ABSTRACT
Construction has the nature of project base economic activity where research and technology development are made after a project is started. The paper indicates examples how technology developments are made during project processes in Japanese construction projects; one example is procurement of claddings where capable and competitive specialist contractors take major roles. Instead of prescriptive design, performance-based contracting is used in which architects create ‘uncertainty’ intentionally at the stage of conceptual design in order to procure innovative technology from specialist contractors. The other example is some of Japanese conventional version of design-build projects. The alliance of clients and design builder creates ‘uncertainty’ at the earlier stage of projects in to get better adaptability to unforeseen conditions relating to project circumstances.
