Bespoke Interaction

Abstract

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.