Creativity in consulting engineering: how civil engineers talk about design

Abstract

An appropriate civil infrastructure is vital to the wealth and wellbeing of cultures. Appropriateness is increasingly defined in terms of sustainability, aesthetics, innovation and cultural suitability. These expectations pose challenges for engineers to use their creativity, aesthetic appreciation, knowledge and character to predict and respond creatively with their designs. However, a treadmill of cost innovation in construction projects makes improved design challenging. This tends to reinforce the misconception that engineers are dull and uncreative, even though historically they have displayed considerable imagination and ingenuity. This thesis is based on an in-depth study conducted at the Brisbane office of Kellogg Brown & Root P/L (a large consulting engineering firm). A contemporary qualitative approach is used to explore how creativity is manifested in an engineering design context, and how it relates to phenomena such as knowledge, innovation, project culture and organizational environment. In-depth interviews reveal the authentic meaning of design and creativity for engineers and other company staff. The study highlights an important distinction between design-based and cost-driven innovation and unveils multiple influences that can stifle or nurture personal and group creativity.