Twenty-Second International Conference on Technology, Knowledge, and Society

Abstract

This paper explores the binary distinction between ‘design labour’ and ‘construction labour’ within the context of capacity-building for Sri Lankan construction workers. Sri Lanka has faced ongoing challenges with traditional, fragmented capacity-building efforts, resulting in a predominantly informal and inadequately trained construction workforce. As an intellectual pursuit, architecture has largely remained disengaged from this critical issue, partly due to the socio-technical nature of contemporary building practice and partly because of the longstanding discursive divide within the profession between ‘thinkers’ and ‘makers’. In response, this study reconsiders the role of architectural design and the profession in bridging this divide and tackling organisational challenges related to construction labour, particularly concerning knowledge and skills development. The research has three primary objectives: (1) to identify the challenges, limitations, and opportunities in upskilling local construction labour; (2) to define a practical and intellectual role for architectural design in addressing issues within local construction labour organisation; and (3) to assess the capacity and willingness of the local architectural profession to support on-site skill development. To address these objectives, the study employs a theory-based, mixed-methods approach. The first two objectives have been addressed through a literature review and building analysis. Clarifying the profession’s role and readiness—the third objective—involves a structured survey of architects and an empirical review of selected building projects. Ultimately, the paper discusses criteria for selecting, accommodating, and upskilling labour within local architectural practice, includes practitioners’ reflections on the concept of Design Tolerance for on-site training, and evaluates industry readiness to resolve the thinker-maker dualism.