The past decade has witnessed a major breakthrough in technological advancements due to numerous factors, including the COVID-19 pandemic. The literature has shown a growing interest in digital tools in the Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) industry. Various technologies have been developed to monitor construction processes, reduce costs, manage safety hazards, increase efficiency, enhance performance, improve productivity, and facilitate coordination and communication. So far, most studies have focused on specific digital tools, on how these affect performance, or firms’ resistance to change. However, far less attention has been paid on how these digital tools are shaping management practices in the AEC industry. This study aims to explore this gap in the literature. 9 semi-structured interviews were conducted with experts in the field from different countries leading in technological solutions. Through an abductive approach and the grounded theory method, this qualitative study identifies three variables that mediate the relationship between digital tools and management practices: efficiency, effectiveness, and experience. Furthermore, resistance to change works as a moderating variable between these two concepts. Based on this, three new management practices are created and added to the model originally developed by Bloom and Van Reenen (2007). (1) Efficient target setting is defined as a strategy comprised of an adequate optimiser based on important considerations that seeks to accelerate the fulfilment of targets in a construction project. (2) Effective monitoring is the collection of data comprised of the facilitator and the inhibitor that determine the degree to which the monitoring of a construction project is successful. And (3) perceptual assessment is the evaluation of objective and subjective human performance measurements. The findings suggest that the sole existence of trendy digital technologies does not translate to performance improvement within an organisation, rather, careful evaluation of these is recommended. Additionally, the successful implementation of digital tools in a construction firm implicates a modified organisational structure that promotes digital transformation. Further research could strengthen the results through quantitative methods.

Limitations of the study: First, only 9 participants were interviewed due to time constraints, although their quality was remarkable. Second, the participants were intended to be from countries where management practices have already been studied, since these are contingent on the firm’s environment. But the difficulty to recruit high quality individuals and the fact that some countries do not have access to LinkedIn (e.g. China), made this difficult to achieve. And third, management practices are a broad subject, which made it challenging to discuss about each of their 18 key indicators during the interviews. Because of this, the results show a general understanding of how digital tools are shaping management practices in the AEC industry.

This thesis explores the interplay between urban underground spaces and the concept of time, aiming to transform our perception and use of these hidden areas. Beginning with an extensive mapping of Madrid's underground, the research reveals the often-inaccessible nature of these spaces. Through typological studies and philosophical exploration, the thesis reinterprets these spaces as temporal phenomena, emphasizing their dynamic potential.
The theoretical foundation is grounded in concepts such as Bergson's duration and Bakhtin's chronotope, which highlight the entanglement of time and space. The design project proposes a shift from place-based to operation-based design, focusing on the temporal dimensions of space. It envisions a flexible art hub in Madrid, adaptable to various activities and extending beyond its physical boundaries, reflecting the concept of Urban Uchronia—a utopia of time that challenges existing temporal norms.
The manifesto envisions a network of interconnected underground spaces across the city, forming a system of Urban Uchronia. This vision integrates subterranean environments into the urban fabric, transforming how we engage with these spaces. The thesis concludes by reflecting on the transferability of these concepts, offering innovative strategies for urban regeneration and architectural design in diverse contexts worldwide. By reimagining underground spaces through the perspective of time, this thesis proposes a new paradigm for urban development.

Empirical studies indicate an increasing inclination towards the adoption of integrated software systems that contribute to project management. To this moment, studies on the implementation of these integrated software systems tended to emphasise the benefit of such software. However, the analytical evidence to support such assumptions is relatively small. Therefore, the aim of this research is to investigate and analyse what is required to get the benefits when transitioning to an integrated software system to support project management in a construction consultancy company. As a result, the following research question has been formulated: ”What is required when making the transition to an integrated digital project management system in a construction consultancy company?”.

For the design of this research the framework developed by Purup and Petersen (2020) was used. The construction of this framework was based on the methodology of action research. The research was divided into three loops. Loop 1 identified the current knowledge regarding a fragmented or integrated system. Loop 2 investigated the use of the integrated system. Finally, in loop 3, all knowledge obtained from loop 1 and 2 was synthesised and developed into an answer to the research question. To answer the research question, a literature review and a case study for which semi-structured interviews were conducted among project managers, project leaders and experts on the implemented system.

A limitation of this study is that the interviews were conducted among users of the system with an age between 24 and 35 years. As a result, no statement can be made on the relationship between age and acceptance or motivation towards transitioning to a new integrated project management system. Therefore, the recommendation is to conduct the interviews in a follow-up study among users of the integrated system whose age distribution is more distributed.

