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The aim of the present study is to look into the potential of standardization of special purpose buildings, with the example of the Norwegian Directorate of Public Construction and Property Management (Statsbygg).

The present study uses results from a group workshop on the topic of standardization, suggesting building types suitable for standardization or modular construction. In addition, data from Statsbygg’s project database is used.

There is a broad specter of special purpose buildings with potential for standardization, such as customs facilities, courthouses, university buildings and buildings with a high share of office functions. Even buildings with an individualized character, such as museums or government buildings, have a certain potential for standardization of functional or constructional elements. Modular construction can be used where and when appropriate.

Being on a brainstorming level and limited to Statsbygg, the study provides a starting point for further research looking at other building commissioners working with special purpose buildings, or quantifying the potential for cost reduction.

On the basis of the findings from this study, Statsbygg considers further standardization of their special purpose buildings, not only within building types but also across the portfolio or within a project, for example rooms or functional elements.

Research on standardization of special purpose buildings is limited. The article presents the results of a workshop with project managers, contributing to the topic based on their experience from the construction of special purpose buildings. Although on a brainstorming level, the research is a starting point for further research into this topic.

As part of the UK Government’s strategy to address the current shortage of primary school places is the construction of standardised designed schools. The UK Government has been facing an uphill battle to meet the demand for the ever-increasing number of school places it requires. This paper aims to explore the use of standardised school design in addressing the problem of primary school places in the UK.

Due to the exploratory nature of this investigation, a pragmatic research philosophy is utilised and mixed-method data collection techniques are used. Quantitative data collection is in the form of a survey involving 306 construction professionals and stakeholders; this has been consolidated using qualitative data collection in the form of nine purposefully selected semi-structured interviews.

The research highlighted the influence that people and their perceptions have on the successful implementation of standardisation. The results show that a high level of misunderstanding exists around the concept of standardisation and its definition. Standardised design has shown to have a remarkable influence in reducing the cost and time required for delivering the construction of new schools.

Due to the exploratory nature of this research, the results obtained have not been wholly conclusive but have instead provided a contribution to the area of standardisation in construction.

The research has uncovered that, to truly promote and drive standardisation in the delivery of schools, a joint approach is required with designers, contractors, clients and manufacturers, working in partnership to develop successful solutions. The paper will, therefore, help the key stakeholders delivering standardised schools in UK to fully understand the concept and turn the challenges into opportunities.

Design for adaptability and disassembly (DfAD) is an effective method to reduce construction and demolition waste generation, landfill loads and greenhouse gas generation; preserve natural resources; and increase environmental awareness in the construction industry. However, it is an underexplored strategy due to a lack of information about projects and a set of agreed guidelines to guide buildings deconstruction. This study aims to understand how DfAD can support the sector’s transition toward circularity.

Through an integrative literature review, this study analyzed the current publications and terminologies used, identified the main themes discussed and described the key criteria for integrating deconstruction in the building design stage.

The results showed that the term DfAD encompasses different ecodesign strategies and is concentrated in six major thematic categories (design and construction principles, tools for DfAD, components and connections for DfAD, barriers, drivers and guidelines for DfAD, existing building stock potential and selective deconstruction process). In total, 60 criteria were presented to guide the deconstruction of buildings, emphasizing standardization, modularization and prefabrication of materials and components as fundamental requirements.

The study highlighted the need to expand the knowledge and training of the design team, establish public policies and tax incentives and develop tools, methods, and circular indicators to enable the implementation of deconstruction strategies for buildings.

Unlike the building forms, technology, and materials of today, the traditional Korean architecture represents an example of flexible building forms in history. Investigating and studying this type of architecture not only can contribute to the reform of architectural history by understanding how ordinary buildings change over time and how they interact with people but also may suggest the possibility of, and methodology for developing long-lasting and sustainable mass housing in Korea and in Asian cities. The first part of the paper demonstrates the structural, spatial, and functional flexibilities of traditional Korean architecture. The second part investigates the construction system, including the organization of builders and the regulations governing the relationship with the residents. Its systematic construction approach is associated with the specialization of construction and standardization and prefabrication of elements, facilitating the easy replacement and reuse of building materials. The paper is based on a research methodology of integrating historical archives and case studies. The main argument posited here is that knowledge and skill of traditional construction of flexibility suggest conceptual strategies to improve current housing design and construction in order to obtain a sustainable future.

The New Zealand construction sector is similar to many other countries with a few large companies and many small and micro enterprises. It seeks to achieve a 20 per cent increase in productivity by 2020 which requires a step change in how the sector operates and buy-in from key stakeholders. The purpose of this paper is to provide a set of levers to improve productivity in the construction sector and develop an implementation schedule.

This paper adopts a systems approach taking account of the nature of the building sector and the whole life cycle of a building from design to end-of-life. Information gained from the post-construction phases informs the pre-construction and construction phases.

