Effective design office in Architecture-办公建筑的有效设计
03-27, 2014
Effective design office in Architecture
办公建筑的有效设计
1 Introduction
1 引言
Architecture is the action of designing bulidings and other physical structures, which is often considered a form of art and science due to a large number of technical knowledge required to implement a design that has been come into being from nothing. At first, in ancient Egypt, Greece, China and Rome, enormous temples and shrines were built by civilizations around 3000 BC to 337 BC (John and Ward, 2003). The history of architecture is extraordinary interesting, as human technology and scientific and mathematical understanding increases, so to do our best to bulid marvelous buildings. Architecture was came forth from a combination of needs, such as shelter, security and worship and means, mainly the local building materials and physical ability. Early architecture was mainly native architecture, a special type of architecture which was based on around local needs and ways. As it brought about the naissance of the classic civilizations and great time and effort put into covering with the areas of religious or political significance and even return these times may find that architecture was more than just a visual product. The roman Coliseum was designed so that all of thousands of people could see and hear the activity at the centre and the way it amplifies was sound without exception.
建筑是建筑物和其他物理结构的设计表现形式，通常被认为是艺术与科学的一种形式，是一个设计所需的技术知识以一种艺术和科学的形式从无到有的过程。首先，在古埃及，希腊，中国，罗马，巨大的寺庙和神社是公元前3000年左右建成的文明到公元前337 （约翰和华德 ， 2003 ） 。建筑史上是非常的有趣的，因为人类对技术和科学和数学的理解能力的增加，所以要尽最大努力建造奇妙的建筑。架构是根据需求设计出来的，如住房，安全和手段，主要是当地的建筑材料和体能的组合。早期的建筑，主要是原生架构，架构这是基于围绕当地需求和方式的一种特殊类型。因为它带来的经典文明的诞生和巨大的时间和精力投入覆盖与宗教或政治意义的地区，甚至是返回这些时间可能会发现，建筑不仅仅只是一种视觉产品。罗马竞技场的目的是使所有的成千上万的人可以看到和听到的活动为中心，并将其放大的方式是合理的，无一例外。
As time flied more and more medieval structures like the castle and fort developed, and architecture produced a new field on the battle field as well as the city floor. At the same time, architects, especially in Europe, began to form many kinds of guilds. With the help of guilds architects worked together and achieve more monumental things, these guilds are still in society nowdays in the form of architect partnerships.#p#分页标题#e#
随着时间的发展，越来越多的中世纪结构，如城堡和要塞发展，建筑出现在战场上的一个新的领域，以及城市地面。与此同时，建筑师，特别是在欧洲，开始形成多种行会。随着公会的帮助建筑师一起工作，实现更巨大的东西，这些行会仍然在当今社会与建筑师形成合作伙伴关系。
During the renaissance architecture has turned into a very personal affair and kept quickly away from war and religion. Many famous architects are emergence this period, which marked the start of buildings recognising their architects with individuals such as Palladio and Brunelleschi going down in history (Charles and William, 1994).
在文艺复兴时期的建筑已经变成了一个很个人的事，并保持快速远离战争和宗教。许多著名的建筑师都出现在此期间，这标志着楼宇承认他们的建筑师与个人如帕拉迪奥和布鲁内莱斯基将载入史册（查尔斯和威廉，1994年）。
At the last forty years of the twentieth century there was a hot debate taken by architecture about the relationship between design of and its history. Many modern designs and views innovation had been developed. In addition, the architects did their best to arrive at an evalution of the meaning of the “return to the past” , especially in the period after 1960 (Monroe et al., 1997). It just explain the relationship between what existed in the past and what will do the future to in the mordern architecture field.
There are many factors which should be carefully evaluated while before building constructions such as the mass, texture, materials, light/shadow, cost, construction and technology. All of these factors are manipulated to create final design that shows the characteristics of both functional and aesthetically beauty (Koln, 2003). Entering into the 21th century, designers and architects have exposed new concepts on the design of building. Nowaday arthiteture exists everywhere, almost any public buliding is professional designed and many compete for recognition inside their respective cities (Heike, 2008). It is emphasized on certain elements such as energy efficiency, environmental blending and the use of environmentally friendly construction materials. Design is also becoming increasingly advanced with superstructures like the Burj Al Arab 7 star hotel (Heike, 2008).
