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People with sensory disabilities constitute a significant portion of society whose accessibility needs must be prioritized in the design of the built environment. Sensory disabilities cause a gap in the environmental information received, most commonly visual and/or auditory cues, that requires consideration to create equal opportunities and experiences for all. This paper evaluates the quality and representation of existing research on accessibility for people with sensory disabilities, aiming to identify gaps and inconsistencies in current studies. By considering variations in disability type, degree of impairment, and assistive aid usage, we seek to enhance the development of inclusive accessibility standards. Through this analysis, we aim to provide actionable insights for future research and contribute to the creation of more equitable built environments for all individuals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Landslides are among the most critical geo-environmental disasters for both humans and the environment. This study intended to create a landslide susceptibility map (LSM) for the Akre District of Kurdistan Region, Northern Iraq. In this paper, 15 landslide causative criteria including elevation, slope, curvature, aspect, topographic wetness index, topographic roughness index, steam power index, lithology, lineament density, soil types, land use/cover, normalized difference vegetation index, distance to roads, rainfall, and distance to streams were analysed. For this purpose, frequency ratio (FR), analytic hierarchy process (AHP), and ensemble FR-AHP models based on geoinformatics techniques were applied. The LSMs were then assigned into five categories based on their susceptibility levels: very low, low, medium, high, and very high. The results showed that the high and very high landslide susceptibility categories for the FR, AHP, and hybrid FR-AHP models were 27.75% (732,01 km2), 28.44% (750,36 km2), and 28.84% (761 km2), respectively. The results showed that the majority of historical landslide incidents occurred in mountainous terrain in the northern parts of the study area, which are classified as high and very high susceptibility zones. The predicted rate curves for the FR, AHP, and hybrid FR-AHP models had areas under curve of the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC-ROC) values of 93.4%, 89.3%, and 93.8%, respectively, which indicate that the ensemble FR-AHP model provides more reliable and accurate results for LSM. The LSM generated via the hybrid FR-AHP model can be utilised by local authorities, managers, and decision-makers in further land use/cove planning to mitigate the devastating influences of landslides in the area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The built environment is subject to various defects as it ages. A well-maintained built environment depends on surveying activities to inspect, document, and rehabilitate the defects that occurred. The advancement of digital technologies paves the pathway towards (1) comprehensive defect inspection by systematic mapping, (2) their consistent documentation by digital modeling, and (3) timely retrofitting by proactive management. However, the three steps of defect mapping, modeling, and management (D3M) remain largely fragmented and have yet to be synergized. Exploiting the pivotal role of building information modeling (BIM) in built asset management, this paper puts forward a cohesive framework for integrated D3M. It leverages the rich geometric-semantic information in BIM to assist defect mapping and enriches the BIM by industry foundation classes (IFCs)-represented defect information. The defect-enriched BIM facilitates defect management in a data-driven manner. The framework was applied in multiple real-life infrastructure and civil works projects. It demonstrates how the BIM-based D3M framework can enhance the maintenance of those that have been built, and ultimately contribute to a safe and sustainable built environment. Future studies are called for to substantiate each of the 3Ms by leveraging BIM as both an enabler and a beneficiary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the discipline of architecture, there is an established familiarity with the 19th century's Louis Sullivan's pithy dictum "form follows function". The expression has indeed directly and indirectly inspired many authors and movements, especially during the beginning of the 20th century, when objectivity showed its value in improving the progress of the industrial society. Nonetheless, the reception effects of such architecture with the primacy of function were responsible for decisive transformations in architectural form, human behaviour, social transformations and material and technological manoeuvres and gave rise to very rich developments related to form, history and inhabitants' psychological engagements, among many others. So, what about the reception effects framed in the natural and inhabited environment? Could we make space for a sense of greater need, facing a climate emergency? The present paper brings the example of a bunker's super-resistant heritage, as a paradigmatic sample of material resistance, that supports the idea that "Function (can) Follow the Form" when re-signifying hard architecture, as is the case with Plan Barron of Defence of Lisbon and Setubal, a recently declassified military heritage set of buildings. The study conducts a critical literature review as a qualitative method of research that groups factors into clusters to give evidence to some conceptual theoretical frameworks: "hardness"; "inheritance"; "object trouvé"; "affordance"; and "empathy". These concepts become then the basis to frame a new paradigm: function follows form can be a pertinent approach when dealing with super-resistant structures in the present climate crisis. This inverse paragon, well explained, could work as a motto to architects for a new era of global climate action. