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Bártolo, H M G (2000) Improving the value of design: a quality/cost approach. In: Akintoye, A (Ed.), Proceedings 16th Annual ARCOM Conference, 6-8 September 2000, Glasgow, UK. Association of Researchers in Construction Management, Vol. 2, 667–73.

  • Type: Conference Proceedings
  • Keywords: design; quality; cost; best value
  • ISBN/ISSN: 0 9534161 4 3
  • URL: http://www.arcom.ac.uk/-docs/proceedings/ar2000-667-673_Bartolo.pdf
  • Abstract:

    The last decade has seen an increased emphasis on quality issues. A renewal of media interest in design issues reinforces the assumption that the inclusion of opinions and attitudes of lay public in the design process can enhance the overall quality of the built environment. Yet it is not enough for designers to investigate public opinions of design quality, they should equally observe their own ideas and perceptions of design quality, explaining why they are advocating particular design solutions. On the other hand, clients of the construction industry want a commitment to financial targets from all the participants in the construction process. Effectively, all design decisions have cost implications and most of the defects arise through decisions or actions in the design stages. Besides, when completed and in use, its design will have a significant effect on maintenance costs. This research intends to investigate how designers arrive at a proper balance between quality and costs, in early building design, to reach an integrated solution that constitutes the best value for the client. A questionnaire was used for data collection and analysis, to get a better understanding of the processes involved in achieving good quality building within acceptable cost margins.