The building process : a boundless multidisciplinary research project related to wooden multi-family houses in Sweden

The wood-building industry of multi-family houses is increasing its market share in Sweden, yet the research and education are not incorporating a total building process perspective. Typically, research is conducted in individual areas without having an overall coordinated perspective, which increases the risk of sub-optimisation. In a unique project in Sweden, several components in the building process have been studied within one project; “City development project Torparängen”. The purpose was to gain a broader understanding of what influence the development of wooden multi-family houses, combining the effect from technological and non-technological advancements, which intended to support the development of a new wood building strategy. By reviewing several areas within the building process provided information related to how market strategies, procurement methodologies, leadership and project management, equally influence the development as the more traditional fields in the industry, i.e. material handling, lean production, logistics and production improvement. Further, having the possibility to capture end-user preferences in this process provides opportunities to develop a more agile building process, adjusting market and production activities accordingly. The study was conducted during two years and involved approximately 250 respondents in different roles, and active in the building process within companies and governmental organisations across Sweden.