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urban resilience has been a research focus, particularly with the pandemic impact on urban infrastructure, service provision and accessibility to core resources. This paper explores the need for interdisciplinary approaches to the built environment that integrate water, energy, and food resources. The study goes through articles on water, energy and food nexus and urban resilience in the past 10 years. It identifies the key research focus, gaps and needs for future research. Recommendations for future studies include the allocation of funds to ensure vulnerable communities have access to resources, sustainable operation of urban agriculture practices, circular economy and reuse, and engagement of experts, local authorities and communities in decision-making and training. The study recommends using quantitative assessment to identify the impact of urban agriculture and urban water management practices on the environment and include socio-economic aspects in assessment models. Finally, participatory approaches and integrating technology are recommended for promoting sustainable resilient communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) industry, many efforts have provided remarkable contributions to construction planning and control processes during work execution. Nevertheless, frequent coordination issues among stakeholders and difficulties in dealing with unexpected events can be explained by the complexity featuring the construction sector. Several approaches to deal with this issue were investigated in the manufacturing area, among which this paper looks at the holonic approach as one of the most promising strategies. This study first analyzes the more fragmented and dynamic nature of the construction industry as compared with the manufacturing one. Secondly, it suggests developing a process-based holonic construction management system based on building information modeling (BIM) and a conceptual architecture for manufacturing control called Product Resource Order Staff Architecture (PROSA). The process-based paradigm ensures exploiting the benefits of BIM towards the development of sustainable and efficient regeneration methods of the built environment. Subsequently, a first management system prototype was developed and tested for the purpose of renovation works management. For the first time, results from an actual implementation of PROSA were applied to a real construction site, and its feasibility was assessed using the data on the field. Key performance indicators (KPIs) evaluated during the onsite demonstration confirmed a good performance of PROSA and the presented holonic approach, which contributed to the overall success of the energy efficient refurbishment project. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 era has witnessed numerous successful and unsuccessful attempts to adapt or reconfigure physical, virtual, and hybrid aspects of the built environment in order to mitigate the risks of co-occuring (i.e., compound) hazards. But it has also witnessed major challenges to ensuring that the protections these reconfigurations afford are equitably distributed. Additional theoretical and empirical research is needed to inform transitions (via adaptive reconfiguration) toward short-term goals of health and well-being, as well as to guide transformations (via the establishment of stable configuration) toward longer-term goals of equitable societal function. To this end, this paper presents a framework for conceptualizing adaptation of the built environment as a series of state transitions in response to (or in anticipation of) compound hazards. It draws upon cases from recent experience in the areas of food production, shelter, and education to critique, clarify, and explicate this framework. It concludes with implications for further research on the management of transitions in the built environment under a range of hazard scenarios. The COVID-19 pandemic provided a global backdrop for the study of the capacities and vulnerabilities of many aspects of societal function, challenging conventions around the design and operation of wide classes of infrastructure to protect populations from pandemics as well as hazards such as hurricanes and earthquakes. The framework offered by this study, and its application through the associated case studies, reveals how observed adaptations of the built environment can elucidate new potentials to mitigate the risks associated with co-occuring (i.e., compound) hazards, as well as areas where our existing conventions are no longer compatible with contemporary uses of the built environment. One such convention challenged by this study is the definition of critical infrastructure in existing regulatory frameworks. The built environment transitions documented by this study suggest that contemporary notions of what infrastructure is critical and what services are essential have outstripped the traditional notions in codes and standards, demanding corresponding realignment of regulatory frameworks to ensure life-safety can still be achieved as usages evolve. