The design development process of commercial building projects: two case studies in corporate communications

This paper examines the managerial skills and role perceptions between the design leader and the client's in‐house professional staff which affect corporate communications. It also examines the consequential factors that influence the time taken to finalise the design for commercial building projects. Whilst all aspects of the design should be discussed to achieve a good product, the time spent on the development of design should not be so long that it affects the overall construction time and the achievement of the client's desired financial objectives. Each specialist in the design team will have something to contribute to the project which may consequently increase the complexity of conventional design development for commercial properties. The research methodology adopted in this study involves in‐depth case studies of two building projects which fundamentally seek to determine the organisational change, leadership and communication factors that influence effective design development of commercial building projects.