Specifying the Generality of Clerical Labor

Specifying the Generality of Clerical Labor
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Question: What is the influence of specifications and standardization on the architectural profession and construction processes?
A.- An edited and elaborated version of the question
Architectural design specifications and standardization resulted in reduced variability in both architecture and building construction. Standardization is a widely used principle in mass production (standards have been established over time and developed by architects based on the idea that there would be a better way to perform the job. In the mid 19th century, the U.S. architectural profession had few professional practices, but then specifications were adopted that supplemented drawings. The introduction of specifications resulted in the adoption of standards that influenced the design process. The specifications were then widely adopted across the U.S., even when architects were not directly involved in construction. Standardization in building construction goes beyond the focus on the design and construction process or the final product and includes operations to achieve standard work. There has been a growing gap between architectural practice and design, partly because of specifications and standardization.
Architectural labor is increasingly associated with intellectual labor the more the profession adopted specifications and standardization, while physical labor is associated more with the builders and the building construction process. Osman argues that the architect and the builder play essential roles in building construction, but the paperwork has widened the difference between architects or designers and the builders. There is increased focus on the paperwork that has promoted the architecture profession from building construction, but paperwork also links design and building construction. Looking at the history of labor relations in the building and construction industry can offer insights into how written specifications widened the gap between architecture design and construction. 
B.- A reflexion about how the question participates in general contemporary political tensions. By general contemporary political tensions meaning tensions that exceed the terrain of architectural design, to affect larger societal spectrums.
The development promotion and application of written specifications standardization in architectural design in the U.S. influenced architectural practice and construction methods. For instance, the development of balloon framing in the 18th and 19th centuries in the U.S. led to the type of framing being widely adopted, and specifications focused on this framing. Balloon framing reflects multistory walls made of single frames as the vertical studs extend to the full height of the building (Osman, 2020). Balloon framing partly became popular as there was ease in integrating similar elements of construction. Thus, written specifications standardization influenced architecture and building practices. In the U.S., written specifications were one of the main reasons for emphasizing mass production in building and construction. In contrast, up to the early 20th century, European architects were still inspired...