Architecture Engineers Award

Architectural design processes involve complex interactions among multiple stakeholders, including architects, planners, engineers, and institutional decision-makers. Within these processes, design documents function not only as technical representations but also as visual artefacts that shape communication and negotiation. This study examines how specific architectural design artefacts influence decision-making, particularly during moments of conflict where different perspectives must be reconciled. By analyzing how these artefacts operate within collaborative planning environments, the research highlights their role in structuring and guiding design decisions. Design Artefacts as Mediators in Architectural Practice In architectural workflows, drawings, diagrams, models, and digital visualizations serve as mediating objects that facilitate communication among diverse actors. These artefacts translate complex design ideas into tangible representations that can be interpreted and debat...

Architectural design is not only a creative activity but also a decision-making process shaped by interactions among diverse actors, tools, and representations. This study investigates how specific design documents, understood as visual artefacts, actively influence decision-making by mediating perspectives and resolving conflicts at critical moments. By focusing on the performative role of artefacts, the research addresses a gap in architectural design studies that has traditionally emphasized practices without sufficiently examining the agency of individual artefacts within those practices. Paradigm Shifts in Architectural Design Research The paper situates itself within broader paradigm shifts in architectural and engineering research, particularly those influenced by sociological and anthropological studies of professional practice. While previous research has examined how architects and planners work and how design practices unfold over time, it has rarely connected the specifi...