Complex Networks () Lab

This theme builds on the work of Professor Stephen Pryke in Managing Networks in Project-Based Organisations. It demonstrates how the principles of Social Network Analysis (SNA) can be used to provide a smarter, more efficient, and holistic approach to managing complex projects. This will help organisations design organisational systems that provide effective communications related to functional networks, understand the behaviour of collaborative networks engaging in complex projects, optimise contractual arrangements through contracts designed to reflect the relationship configurations required by clients and project stakeholders.

Such methodological approach provides project managers with evidence-based recommendations. This is especially relevant to those managing complex construction and engineering projects, which have traditionally relied on relatively crude organisational structures and roles allocated through contractual conditions to articulate what has to be done and how it has to be done. On the other hand, the application of social network analysis to the systems, that comprise the main project functions for the construction project, presents a much more sophisticated means of observing, analysing and managing organisations, including temporary project organisations.

This theme combines complex space usage/design with social networks, organisational theory and organisational behaviour. Through the combination of research methodologies of spatial analysis (space syntax) and social network analysis aims to contribute to the debate on data-driven and evidence-based design practices of complex projects.

In this research theme, we are underpinning the social networks in Design Education. Through each phases of design studio as a curriculum, several types of social networks started, peaked, diminished and sustained till after the graduation of the students. These social networks are formed intentionally or unintentionally, and it dectates specific behaviours and relationships to be formed between students and students, faculty and students and people from practice and students. Besides, when they graduate, these social networks reformed systematically and tend to be sustained now with the new titles and roles between the participants.

SNA is used to approach the complexity of design studio dynamics towards an understanding of the initiation, formation and the theory that revolves around the creation and sustaining these formed social networks.