Productivity is an integrated model whereby increases in process efficiency are executed with quality materials and workmanship, in a manner that is affordable for both the client and contractor and sustainable over time. A series of interviews and workshops produced 10 nodal points and 19 crucial levers which were prioritised for implementation. Additionally, indicators were developed to monitor progress over time and provide information for further corrective action to the system.

The effect of using a few targeted levers in unison provided significantly more gains than individual applications. Modelling real world responses to process stimuli outlined in this paper is extremely valuable. This provided the opportunity for key construction stakeholders to estimate the effects of decision making during a project.

Previous studies identified factors affecting productivity. Piecemeal approaches to improve productivity have resulted in systemic failure. A whole of life approach provides valuable insights to improve productivity in the construction and pre-construction phases which have a flow-on effect through the life cycle. Importantly, this research proposes drivers, an implementation scheme and indicators that provide leverage on nodal points to improve productivity.

The Toyota Production System has been studied for its business success for several decades. Many companies have tried to imitate but have not achieved Toyota-like results. Failure in the ability to replicate Toyota's supportive culture has been suggested as a cause for the lack of success. Studies on lean implementation have been conducted from external views focusing on visible indicators, but few seek the employee's perception of lean initiatives. The authors propose a Toyota Production System – Toyota Way (TPS-TW) model approach using employee perception and quantitative performance metrics.

This research represents an improvement of a lean assessment instrument using quantifiable performance metrics for validation and testing it in the Chinese automotive industry. A survey was developed and executed in the Chinese automotive industry with participants involved with lean implementation. Experts helped examine the content validity, and reliability analysis was used to study the structure of the assessment instrument and evaluate internal consistency. Confirmatory factor analysis and structured equation modeling were used to test the construct validity. Finally, survey results and actual performance were analyzed.

The results of this research validated the TPS-TW model and assessment instrument in the Chinese automotive industry.

This research validates an employee perception survey that can be utilized by organizations to understand the state of their lean implementation. The research supports the use of employee perception to reflect the reality of a lean initiative and proves the TPS-TW model is an effective theoretical framework for assessment.

For six years UK Government and industry funding has supported two Loughborough University research teams working in areas related to assembly systems. Much of the funding is from the Science and Engineering Research Council's ACME (Application of Computers in Manufacturing Engineering) Directorate. A large part of the effort has focused on producing integrated assembly systems, using two approaches:

Standardizing the development, planning and construction of public building projects can contribute to timely and efficient project delivery. This is especially relevant when there are urgent needs for capacity. The purpose of this paper is to share the experiences from the development of standardized concepts for school extensions and prison building in Norway.

The research questions posed in this paper are on the interaction between public entities project delivery models and standardizing building types and the construction method. To investigate the research questions, the paper presents the findings from two case studies: school and prison development and construction projects. It is based on a literature review, semi-structured interviews, document studies and quantitative data on time and cost for the planning and construction phases.

Standardization and use of modularized building systems can contribute to shortened delivery time by reducing the duration of both the planning and construction phase. The most significant time reduction resulted from less time spent on quality assurance of cost estimates prior to the funding of the projects. Project costs increased in the school case, but were reduced in the prison case. An important challenge faced in both cases is a shallow pool of capable suppliers; the actors have approached the challenge with different strategies, yet neither actor has been successful in their attempts.

The paper provides empirical data to add to the collective knowledge on the project management aspects of using standardized project delivery models and standardized (modular) building. However, by emphasizing the interaction between project delivery models and standardization of the planning and execution of the projects, additional insight into the benefits and challenges are highlighted.

This paper presents the results from interviews of 59 senior personnel from major construction clients. There are two main themes: client drivers for construction projects and their implications for standardization of processes and components. The client sample is described and reasons for procuring construction projects are established along with the extent of their involvement in the construction process and hence their ability to influence the outcomes. Their views on value for money, preconceptions of standardization and their opinion on its future potential are explored. Many clients recognize the need to involve constructors and manufacturers early, although fewer actually achieve this. Misconceptions about standardization exist, but many clients are recognizing the benefits possible from standardization. However, very few actually measure benefits and so are unable to truly evaluate success. There is a future for increased standardization, but only if the industry recognizes the unique aspects of each client and responds positively to meet those needs.

The purpose of this study is to examine the branding strategies of SMEs from NIEs, juxtaposing the different strategies used to specifically target developed and developing countries with regard to brand-building approach, type and number of brands and degree of standardization.

A case-study approach is used. In-depth interviews are conducted with 10 Korean consumer-goods SMEs exporting their own in-house brands.

Clear differences emerge between the strategies of SMEs entering developed countries and those entering developing countries, particularly regarding brand identity development, use of foreign sales subsidiaries and number and types of brands used. The authors find an interaction effect between product characteristics and host market levels of economic development, both of which influenced the degree of product standardization.

This study is the first attempt to uncover the branding strategies of NIE consumer-goods SMEs. The findings contribute to the field by extending our understanding of branding strategies used by consumer-goods SMEs from NIEs, thereby providing useful insight for other NIE enterprises when establishing branding strategies aimed at foreign markets.