Markku Allison

Markku Allison, AIA, has over 35 years of experience both as an award-winning designer and as a thought-leader on design and construction industry transformation issues. His background as a practice owner and industry subject matter expert with strong relationships across disciplines and organizations uniquely positions him to assist in shaping responsive strategies to force driving change in business and culture today. In his current role, Markku heads up Chandos’ innovation initiatives. He served as president of the Integrated Project Delivery Alliance (www.ipda.ca) in Canada which has published “IPD: An Action Guide for Leaders,” several influential IPD research studies and provides IPD training for industry. Markku also held positions at the American Institute of Architects, where he was a joint content editor in the development of the AIA’s “Integrated Project Delivery: A Guide”.

How owner organizations impact decsion-making in design and construction. New research project from University of washington.

New Research Project: How Do Owner Organizations Impact Decision-Making?

By Markku Allison / November 7, 2022

A new research project from the University of Washington (UW) intends to reveal how owner organizations impact project decision-making. Owners have a significant impact on the success of every design and construction project they undertake. They have distinct organizational structures and cultures in terms of decision-making, and those characteristics can […]

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Benefits and challenges of research in lean construction, Markku Allison

Benefits and Challenges of Research in AEC

By Markku Allison / August 1, 2022

I’ve always struggled to understand why the AEC industry invests so little in academic research. It seems so straightforward. Research is tremendously useful! Objectively gathered evidence provides material for new value propositions, new methodologies, and improved industry information exchange. We can use academic studies to support marketing efforts, drive new

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Work planning for designers in lean construction by Markku Allison

Lean Construction: Improving Your Team Performance One Habit at a Time

By Markku Allison / August 17, 2020

Humans are generally resistant to change. Change requires courage, trust, and faith. We tend to stick to long-formed habits even when we realize that they are hindering progress or create pain. Forming and establishing new habits requires effort and commitment. Sometimes, painful experiences. How does this relate to Lean construction

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complexity of lean constrution teams, Image Clint Adair via unsplash

The Impact of Decisions in Lean Construction Projects

By Markku Allison / August 3, 2020

Everything is connected. This first Law of Ecology “reflects the existence of the elaborate network of interconnections in the ecosphere: among different living organisms, and between populations, species, and individual organisms and their physicochemical surroundings.” Similar to our ecosystem, small changes ripple across companies and organizations with unintended consequences. Decisions

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Collaboration in LeanIPD construction projects

Are You Collaborating or Muddling Through Your Construction Projects?

By Markku Allison / July 20, 2020

In many presentations, I have asked these questions: “How many of you consider yourselves to be effective collaborators?” (Most people raise their hands) “How many of you have worked with someone who wasn’t an effective collaborator? (Everyone raises their hands) “And if those people were in the room today,

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