ABSTRACT
Design management is the convergence of two cultures, the culture of design and management. Taken at face value, design and management may appear to be quite separate worlds, although there are many similarities between them if one looks beneath the surface. Design is concerned with shaping solutions to problems, as is management; the two should complement one another even though the language, terms and approaches used in each knowledge domain differ. Unless someone takes responsibility for ensuring design quality is delivered to the client, it is highly probable that there will be decisions made during the course of the project that (adversely?) affect design quality and hence the performance of the building in use. In this chapter, emphasis is on design management, which sets the scene for discussing the role of the (construction) design manager in Chapter 4.
