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Abstract
The reconstruction of Britain at the end of the Second World War demanded a rapid increase in output from a construction industry suffering severe shortages of labour and materials. The solution proposed was the industrialisation of production, predicted on the rationalisation of both designs and construction processes. Dimensional co-ordination of building components and modular design were among the innovations promoted throughout the 1950s and 1960s as key factors in increasing the efficiency of construction, and also in producing an identifiable, modern aesthetic. The main aim is to elucidate the social context at a time of rapid technical change in the construction industry. The term 'social context' is taken to mean the relationships and interactions between architects and building workers engaged in the production process, with the analysis focusing on their respective education, training and skills. This entails an examination of the social structure of the construction industry, its gendered composition and its social stratification. The methodology consists of an initial literature search and statistical analysis of relevant government publications and archives. Empirical research comprises interviews with appropriate participants who were engaged at all levels of the building process, and a number of case studies. The case study method focuses on the relative distance between architects and site processes, using material published by the Modular Society. This provides the basis for an examination of the role of architects involved in the promotion of modular co-ordination. The final part of the thesis is an account of an experimental building project where a closer interaction between architects and builders resulted in greater site efficiency. The conclusions identify a number of mechanisms that institutionalised the distance between designer and builder in the post-war years. Poor operative training, social stratification and sclerotic industry relations all played their part. Where these were overcome, and the direct relationship between designer and builder was re-ignited, working relationships were transformed.