Design and maintenance are two important elements in the building process. The link of the two elements is vital in order to shape the building forms and ensure buildings will stand for longer periods. The effectiveness of building design is not only being measured by its aesthetic values but how it would serve the required functions for better performance and accessibility for good maintenance. Nevertheless, in actual practice the important links of the two elements are always neglected. Maintenance aspects are rarely considered in the design process and maintenance experts are seldom invited into the design teams. Once designers have completed their jobs, the buildings will be completely left to the maintenance staff to manage. Unfortunately, common building defects and difficulties in carrying out maintenance tasks continually exist. This paper attempts to highlight the issues, bring awareness and consider some approaches for better maintenance works. Part one gives the background information to the study, while part two will cover the objectives, methodology and conclusion.
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