A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Engineering in Construction, Engineering and Infrastructure Management, School of Engineering and Technology

Thesis (M. Eng.) - Asian Institute of Technology, 2023

This study is focused on the Owner Contractor relationship during the construction phase of high-end residential projects in London, UK. The study sets out to determine the characteristics of the dynamic relationship, the factors affecting this relationship, how the relationship is managed and what resultant affects the relationship has in regard to project performance. The study was undertaken by interviewing the Architects and Contractors from 5 recently completed projects. Using task, social, communication and trust complexities as the basis of the questions, interviewees were asked to provide the most significant occurrence of these complexities at the initiation, middle and close-out phase of their project. The results were analyzed on a case-by-case basis, as well as a cross-case analysis to identify any similarities. The analysis found that performance was not surprisingly the main factor that determined the relationship dynamic, however, the study also revealed that with this kind of project the Owner/Contractor relationship is not solely determined by the Contractor{u2019}s performance. The Architect{u2019}s performance, whether good or bad, has a significant impact on the Owner/Contractor relationship. Also uncovered within the study was how prior relationships between the main stakeholders, Owner, Architect and Contractor, impacted on the performance of the delivery of the project. It was found that of the 5 cases studied, in 3 cases the Owner and Architect had a pre-existing relationship before undertaking the project and these 3 projects were worst performing in regard to the delivery of the project. The second most successful was where the Architect and Contractor had a prior working relationship. The most successful case was where the Owner and Contractor had no prior relationship, and the Architect was not retained during the construction phase of the project.