Practices of Stigmergy in the Building Process Lars Rune Christensen Aalborg University Copenhagen, Department of Learning and Philosophy, Techno-antropology Research Group, A. C. Meyers Vænge 15, DK-2450 Copenhagen S, Denmark (E-mail: Lrc@learning.aau.dk) Abstract. Actors coordinate their cooperative efforts by acting on the evidence of work previously accomplished. Based on a field study this article introduces the concept of stigmergy to the analysis of coordinative practices in the building process. It distinguishes between practices of stigmergy, articulation work and awareness practices. Stigmergy is understood as coordination achieved by acting directly on the evidence of work previously accomplished by others. The article provides descriptions of stigmergy in the building process i.e. in design as well as construction work. It seeks to (1) introduce the concept of stigmergy to CSCW, (2) to delimit this concept in regard to other concepts of coordination such as articulation work and awareness and (3) to provide descriptions of practices of stigmergy in the building process and, in this capacity, to help explain how complex large-scale cooperative work is coordinated. Key words: coordination, building process, stigmergy, articulation work, awareness 1. Introduction 1 Designing and constructing a large building is a highly complex cooperative work endeavour constituted by numerous distributed and interdependent tasks carried out by a diverse network of actors over a period of several years. For each unique major building project a network of actors is created or configured. The network is a diverse ensemble drawn from many different professions, working for many different companies. Some are with the project from start to finish, for instance the client and the main architects, while others such as the general contractor and the various subcontractors, including building engineers, concrete specialists, carpenters, plumbers, electricians, painters, roofing specialists, ventilation specialists etc. are associated with the project only for the duration of their allotted tasks. Specifically, the network of actors are involved in interdependent tasks pertaining to design and construction such as ensuring that the design of the concrete structure of the building is aligned with the design of the building services 2 or, in the construction phase, that the construction of the steel skeleton of walls is aligned with the wiring of electricity—one large 1 This article draws on findings and analyses presented in articles published over the last couple of years (i.e. Christensen 2007; Christensen 2008). Furthermore, it overlaps somewhat with findings presented in Christensen (2013). 2 Building services include e.g. electricity, ventilation, sanitation, heating and cooling and etc. Computer Supported Cooperative Work (2014) 23:1–19 © Springer Science+Business DOI 10.1007/s10606-012-9181-3 Media Dordrecht 2012