P2.67ARC Constructing Building Integrity: Raising standards through professionalism

June 2021 – June 2024

This project investigates the role of professions to rebuild trust in residential construction in Australia. In the wake of expensive and life-threatening building failures, this project will:

• Generate new knowledge about the functioning of professions, professionals employed in multi-profession organisations, and professionals’ interaction with their institutional environment.
• Recommend improvements in professional standards and the building integrity system, and a means for measuring change.
• Increase awareness by professions, trades and regulators of their role in building consumer trust in the construction industry.

Objectives

1. Identify improvements to the professional standards of individual members of various professions and other occupation groups.
2. Investigate the professionalism that exists within emerging professions like building certifiers, and the potential for greater professionalisation to improve standards in these groups.
3. Investigate the professional standards of professional firms and multi-profession corporations employing those professions.
4. Identify how Australia’s Building Integrity System (the construction industry’s legal, regulatory, social and economic environment) may be developed to assist the building industry to live up to the values claimed.
5. Identify and trial how the effect of recommended changes may be measured.

Industry Outcomes

The lack of public confidence in buildings is jeopardising one of Australia’s most critical industries.

This research project will identify ways for professions to rebuild trust in the construction industry, through improved professional standards, a more rigorous building integrity system, and ways to measure impacts of change.

These outcomes will assist professions, trades and regulators to deliver compliant buildings that are well designed, constructed, and maintained as well as appreciated by their occupants. This will generate employment, investment and business opportunities, as well as consumer and community confidence.