Contextual Intervention/Technical Invention

The focus of the paper is the design, development, and construction of exterior walls on three recent projects: (1) Rowes Wharf Project (Boston, MA); (2) the NBC Tower (Chicago, IL); and (3) FC-2 (at Founders Court, London, England). The best definition of value engineering is the ability of new technology to provide a cost- and time-effective construction process, which provides the opportunity to develop a richer building of higher quality. The key is the relationship between all of the members of the design and construction team. The relationship has to be established at the beginning of the design process in order to be contextual with (integrated into) the process. The three case studies presented represent how value engineering and the relationship between members of design and construction enrich the tradition of building in the urban context.