Face to Face or Online: Towards a New Relational Governance of Building Design Projects

Abstract

Digital transformation, combined with new post-COVID work norms, has generated a paradigm shift in collaborative design and management culture. Collaboration in architecture, design and construction can now take place in digital or hybrid spaces, requiring a re-understanding of how the human factor is managed and applied. With reference to the communication trends and technologies detailed in this book, this chapter re-examines socio-psychological approaches to collaboration, identifying differences and benefits associated with design and management in the virtual and the real worlds. Key concepts such as trust, cohesiveness and knowledge sharing are explored, identifying impacts and outcomes for collective creative thinking and problem-solving within the design process. Presenting real-world research findings, a new framework for the relational governance of collaboration is proposed, with recommendations to assist practitioners in selecting the appropriate platforms and other methods of interaction depending on purpose and design outcomes.