ABSTRACT
This study utilises dual-processing theory to explore the impact of outsourcing and collaboration on the use of intuition and deliberation during site analysis. At the site analysis stage, information is gathered, synthesised and applied by architects to test the feasibility of proposed construction projects. Architects might collaborate with different internal or external players or outsource information-gathering tasks. The twenty-one semi-structured interviews were conducted with architects and architectural assistants. The findings show that while collaboration can prompt deliberation, it can also lead to the use of intuition when supported by collective confidence, in turn causing errors to be overlooked. Outsourcing facilitated efficiency and reduced complex reasoning associated with difficult problems, providing an appealing and sometimes problematic method of working. This study expands design thinking by exploring site analysis, a non-design activity essential to the design process.
