SUMMARY OF THE THESIS

The construction sector is characterized by a number of features that make it a major economic power. The design-construction process (PPC) is a description of the life cycle of infrastructure, with special emphasis on its design and construction, applicable to the case of residential building and civil works. This process consists of the phases of feasibility, design, construction, operation and decommissioning. In each phase the owner plays a crucial role to be the agent who initiates, funds and operates the final product of this process; moreover, the role of the owner has a strong relationship with many disciplines and features of the PPC such as the quality management, execution control, monitoring of work and collaboration with other actors. The owner’s role in Spain isn’t deeply involved with the construction management as in other countries such as the USA, Canada or England.

Within this general framework, this research can provide both firms and technicians who work in the residential building subsector with an instrument by which they can carry out their works considering the owner’s requirements, indications and collaboration. A tool which can enhance the quality management, minimize the conflicts between the agents and provide data of a technical, administrative, legal, and financial natures.

In this thesis, a model to identify the needs of the owner in the PPC applied to residential construction subsector is designed and developed. This research is developed in several steps: theoretical research and literature study of the construction sector, PPC and evolutionary trends on the owner’s role and needs; design and development of the model; and its validation through the application of the Delphi method. 

The model is based on the elaboration of a system for classifying information. The aim behind this classification is to reach a certain detailed level of information which can be used to develop the record sheets which forms the questionnaires to identify the owner’s needs. Generally, the questionnaire is the most used and effective tool to capture and identify owner’s needs so far. This classification was validated by the Delphi method.