I Work All Day with Automation in Construction: I am a Sociomaterial-Designer

Purpose – The construction industry is one of the least automated industries. In the aspect of automation,the technical understanding is very dominant. Focus has mostly been on tools, robots and industrialisation.sociomaterial design shows us that what may first appear technologically deterministic can be replaced andactually call for reinvisioning the traditional focus. The purpose of this study is to introduce the agency of asociomaterial designer in construction.Design/Methodology/Approach – This is a conceptual paper with an empirical example. Tounderstand the sociomaterial complexity and dynamics of automation, practice theories are applied. To testthis approach, the authors give an example from a Danish (global) supplier engaged in a development projectabout technical aid (tools) in mounting and assembling gypsum walls.Findings – The sociomaterial-designer can help to understand and make innovation happen when doingautomation in construction; as the centre of innovation in construction processes, she works all day withpractice, together with practitioners, focusing on material arrangements as located not only in practice, butalso in the artefacts. She can help the supplier of construction materials in understanding differentprofessional practices and the transformation to use smarter tools.Research Limitations/Implications – This research is within a new practice domain “sociomaterialdesign”and it has to follow up with an empirical study that covers a development project with asociomaterial-design approach.Practical Implications – Developing competences (agency) as a sociomaterial-designer when linking thesociotechnical understanding of Automation with practice.Originality/Value – This research showcases how sociomaterial perspectives can inform automation inconstruction.