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Technological improvements are crucial for achieving decarbonisation targets and addressing the impacts of climate change in the built environment via mitigation and adaptation measures. Data-driven methods for building performance prediction are particularly important in this regard. Nevertheless, the deployment of these technologies faces challenges, particularly in the domains of artificial intelligence (AI) ethics, interpretability and explainability of machine learning (ML) algorithms. The challenges encountered in applications for the built environment are amplified, particularly when data-driven solutions need to be applied throughout all the stages of the building life cycle and to address problems from a socio-technical perspective, where human behaviour needs to be considered. This requires a consistent use of analytics to assess the performance of a building, ideally by employing a digital twin (DT) approach, which involves the creation of a digital counterpart of the building for continuous analysis and improvement. This paper presents an in-depth review of the critical connections between data-driven methods, AI ethics, interpretability and their implementation in the built environment, acknowledging the complex and interconnected nature of these topics. The review is organised into three distinct analytical levels: The first level explores key issues of the current research on the interpretability of machine learning methods. The second level considers the adoption of interpretable data-driven methods for building energy modelling and the problem of establishing a link with the third level, which examines physics-driven grey-box modelling techniques, in order to provide integrated modelling solutions. The review's findings highlight how the interpretability concept is relevant in multiple contexts pertaining to energy and the built environment and how some of the current knowledge gaps can be addressed by further research in the broad area of data-driven methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we explore the mutual effect of prior background expectations and visibility afforded by the 3D configuration of the physical environment on wayfinding efficiency and strategy in multilevel buildings. We perform new analyses on data from 149 participants who performed six unaided and directed wayfinding tasks in virtual buildings with varying degrees of visibility. Our findings reveal that the interaction between visibility and prior background expectations significantly affects wayfinding efficiency and strategy during between-floor wayfinding tasks. We termed this interaction effect strategic visibility, which emphasizes the importance of the strategic allocation of visibility towards actionable building elements in promoting efficient wayfinding and shaping wayfinding strategy. Our study highlights the significance of strategic visibility in promoting inclusive and accessible built environments for neurodiversity. Finally, we provide an open-source dataset that can be used to develop and test new wayfinding theories and models to advance research in the emerging field of human-building interaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The walkability of the built environment has been shown to be critical to the health of residents, and open data have been widely used to assess walkability. However, previous research has focused on the relationship between the built environment and walking behavior rather than perceived walkability, and there is a lack of systematic research on walkability at the urban scale using open data. This paper presents a methodological framework for systematically measuring and assessing perceived walkability at the urban scale, considering general and specific features. The walkability indices are obtained using variables from open data or calculated automatically through machine learning and algorithms to ensure they can be evaluated at a larger urban scale. The proposed method is applied to Harbin, China, to assess the perceived walkability of streets using hundreds of thousands of street view images and points of interest obtained from open data. The results are compared with a subjective evaluation of walkability to validate the proposed method. The results demonstrate that measures of the urban built environment can describe perceived walkability. Thus, the proposed framework shows promise for assessing the walkability of urban spaces, supporting policy proposals, and establishing design guidelines for optimising urban spaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urban underground infrastructures (UUIs) are a vital component of built capital for urban sustainability. However, many cities are now home to a multitude of disused or underutilized UUIs, not least aged purpose-built underground facilities, causing a waste of valuable underground space resource assets. In the process of urban renewal, adaptive reuse can be an attractive solution to breathe new life into underutilized UUIs, while addressing some of the modern problems of the built environment by an economically feasible means. Nevertheless, there is a prevalent absence in the current literature of the overarching planning and decision-making approaches for an adaptive reuse development of underutilized UUIs. With the intention of addressing this shortfall, this paper first lays out development strategies, then sets the generic patterns for adaptive reuse of disused or underutilized UUIs. Taking the city of Qingdao, China as a case study, detailed planning and decision-making approaches with the aid of multi-source data and spatial analysis tools are presented. It is anticipated that the findings of this research will assist the adaptive reuse development of UUIs in providing theoretical guidance and empirical evidence, thereby enhancing the role of urban underground space use in contributing to urban revitalization and urban sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accurate and complete 3D point clouds are essential in creating as-built building information modeling (BIM) models, although there are challenges in automating the process for 3D point cloud creation in complex environments. In this paper, an autonomous scanning system named BIMBot is introduced, which integrates advanced light detection and ranging (LiDAR) technology with robotics to create 3D point clouds. Using our specially developed algorithmic pipeline for point cloud processing, iterative registration