Interface Problems between Building Owners and Designers

The objectives of this paper are to identify and assess the relationship between building owners and designers in terms of their interface problems. The methodology utilized in this research consists of two phases. In the first phase, a literature review was conducted, and interviews with various building owners and designers took place in order to identify the interface problems between them. This resulted in the identification of 20 interfaced problems, which were classified into three categories, namely: inadequate contract and specifications, financial problems, and lack of proper communication. In the second phase, a survey of a randomly selected sample of 30 building owners and 30 designers from Saudi Arabia was undertaken to evaluate the severity of the 20 identified interface problems. The relative severity of the problems were determined and then ranked according to a severity index for both owners and designers. The owners evaluated four problems as “most severe,” 14 problems as “severe,” and two problems as “somewhat severe.” The designers evaluated three problems as “most severe,” 15 problems as “severe,” and two problems as “somewhat severe.” It was also found that owners and designers generally agreed on the severity of their interface problems.