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In this paper, the possibilities for implementing modern Internet‐based ICT tools for the management of architectural design teams are explored. The theory of Davenport on information ecology, Schön's approach to design thinking and design team behaviour, and decision process management and information technology theories are combined in a proposal for the design of project‐based digital design teams. It is argued that the implementation of the so‐called Project Web Site (PWS) Technology may lead to significant improvement of architectural design team performance. The structure of the PWS within this specific context is described as well as implications for the working procedures and the management of building design teams.

This paper seeks to investigate the theoretical and practical links between teaching and research in a teaching led university in the UK. Focus is on the new architectural technology undergraduate programmes that, in theory at least, provide an opportunity to integrate activities. An extensive literature review demonstrated the benefit to both students and academic staff of incorporating research into the curriculum. The research used was centered on an innovative Level 3 undergraduate module, which was monitored for 48 months. The module was designed with the aim of encouraging architectural technology students to approach architectural detailing from first principles within an environmentally responsible framework. The philosophy behind the module was to incorporate lecturers’ research into the module, both to enhance the student experience and to narrow the gap between research and teaching. The module also sought to form a subject integrating role, bringing together management, technology and design via project work. A brief overview of the development of the module and the teaching and learning strategy is provided before looking at delivery and evolution of the module. The students’ evaluation of the module, via a questionnaire survey, is then reviewed and issues for further consideration highlighted. A number of observations are made relating to the integration of knowledge, which have implications for all contributors to construction education.

The purpose of this paper is to provide a pragmatic definition of architectural management (AM) derived from systematic research.

A triangulated approach to data collection was employed, comprising a number of sequential stages. First, a literature review was carried out to analyse the previous attempts to define the term. Then, a preliminary survey was conducted (online questionnaire) to capture the current interpretations of the term. After that, a new definition was formulated based on analysing and synthesising the collected data. The fourth stage was focused on examining the consistency of the new definition through the perspectives of architectural researchers and practitioners. The final stage was refining the definition based on the feedback.

After following a pragmatic approach for constructing a new definition of AM; and based on the results of the several testing stages, it was found that AM is associated with the strategic management of the architectural office and its individual projects; and it is responsible for value design and delivery for its adopter and for the different types of stakeholders.

Although there was some quantitative testing in addition to the qualitative data the response rate was low in terms of the population of UK architectural practices.

The outcome is the first definition of AM grounded in research. The research is unique in terms of reviewing the scope and limitations of the previous definitions of AM. Based on the research findings, the new definition of AM was found to offer an accepted description of AM that can be used by both researchers, educators and practising architects. The definition provides a common understanding (vocabulary) for those working in the area of AM.

This paper aims to develop an innovation management framework for achieving sustainability by managing risks associated with innovative solutions during the design process.

To achieve the abovementioned aim, a research methodology was designed to achieve four objectives. Firstly, a literature review was conducted to investigate the concepts of sustainability, innovation, innovation management and innovation and the design process. Secondly, three case studies were selected and analysed to validate the identified risks of innovation and to investigate the role of innovation management towards managing risks of innovation during the design process. Thirdly, a survey questionnaire was carried out with a representative sample of architectural design firms (ADFs) in Egypt to examine their perception and application of innovation management as an approach to managing risks of innovative solutions during the design process. Finally, developing an innovation management framework to achieve sustainability through managing risks associated with innovative solutions during the design process.

The literature review revealed that innovation plays a significant role towards achieving sustainability objectives, but integrating innovative solutions during the design process is frequently associated with risks. During the course of this research, 30 risks of innovation were identified and classified into four categories of product, process, person and press. Case studies showed that ADFs that applied innovation management approaches were successful in managing the risks associated with innovative solutions, whereas others that failed to use such approaches failed to meet sustainability objectives. Results of the survey questionnaire revealed that ADFs not only recognised the importance of innovative solutions in developing sustainable projects but also showed a gap between theory and practice. “Project delivery” is the most important type of innovation for ADFs in Egypt, followed by “building technologies” and “organisational culture”. Moreover, there is a misalignment between ADFs’ perceptions and the strategies used to deliver successful innovations. The highest risks of innovation are “unanticipated cost of innovation”, “manufacturing technologies and development issues” and “failing to meet technical criteria”.