The research revealed that transitioning to an integrated project management system affects the people, organisation, and process within a company. The users of the new system need to embrace the new system and learn to work with it. The transition phase requires a time investment before the benefits will be felt. In addition, an integrated system requires a standardised structure. With this standardisation, certain activities can be automated. This results in saving time. It can therefore be concluded that transitioning to an integrated project management system, after time has been invested for the transition phase, improves work efficiency and can save time.

This research can contribute to the organisations considering implementing an integrated digital project management system. Since more understanding has been generated on what to expect and what actions should be carried out to obtain the benefits of an integrated project management system.

Infrastructural construction projects in the Netherlands, such as roads, bridges, and tunnels, have become increasingly complex. This complexity introduces various risks, which are further compounded by human biases during risk management processes. This thesis investigates the influence of heuristics and biases on risk assessment in infrastructure projects, with a particular focus on Dura Vermeer, a major Dutch construction firm. The primary research question addressed is: "How do heuristics and biases influence project risk assessment, and what role can serious gaming play in enhancing awareness and management of these cognitive factors?"

The study employs a mixed-methods approach, combining literature review, semi-structured interviews with risk and project managers at Dura Vermeer, and a serious game designed to simulate decision-making processes.

The study identifies several common biases, such as the representativeness heuristic, affect heuristic, and optimism bias, which significantly impact risk assessments. The literature review provides a theoretical framework on the impact of heuristics and biases on risk management. Interviews reveal that while risk assessment at Dura Vermeer follows structured methodologies, biases still influence the decision-making processes. The serious game, incorporating real-life scenarios from Dura Vermeer's projects, demonstrates its effectiveness in engaging participants and fostering a collaborative environment where biases can be identified and addressed. The serious game also highlights discrepancies between perceived and actual use of biases, indicating a lack of self-awareness among professionals.

Findings suggest that although biases are acknowledged, there is a preference for objective risk assessment methods. Serious gaming emerges as an effective tool for increasing awareness of biases, thereby improving risk management practices. The study concludes with recommendations for integrating serious gaming into risk management training at Dura Vermeer, emphasizing its potential to enhance team dynamics and decision-making processes. This research contributes to both theoretical and practical understanding of risk management in construction, offering insights into how biases can be managed to improve project performance. The insights gained provide a foundation for further research and practical applications in the construction sector.

The infrastructure of the Netherlands is mostly built in the 1950s and 1960s and is approaching the end of its theoretical lifespan of 80 to 100 years. Due to more intensive use and increased traffic loads many bridges need to be renovated or replaced. National and regional infrastructure managers, such as Rijkswaterstaat, ProRail, provinces, municipalities, and regional water authorities, are tasked with managing these assets with an estimated replacement and renovation cost of 170 billion euros until 2100, potentially reaching 260 billion euros. To first get an insight however into the state of the bridges in the Netherlands, these bridges need to be constructively recalculated.
This research considers practical challenges and solutions related to knowledge management within an inter-organisational programmatic approach for the replacement and renovation of bridges in the Netherlands. This research therefore considers the 'bureau herberekeningen': a recalculation programme organised by Rijkswaterstaat in which ten engineering firms are involved for the recalculations of more than 250 steel, concrete, and moveable bridges. This research aims to inform on what a programmatic approach can consist of, identify possible challenges related to knowledge management in an inter-organisational programmatic approach, and advice on overcoming these challenges.
A literature study was conducted on three topics: the programmatic approach, knowledge management, and inter-organisational collaboration. The programmatic approach is defined as a combination of related projects managed together to achieve benefits and objectives that cannot be obtained by individual projects. The organisation of a program must consider the interrelation of projects, their characteristics, and the nature of the involved organisations. This results in the need for a programme management office for governance and adaptation. Knowledge management at the programme level involves organising activities and systems to facilitate the identification, storage, retrieval, sharing, and use of knowledge, incorporating both social and codified approaches. Network governance is recommended to support the relations in inter-organisational collaboration, focusing on relationships between programme and project managers, the programme and organisational strategy, and among individual projects, while considering the importance of trust, communication, and collaboration.
The empirical study, conducted in collaboration with the Dutch engineering firm Witteveen+Bos, reveals several critical insights. Key challenges include the need for improved collaboration and communication, overcoming competitive barriers to knowledge sharing, and ensuring efficient and less detailed assignment descriptions to maintain project momentum. The study also highlights the importance of fostering a culture of openness, reciprocity, and trust among involved parties to facilitate effective knowledge management.
The findings suggest that the programmatic approach, when combined with knowledge management, can significantly improve the efficiency and effectiveness of recalculations. Recommendations include using technical assessments between engineering firms for knowledge sharing, organising regular collaboration days, and ensuring the pace and bundling of project assignments to make optimal use of the relations between projects.

