Design for excellence (DfX) for high-rise modular buildings : a knowledge management-based framework from conception to completion

Abstract

Modular building disrupts traditional cast-in-situ construction by relocating cumbersome material processing and construction activities to a factory-like environment before transporting prefinished, self-standing modules to a designated area for installation. This leapfrog development is prospected to mitigate manifold challenges in the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) industry, e.g., resource scarcity, housing shortage, aging workforce, and lackluster productivity. This multi-faceted solution can be fully cultivated in high-rise towers, enabling greater production volumes and safer working milieus. Design for manufacture and assembly (DfMA) is a companion philosophy to ensure that this revolutionized construction is efficient and that stricter manufacture and assembly requirements are met. Design for excellence (DfX) is a further expansion, holding the prodigious opportunity of design to realize multidimensional desirable attributes of high-rise modular buildings.

DfX-enhanced high-rise modular buildings is neither simple nor linear. It is complicated by involving multidisciplinary knowledge beyond one’s capabilities and introducing new design components to be justified. However, existing contributions focus mainly on DfX ‘conception’ by establishing terminologies and considerations. How to manage this DfX knowledge efficiently throughout a sophisticated design process until its ‘completion’ remains unclear. This understanding can guide future practice systematically and be incorporated with machine learning to smarten the ongoing trend of generative DfX.

This research aims to develop a DfX knowledge management-based framework from conception to completion and establish module design guidelines. With a subjectivist ontological position and pragmatist epistemological stance, this research adopted a mixed-method approach in two stages. First, the DfX knowledge management-based framework was developed by building upon the prior understanding of DfX as a double diamond process, positing it in an open system, and enriching it with its knowledge-intensive nature. This preliminary framework was then elaborated by a series of investigations, including a literature review, non-participant observation, case study, and participatory action research (PAR). Lastly, the framework implementation outcomes, namely module design guidelines, were assessed to ascertain their compatibility with current practice.

This research posits that DfX knowledge, by nature, is highly tacit by drawing heavily on hands-on experience and case-based learning, fragmented into distinct subsets, and often generalized into simplified considerations for dissemination. To efficiently manage the wealthy DfX knowledge, it proposes three transformational processes: (a) DfX knowledge acquisition to extract experiential knowledge, (b) DfX knowledge accumulation to consolidate multidisciplinary knowledge into an integrated whole, and (c) DfX knowledge contextualization to high-rise modular buildings and translation into usable formats. The transformed knowledge, known as module design guidelines, helps designers realize multiple desirable attributes by advocating for simplified module shapes, recommended module size, uniform space across projects, and dimensional coordination between modules and spaces.

The innovativeness of this research is twofold. Firstly, it demystifies DfX knowledge management by articulating this intricate process into three stages for efficient handling by practitioners. Secondly, the guidelines facilitate the justification of four new module design components. Future research is recommended to refine the framework and guidelines, explore their applicability in different contexts, mitigate DfX knowledge management challenges, and integrate the findings with machine learning to develop computational tools, particularly generative DfX.