Constructability rules: guidelines for successful application to bespoke buildings

It is widely recognized that building design has a significant impact on construction productivity and quality. Constructability rules are one way of transferring construction knowledge to building designers. These rules are statements, such as ‘design for minimum time below ground’, which encapsulate a specific aspect of construction best practice. Although constructability rules are relatively easy to formulate and/or obtain, there is little evidence of their successful application. Indeed, architects continue to be held responsible for productivity and quality problems because of their lack of construction knowledge. This paper reports research that informed and included the development of guidelines for successful application of constructability rules to bespoke buildings - those being buildings that are designed to fulfil the requirements of one particular client and/or a single specific location. Findings suggest that there are actions that can be taken to widen the application of rules and increase their success. Potential sources for rules are described. Guidelines are introduced, and information about how they can be actioned by different construction organizations is provided.