Sustainability has gained significant importance in the building industry due to its impact on energy consumption, resource utilization, waste generation, and CO2 emissions. The responsibility for ensuring sustainable building construction often falls on project managers, tasked to lead teams and successfully deliver building projects. Project managers face various barriers when it comes to integrating sustainability during the design phase, leading to the dilution of sustainability goals and ambitions. The dilution is often attributed to the persistent focus on the traditional success criteria of delivering a project on time, within budget, and quality.

This research aims to explore and understand how project managers can use their appointed position to influence project teams toward safeguarding sustainability goals and ambitions. A qualitative research approach combines a review of relevant literature with a multiple case study to collect data from theoretical and practical sources. A conceptual framework, the Sustainability Safeguarding Framework, is developed identifying three critical aspects: authority, accountability, and affective influence, which addresses the dual role of project manager and leader in safeguarding sustainability. In the multiple case study, project managers and design team members from two selected cases are interviewed to gain practical insights into these three aspects.

Findings and discussion reveal that project managers employ authority, accountability, and affective influence during the project’s design phases to safeguard sustainability. However, their influence is sometimes limited by barriers, those identified in existing literature, and newly identified ones, such as organizational barriers and unintended effects arising from sustainability assessment tools and subsidy schemes. Furthermore, a strong relationship is observed between actively promoting sustainability and successfully safeguarding or surpassing sustainability goals and ambitions.

To effectively safeguard and promote sustainability goals and ambitions, project managers are recommended to use their authority to prioritize sustainability in the design team and among stakeholders; by having influence on design team selection, the appointment of sustainability experts/advisors, and providing them with the necessary platform, communication channels, and involvement to guide and support the team and client. Plus, taking accountability for sustainability (on top of other project responsibilities) and, by contractually organizing all sustainability goals and ambitions, and allotting roles and accountability to the team members. Furthermore, employing affective influence– involving sustainability advisors – to promote and embed a sustainability mindset within the design team and stakeholders, thus cultivating ownership, motivation, enthusiasm, ambition, and social value through collaborative efforts and effective communication. Establishing a positive and safe work environment, project managers can make a significant impact on sustainability.

The design team, stakeholders, and the project will benefit through the project manager’s effective use of authority, accountability, or affective influence. The Sustainability Safeguarding Framework can guide the project manager´s preparation and management of the design phase. This research provides further recommendations for implementation and future academic research in accordance with the recommendation to give sustainability criteria an equal position alongside the traditional criteria of cost, time, and quality.

Over the last decade, shared mobility has more often become a part of urban development. Studies are increasingly pointing at mobility hubs as a vehicle to deliver shared mobility, often from a viewpoint within the mobility sector. However, shared mobility hubs have to a lesser extent been studied in relation to urban development. As far as the integration of shared mobility hubs within urban development is concerned, roles are unclear, uncertainty is high, and a scientific knowledge gap exists. Therefore, this study examines the integration of shared mobility hubs within urban developments, and assesses how developers can steer on this integration. Firstly, a review of previous studies is carried out on the concepts shared mobility, mobility hubs, and management of urban development projects. Secondly, three case studies are examined to empirically assess key stakeholders’ perspectives on working and steering on shared mobility hubs. It is found that the way developers can steer on mobility hubs, depends on the needs of the urban development organization and the needs of users, the purpose that the mobility hub should serve, and the eventual type of mobility hub that is steered upon. To illustrate the considerations affecting the way of steering, recommendations for practice are provided. Based on these recommendations, the management of two theoretical hub typologies is discussed within an expert panel.

The pressure for businesses to respond and contribute to sustainability is increasing and organizations are expected to actively address these issues (Joyce & Paquin, 2016). However, achieving circularity in real estate development poses significant challenges and barriers. Previous studies have primarily focused on the drivers and barriers influencing frontrunner’s uptake of circular solutions, particularly within the supply side. Meanwhile, the perspective of non-frontrunner clients and the demand side of circularity has gotten limited attention.
This study aims to enhance circularity in the built environment by exploring how corporate real estate clients who are not early adopters can implement circular ambitions and solutions. The thesis research focuses on the demand side of corporate real estate within the Dutch context, utilizing a mixed-approach that combines theoretical research and on-field investigation. The study identifies two groups of interest: early adopters and next adopters. Then, through qualitative field interviews with representatives from 12 organizations it sheds light on the experiences of both groups. The findings reveal that the main drivers for next adopters of circularity are the organization's core business and personal motivation, while the primary barriers include uncertainty regarding circularity benefits and a general lack of circularity awareness. Based on these findings, the study concludes by providing circularity adoption recommendations tailored to corporate real estate clients who are new to the field.
By addressing the demand side and considering the experiences of non-frontrunner clients, this research contributes to a more comprehensive understanding of circularity in real estate development and offers practical guidance for organizations seeking to embrace circular solutions in their operations.

