Designer Consideration of Project Lifecycle Performance

Over the course of its lifecycle, a project passes through various phases. The lifecycle properties associated with each phase, namely designability, constructability, operability, maintainability, recommissionability (reconstructability), and decommissionability (deconstructability), are attributes that represent the success with which the design has met the objectives of that phase. As part of a study of project lifecycle properties, the authors conducted a survey to understand the design professional's perspective. Designers were asked to list the lifecycle properties they addressed and rank the importance of each property to the success of a project. Information was solicited with regards to when and how the properties are addressed in practice, and how success in addressing the properties is measured. The survey revealed that while constructability is formally addressed more than any other lifecycle property, operability is considered the most important to success in achieving maximum value in the constructed facility. The level of consideration and importance given to each property, though, differ between design disciplines. Survey results indicate where in the project's lifecycle successes are most likely to occur. Understanding a designer's interest in and influence on these properties, and similarly the viewpoints of the owner and constructor, can facilitate optimization of the overall value of a facility by the project team.