refinement, and next best view (NBV) calculation, this system facilitates an efficient, accurate, and fully autonomous scanning process. The BIMBot's performance was validated using a case study in a campus laboratory, featuring complex structural and mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP) elements. The experimental results showed that the autonomous scanning system produced 3D point cloud mappings in fewer scans than the manual method while maintaining comparable detail and accuracy, demonstrating its potential for wider application in complex built environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Walkability is generally defined by the extent to which the built environment supports and encourages walking by promoting pedestrian comfort, connectivity and convenience. This paper scrutinizes the steps taken in Johannesburg to develop walkability policies and projects. It draws on empirical evidence from the pedestrian policies (e.g., the Corridors of Freedom) and pedestrian projects (e.g., the Grayston Pedestrian Bridge) recently introduced. Rather than focusing on the merits of walkability or the ease of its application, this paper highlights the misunderstandings of introducing walkability in Johannesburg. The concept is particularly problematic in Johannesburg, where the "unpleasantness of walking" and "walkability-with-people" is insufficiently considered. In a broader sense, this discussion aims to first understand urban planning in an African/Global South city, and then to decolonize transport planning by bringing the experiences in Johannesburg to the forefront. Such a critical reading of the intertwined and overlapping practices of policymaking provides additional insights into the processes of urban planning and transport in Johannesburg and beyond. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sustainable urban development districts have become an answer to the challenge of increasing urbanization while decreasing human impact on the environment. Like other domains of public administration, urban development has in recent decades moved towards heterogeneous governance. Urban development becomes project ecologies, where several construction projects are carried out in parallel and in sequence. This paper sheds light on public and private developers' coordinating between their construction projects and the influence this has on the built environment of urban development districts. The space between projects in project ecologies is relevant to explore further to understand how the long-term goals of urban policy are achieved in practice. Through the theoretical lens of self-organizing, the discussion is informed by a qualitative study of two cases where developers built together in sustainable profiled urban development districts. The paper contributes to construction management research by illustrating how developers play a key role in finalizing the design and construction of new districts through self-organizing. In effect, new urban districts can only be realized through joint efforts and coordination amongst developers. The paper also provides policymakers with insights into how developers become key players in organizing new neighborhoods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The emergence of Digital Twin (DT) technology presents unique opportunities for society by facilitating real-time data transfer from the physical environment to its digital counterpart. Although progress has been made in various industry sectors such as aerospace, the Architecture, Engineering, Construction, and Operation (AECO) sector still requires further advancements, like the adoption of these technologies over traditional approaches. The use of these technologies should become standard practice rather than an advanced operation. This paper aims to address the existing gap by presenting a comprehensive framework that integrates technologies and concepts derived from purpose-driven case studies and research studies across different industries. The framework is designed to provide best practices for the AECO sector. Moreover, it aims to underscores the potential of DT for optimization through overseeing and digital management of the built environment across the entire life cycle of facilities, encompassing design, construction, operation, and maintenance. It is based on an extensive literature review and presents a holistic approach to outlining the roles of Building Information Modelling (BIM), Geographic Information Systems (GIS), Internet of Things (IoT), and other key enablers within the DT environment. These digital tools facilitating the simultaneous evaluation of associated benefits, such as resource savings and future prospects, like monitoring project sustainability objectives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many factors influence well-being and health in everyday life. While people are aware of traffic delays or continuous work stress, other factors influence the state of the body on a subconscious level. The built environment subconsciously influences human physiology during every second of life, which has a cumulative long-term effect. The idea of biophilic design identifies the importance of natural elements implemented in architectural structures to improve the occupants' health and well-being. This paper measures the impact of biophilic design on positive emotions and productivity in two separate but conceptually related pilot studies that apply novel approaches: (a) facial emotion recognition (FER) with residual masking networks and (b) sentiment detection using Large Language Models. The first study measures the emotions of people when confronted with images of different kinds of architecture, via FER and via a user survey. We find clear trends for emotions detected by FER and significant evidence for self-stated emotions that architecture