Clients and architects drift apart due to a lack of communication (Angral, 2019). Their relationships deteriorate. Relationship quality is seen as a key determinant for (dis-)satisfaction with clients. So, a lack of communication induces less successful projects. Architects could be more client oriented. Furthermore, it seems that architects rarely rely on formalized procedures for (customizing) client interactions. Therefore, this research investigates: “(How) can customized interactions influence perceived service quality, in the case of private residential projects?
To answer this question three explorative case studies were conducted at different international architecture offices. The cases (architecture firms) were selected based on their size (small) and vision to incorporate clients in their designing processes. Every firm responded with two to three projects as units for research (projects). The units were first introduced via a survey about the interactions used. These first survey findings were used as input for the consecutive client interviews by which clients were asked to reflect on these interactions. The clients were purposely selected for having both none and earlier experience, as research revealed service perception significantly differs amongst those groups. Also, the clients were asked about recommendations on service improvement. Finally, with the previous data in consideration, architects were interviewed about their view on the interactions and improvements for these projects.
With the interview data a model was constructed to identify the customizations. It was found that on average for the individual projects the customizations did contribute to a higher service quality. Yet, when comparing the SQ ratings with the number of customizations in all the cases, only a minor correlation between the perceived service quality and customizations was found, the significance of this relationship is limited, and the method of interviews and analysis, were too sensitive to be able construct a well-supported argument on the moderating effect of interactions on service quality. When implementing customizations, it is deemed especially important for the architect to use his soft skills and experience to decide whether and which customizations should be implemented. Especially the type of client and project should be taken into consideration. Considering the different project phases, a person-oriented customization might be more appropriate at the briefing phases, to strengthen the relationship, while in the designing phases also task-based customizations could be done, to also improve the technical quality. Furthermore, it is argued that with the rise of new technology and digitalization architects can improve their communication and education subsequently. Especially for unexperienced client’s, digital education & designing tools could help them in both increasing their understanding and participation in the project, which contribute to their perception of the service quality. This is deemed especially important for the industry of bespoke projects and private residential projects where both clients and architects seek for the best services. Considering the communicative nature of this projects, introvert architects should be aware that appropriate soft skills are to be implemented to increase service quality. Especially for introvert architects, this should be monitored and trained if needed. If not, it is recommended, to allocate the communication to team members or a project manager.
Furthermore, this explorative study reveals, this initial model can be a basis to define a default or benchmark of interactions and customizations in this field. Next research could further define the models’ parameters and include more, and less successful projects to improve reliability.

Construction resource management in the Netherlands is causing environmental concerns due to a high demand for infrastructure maintenance and carbon/nitrogen emissions. Insufficient optimization of resource management between projects results in more traffic and higher energy demand, but measures such as linking projects, program management, and reducing transportation can save money, improve air quality, and decrease emissions. Efficient resource management is crucial in the construction industry to achieve project goals despite challenges such as complex projects, tight budgets, and supply chain issues.
The aim of this study is to develop a proof-of-concept for managing resources between construction projects using digital connections between resource data. The goal is to optimize information sharing between different companies to reduce urban city traffic, energy consumption, and emissions, while also being practical and easy to implement. This study uses a cross-sectional research design, which involved the collection of transport data from three civil work projects in the centre of Amsterdam. The study uses a combination of research methods including interviews, data analysis and a discrete event simulation.
The main mechanisms influencing inefficient resource management in construction are: (1) the lack of digitalisation at smaller sized construction companies, (2) the imbalance between ingoing and outgoing construction logistics, and (3) the inefficient transports of non-bulk materials.
The study focuses on optimizing logistics in the construction industry in the Netherlands to reduce emissions. The study emphasized the benefits of collaboration among different construction projects and proposed a hypothesis that a centralised resource management system can optimize resource usage and reduce environmental impact. By analysing the construction logistics of three projects in Amsterdam, the study demonstrated that a centralised system for logistic resource management can be employed to reduce traffic required for construction projects, optimize resource usage, and potentially improve the balance between ingoing and outgoing transports. The study also highlighted the challenges in data capturing and the need for a unified digital system for logistic data. The study concludes that a centralized system for logistic resource management can provide insight into transport data and could reduce traffic caused by construction projects through facilitating smart interventions.

