ABSTRACT
This chapter provides a discussion about differences in the practices, highlighting the cultural, economic and historical contexts for collaboration. It focuses on particularly well-integrated and successful collaborations that have resulted in buildings that would have been impossible without the involvement and expertise of multiple disciplines: in their realization, the buildings are greater than the sum of their parts. The proximity of the engineers and architects working together certainly facilitates a comfort level and ease of communication, crucial aspects of successful collaboration. The contemporary movements towards in-house collaborations and integrated project delivery highlight the growing need to work synergistically. In larger projects especially, collaborations resulting in minor savings in materials costs would more than compensate for extra engineering fees at the start of the project. With many architects and engineers who work at the cutting edge of their respective disciplines engaging in ever more integrated design work, it is not surprising that some offices are moving towards in-house collaborations.
