MOVING THE CENTER: THE RELATIONSHIP OF URBAN PLANNING, ARCHITECTURE AND CIVIL ENGINEERING PROJECTS WITH THEIR BENEFICIARY

Abstract

Terms such as quality deviations, non-conformances, defects, quality failures, over budget and behind schedule are quite frequent in urban planning, architecture and civil engineering projects. The effort to analyze the parameters affecting quality, budget, schedule and functionality failure and/or diversion in construction industry is extensive. Nevertheless, the number of construction projects that have functional deficiencies minimally in one of their complementary elements is significant. The main reasons behind these deficiencies are considered to be the lack of experience, ineffective interaction of clients-consultantscontractors and corruption. This article attempts to shed light to another reason why construction projects fail to fulfill some of their main functional parameters, emphasizing that this is caused by an inconsiderate approach of the ones in charge of planning and building structures to their beneficiaries. In other words, urban planners, architects and civil engineers approach the structure in hand as “the center of the world”. This is somehow reflected in the structure which tends to demonstrate an Othering attitude, similar to that of the (former) colonizer to the (formerly) colonized, to their surroundings and beneficiaries.