Constructing Building Integrity: Raising standards through professionalism

This Australian Research Council Linkage project aimed to investigate the role of professions in rebuilding trust in residential building construction in Australia. In the wake of expensive and life-threatening building defects, this project aimed to generate new knowledge about the functioning of individual professionals, professionals employed in multi-profession organisations, and professionals’ interaction with their institutional environment. Outcomes include practical recommendations for improved professional standards, a rigorous building integrity system, and a means for measuring change. Anticipated benefits include greater awareness by professions, trades and regulators of their role in in delivering the public goods of a trustworthy construction industry.

This project was led by Professor Charles Sampford at Griffith University, bringing together business ethics academics with building and construction sector academics from Griffith University, UNSW (Michael Ostwald and Hazel Easthope, supported by research associate Charlie Gillon), Curtin University and Torrens University Australia. Industry and government partners included the Professional Standards Councils, the Western Australian Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety; the Queensland Department of Housing and Public Works, and Corrs Chambers Westgarth.

The final industry report was published in August 2024. You can read coverage of the report launch and headline findings on the Professional Standards Councils website.

Project Publications

• Easthope H, Sampford C & Breakey, H. (2024) 'Many strata managers who handle apartments are conflicted: here's how'. The Conversation, 10 September 2024, https://theconversation.com/many-strata-managers-who-handle-apartments-are-conflicted-heres-how-238683. 
• Sampford, C., Burton, P., Desha, C., Reid, S., Stewart, R., Hampson, K., Phillimore, J., Easthope, H. Ostwald, M., London, K., Pablo Z., Breakey, H., Cooper, K., Sahin, O., Bazen, E., Gillon, C., Bok, B., Gow, P. (2024) Constructing Building Integrity: Raising Standards through Professionalism. Final Industry Report. Griffith University, August 2024, https://www.griffith.edu.au/law-futures-centre/institute-ethics-law-governance/construction-building-integrity.
• Gillon C; Ostwald MJ; Easthope H, (2024) 'Shifting ethical priorities and the architectural profession: a systematic review of recent research and its alignment with contemporary professional codes of conduct', International Journal of Architectural Research: Archnet-IJAR, http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/ARCH-10-2023-0270.