The primary challenge facing social actors (i.e., individuals, groups and firms) operating in the Architectural Construction and Engineering (AEC) industry has been delivering value to their stakeholders. The research presented herein addresses this primary challenge in the context of the architectural design teams. It develops a conceptual framework that builds on the concept of absorptive capacity, value theory and activity based theory. The conceptual framework proposes that the absorptive capacity of architectural design teams has significant influence on project outcomes. It also proposes that power relationships, knowledge search mechanisms and social integration mechanisms and of architectural design teams significantly influence their absorptive capacity. These research propositions were empirically tested by a survey of 121 architects operating in Turkey. Research findings based on multiple regression analysis provided mixed support to the research propositions. Research findings suggest that three out of four dimensions of absorptive capacity (i.e., acquisition, transformation and exploitation) have significant impact on project value outcomes but not assimilation. Research findings also suggest that power relationships (i.e., support for innovative/novel design, resource supply and team autonomy), social integration mechanisms (i.e., relationship, structural and cognitive dimensions) and knowledge search mechanisms (i.e., search breadth and depth) have varying degrees of influence on the four dimensions of absorptive capacity. Keywords: Absorptive capacity, architectural design team, social integration, power relationships and knowledge search