implementing biophilic design evokes more positive emotions. The second study measures the influence of natural elements on productivity and team engagement. The findings show that natural elements in the surroundings do influence productivity and sentiment positively. As the sample size of subjects, especially for the second study, was relatively small, future research will need to apply these ideas in a larger setup to acquire further evidence for the importance of biophilic design for human well-being and health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The creation of the hill station landscape was one of the tangible evidences of British imperialism in Malaya from the late 18th century until 1957. In the past, British expatriates retreated from lowland to higher lands due to their inability to adapt to hot climates and the threat of malaria. However, despite looking at landscapes as colonial remains, hill stations depict the human genius in taking the opportunity offered by the natural environment with specific geographical factors to satisfy one's needs and bring comfort to their health. Fraser's Hill is one of the hill stations in Malaysia and is famously known as a tourist's destination because of its colder climate. Unfortunately, there are unstoppable threats to this landscape and the risk of it being forgotten as a historic landscape. Hence, this paper is objectively to document the history and evolution of Fraser's Hill landscape and to explore its built environment over a 100-year timeline. These objectives were achieved through a qualitative review of archival documents and on-site observation on Fraser's Hill. The evolution of Fraser's Hill proves that this historic landscape is more than just a cold mountainous landscape because it portrays the value of cultural landscapes that deserve to be protected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the era of modernism, the natural symbols of art - expressed through aesthetic elements - have been seen replaced by the verbal notations of communication. The replacement forced the postmodernists to deconstruct the concept of modernism to bring back the notion of symbolic art superficially and to revitalize the meaning of art and its cohesive presence in the built environment. The revitalization process, however, does not seem to have gone without raising questions in the academic community. Does the aesthetic impulse come from the structural spirit of a built form alone? Is just aesthetics deeply rooted in built-form identity? Is aesthetics not associated with the social environment and economic living? Can aesthetics exist in isolation? Can aesthetics be more of a by-product of functionality than the product itself? Using the works of Harries and Eisenman, the paper develops a review sketch exploring these questions. Many other attributes, such as aesthetics production, aesthetics generation, and environmental aesthetics, and their roles in art appreciation have ensured positions in the discussion. The conclusions seem to warn that the influence of social co-existence in defining built-form aesthetics in the postmodern era and later, divorced from reality - avoiding the presence of the different layers in the social fabric and their relationships among themselves - seldom helps to produce any futuristic vision but invites chaos in thoughts and perceptions crossing over between studies and practices in architecture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sustainability rating systems for the built environment involve a multitude of indicators that are based on different types of data. This work capitalizes on an existing multicriteria assessment method and supporting decision-making tool at building and neighbourhood scale, to develop an enhanced method and tool at city scale. The main sustainability issues at building and city scales include site and infrastructure, energy and resources consumption, environmental loadings, climate change, environmental quality, water, waste, transportation, services, social aspects, economy and governance. Approximately 300 indicators distributed among the different scales are used to describe and quantify the various facets of sustainability. Specifically, the building scale includes a pool of 80 indicators of which 17 are key performance indicators (KPIs), the neighbourhood scale has 133 indicators of which 14 are KPIs and the city scale has a total of 99 indicators of which 10 are KPIs that were new additions to the existing method. The emphasis in this paper is given on elaborating the key performance indicators for cities and demonstrating their applicability through a case study. The common method and tools provide a flexible assessment system for local authorities and stakeholders to develop and assess sustainability plans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Currently, immersive virtual environments (IVE) are widely used in fields such as architecture and environmental psychology. These simulated environments allow for a detailed evaluation of how different designs impact users' perception and interaction with the built environment, under controlled conditions and without incurring high costs. The validity of these IVEs is related to their capacity to evoke a participant's response similar to that of the space they are simulating. This paper presents a validation study of a virtual classroom with two phases: the analysis of the sense of presence in the generated IVE and the comparison of the psychological and neurophysiological response of subjects in the two environments (physical vs. IVE). The psychological response captures cognitive processes via the performance of attention and memory tasks. The physiological response records the subject's activity monitored via electroencephalogram, electrocardiogram, and electrodermal activity. The results showed that the psychological