The Dutch government implemented strict regulations to reduce the spreading of the virus and highly encouraged travel restrictions and to work from home if possible. As a result, organizations were forced to adapt and implement remote working. These implications became the norm for close to two years. Consequently, the needs and preferences of employees and employers have changed indefinitely. Employees displayed a positive experience with remote working, which has left organizations questioning whether their current real estate aligns with the desired workplace strategy. Many CEOs during the pandemic said they would cut down their office space by 69%. A year later, this has already changed to 21%. However, 51% of those CEOs also said they would invest in collaborative space. The majority of media and research directs its focus on large corporates and leading commercial landlords. Consequently, there is more uncertainty about the role of the future physical office for middle-smaller organizations (SMEs). SMEs make up 67% of the Dutch workforce and are essential for the Dutch economy. Despite their importance, SMEs have remained understudied in the ongoing experiences of the pandemic. Moreover, SME resource constraints likely limit the support for their future workplace transition. Creating a workplace that supports the organization thoroughly is a complex process. Therefore, this study aims to research how organizational components are used by Dutch SMEs transitioning to a hybrid workplace strategy.
Preliminary interviews and literature provided insight into the propositions in each organizational component on how Dutch SMEs are transitioning to form a proposition. This help structure the basis for which next, a holistic multi-case analysis was used to examine the SME in each organizational component in a hybrid workplace strategy. Lastly, a proposition performance analysis to understand how each component performed.
The research findings provided insight into SMEs' adoption of organization components in their hybrid strategy. The main motivator for SMEs to keep using a hybrid workplace strategy is to support the employee's desire. Employers are hesitant to provide complete flexibility and remain involved to ensure that their employees continue to use the office as their primary workstation. In addition, employers seem worried about losing their organizational sense of belonging and desire more collaboration. Furthermore, SMEs focus their resources in either their conventional office or in the home office. Very realized thoroughly included both locations.
To ensure SMEs implement a successful hybrid workplace strategy and utilize their input resources as much as possible, SMEs need to prioritize an employee-orientated approach in each organizational component. Furthermore, adequate physical resources are essential in both the conventional office and the home workplace. While the physical environment is critical, focusing on the behavioral environment will most impact people's productivity.

Context - Globally, there is climate change that affects life of people and nature on earth. The built environment is responsible for nearly 40% of global energy consumption and approximately onethird of global CO² emissions (JLL, 2020). Therefore, the built environment must become more sustainable. Public and private parties incorporate sustainability ambitions into urban redevelopment plans, in a complex context with high ambitions and quality for high costs materials, labour and energy. All these factors put pressure on the feasibility of urban redevelopment plans. In the collaboration of public-private partnerships, there are these two conflicting interests that make it hard to develop the high requirements for urban redevelopment plans. Objective – This research aims to provide new insights in the relationship between the negotiation in the partner selection methods and incorporating sustainability ambitions in urban redevelopment plans. The main research question in this research is: “How can negotiations in partner selection methods contribute to the incorporation of sustainability ambitions in urban redevelopment plans?” Methods – This research consist of two parts. First, document and literature review provide a framework of definitions and processes from which the empirical part is studies. This empirical, second, part consists of explorative interviews, case study analysis and an expert panel. Results – The defined concepts form literature are: sustainability ambitions, partner selection methods, and negotiations for urban redevelopment plans. The findings of the empirical part state that negotiations occur in the two partner selection methods (partner selection method and tender) about the incorporation of sustainability ambitions. Both methods differ in moments and types of negotiations. Conclusions – The main conclusion is that negotiations contribute by having moments in which key stakeholders discuss about how the sustainability ambitions are incorporated in the urban redevelopment plan. In these moments different types of negotiation occur in which stakeholders deal with the sustainability ambitions. This research gives insights about negotiations in the process of the two selection methods and which elements are important for improving both. With this improvement, key stakeholders should be better able to negotiate about how to incorporate sustainability ambitions for urban redevelopment plans.

Container terminals are critical infrastructure for the economy, and the need to digitalize is felt in the industry. One solution is to combine digital integration and process automation with a digital twin. This is an ideal tool to identify weaknesses and opportunities in the operations of a container terminal. However, digital twins are often developed for a single terminal with unique characteristics, which means that the tool cannot be easily scaled to other sites. To optimize operations at multiple container terminals, it is necessary to explore how the twin can be scaled. Such a strategy for scaling digital twins at container terminals cannot be found in literature. Therefore, this research aims to fill this gap by developing a criteria-based roadmap for the senior management of global container terminals. The scaling strategy focuses on scaling up to multiple locations instead of scaling out to several processes on the same terminal.

