ROLES AND RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN ARCHITECTS AND CONTRACTORS BASED ON CONTRACTOR-DESIGNER ISSUE IN JAPAN

In Japan, it has been argued between architects and contractors that which process is desirable, the traditional process or the design-build process. It is called the contractor-designer issue. In 1968, Kajima Corporation chairman Morinosuke Kajima and the Japan Architects Association had a public controversy over it. On the other hand, in practice, architects and contractors have secured quality of buildings thorough a close communication in the design and construction process of building. What are the relationships between architects and contractors? What roles do architects and contractors have in practice? This study has two aims. First one is to analyze the contractor-designer issue based on roles and relationships between architects and contractors, and then to show conflicts between them. Second one is to consider issues which architects face in the relationships with contractors.