2 Designer and Design office in Architecture industry
Design office is an extremely important point about modern architecture designing, which is not merely a visual art form. Perfect architecture maily attachs importance to all of the human senses and the environment around the structure, as well as management of power, water and other utilities.
Historically speaking, architecture is not diffusely considered as an “important” and “fashion” career choice, but the fact is the most one of influential and widely job considerations along with the architecture development. Over the centruy, everything we know about the ancient building in the histroy of architecture development is based on the surroundings and the insides meaning. There are also many countless political and cultural factors which applied in the structural accomplishments and art displays such as the Pyramids of Egypt and the Roman Coloseum. These cities are famous or remembered because of the classical building. Even the advanced modern cities attracts the world people to visit and be known by their architectural sympols. For example, the Opera House of Sydney in Australia and the Empire State building of New York in America(John and Ward, 2003).#p#分页标题#e#
Nowadays, the situation of architecture industry have become more and more global. The development of architecture have indulged the world passion and explored the innovation of architecture programs. Many construction companies practise their building design and activities in the world areas. As well as many sophisticated designers or architects who gain the world aichitecture attention with their classical design drawings and buildings. According to the Royal Australian Institute of Architects estimated that 1400 Australian architects works in other countries such as HongKong, Malaysia, and some in Middle East counties(Paul and Carroll, 1999). It demonstrated that the career of architects have been accepted welcome by many ambious people. It is maybe that the human aesthetics appreciation has defined the environment of architecture. Therefore, the design office in the architecture industry give the main innovation for the archiecture development. According to Alberto, the author of Built upon Love: Architecture Longing after Ethics and Aesthetics, the designers play a important role in the building architecture. The building whether suitable or unsuitable is decided by the concepts of designers innovation. Thus, in a constrution company, the design office dominates the most important cycle among other department offices. A good, effective design office hold the guarantees that the building has high quality and innovative ideas to express in both practical and aesthetic beauty. It is the exact reason that the design office has gained the reputation for creative and innovative solutions.
However, today there is a common worry about the this kind of reputations are eroding by the pursue of profits in most of constrution companies. Many problems existed in the process of operation in design office. For example, For example, a common complaint that there is less creative design products. This is partly because the time no time anymore to do creative design tasks, no time to develop better solutions together with other designers, as most time goes into waiting or troubleshooting. Some claim that the reason is that nobody seems to be responsible for preparing and implemeeting the design schedule, the contractor in the design build or PFI projects (which are presently common) has just provided the due dates for different drawings. Others pinpoint the lack of an orderly brief on the part of the client, the constant requirements changes, and delayed decisions as the root cause.
Some complain come from the construction sites, they often said that there are interfereces between different drawings(even in cases where different design disciplines have been performed in hours), and requests for information are frequent.
As a result, these complaints are heard so that allocation of tasks is not effective in the office. At this time, for a manager in the design office, it is strongly necessary to reflect on the design management according to the feature of design office.#p#分页标题#e#
3 Effective management in design office
The design office in a construction company rise to the fore role in the field of architecture building throught out the histroy because of its innovative and creative work. However, there are some complaint that think the function of this office have is eroding with the pursue of profits in these architecture companies. As a result, a question that how to manage the design office effectively to recur the reputation that have been thought in the architecture industry.
To answer this question and find the effective solution, many colleges and schools have offered the course and lessons of Architectural Design Management program such as the Loughborough University, Cornell University and University of Michigan. These Universities have also the historical architectural and design colleges, in the field of architecture they have absolutely prestiges. Today, along with the development of internet, there also are many E-school and training center that could offer the education of the architecture through the internet and video which are easy to access by the designer or architects easily. Thus it is not difficult for the designer to find the suitable solution to manage their design office. Following is some common strategies that could be useful for the problems or complaints and designing more creative drawing.
