Topics for Collaborative Research in AEC: Pilot Findings from a Sustainable Perspective

Abstract

Recent improvements in the AEC industry, such as Building Information Modeling (BIM) and lean construction and sustainability, require that the design and construction process be approached from a holistic and collaborative manner. From an academic perspective, collaboration also is an important teaching and research component that allows for a well-rounded understanding of the AEC industry. However, very little research has been performed on collaboration in the AEC disciplines, specifically interdisciplinary collaboration. As a starting point, this paper focuses on academic collaboration in journal publications related to sustainability and building performance. The authors provide bibliometric and thematic analyses of three 2018 research publications related to building performance and written by faculty affiliated with construction departments. The main goal of the paper is to provide preliminary findings about which AEC disciplines were included and which themes were prevalent in collaborative publications. Preliminary findings indicated themes related to performance analysis of buildings and / or building components; indoor environmental quality; decision-making and evaluation methods; and life cycle assessment. Results can be used to identify potential areas that are conducive to collaborative work between construction and other AEC disciplines in order to stimulate more interdisciplinary collaboration within AEC research.