largest architectural firms in the world.
Developments in information technology have reduced the need for spatial proximity in the geograp... more Developments in information technology have reduced the need for spatial proximity in the geography of architectural employment: computer-based drafting allows for better standardisation and more efficient production of project information, whilst electronic communication links make the immediate transfer of this information possible across long distances. The ability to compress time and space may be paving the way to the relocation of architectural production facilities from higher-wage to lower-wage regions: numerous examples already exist of firms that have adopted this strategy to reduce their overheads. Thus far, discussion of the viability and desirability of this emerging trend has been hampered by its close focus on the type of work carried out, and a consequently narrow view of its costs and benefits. Remote drafting is seen as a cheap form of professional north-south exploitation in architecture's intellectual circles that should be ignored if not deplored. By stressing the connection between the task and the culture in which it is developed, this paper seeks to produce a broader, alternative perspective, which identifies the several limitations of current offshore collaborations but also points out possible future strengths, development strategies, and necessary environmental conditions. The Indian context provides an opportunity to highlight analogies and differences between the recent growth of the export-oriented IT industry and the construction of a colonial professional practice at the turn of the twentieth century. If properly acknowledged by the domestic profession and considered by policy-makers, the development of a framework for distant architectural collaborations could be used not only to support the local design sector and bring the contested components of its post-colonial tradition in sharper focus and possibly closer together, but also to respond to the many challenges posed by the country's economic policies, growth, and infrastructural conditions. Architecture: a labour-intensive and traditionally local practice Architectural services in Australia provide work to approximately 19,000 people. Of these, about 40% are proprietors or directors, 45% are technical staff (either qualified professionals or unqualified fee-earners) and 15% fulfil support and administrative functions. Since it is estimated that one-third of the 4,500 registered firms consist of sole practitioners, the remaining 3,000 employ 12,000 people, for an average employer-employee ratio of 1:4. 1 This ratio is relatively small when compared to other Routine production or symbolic analysis?
The opening of the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao in 1997 heralded the beginning of an era in world ... more The opening of the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao in 1997 heralded the beginning of an era in world architecture defined by iconic buildings underpinned by mediatic exposure and the belief in the power of design to leverage urban conditions. Today, a conspicuous number of such buildings featuring non-standard geometries are experiencing accelerated forms of decay with the emergence of construction defects. This study compares the type of problems encountered in the Jubilee Church in Rome (1996–2003), analysed in previous studies, with the failures of other two contemporary buildings of analogous features, namely: the Palau de les Arts Reina Sofia in Valencia (1996–2005) and the Museum of the Arts of the XXI Century in Rome (1998–2010). The findings of the study show that the accelerated decay of the three buildings shares familiar features and common challenges: geometry of the façade, local environmental factors, labour organisation, and limited regard of maintenance principles. Build...
This analysis shows how the increasing availability of computers in architectural practice and th... more This analysis shows how the increasing availability of computers in architectural practice and the steady development of electronic networks around the world could encourage the relocation of professional structures into countries with lower production costs. Starting from the existence of sharp professional wage differentials between developed and developing regions, it formulates the hypothesis that, in a few years, most architectural work could be documented in places such as SouthEast Asia and transferred digitally over to America, Australia or Europe.
... DOI: 10.1080/13602360600786084 Paolo Tombesi a ... photograph: Mears Photography); b) Underwo... more ... DOI: 10.1080/13602360600786084 Paolo Tombesi a ... photograph: Mears Photography); b) Underwood Primary, Andrews (Texas), 1957 (photograph: Julius Shulman); c) Montrose Elementary, Laredo (Texas), 1952 (photograph: Roland Chatham); d) Albany Elementary, Albany ...
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