Being an Effective Construction Client

Chapter 7The design process

by Rab Bennetts

“It is hard to carry out analysis dispassionately without seeing the potential of design ideas and, sure enough, some analytical sketches seem to correspond with others, thereby suggesting a possible direction or a ‘vital spark’ that might ignite an architecturally interesting direction.”

Introduction

The acclaimed Italian architect Renzo Piano once described the process of designing buildings as ‘a balancing act between art and science’, encapsulating the constant tension between creativity and objectivity. Too much flair and there is a risk of the building’s performance being compromised; too much functionality and its emotional appeal will suffer.

Each individual architect or architectural ...