After a detailed review of the literature and conducting interviews, the main findings were combined into design criteria for the roadmap. The three phases for the timeline are shown as three columns in the roadmap. The phases are 'developing the digital twin', 'using the digital twin' and 'scaling the use of the digital twin'. Most used in transformation projects is the People, Process and Technology (PPT) framework, so people (key actors), process (operations and strategy) and technology (data, hardware and software) are the three themes and shown as rows in the roadmap.

When all criteria were established and the roadmap template was designed, the logical steps of the roadmap were identified for each of the three phases. These steps were complemented and validated to see if important information was missing. For each step, it was determined which themes (people, process and technology) were applicable. After the first design, several interviews with experts from the container terminal industry were conducted to validate the roadmap. Based on their feedback, the roadmap was improved. Six stages were added to the final phase to emphasize the scaling phase. Each stage describes an essential element for scaling up and it is important to understand these to establish successful scaling procedures.

In conclusion, the roadmap developed in this study is useful for container terminals looking to scale up digital twins. It provides insight into the steps required to develop, use, and ultimately deploy digital twins on a larger scale. Especially for terminals that have no experience with such projects, it serves as a starting point to define the strategy and free up resources within the organization. Because the roadmap was developed at a strategic level, not all steps are very detailed, so an organization will need to do further research to determine its strategy. Each organization can determine for itself which steps are familiar and which steps require more attention. Therefore, this roadmap serves as a solid starting point for senior management looking to scale digital twin solutions.

This study aims to explore what design of ‘ba’, the Japanese concept which translates into ‘place’ or ‘space’ in English, facilitates effective knowledge creation in construction organisations. Although many scholars have investigated the field of knowledge management in construction organisations, few have focused on ‘ba’, where the knowledge creation process takes place (Nonaka & Takeuchi, 1998). ‘Ba’ is defined as ‘a shared context in which knowledge is shared, created and utilised (Nonaka et al., 2000)’, and ‘ba’ can be physical (e.g. meeting rooms), virtual (e.g. e-mails), and even mental space (e.g. shared values). Although ‘ba’ has been recognised as the essential part of knowledge creation, it is not fully clear what design of ‘ba’ can facilitate organisational knowledge creation better due to its ambiguity and intractability. Moreover, new ICT tools have emerged and used for ‘ba’ since the concept was first introduced in the 1990s, and the COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the use of virtual environments in business. Also, few examined the impact of individuals’ traits such as generational differences in values and Belbin team roles on ‘ba’. Therefore, exploring ‘ba’ in accordance with the above aspects can contribute to enhancing knowledge creation in organisations.
This research is divided into three parts: literature study, qualitative data collection and analysis, and recommendations. In the literature study, the conceptual model of ‘ba’ is reconstructed based on the extant literature in order to clarify the nature of ‘ba’. The model suggests the nature of ‘ba’ is “a shared space given meaning by inter-subjective relationships and inter-corporeal relationships”. Moreover, the four categories of enabling conditions that stimulate ‘ba’ are identified, namely social/behavioural, cognitive/epistemic, information systems, and strategy/structure.
Subsequently, the empirical data obtained by semi-structured interviews with East Japan Railway Company show both physical and virtual ‘ba’ are used in the organisation. Comparing physical ‘ba’ with virtual ‘ba’, most informants described that physical ‘ba’ that allows face-to-face communication is appropriate for knowledge creation activities. Sharing the physical space allows participants to convey their ideas adequately with inter-corporeal interaction. As the construction industry heavily depends on tacit knowledge due to its intrinsic nature, the environment where tacit knowledge conversion is easily taken place is considered effective for knowledge creation. Also, focusing on individuals’ characteristics specifically generation differences and Belbin orientation, these variables do not affect the perception of ‘ba’ that facilitates knowledge creation. On the other hand, organisational tenure may indirectly influence the perception of ‘ba’ since most of the interviewees have worked for a long time within the same organisation and the organisation’s values and philosophy can be steeped in their minds as their tenures increased.
Finally, recommendations were developed to facilitate the knowledge-creating process by combining the results of the literature study and empirical study. The following three key recommendations were proposed: design 'ba' with corporeality; complement the lack of corporeality; Clarify the meaning of ‘ba’.

