This paper analyses the making of a building called Miljøbygget, where ambitions in terms of environmental friendliness expanded, and it was also considered as green by outside observers. This process of expanding ambitions is examined to describe its main features as well as its context, primarily based on in-depth interviews with main actors in the project. The analysis departs from two theoretical concepts; translation which highlights how new knowledge is brought in through efforts to make it relevant, available and effective and social learning, the collective act of the project team of tinkering, discovery and analysis to improve the green features of the building. The paper outlines the processes through which a fairly moderate energy efficiency ambition is transformed, first into stricter energy efficiency goals, then into broader environmental aims. The resulting innovation is labelled an ambition-enhancing, experience-based, and enthusiasm-driven process of social learning in the project team, marked by interpersonal trust, including trust regarding competence and contractual relations.2 Additionally, translation efforts, bringing new knowledge into the project, were important. The conclusion discusses some policy implications.
Today, there is a widespread political optimism regarding the role of scientific knowledge as a driving force for innovation and economic growth. Could this lead us to overestimate science's ability to provide innovations central to solve the challenges facing our society? This paper is a study of the appropriation of science in knowledge intensive services: specifically about how consulting engineers engage with new environmental knowledge.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.