Because of the conceptual nature of the developed framework, it has to be tested and validated to ensure its capability to achieve sustainability through managing the risks of innovative solutions during the design process which, in this research, adopted the Royal Institute of British Architects plan of work stages. Moreover, the lack of data availability directed this study to present and analyse only three case studies.

This research presents a practical solution to achieve sustainability through managing risks of innovation during the design process. It is a structured tool that can be used by ADFs in Egypt towards facilitating the shift in the direction of a more economically viable, environmentally friendly and socially acceptable built environment.

Although innovative design solutions are needed in developing sustainable buildings, a practical and systematic framework to manage associated risks during the design process is still lacking. In addition, current studies are business-oriented and need to be reinterpreted to fit with the architectural, engineering and construction disciplines. Thus, this research developed an innovation management framework to achieve sustainability through managing the risks associated with innovative solutions during the design process, which represents a synthesis that is novel and creative in thought and adds value to the knowledge in a manner that has not been previously explored.

The aim of the paper is to investigate the architectural firm's role in the briefing process on international projects and to identify the strategies of successful firms to overcome barriers.

A model is developed based on a critique of briefing models and international design management theory. The development of a reflexive capability model borrows cultural theory concepts of capital and reflexivity. The model is based on maximizing reflexive capability through the management of social, cultural and intellectual capital. Two case studies of architectural firms identify barriers during the briefing process and strategies to overcome these barriers. Data collection involved 16 interviews with senior management and design team staff.

There are various barriers and strategies used to achieve success in the briefing process. However, the management of a firm's capital is key to successful briefing on international projects and is a characteristic of reflexive practice. Reflexivity is based in a positive interpretation of change, and a continual responsiveness to change by participants in a system. The study provides useful information on management of the design and briefing stages of international projects.

The study is limited by the number of case studies used and the difficulty of generalisability of findings.

The research is that it provides useful information about how to approach constant change during briefing for the architects and clients who work on international projects.

The model is original and has value as it assists in explaining why some firms are more successful than others. The case studies provide new knowledge on international projects and the briefing process. The value of the paper is for the academic community, professionals in the built environment and clients involved in international projects.

The objectives of this paper are to present the development of an indicative multi‐phase systematic framework for performance appraisal of architectural design studio facilities, and to present the findings of the post‐occupancy conditions of an architectural design studio facility as a case study to demonstrate the applicability of the developed framework.

The authors carried out a number of activities. These include reviewing the published literature to address the significance of the architectural design studio as a resource for students majoring in architectural design, and ascertaining the significance of post‐occupancy evaluation as a performance appraisal methodology in educational facilities. On the development of the proposed framework, the authors carried out a case study in one of the studios of the Architecture Department at King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia. The authors utilized a series of data collection methods, including photographic documentation, observations through walkthrough inspection, questionnaires and interviews.

The developed framework consists of four phases. It entails identifying the performance requirements of the architectural design studio; collecting data – through conducting walkthrough inspection, questionnaire survey and interviews – to ascertain the present performance level of the architectural design studio; analyzing the data gathered from the preceding steps and subsequent reporting of findings on the degree of user satisfaction with the architectural design studio space and facilities; and developing a plan of actions in the form of recommendations to improve the conditions of the evaluated design studio. The case study served as a validation of the developed performance appraisal framework.

The architectural design studio is known to be the place where students majoring in architectural design generate, review and display their design projects. Previous research on the performance appraisal of educational facilities indicates that the comfort of the architectural design studio space is a significant aspect to be considered and maintained for the success of the architectural education process. The paper provides a systematic approach for evaluating the major performance requirements of an architectural design studio. It is of practical value to space planners, design professionals, facility managers and administrators involved in the planning, design, operation and management of such facilities.

The purpose of this paper is to describe a qualitative observational study of how middle managers in healthcare in the UK on a work-based masters programme in leadership were introduced to foundational aspects of creativity and delivering innovation through an assignment on contemporary architectural design.

The assignment involved individual research of a recent architectural design followed by group poster presentations of findings and structured analysis. No prior knowledge of design was required. An activity theory approach was used to explore common principles of creativity and leading innovation, key features of design processes and tools for facilitating implementation.

