Management in architectural design: A reflection on the profession and education

Abstract

Because employers highlight time, cost, and quality factors in an architect’s work environment, it has become essential to emphasize management techniques and the application of required skills in the project design process. The aim of this study is to compare the factors influencing the management of architectural design in both the professional and academic fields. A quantitative research method was adopted and, using questionnaires and the Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process (FAHP), important factors were compared and analyzed. In this regard, six influential factors in architectural design management were identified: namely, project management, business management, education management, personal skills management, information management, and knowledge management. These factors were further classified into three areas: design processes, competitiveness, and structuring. These three areas were scaled according to their importance in academic and professional work. It was found that project management and business management had greater importance in professional environments, whereas education management, information management, personal skills management, and knowledge management had greater importance in the academic and educational environments.