3.1 Creat an innovation atmosphere
The definition of innovation is aim to introduce the new thing or concept, strategies and technologies into the established ideas, sometimes it means a complete renovation to old concepts. As focusing on the areas of production management, engineer projection and manufactured in one organization, the design office employs the word of innovation into the daily practise and changes the way in which the consideration would related with together. A new concept has been proposed for several year in the design office. It is architectural innovation that underlied the most basic knowledge of components for a successful design building (Alan and Dominique, 2003). It is believed that innovation in architectural design certainly is the most significant factore to maintain the company in the reputation of popular and famous in today`s competitive architecture market. Because a creative products is the main survival source of a construction company.
On May 8, 1996, the Lemelson Center hosted an international symposium entitled “Architecture and Innovation” at the National Museum of American Histroy. This display explored the role of innovation, technology and creative process in the fielf of architecture near the end of 20th century. Two well known architects works are main displayed. They are Douglas Cardinal and Santiago Calatrava. In this conference, Douglas Caedinal explained the role of innovation in his architecture designing works. Exactly, it is because the application of undulating and diverse building designing models distinguished his works from that of his comtemporaries. Early in his designing career, Cardinal found that his complex organic forms were full of technical problems which proved to be only solved with advanced calculations and computer technology. Consequently, his firm firstly used computers technologies to plot designs since the 1960s(Douglas, 1996). With the help of computer technologies, the design work could be finished more effectively and innovatively according to the human desire. Thus, Douglas designed his building model after that always illustrated more innovation and more affinity with nature. For exanple, his design for the Canadian Museum of Civilization in Ottawa reflects the glaciers of Canada. Meanwhile, the design for Saskatchewan University and his own residence as well as embody the creative concerns with the harmonious environment through the extensive use of solar energy. In addition, following Cardinal`s presentation, Webster, Jarzombek, and Marefat, and other famous architects continued to consider the most innovative way to design the environmental sound and artistically beautiful building creatively.#p#分页标题#e#
Now, looking back to the architecture development histroy, it is proved that the traditional design and construction method which largely based on traditional materials and techniques could not satisfy the needs for the modern architecture industry. In today`s design studio, new materials become a important part of architect palette such as the advanced composites, and the construction techniques inevitably become more and more complex in the process of practicee. As well as the people architects or designers are also more ambitious to create new classics with the help of computer technologies. It is a easy task to design the building model on a computer screen with the desire of thoughts. Thus, it is said that the most of successful modern architect or engineer is a person who could draw to a formulated solution through combining the understanding of new creative design notion with modern advanced technologies into the whole design and construction building process.
Given the importance of innovation for the architectural design office, therefore, a strong creative atmosphere is required for the emplyees or designers who do the design work and have a very strong feel of innovation striking. Then the designing inspiration would be easy to come into a drawing. In many cases it will be seen that the desire for innovation arises from a philosophical belief in the application of technology to enhance peoples' lives and culture. Sometimes, the innovation is come from the life around the surrounding. For example, with the feeling of tired invariable concrete and grey or white buidings, the architects have developed the green buiding related the natural color, and interestingly this ideas have the popular in the world construction concept and design.
3.2 People Oriented
People in an organization should be valued and respected with dignity. They are not just a kind of cheap worker or resources which like a machine since the people may be the most important costs for an organization. There is the common statement among the most of organization development practitioners in the world including the developing and developed countries. The most of leaders believe that the human resource management should identified by trust, loyalty and empowerment.
The same to architecture, people who need strong leadership experience, problem solving, communication and collaboration skills are closely related with the value of design works. Talent employees who have worked in a related aichitecture consumer brand, and hold the experience with shaping the strategic direction of major brand through brand equity, architecture, construction and design technologies are the main dirvers of the business and competitive advantages for a construction company. In addition, the construction projects need technologic designers in their design office and required them a ability to design and manage such kind of constrution projects. Thus, the designer is a competitive and challenging career which requires the employees should emphasize on the ability to design and manage the kind of large or complex building projects with high quality requirement. Consequently, the employees of design office are required highly from the ability and innovations. Generally, there are three critical roles in a architectural design office including design manager, associate director, and general director.#p#分页标题#e#
Design managers are considered as a creative source for the products of designing which decide the company brands image and ensure the holistic communication to all the customers touch points. They are charge for understanding the customers needs, design technologies and relevant cost criteria. The design managers must be full of passion to lead the design activities, strategic development, and innovation works, and regulating the cooperation with other multi-functional companys for the future brand construction exploration, as well as the dealing with the current business building programs. Associate director is responsible for leading all aspects of designing initiatives across multiple brands or categories. This role required strong leadership experience, problem solving, communication and collaboration skills and could be responsible for developing equity building customer experiences in the process of planning design strategies. This experience process required the ability to managing the external design competitors and internal resources. General director is mainly responsible for the practice of design office including product innovation, brand identity and market expertise such as industrial design, graphic design. The role usually holds four functions in a design office: strategic leadership team; overall vision and direction of corporate design capability; responsible for multiple categories; managing and developing multiple design associate directors; sponsors multu-functional teams.
