Building oriented documentation systems

This thesis uses the concept of a building team approach; that is to say all members of the building team collaborate throughout the entire building process. In this thesis the term "building process" denotes the decision, design, construction, and facilities' management phases a building goes through during its life cycle. Likewise, the "building team" refers to all specialties that are involved in the building process [Grant, 1986; Griffen, 1972; Rush, 1986; Ehrenkrantz, 1989]. The building team increases in size and complexity in direct proportion to the size and complexity of both the client organization and the proposed project [Gutman, 1988; Staslowaski, 1993; Coxe, 1980; Rose, 1987], and may comprise several firms of the same discipline, each with a particular specialty. For example, a project may have architectural firms acting as designers, project coordinators and client representatives, as well as performing construction documentation and construction administrative services. Architects may specialize in a building type or in a particular service that meets client demands for expertise in management of building complexity [Gutman, 1988; Rose, 1987; Stasiowaski, 1990].