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Design Management in the UK
A changing role in the Construction Industry
Traditionally, design management was limited to the management of design projects within design practices, but over time it has evolved to include all aspects of development from feasibility, through to the operational stages and handover. A more recent debate addresses the integration of design thinking as a cross-disciplinary method and more human-centred approach to construction. This paradigm identifies design management as a collaborative approach compared to the practices associated with the more conventional management structures. Increasingly, design and technical management has become a strategic asset implementing new technologies and enforcing quality. More and more organisations are applying design management to better connect design with the fiscal and operational needs of the various stakeholders.
The historical disconnection between the design function and construction sector is the gap which a delivery design manager fills. Traditionally the two sides have had an adversarial relationship on either side of the client. Architects and engineers bridge this gap on traditional projects, and appointed design managers can fulfil this role on design-build contracts. Although design management has always existed as a function of design delivery, appointing a standalone design and technical manager is relatively new in the UK construction industry and most design managers and coordinators have to learn the role on the job.
One reason for the change has been the way projects in the UK are financed. For government funded projects like Private Finance Initiative (PFI) and Building Schools for the Future (BSF), the design team is employed by the main contractor at the earliest stages of the project and this has created a demand for someone to manage the design development on behalf of the construction team.
The industry is also changing due to the drive for maximum efficiency, cost reduction, advancing technology, zero carbon emissions, climate change, environmental protections and training requirements. Procurement routes, design and delivery systems have also become more complex and technically demanding. EU directives have further influenced the UK construction industry with the introduction of stringent guidelines. Therefore, a range of skills is required for effective design management, and a successful design manager makes the difference between a well-designed and well-built building.
Design and technical managers tend to have a wide range of backgrounds, expertise and transferable skills. In order to understand the various types of design managers in the UK industry it is necessary to examine the routes into the profession. Despite this diversity, official pathways into the role are fairly limited and most people have to learn on the job.
Design-Build developments
Prior to the late 1990’s traditional forms of procurement were more common and design delivery was predominantly the domain of consultants, and design managers were not commonplace in design studios or on building sites. At that time roles were clearly defined, and architects (or engineers) were still leading the process in a traditional role as the client’s representative and sole author of the design. The rise in design-build as a procurement route has resulted in an increased demand for design managers.
Conventionally design–build was an efficient way to deliver projects which were straightforward, either constrained by budget or the outcome was prescribed by simple functional requirements (for example, a motorway or car showroom), but these days many complex projects in the United Kingdom have been completed with design-build contracts. Design teams have become integrated into the design-build main contractor’s project team and the line between design and build is progressively indistinct.
What does a construction Design Manager do?
Interacts with Stakeholders
Involved in all Stages of Design
Involved in all Stages of Design
Design and Technical managers liaise with architects and engineers, local authorities, developers and investors as well as building contractors, surveyors and sub-contractors. A consultant design manager could work with a many specialist designers,.
Involved in all Stages of Design
Involved in all Stages of Design
Involved in all Stages of Design
Consultant and development design managers will influence early design stages and delivery design managers will work with the design team and subcontractors who produce the technical design and manufacturing data.
Life-cycle Quality
Involved in all Stages of Design
Life-cycle Quality
Design managers, alongside a construction team and various trades, have the opportunity to drive through quality with a focus on long term sustainability and have a positive impact on the community.
Challenges of Design Management
Technically Challenging & Demanding
Technically Challenging & Demanding
Technically Challenging & Demanding
Design and Technical managers are usually appointed to work on developments which are fast-tracked and technically complex, and where compliance with regulations may be a challenge. It can be a high-pressure working environment with elevated expectations from employers and clients.
Poor Team Cohesion & Collaboration
Technically Challenging & Demanding
Technically Challenging & Demanding
The construction industry is known to be traditionally combatative and it can be difficult for a technical manager to work where a blame-culture exists either internally within the project team, or between members of the design team. Internal politics can be a hindrance.
Currently no Industry Standards
Technically Challenging & Demanding
Currently no Industry Standards
Architects have the ARB and RIBA, surveyors are governed by the RICS and Construction professionals have the CIOB but design managers do not have an institute or professional body as yet which can offer recognised definitions, standards and membership. The ADM is being set up to meet this need.
Skills may need to be Improved
Insufficient Support and Procedures
Currently no Industry Standards
Design managers are involved in every aspect of a construction project and can lack formal commercial and contractual training and experience. Or, alternatively it could be a technical skill which is lacking and could adversely affect performance.
Insufficient Support and Procedures
Insufficient Support and Procedures
Insufficient Support and Procedures
Design managers tend to work nomadically and on simpler projects, or in smaller, traditional companies there may be no technical director or design department to offer guidance and direction. The commercial and build managers tend to have resources and larger teams in comparison.
Few formal routes into profession
Insufficient Support and Procedures
Insufficient Support and Procedures
There are limited routes into the profession and there is an inevitable steep learning curve in the workplace. Engineers, architects, site managers and apprentices need to learn most of the role on the job. There are some degree and master programmes and also the DMC has produced a shorter course - see more