and physiological responses in both environments (physical vs. IVE) were similar. This may be of interest to architecture researchers and professionals as they validate IVE systems as tools to study the effects of the built environment on users' cognitive responses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rammed earth in a built environment has vapor diffusion characteristics and humidity control abilities, each of which is respectively attributed to the porous structures and the hydrophilic properties. Indeed, these structures and properties allow for the easy absorbance of water particles, hence affecting the durability of a rammed earth wall. This paper presents the water-repellency method for rammed earth walls, which utilizes siloxane copolymers containing fluorine. The water-repellent properties are investigated by measuring the contact angle, water absorption rate, and compressive strength after spray-coating with the synthesized siloxane copolymers on the surface of the rammed earth specimens under study. The water contact angle of the specimen, coated with a siloxane copolymer containing 10 mol.% of a silane monomer with a fluorine group, is about 140°. The water absorption of the specimen obtained after immersing in water for 24 h is low, at about 3.5 wt.%. In addition, the compressive strength remains more than 80% of the corresponding strength of the specimen which is not immersed in water. It is confirmed that the use of a 10% by volume of the siloxane copolymer containing the fluorine group may enhance the water-repellent performance and economic competitiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The spatial and temporal variations of radon concentration and meteorological parameters were measured in and around the Kuvempu University campus, situated in the Western Ghats of Shankaraghatta forest environment is measured by active technique using Scintillation cell and the meteorological parameters measured using Automatic Weather System (AWS. The activity concentration of radium in soil is determined by Gamma-ray spectrometer with NaI (Tl) detector. The measured data of the present study shows that the built-up environment and forest ecosystem have enhanced the natural radiation level. The variation of atmospheric radon concentration is depends on meteorological parameters, geographical and geophysical parameters. The diurnal variation shows the maximum concentrations were noticed in the early morning and minimum during afternoon. The seasonal variation shows maximum concentration during winter season and minimum during the summer season. These variations were mainly depending on meteorological parameters. The correlation between the radon concentration and the meteorological are discussed and presented in this paper. The present study was aimed to establish a base-line data of Annual effective dose equivalent (AED). The diurnal, seasonal variations in different environmental conditions were discussed and presented in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the light of the adverse effects of climate change, data analysis and Machine Learning (ML) techniques can provide accurate forecasts, which enable efficient scheduling and operation of energy usage. Especially in the built environment, Energy Load Forecasting (ELF) enables Distribution System Operators or Aggregators to accurately predict the energy demand and generation trade-offs. This paper focuses on developing and comparing predictive algorithms based on historical data from a near Zero Energy Building. This involves energy load, as well as temperature data, which are used to develop and evaluate various base ML algorithms and methodologies, including Artificial Neural Networks and Decision-trees, as well as their combination. Each algorithm is fine-tuned and tested, accounting for the unique data characteristics, such as the presence of photovoltaics, in order to produce a robust approach for One-Step-Ahead ELF. To this end, a novel hybrid model utilizing ensemble methods was developed. It combines multiple base ML algorithms the outputs of which are utilized to train a meta-model voting regressor. This hybrid model acts as a normalizer for any new data input. An experimental comparison of the model against unseen data and other ensemble approaches, showed promising forecasting results (mean absolute percentage error = 5.39%), particularly compared to the base algorithms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coastal dikes have been built for millennia to protect inhabited lands from exceptional high tides and storm events. Currently, many European countries are developing specific programs to integrate the construction of new dikes (or the raising of existing ones) into the built environment to face sea level rising. Technical difficulties in succeeding in this operation are questioning the paradigm of protection for the long term, pointing out the need for alternative strategies of adaptation that are not yet fully explored. This paper elaborates on innovative models to deal with coastal flooding, presenting the results of an interdisciplinary research and design process for the case-study of Southend-on-Sea (UK). Detailed numerical simulations are used to develop a spatial strategy to accommodate water during extreme events, introducing different prototypes of dike designs that include seawalls, enhanced roughness through rock and stepped revetments, as well as vegetation. The overall goal is to push forward the traditional approach of planning water protection infrastructure within the solely field of civil engineering. It elaborates on the integration of the disciplines of spatial design and engineering and presents novel advances in terms of spatial design for the revetment of overtopping dikes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research paper looks at four factors resulting in