Involvement of key design participants in refurbishment design process

Abstract

Purpose This paper aims to analyse the relationship between the degrees of involvement of key design participants in the decision‐making process of refurbishment projects on the design performance. Design/methodology/approach The approach takes the form of a literature review of the published journals and textbooks along with a postal questionnaire with professional architects. In total 234 selected professional architects in Malaysia were involved in a postal questionnaire survey. A total of 82 questionnaires or 36 percent were identified as being fit to be used for the data analysis. Findings The degree of involvement of key participants are varied at all stages. Greater involvement of key participants is one of the ways to obtain more information on increased integration in the design process. Highest involvement of key design participants was found in the construction stage, which implies that more tasks need to be carried out in refurbishment projects. The involvement of an M&E engineer outside their normal domain in the design process could improve the design performance of refurbishment projects. Research limitations/implications The literature review in the refurbishment design process was rather limited. Only limited study was carried out in specific areas owing to time and cost constraints. Practical implications The paper helps the project manager identify skills and professions that are important in the refurbishment design process, which could improve the completeness and accuracy of design product before work is started on site. This would help to reduce unnecessary design changes during the construction stage. The scale of fees for payment of the architect's services in refurbishment projects needs to be amended so that the amount paid up to contract documentation stage would be reduced from 70 percent to a more reasonable figure. Originality/value The paper determines the types of designers that are critically required in refurbishment projects, in order to have a more effective design process and thereby improve the accuracy and completeness of refurbishment design before work is started on site.