A total of 89 managers in seven cohorts completed the assignment. Data from process records and group work, artefacts and follow-up evaluation questionnaires were analysed within an interpretive approach. Analysis of data lent support for the view that exploring architectural design as an activity system helped participants to develop conceptual and applied links between management performance, creative collaboration and delivering innovation in their own, different field of practice. Where participants expressed limited self-efficacy regarding the capacity for fostering creativity, this was usually ascribed to systemic inhibitors.

Exploring architectural design could provide a relatively low-cost, highly stimulating component of management development programmes seeking to harness the contribution of creative industries to foster work-based creativity and innovation.

This study explores a novel use of architectural design within the context of work-applied development programmes for healthcare managers.

This theoretical paper aims to develop a model of how best to facilitate projects knowledge sharing within architectural firms to learn from lessons and improve the firm innovation capabilities, knowledge and skills.

A conceptual framework is developed by reviewing the literature in the fields of knowledge management (KM), the project-based organisation and communities of practice (CoPs) and linking these to the literature on the architectural firm.

In the architectural firm, KM strategy needs to be linked to the overall business strategy determining the balance of codification/personalisation. The firm needs to be structured as a double-knit organisation connecting projects with CoPs. This structure creates a social network that allows sharing the useful and innovative knowledge created through the design process. Success depends on building a knowledge environment, providing organisational support and building a learning architecture within projects. A balanced combination of information and communication technologies, lessons-learned, storytelling, conversational learning and dialogue are needed as knowledge sharing methods.

This paper's originality is in constructing a conceptual framework or model for knowledge sharing within the architectural firm with CoPs at the heart of that model. This paper is valuable to any architectural practice that aims to protect its reputation, improve its performance and increase its innovative knowledge base. It is also valuable to the construction industry by helping to minimise design mistakes and the consequent cost of construction rework.

This paper discusses how project management styles and methods impact on energy conscious design decisions by building design teams. Within the broad field of energy conscious design the emphasis of this paper is on the selection of energy saving technologies in appropriately configured building components. The premise of the research is that these selections are not well rationalized. Choices of energy saving features in current practice are discussed against the background of available computational tools and the way these tools are used (or not) to enhance the decision‐making process. Through empirical data gathering based on case studies, improved project management techniques that enable a more timely and rational selection of energy saving technologies will be identified. A follow‐up research project that implements the findings in an operational design system is briefly presented to sketch the practical implications of the reported research.

The role of women in the architecture and design industry is aligned with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, which aims to increase the participation of women in the Saudi construction sector. Saudi female graduates from architectural and design schools are currently working in most of the mega projects underway in Riyadh; however, they face certain challenges at the beginning of their working lives due to the gap between the skills acquired during an architectural and design education and those needed for employability.

This study evaluates the employability skills of Saudi female cooperative education (COOP) students and graduates from architectural schools in Riyadh. A quantitative approach is taken, and two questionnaires are administered: one for female COOP students and graduates from the college of architecture and design in one of the private universities in Riyadh and the other for employers from different architectural firms and governmental organizations in Riyadh. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze the research data.

The research findings suggest that practical experiences and on-site observation activities should be provided, and sustainability solutions and applications should be incorporated into the curriculum to bring architecture education closer to the architectural profession and highlight the role of universities in supporting graduates' skills development.

It is worth mentioning that the results of this study were based on the survey distributed to architecture and interior female students in a private university in Saudi Arabia. The number of students surveyed in this study is not large enough to generalize the survey results to the entire population of architecture and interior design students in the kingdom and in the world. The study will be extended to include more participants from male and female students in other universities in Saudi Arabia to investigate the gaps in employability skills in the field of architecture and interior design in the Kingdom.

The study has practical and policy implications for further development and upcoming challenges as the labor market seems to improve and innovate every day. The study suggests providing practical experiences and onsite observation activities and incorporating sustainability solutions and applications into the curriculum.

The originality of this study is that it focuses on the importance of some employability skills, such as research and budgeting aspects, Sustainability solutions and applications for students that have not been mentioned in the previous studies.