How Architects navigate a constantly changing Construction Industry

The construction sector is characterized by rapid digitalization, increased sustainability requirements, and increasingly fragmented work processes. In her doctoral dissertation at Luleå University of Technology, Mathilda Norell has examined how Swedish architects experience and cope with this continuous change—and what it means for the development of the construction industry.

“Continuous change affects not only the industry and the organizations within it, but also how architects perceive their professional role,” says Mathilda Norell, a doctoral student in construction management and engineering at Luleå University of Technology.

Fragmentation, Digitalization, and Sustainability

In her dissertation , *Continuous Change Through Professionalization: Fragmentation, Digitalization, and Sustainabilization in Construction from the Perspective of Swedish Architects*, she analyzes how three key trends—fragmentation, digitalization, and sustainability—interact in architects’ day-to-day work.

Through interviews, focus groups, and job shadowing of practicing architects, she demonstrates how the professional role is changing as new ways of working, digital tools, and sustainability requirements become increasingly important.

“Fragmentation is often discussed one-sidedly as a problem, but there is reason to broaden the perspective. Fragmentation is a natural effect of the construction industry’s advances in engineering, technology, and sustainability—that’s how it has historically been. Therefore, the best way forward to address fragmentation is to examine how we can “learn to live” with it as an ongoing process rather than trying to “cure” it. In my research, continuous fragmentation and its effects have, in fact, been shown to create opportunities for architects to take on new roles, which in turn contribute to innovation in digitalization and sustainability,” says Mathilda Norell.

In contrast, the study shows how previous approaches to managing fragmentation—such as integrating construction phases through new contract forms and introducing BIM to foster integration among consultants—have, in some cases, instead created new forms of fragmentation.

The study also shows that initiatives in digitalization and sustainability at the industry and organizational levels do not automatically lead to change. Architects were more likely to take on new roles if there was legitimacy for them in their environment and if they aligned with how they viewed their role as architects.

Implications for the Development of the Construction Industry

The research provides insights into how professional development and change management can be organized more strategically within the construction sector. As professional roles evolve, leadership, education, and project management can also be adapted. The results show that the ways in which architects legitimize their work—for example, in relation to BIM, reuse, and sustainability goals—influence how innovation is actually implemented in practice.

“To succeed in the transition to sustainability, we must understand how individuals in their respective professions perceive their responsibilities and their scope for action in projects,” she says.

Change Starts with People

The dissertation contributes practical knowledge about how sustainability and digitalization are shaped by the interplay between the industry, organizations, and professions. By understanding how change is perceived and managed by individuals, organizations can create better conditions for quality, innovation, and sustainable development.

“Professionalization isn’t just about new tools or new processes, but about how people shape their identity and their sense of responsibility in a changing industry,” says Mathilda Norell.