The task distribution of design teams in the Japanese architectural projects comparison with the United Kingdom and the United States

Abstract

This paper examines the task distribution of design teams in the Japanese architectural projects by comparing them to the equivalent projects in the U.K. and the U.S. The research is divided into two stages. First, architectural projects are analyzed to see how design tasks are distributed among specialized design teams, such as architects, engineers, and a variety of specialized experts. In the U.K./U.S., many consultants are called upon to the project based on their highly segmented specialization. In Japan, by contrast, fewer consultants are involved. The segmentation of the specialization is unclear. To fulfill the role of consultants, subcontractors tend to offer their product design information free of charge, under the notion of “Unofficial Design Assist (Sekkei Kyoryoku)” (UDA) in the hopes of their products being specified and installed in the construction. Second, the details of the UDA were further researched with the focus on the elevator subcontractors. Unlike the U.K./U.S., the vertical transportation consultant was not established as a profession in Japan. The subcontractors shall not be directly liable to the client for the design information, such as drawings, specifications, and analysis results. As a result, the design information’s location of responsibility is unclear from the clients’ perspective.

Keywords

• task distribution
• design collaboration
• unofficial design assist
• design team formation
• construction integration