Given the important role of designer in the architectural design office, the people should be careful employed and leaded, because of the diverse roles mentioned above. It suggests that a required and operational recruitment strategy is necessary for innovation performance of design office.
3.3 Powerful leadership
The artistry of leadership has evolved largely since the beginning of 20th century. More and more researches and colleges invest the field of leadership managemenr for the effective practice in both public and private organization. Different situations need different style of leadership and leading strategies. Because of the changes occurred in the environment of global economy, the leadership as a result must change with surroundings of doing business. Mangy organization development practitioners argued that a powerful leadership with top team management is necessary for modern organization especially in changeful global business environment. Leaders design the styles, operational rules, structure and systems. And also leaders take these into the practice, global development strategies and recruitment plans, are considered to be quintessential change agents in every century. This kind of leadership provides the most effective development frame flaw while planning the common shared desires with the group in an organization. Through the effective strategies and developmental planning, the leadership promises the organization more opportunities and competitive advantages of outstanding among the diverse rivals.#p#分页标题#e#
When coming back to the design office problems, if there have such complaints that someone have no time to do creative design tasks, no time to develop better solutions together with other designers, as most time goes into waiting or troubleshooting. This is because the problems from leadership. The responsibility is mainly for the leaders who could manage their followers and arrange the task. However, every thing has two sides that influence the development. The followers must have their responsible duty.
Therefore, in the highly competitive design office, a leaders should always keep the mind that people are important, not noly "human resources" but also the leadership art and experience. In order to organise the followers achieve the best performance in the design office, the leaders should have the ability to control the whole things that was arranged effectively. Without these preparation, a leader can not lead the followers, and the designing work can not produce the perfect drawing.
3.4 Teamwork
Nowadays, America's best leaders increasingly reflect this spirit of teamwork. There is an old tale of a Japanese samurai warrior and his three sons. One day, the warrior takes out an arrow and asks his sons to break it; his sons do so easily. And again, he takes out three arrows, bound together, and asks his sons to break them. No one can. "That is your lesson," the samurai tells his sons, "If you three stick together, you will never be defeated."
This old story explains the great power of teamwork. The power is undeated. Today, it is used in the field of human resource management in the design office to tell both the leaders and designers that the well organized teamwork is the power source of competition for architecture companies. This is the exact reason that more and more architecture companies have increased their interests to reflect the spitit of teamwork while reflecting the organization. Today`s firm culture is more or less a culture of Corporating teamwork. In order to come ture the value of organization, the cooperations of designers in architectural design office are very important to gain the design advantages. Leaders have the strategy plan of design value, the designer is real power to achieve this advantages. One person`s innovation is not real innovation, the real powerful innovation come from the teamwork is the real innnovation. From the development of Japanese firms, it is very easy to understand the power of teamwork. in the last three decades, the human resource management of Japanese firms have accumulated the most advanced and sophisticated experience for managing and leading the people(Kishita, 2006). The success of Japanese firms is not just the result of competition of telent or competent people, it is but also the recognition of spiritual teamwork. It is believed that the revolution about the human resource management including the spiritual leadership and the spiritual teamwork have accomplished today`s success for Japanese firm in the competitive global market.#p#分页标题#e#
Modern technology and globalization are driving much more changes in the architecture industry. Because of growing global threats, likewise, require global compacts, today's leaders and designerscan hardly solve all their problems individually. New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg noted that when he spoke of a view he shares with U.S. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson: "Hank and I both come from a world where in some issues you are competitive and for some you are partners; on some issues they're your customer, on some you're their customer. It's not the simplistic world of good guy, bad guy." This example suggest that when the work whatever industry it belong to could not be finished by one single person, a teamwork couldreduce the degree of difficulty and make the thing easily. Also the suggestion is suitble the architectural design work, the cooperant teamwork usually is proved to be a good tactic while designing the architectural drawings. Sometimes, this teamwork could give the innovation and inspiration to the designers or teams as a special rewards when the work is managed well(
Robert, 1997).
