Key determinants and barriers to digital innovation adaptation among architectural practices

Abstract

Digital innovation is recognized as a new architectural design process to improve building design, productivity with less construction cost and time. However, it is also recognized that it creates changes in design processes that can in turn alter business goals. The destructive negative impact to architectural practice varies from the size of the architectural firm. To elucidate the problem, this thesis investigates the key determinants and barriers that impede architectural practices in digital innovation adaptation. Its objectives are to investigate the digital technologies used by architectural practices in digital innovation adaptation; examine the barriers, how crucial it is and which among the barriers is the most significant; and to evaluate whether there is a significant relationship between the size of architectural practices and barriers in digital innovation adaptation. An in-depth literature review of digital innovation tools and processes and digitally innovative projects in architectural practices was conducted. This study has utilized quantitative and qualitative survey method where data from selected forty five (45) architectural practices that have utilized digital innovation were collected through the use of structured survey. The data were analyzed through descriptive statistics, Scheffe post hoc and multiple regression analysis and was subsequently validated. The result of this study revealed that technological, financial, organizational, process and psychological barriers were more pressing in smaller architectural practices than bigger architectural practices. Among the six (6) subsequent barriers that were examined, financial barrier was found to be the most crucial in digital innovation adaptation. It was also found out that the size of architectural practice and barriers in digital innovation adaptation are significantly correlated. This finding means that the bigger the architectural practice, the less that it is affected by barriers in digital innovation adaptation, while the smaller architectural practice, the more that it is affected by barriers in digital innovation adaptation. With this findings, a guideline for digital innovation adaptation in architectural practices was recommended.