Henrik Buhl

Copenhagen School of Design and Technology

Papers

Total Citations

H-Index

About

Henrik Buhl is a pioneering researcher at the intersection of construction, automation, and sociomaterial design. His work challenges the dominant technical-deterministic view of automation in the construction industry, arguing instead for a nuanced understanding of how humans, tools, and materials co-constitute work practices. Buhl’s most-cited paper, “I Work All Day with Automation in Construction: I am a Sociomaterial-Designer” (2019), redefines the role of construction workers as active designers within automated systems, not passive operators. This perspective has reshaped how scholars and practitioners think about technology adoption on site, moving beyond a narrow focus on robots and industrialization to include the lived, relational experience of work. While his citation count (7) reflects an emerging rather than established impact, Buhl’s conceptual contribution is significant: by foregrounding sociomateriality, he offers a critical framework for designing automation that respects human agency and craft. His work is especially valuable for students and researchers interested in human-centered automation, workplace studies, and the future of construction labor.