Loretta Lipworth is a Manchester-based PhD researcher specialising in digital construction practice and affective organisation. Through the PhD, she's building expertise in digital construction management research, ethnographic methods and theories of affect and atmopsheres.
Bio
Prior to specialising in construction management, Loretta worked in design and teaching. Graduating from Wimbledon School of Art in 2006 with a degree in Design for Performance, she started her career as a set design and build freelancer for film, TV and theatre.
Craving a change from London, Loretta moved to the Philippines where she taught English to international students, then to Manchester where she continued teaching and completed a Master's degree in Design at Manchester School of Art, MMU in 2014. During this time she also attended seminars and lectures at the School of Architecture, opening up the idea of building on her design experience in a construction context. Thus, Loretta started her first construction role as a site administrator before progressing into design management, becoming fascinated by the issues around digital transformation.
From 2016-2022 she was a volunteer for NAWIC, an international not-for-profit association dedicated to the advancement of women in the construction industry, co-founding England's North West chapter and later chairing the National Committee.
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Loretta is now in her third year of PhD study at Manchester School of Architecture, MMU. She also teaches within MMU's Business School and works part-time as a researcher.
PhD Research
Construction Site Atmopsheres and Building Information Modelling (BIM)
The aim of the research project is to investigate the relationship between affective atmopsheres and on-site construction stage Building Information Modelling (BIM) work to understand how digital practices affectively take shape in the construction industry.
BIM is a central process in the capture, production and management of digital data in construction projects, and a core component of the UK construction industry’s digital transformation agenda. The promise of BIM proliferation as a solution to a wide variety of industry ills is widely espoused by both industry experts and in academic discourse. However, studies exploring project management and workforce behaviours in BIM work have largely been approached from rationalist, managerialist perspectives seeking to understand how to improve levels of adoption and productivity, while the role of atmospheres in BIM work is almost entirely neglected. The PhD project aims to address this gap by investigating the relationship between digital practice and affective and sensory experiences on the construction site, taking a neutral view of the potential of BIM rather than defaulting to a techno-optimist approach. The study seeks to understand how affective atmospheres shape, and are shaped, by BIM work on site.
Academic Events
PhD-led Seminar Series (ongoing)
I run a seminar series led by and for doctoral researchers, as part of MMU’s Postgraduate Arts & Humanities Centre (PAHC) Research Training Programme. Stemming from a desire for further knowledge-sharing and debate with PhD peers, the seminar series offers a supportive space to develop research skills and build community. Get in touch if you're interested in attending.
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'The Safety Dance - Challenging BIM Conformity' (Upcoming: Jun 2024)
Paper presentation at EPOC (Engineering Project Organization Conference) 2024: Engineering Solutions for Uncertain Times. Maine, USA.
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‘An Affective Approach to Building Information Modelling Research’ (Sep 2023)
Paper presentation at ARCOM (Association of Researchers in Construction Management) 2023: Constructing for the Future. University of Leeds.
Digital Construction Case Studies eBook
Edited by Loretta Lipworth for Digital Construction Skills (DCS)
Created with funding assistance from CITB
A collection of brief, yet insightful examples of digital tools and how they are actually applied in real life by contractors and other construction organisations, from small to large. The case studies were written to be relevant and relatable, with individuals from different businesses sharing stories of why their business decided to digitalise, as well as the benefits, challenges, and lessons learnt.
The aim of the eBook is that it will help construction companies to explore how they could benefit from digitalisation and the initial steps to take. It also serves as a useful resource for Further and Higher Education lecturers looking to build awareness of digital tools in their curricula.
Download the eBook for free at the Digital Construction Skills website