ABSTRACT
The analysis of “function” in the design of buildings has been considered important for at least two thousand years. Vitruvius [1st century BC] devotes considerable energy to the proper description of spaces within a dwelling considering; their function, their position and orientation and their purpose as required by house owners of differing professions or businesses. The analytical description of function is more recent and is attributed to the developing techniques of value engineering in the latter part of this century. Value engineering techniques were derived for use within the manufacturing industry of the USA although they are now applied worldwide. The techniques have been transferred to the construction industry with mixed success. However, a re-examination of the basic philosophies gives clues on the application of new techniques to the briefing stage of construction projects.