transformation of residential open space specifically the courtyard, from centre of activities to empty enclosures. These factors are historical, cultural, society and gender. Predominantly this research looks at residential space in Lahore from a feminist perspective; tracing and analysing it from a gender based socio-cultural aspect of connectivity to individuality. Rapid social and demographic changes are resulting in a new future of residential architecture in our part of the world, leading to cultural changes where globalization is one of the major factors. The structure has evolved overtime from a traditional joint family unit to a nuclear family unit which is a major shift resulting from this phenomenon. A qualitative research approach using purposive sampling method was employed. The findings highlight the importance of these open and semi covered spaces towards a healthy and connected social life fostering activities of relaxation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper seeks contemporary cultural heritage conservation principles by reviewing its history, starting from the 18th century, in practices, international documents, and the literature on this topic. It intends to lay a foundation to avoid damaging cultural heritages by misconducting conservation. This study first found that the conservation objects of cultural heritage include particularly important ones and general ones that are closely related to daily life, and they involve tangible and intangible aspects. Second, cultural heritage conservation involves document-based restoration when necessary as well as identifying the value of them to play their role nowadays. Third, integrating cultural heritage conservation within the context of sustainable development goals is essential for successfully balancing the relationship between the built and natural environments. Fourth, mobilising the public to participate in cultural heritage conservation enables the implementation of conservation to meet the expectations of the public, and may have a positive influence on people's consciousness. Fifth, as a treasure, cultural heritage conservation is a global responsibility that involves conjoint cooperation. Sixth, more cultural heritage conservation interdisciplinary methods have been developed and could be applied, but this should be limited in order to not destruct their authenticity and integrity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Children learn through interaction with their surroundings, meaning that their experiences of place directly contribute to their personal development. Despite this, the needs of the youth are rarely factored into development plans. This is a major obstacle to the sustainable and inclusive development of places. Examining potential pathways to correct this issue, this paper presents the findings of research conducted with young people from the Market area of Belfast. The research engaged with two groups (n = 11) in a participatory investigation of how young people engage with the built environment. Using several participatory methods, including narrative walkabouts, mapping exercises and semi‐structured group interviews, the children engaged as co‐researchers. We link to idea of 'third places' to frame our analysis, demonstrating how children in the Market community have strong opinions of how space is, and should be, designed and managed. We reveal interesting dynamics regarding the children's perceived exclusion from the city centre and concerns about how poor planning is harming their community's public health. We conclude by reflecting upon some of the children's proposed solutions, as well as by presenting two outcomes of our study that hint at the potential future role of young people in co‐designing the built environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Originally conceived to create dense, diverse and mixed-used communities that are inclusive and sustainable communities, Transit-oriented Development ("TOD") has come under increasing academic scrutiny on its negative implications on equity and justice. However, these injustices are often examined case-by-case individually, which revealed the lack of a comprehensive framework that is grounded in justice concepts and theories for analysing justice in TOD. In this paper, we aim to show the importance of, and suggest a framework for, analysing justice in TOD holistically. We begin by taking a brief overview of key theories and concepts in process and outcome justice. Then, through a thematic review of justice-related TOD literature, we synthesised three main justice issues currently existing in TOD: transit-induced gentrification; neglect of livelihood and well-being of disadvantaged groups; and poor inclusion and representation of different stakeholders. These issues revealed the interconnectedness and importance of both process and outcome justices in TOD. As such, we formulated an analytical framework by adopting the Institutional Analysis and Development ("IAD") model (a tool for understanding institutional interactions in public policies) to examine process justice; and the 5Ds of the built environment (namely Density, Diversity, Design, Destination Accessibility, and Distance to Transit) to examine outcome justice. In brief, for process justice, our framework advocates open, accessible and equitable particiaption by all interested stakeholders to be able to give views, exercise their power, obtain and share information, and make decisions collectively, with dedicated efforts to facilitate participation of more disadvantaged groups. For outcome justice, our framework calls for providing suitable and equitable built environments (in terms of 5Ds) in different neighbourhoods in a TOD, with special attention towards the needs of disadvantaged groups. The framework serves as general guidance for researchers and planners to analyse the