What Lies Beneath Our Words? Assessing The Teamwork-communication Competence

Abstract

The architectural design process is inherently collaborative, requiring a team effort where various disciplines contribute their specialized knowledge. Architects, as integral team members, hold the responsibility of designing the entire design process. They oversee a comprehensive examination of this process across all disciplines and design elements, ensuring a holistic approach is maintained at every scale. In contemporary practice, the evaluation of various aspects within the Integrated Design Process (IDP) assumes critical significance. This study argues that effective communication serves as the pivotal linchpin in this process. Architectural education significantly contributes to the development of these competencies. However, an analysis of educational settings in schools reveals a notable absence of collaborative teamwork involving various disciplines within current curricula. To address this gap, this research recognizes the pivotal role of communication in facilitating teamwork across multiple disciplines. It advocates for the inclusion of communication skills development courses within educational environments to enhance effective collaboration among learners from diverse disciplines. To this end, this paper reports on the research that explores the significance of communication in transdisciplinary environments. It reports the communication analysis of meetings conducted as part of a transdisciplinary project titled "Fog Catcher.”