3.5 Effective Rewards system
Well designed rewards system could provide a power attraction for the talent designer and good job seeker. In one hand, if the rewards is enough attractive for the employees, the experienced designer will decide to continuely stay with their leaders and colleagues, and do the work well continually that have been rewarded for their good performance. It is said that the employees perform at the level at which the company rewards them. In the other hand, the effective rewards system is the main divers to attract the job seeker to join the organization. As a result, it makes the organization find the suitable and competent person according to position feature. Both sides are very positive for the organization development.
Generally, a well rewards system is uauslly find and promise the wage, bonus, promotion and recognitions for employee`s good behave. This required the design managers have the ability to find the well performed employees and understand the wishes of employees, then gradually give the appropriate rewards or promotion. Sometimes, it is necessary to provide a more larger office for the most competent employees. This is not a mere promotion or rewards, because the rest will be motivate by others promotion or recognition and strive for this glory instead of work more harder.
However, what is a effective rewards system looked like for the designers? Both design managers and designers hold the argument that a well, effective rewards system should charactered by some common important items. One is the rewards system should leave enough room to the characteristic of flexibility. It means that the ways of rewards are diverse rather than just the money, bonus and material matters. For instance, the Google provides a free international trip or a collective movie enjoyment. The rewards are present in ways of diversity in order to enhance the importance of the rewards system to employees and motivate the best performance. Secondly, the rewards system should be given with certain frequency. The guarantee of rewards frequently could show a kind of trust for the employees in an orgainzation. It provides enough confidence for the employees that their well performances would finally recognised by the organization, and it improve them continuelly perform hard for the goals of organization. Thirdly, the rewards system must be transparent and observable. It should not operate under the private basis which will bring very bad influence about the employees confidence and lead to a negative working performance.#p#分页标题#e#
Thus, in a word, the rewards system is not just a simple rewards, it is a strategy to inspire and motivate the employees to a overall well performance in all organization, of course the architecture industry as well. For design office, the effective rewards system is a powerful strategies of positive reinforcement. It is a promise that good performance and working hard deserved the rewards.
4 Conclusion
Architecturehave experienced some significative revolution that improve the development. Because the human civilization, technology, scientific and mathematical understanding improves, our ability to build wonderful buildings also increases. While looking back the historical development of architecture, it demonstrate that this art or industry was born out of a combination of needs, such as shelter, security and worship and means, mainly the local building materials and physical ability. This could be well understand if someone have the well knowledge of the primary Roman architecture. About 3000 BC to 337 BC, the Roman built enormous temples and shrines with megalith and wood. These buiding is just a function of prectection and simple dwell. But today, the architectural design is not just embed its old function, also have the art science and innovation in the design drawing or buildings. Modern architecture usually think that a building is not only the building itself. A complete architecture takes into account all of the human senses as well as the environment about the structure, and management of power, water and other utilities. There is also a common concept among architects that the art cannot exist in a vacuum and that it must have context, surroundings and contrasts to be complete. Thus the work of design office become a very important role for the new innovation designs. However, mostly arcchitectural design office present some problems in the operational process, liking the mentioned above.
In this paper, some useful solutions and advice have been discussed in order to make such important office working effectively. This solutions include teamwork or corporation, effective leadership and rewards systems and the innovation environment in the office. All these solutions are a form of positive reinforment for the performance of design office. it is goal to improve the designing work efficiency.
Finally, the suggestionsfor the design managers is that lead the office carefully if you want it to effectively function the role of importance and remember these advice in this paper.
Reference
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