Benchmarking of buildability and construction performance in Singapore : is there a case for Hong Kong?

This paper investigates what the Best Buildable Design award-winning projects in Singapore have accomplished through the study of key performance indicators. It was found that improved site productivity, shortened project time and reduced construction cost concomitant with manpower savings are generally in tandem with the upward trend of Buildability Scores as calculated based on the Buildable Design Appraisal System (BDAS). The results are persuasive with abundant published data stemming from the award-winning projects. In view of the similarity in the construction environment and success in implementing the BDAS in Singapore, an adapted version called Buildability Assessment Model (BAM) has been developed for adoption in Hong Kong by using local data collected through questionnaire surveys and structured interviews and incorporating more comprehensive assessment criteria. Based on a priori evidence in Singapore, when the BAM is widely used in Hong Kong, it can be reasonably inferred that buildability benchmarks for different types of building projects can be established. Eventually, better project performance in terms of construction time, cost, manpower and productivity in Hong Kong should be achievable when construction stakeholders pay due attention to the buildability of designs.