b'Construction briefingLeentje Volker, Professor at Universityof TwenteLeentje Volker holds the chair of Integrated Project Delivery at the University of Twente in the Netherlands. Leentje has a background in architecture, but currently covers all areas of construction. Your research area is integrated projectWhat makes a good brief?delivery (IPD). What is that, in short? A good brief leaves room for designers and My research is focused on the integration ofengineers to show their professionalism. construction processes. This integration can beThis room can be provided by developing a horizontal, vertical or longitudinal. The centralperformance-based briefeven though it idea is that we should start thinking aboutalso important to be explicit about the options construction in terms of ecosystems and thatyou have in mind, or about possible no-gos. there should be a focus on providing servicesFurthermore, a good brief should explain a bit rather than just delivering and maintaining assets.about yourself as a client, about your values, the A focus on services means a focus on end users,political and social context and other things that which triggers a simple yet existential question formight influence the acceptance of a design.the industry: what do users (i.e. citizens, public bodies, corporations, society as a whole, etc.)How do you see the future of briefing?need and how can we best provide for this? Developments like BIM and other kinds of digitalization will offer many more insights into What is the role of the construction brief in anwhat designs will eventually look like and what integrated delivery process? the consequences of certain requirements are in The brief explicates the needs and wishes ofterms of costs and planning. It will thus become the users and/or the owner of a building ormuch easier to assess and explore the impact infrastructure asset. It should include dreamsof requirements. Hence, I expect the briefing and ambitions, but also functional and economicprocess to become much more interactive, with requirements. All these implicit and explicitrapid iterations between clients, designers, items inform designers and engineers about theirengineers and contractors. So, a more agile solution space and design conditions. The briefprocess than it used to be.shapes the context of a product and facilitates the translation of ideas into construction solutions. Any recommendations for construction clients? Is there a difference between infrastructureDo not just jump into a project. Try to develop projects and building projects when it comesand refine your needs and ambitions first. Look to briefing?and learn from others. This can be done with Traditionally, the main difference concerns theexcursions in which you visit similar buildings or attention to design quality. In building projects,infrastructure projects. It can also be achieved by clients tend to pay a lot of attention to the desiredapplying technologies such as VR. My research architectural expression and the buildings relationteaches that making sense of what you really want to its surroundings. In infrastructure, it is oftenusually accelerates when you are confronted with the technical requirements that dominate. Butthe possible options. Increasing the information infrastructure and real estate are becoming muchlevel in the procurement phase of a project helps more interconnected and Im noticing an increaseprevent issues at a later stage. in attention to design quality in infrastructure. Also, a bridge or tunnel can be beautiful, carefully integrated in the landscape, or add value to a city. The topic of user experience is getting more and more attention as well. A road should not only be safe, but also feel safe. Likewise it can be argued that infrastructure should provide a pleasant experience for the people using itjust like a building should. So, the difference is not that big after all.187'