Recently, campus strategies have become popular in managing portfolios of real estate. The growth of business and employment on campuses has continued unabated in recent years, leading to the conclusion that campuses are a popular location and an engine for new and innovative activity. Because of the thirteen added values that a campus can offer to an organization, the Landelijke Eenheid wants to implement a campus to support the organization and consequently also support future operational processes. However, for the Landelijke Eenheid it is still unclear and abstract what a police campus looks like because they have never developed a police campus so there is not a campus assessment framework on how to make a police campus yet. What we know about the police campus at the moment is not enough. Therefore, this research will investigate what a campus can offer to the organization of the Landelijke Eenheid for the location of Driebergen. By making use of the four perspectives of den Heijer, a new campus assessment framework is made to help the Landelijke Eenheid with an overview of their ambition and vision document and the four real estate documents that are used within this research. The empirical part will focus on the new campus assessment framework and how the occurring contradictions can be solved. The input for the research will be conducted through both qualitative and inductive research. Semi-structured interviews are held and a case study about a campus with similar contradictions (Brightlands Chemelot campus) is executed. The theoretical review will focus on the campus, its management and the operationalization of a campus. The Activity Theory by Engeström is used to examine the activity of creating a police campus and serves as the conceptual framework. The goal in this research is to formulate an outcome of how a campus can support the organization of the Landelijke Eenheid.

In the past decades, sustainability has become increasingly important for the construction industry, in particular highway infrastructure, as it can generate both positive and negative impacts on the social and physical environment. As a result of the impact on the environment and the growing awareness of environmental protection, the effects on society and economic development, there is a pressing need and sense of urgency for the sector to become more sustainable. For a highway to be truly sustainable it needs to take the social, environmental and economic dimensions of sustainability (People, Planet, Prosperity) into account. Over the past decades, some sustainability assessment (SA) approaches have been developed in an attempt to integrate sustainability in the assessment of infrastructure projects. Despite these attempts, these SA approaches do not address all the dimensions of sustainability thoroughly and are biased to either an environmental or an economic assessment, while the social dimension is taken less into consideration. However, how designers and decision-makers can integrate these dimensions into the assessments of highway design options is less known. This lack of integration of the three dimensions of sustainability makes it impossible to evaluate and assess the sustainability consequences of highway design choices and options and thus represents a significant limitation.

To address the observed problem, the main objective of this research is to not only provide designers and decision-makers with a SA tool that integrates all three dimensions of sustainability, but also with an understanding of how this can be used.

The triple bottom line (TBL) theory coined by John Elkington, a well-known concept in sustainable development (SD) was selected as a sound theory regarding the three interdependent dimensions of sustainability. A total of 64 SA criteria from the construction and infrastructure sector were identified through surveying recent literature, which formed the preliminary list of SA criteria. This was followed by a filtering process on the SA criteria and subsequently a questionnaire survey to establish which are relevant to the Dutch highway context. This resulted in the conceptual SA framework which consists of 36 SA criteria categorised in their corresponding dimensions of sustainability and related 9 themes. Next, the assessment procedure was provided for the conceptual SA framework, to form the proposed SA tool. In this tool, the best-worst method (BWM) is used to determine the weighting factors of the themes depending on the project. The tool was tested by applying it to a reference case (a highway project in the Netherlands). Based on the results from the reference case, the applicability of the tool was evaluated by an expert involved in the project. In the developed SA tool, the three dimensions of sustainability are integrated into one comprehensive framework specific for the Dutch highway context.

The conceptual SA framework provides a systematic overview of all possible aspects of sustainability that can be taken into account during the planning- and design phase of a highway project. In addition, it can help designers and decision-makers understand how the dimensions of sustainability can be used to decrease the negative impacts of highway projects and embrace the principles of sustainability with respect to environmental protection, economic profitability and human well-being, to make their highway designs more sustainable and to contribute towards SD.

The proposed SA tool can assess, compare, evaluate and rank design options based on the SA criteria. The SA criteria assess to what extent a design choice and option contributes to the creation of sustainable added value. In this tool, design options can be explicitly weighed upon all dimensions of sustainability, related themes and corresponding SA criteria which can support the decision-making.

This study aims to create a redevelopment plan for the riverfront of Rosario by proposing a new spatial plan. This redevelopment plan is based on four themes that fall in line with the vision of the municipality in order for the riverfront to reach its full potential. These four themes are accessibility, safety, innovation and sustainability which form the basis for the six initiatives. Aiming for an enhancement of port-city integration and possibly solve some of the technical and social problems the city is facing. To reduce the scale of this research, a smaller scope has been selected which starts from Parque España till Parque de la Arenera. Within this area an attempt will be made to investigate what initiatives are feasible and what value they add. It is proposed to carry out water hubs, the reuse of stranded boats and port elements, a port museum, tourist information boards, water taxis or -buses and the restoration of the riverbanks to also enhance the port-city integration whereof there is a lack of at the moment. To strengthen the initiatives technical feasibility is also performed to the project. It is recommended to further analyse the proposed solutions for enhancing port-city integration and perform a more detailed technical feasibility.

