ABSTRACT
In the building domain, only the three most common actors working in the art of building – contractors, architects, and engineers – have been the subject of ongoing study. While these figures deserve considerably more research, the expert, or surveyor, is still widely unknown. And we must not overlook the role played by another player involved in the act of building – the client or financial sponsor – who is entirely neglected by historians. These players are supposed to assist decision-making in an atmosphere of uncertainty. Their advice may be evaluative of a past or present situation, even predictive (to solve a crisis situation) or preventive (to avoid a disaster).
