TR178: Measuring and Improving Rationale Clarity in a University Office Building Design Process

Haymaker, John; Chachere, John; Senescu, Reid

TR178: Measuring and Improving Rationale Clarity in a University Office Building Design Process

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Abstract/Contents

Abstract: Recent research has formalized the view that the level of rationale clarity, or shared understanding of a decisionís basis, affects the performance of building design projects. This paper uses the Rationale Clarity Framework (RCF) to measure and compare the clarity of design rationale on an Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) project. RCF defines rationale components (managers, stakeholders, designers, gatekeepers, objectives, options, constraints, and analyses) as well as the dependencies between these components. RCF also defines conditions of clarity for each component (coherent, concrete, connected, consistent, convincing, certain, and correct). Using RCF, we observed and documented the rationale clarity of decisions on an industry case project. We then implemented a decision assistance methodology, called Multi-Attribute, Collaborative Design, Assessment, and Decision Integration (MACDADI), with the same project team on the same decisions, and measured a resulting increase in rationale clarity. Researcher and project participant observations on these two decision-making processes guide a discussion relating experienced and theoretical impacts of improving rationale clarity on AEC processes, organizations, and products. We observe that, in this implementation, MACDADI measurably clarified rationale yet produced limited team acceptance and benefits. Our research highlights the challenges of improving communication and decision making in complex and entrenched AEC design processes.

Description

Type of resource	text
Date created	November 2008

Creators/Contributors

Author	Haymaker, John
Author	Chachere, John
Author	Senescu, Reid

Subjects

Subject	CIFE
Subject	Center for Integrated Facility Engineering
Subject	Stanford University
Subject	Ambiguity
Subject	Clarity
Subject	Collaboration
Subject	Coordination
Subject	Decision
Subject	Design
Subject	Engineering
Subject	Management
Subject	Organization Models
Subject	Organizations
Subject	Planning
Subject	Process Modeling
Subject	Process Models
Subject	Product Model
Subject	Product Models
Subject	Rationale
Subject	Validation
Subject	VDC
Subject	Virtual Design and Construction
Genre	Technical report

Bibliographic information

Location	https://purl.stanford.edu/qv027rx2001

Access conditions

Use and reproduction: User agrees that, where applicable, content will not be used to identify or to otherwise infringe the privacy or confidentiality rights of individuals. Content distributed via the Stanford Digital Repository may be subject to additional license and use restrictions applied by the depositor.

Preferred citation

Preferred Citation: Haymaker, John and Chachere, John and Senescu, Reid. (2008). TR178: Measuring and Improving Rationale Clarity in a University Office Building Design Process. Stanford Digital Repository. Available at: http://purl.stanford.edu/qv027rx2001

Collection

CIFE Publications

Contact information

Contact: john.chachere@gmail.com

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