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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.

The purpose of this paper is to assess the importance of knowledge and its management in the creative professional service firm (PSF). The other purpose is to explore the role of communities of practice (CoPs) in knowledge management (KM) strategies.

A single-case study approach was adopted with five open-ended semi-structured interviews conducted with middle and senior management having mainly an architectural background. The data were complemented with participant observation and reflection on experience together with conversations with work colleagues.

The findings suggest that having an appropriately balanced strategy of personalisation/codification of knowledge through CoPs contributes to the competitiveness of the firm.

The paper provides a useful exploration of KM in creative PSFs, but the results may lack generalizability because of the small scale and qualitative nature of the research. The research is limited to one firm in one country. Future research is needed to test the findings in other creative PSFs and in other countries.

The paper provides guidance to managers in creative PSFs on the need for positioning CoPs at the heart of the firm’s KM strategies.

The paper tests a theoretical framework on how to link strategy with KM strategy in creative PSFs.

Innovation is defined as the creation and adoption of changes that are new to an organisation or industry. The high probability of failure and the lack of innovation in the construction industry have highlighted the importance of innovation (both creation and adoption) as a business orientation. Although they are related to the construction industry, architectural firms receive little attention from an innovation perspective despite being perceived as important drivers of innovation. Thus, this paper aims to examine the distinctive characteristics of various innovation orientations and determine the state of innovation among architectural firms.

A postal survey was sent to 1,004 registered architectural firms in Malaysia. The data were processed using descriptive analysis. A factor analysis was conducted to categorise innovation creation and adoption, and a paired samples t-test was performed to examine the innovation orientations of architectural firms.

Innovation creation and innovation adoption are two distinct orientations with different characteristics. Architectural firms in Malaysia are oriented towards innovation creation, which intersects with innovation adoption.

This study used a questionnaire survey that generated only statistical results. Future research should conduct interviews or focus group discussions to obtain comprehensive findings.

The innovation concept is expanded in terms of its orientations.

This study illustrates significant differences between innovation creation and innovation adoption in the architectural firms of a developing country, i.e. Malaysia.