Harmonising Aesthetics, Functionality, Stability, Buildability, Serviceability, Maintainability, and Cost in Infrastructure Development

In the engineering and built environment industry, the concept of ‘design excellence’ means different things to the different professionals engaged in a typical building project. Aesthetics is a major concern to the architect, the service engineers jealously guard the standards and quality of services, while the structural engineer harps more on the stability of the building. Saliently, the facility manager draws attention to operation and maintenance concerns, the contractor looks at the buildability of the design and the quantity surveyor emphasises the cost implications, while functionality may be a common denominator for many professionals. To achieve excellent design, it is imperative to aim at harmonising the ideals of the project execution team (PET) members drawn from these diverse backgrounds. This research explores the understanding of PET members, engaged in the development of different building projects, on the concept of excellence in building design. The Delphi technique was used as the instrument for consensus building. The focus was to validate or expand the factors of aesthetics, functionality, stability, buildability, serviceability, maintenance, and cost, as critical success factors for achieving excellence in building design. The findings confirmed the proposed factors and expanded them to include conformity to code, environmental friendliness, site condition, sustainability, and experience. Therefore, achieving excellence in building design requires synergy and a collaborative relationship between all PET members and their timely involvement in the project development process.