Nicolini, Davide. (2007) Studying visual practices in construction. Building Research and Information, Vol.35 (No.5). pp. 576-580. ISSN 0961-3218

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Abstract

The significance of the Building Research & Information special issue on `Visual Practices: Images of Knowledge Work' (2007) is that it provides a window on a different and, in some ways, alternative mode of describing and theorizing the work of design professionals through the visual dimension of construction work, and it offers a more realistic view of visual practices. It shows that design activity is not a linear process composed of steps or phases; instead, design practice can be better understood as a social and material choreography. Three important themes emerge. First, visual artefacts have an active role in making things happen in the construction process. An enhanced understanding can prevent the blunders deriving from using inappropriate tools. Second, visual artefacts only become meaningful when applied within the context of a complex and `messy' practice through understanding the interconnections of people, things, and discourses. The capacity of visual materials to contribute actively to the design process strongly depends on when different artefacts are introduced, their relation to specific activities, and how they are used in conjunction with other tools. Third, visual practices have an important capacity to support or prevent collaboration of different and, at times, distant parties and interests. Visual artefacts can operate as `boundary objects', thereby creating a simultaneous response to different concerns and serving as common points of reference.

Item Type:	Journal Article
Subjects:	T Technology > TH Building construction
Divisions:	Faculty of Social Sciences > Warwick Business School > Innovation, Knowledge & Organisational Networks Research Unit
Journal or Publication Title:	Building Research and Information
Publisher:	Routledge
ISSN:	0961-3218
Date:	September 2007
Volume:	Vol.35
Number:	No.5
Number of Pages:	5
Page Range:	pp. 576-580
Identification Number:	10.1080/09613210701355732
Status:	Peer Reviewed
Publication Status:	Published
Access rights to Published version:	Restricted or Subscription Access
URI:	http://wrap.warwick.ac.uk/id/eprint/31629

Data sourced from Thomson Reuters' Web of Knowledge

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