The construction industry is shifting towards a more collaborative environment through relational contracts following the early contractor involvement approach. In the Netherlands, one of them is the bouwteam process. The peak of collaboration in bouwteam projects and the construction industry is during the pre-construction phases since there is a higher complexity due to the uncertainty and interdependence of elements. On the other hand, technology innovations opened the way to work across boundaries in a remote way, which is known as virtual teams. Taking both aspects into account, the importance of collaboration through relational contracts and the technological innovations, this research seeks to seize the opportunity to expand the traditional working scope into a virtual or hybrid one in a way that doesn’t jeopardize the performance of projects but rather improves it. Based on the problem definition and objective of the present research, a main research question is defined: How focusing on collaboration improves virtual teams in the bouwteam phase?

Due to the dynamic and complex nature of the construction industry, it is evident that the integration of processes and groups is more challenging to attain in comparison to other industries (Demirkesen & Ozorhon,2017). Therefore, there is a call for better integration of project participants and processes in construction projects (Franz et al., 2017). Consequently, organisational collaboration and integration are often considered inefficient and dependent on individuals. This inefficiency can be caused by individuals not making the right connections to gain access or obtain relevant data for the decision making process. This can be explained by the fact that the industry is renowned for its fragmentation and temporary project teams Whitley, 2006). Due to this fragmentation, it is not uncommon for parties to have their own internal silos. These internal silos contain different sorts of data and have limited connections within their own or with other project teams, resulting in bad data sharing and communication. The presence of data silos and limited data sharing affects risk awareness as this can cause unavailability of data or subjective biases in the decision-making process. As a result, the employees that make the decisions are not (completely) aware of the involved risks, which can give the impression of soundly under-supported choices (van der Meer, 2021). By utilising data sharing and ensuring the proper coordination and communication, one could take on the silo’s created by this fragmentation between and in project teams, and by doing so, one could expect to reduce the detrimental effects on risk awareness. Especially when firms are active in a multinational environment, research has shown that connections between people that cross physical boundaries can enhance opportunities to improve performance and improve entry to information (DeSanctis & Monge, 1999). That is why, one could argue that data sharing could contribute significantly to risk awareness among team members. To investigate this, the following research question has been formulated: How does data sharing in intra-organisational project networks contribute to risk awareness in the tender phase?

There seems to be a mismatch between the enormous potential of Industry 4.0 (I4.0) and the extent to which it is adopted in the construction and development industry C&DI. According to the literature, the growing interest in I4.0 and its potential benefits are not stimulating companies to adopt it. There is little to no research covering adopting I4.0 technologies in the Dutch C&DI. Usually, the
focus is on different industries. When research focuses on the C&DI, it often investigates the construction or the maintenance phase. In addition, these researches mainly focus on the barriers of adopting Industry 4.0, and not on what interventions could be taken to increase the adoption in practice. This has resulted in the following main research question:
Are barriers withholding adopting Industry 4.0 (I4.0) technologies (e.g. artificial intelligence (AI), internet of things (IoT) and Digital Twins (DT)) within the Dutch construction and development industry, and if so, can these barriers be overcome? Due to the topic’s nascent character, mainly qualitative research is conducted. Literature is reviewed in combination with exploratory interviews and a focus group. In addition, a quantitative study was set up to support the qualitative research through a survey. A selection of twelve barriers to withholding adopting I4.0 technologies has been identified from the literature review. As a result of the survey, the lack of clarity on economic benefit and the challenge in the value chain integration emerged as the two most significant barriers. The most frequently adopted I4.0 technologies in the Netherlands are sensors and big data & analytics. The interviews and focus group made it possible to look in-depth at the previously found results, revealing several significant barriers. In addition, potential interventions have been identified to overcome the barriers. In conclusion, these interventions have been discussed in more detail, followed by recommendations. For example, municipalities should participate more often in a Joint venture, which is a public-private partnership. Unfortunately, specific numbers of Dutch adoption are missing in the research. However, the recent experience and adoption of I4.0 technologies in the Dutch
C&DI generate well-founded valuable insights. Lastly, the research stresses the importance of future research on the topic.