justice implications of TOD (both ex-ante and ex-post) in a holistic and conceptually-grounded manner, with a view to better positioning justice issues and directing efforts towards more just TODs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous studies have identified vital urban spaces through the concentration of people, the diversity of land uses and buildings, accessibility, and the existence of a compact urban fabric. However, the relationship between urban vitality and social sustainability has not been studied in these terms. This paper seeks to analyse the social implications of the vital city model for residents in the context of a Latin American city: Santiago de Chile. To do so, we use the JANE index to measure the formal conditions of the built environment for urban vitality, and the Longitudinal Social Study of Chile to measure urban social sustainability. We first use a PCA technique to reveal six core components of urban social sustainability: Sense of belonging, Safety, Sociability, Well-being, Satisfaction with housing, and Conservation of the neighbourhood. We then test the associations between the strength of these six core components and the conditions for urban vitality by means of a multiple linear regression model. Significant associations between urban vitality conditions and urban social sustainability suggest that socially sustainable neighbourhoods are found in sectors with the presence of old buildings, accessibility to public transportation, and far from mega infrastructures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study evaluates the impact of behavioral changes resulting from climate awareness on energy consumption and carbon emissions in European households based on the results of a two-stage survey addressed to individuals manifesting pro-ecological attitudes. In the first stage, the author analyzed 67 pro-environmental behaviors declared by the participants, identified a set of new sustainable choices, and compared them to the conservation habits used in Rasch and Campbell's models. The 10 most popular initiatives undertaken by over 50% of participants were selected for further analysis. The influence of these initiatives on energy consumption and CO2 emissions was assessed. A total of 24 impact indicators were identified at the building scale. Energy and carbon savings were calculated for 500 participants from 28 European countries and compared to the results computed for the 100 households used as a reference. The main conclusions from the research concern the significance of individual decisions at the building scale in the context of their actual environmental impact calculated for a larger scale. The comparative analysis showed that the highest annual energy (2292.1 MWh) and emission (267.02 tons of CO2) savings resulted from the car-to-bicycle (or walking) transition on short-distance trips (declared by 79%) and from the transition from non-renewable to renewable energy sources (PV panels installed by 65% of respondents). Annual energy and emission savings reached, respectively, 1300 MWh and 262.6 tons of CO2. The research findings help explain the critical importance of transforming the built environment towards renewable energy sources and supporting pedestrian and sustainable transportation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

According to studies, students' living features significantly influence the quality of their education. This paper takes a holistic approach to the post-occupancy evaluation (POE) of on-campus student housing in Iran. The framework was developed following a thorough review of the literature, and the identification of a comprehensive set of performance indicators were categorized into twelve elements and three dimensions technical, functional, and behavioral. Using several complementary techniques resulted in higher qualitative feedback during the evaluation process, leading to more reliable results. The importance-satisfaction matrix was used to determine the quality of improvement priorities. Residents expressed satisfaction with their living environment. They were mainly satisfied with technical and behavioral dimensions; nonetheless, they experienced dissatisfaction with the functional dimension. The study suggests improvements by several facilities such as air conditioning systems, sound insulation, fire detection systems, hygiene, internet speeds and house rules. It also allows for a more comprehensive and realistic prioritization of improvements. This study bridges the research gap and contributes to the need for a more holistic POE framework and several complementary techniques. Furthermore, it extends the limited research on female student housing in Iran by considering a typical and reputable case study. The provided recommendations in this study can act as feedback and feedforward for improving and developing student housing facilities. Abbreviation: POE: post occupancy evaluation; SD: strongly dissatisfied; N: neutral; SS: strongly satisfied; SI: satisfaction index; RII: relative importance index; D: dissatisfied; S: satisfied; MSI: mean satisfaction index [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper joins the conversation around care and maintenance through an account of affects of care in architecture. Affect and its binding power allows us to trace how care releases bodies, including the architectural body, into performative potentials – affect produced, exchanged and accumulated in care work. We present an empirical study across two universities (architecture studios) that provide insights into the complexities of caring and facilitating care by listening in to the multiple care-taking voices and care-engagements, within the context of COVID-19. We draw out the intimacies or bindings that are generated by and through such care acts in three interrelated ways: affective-material tinkering, stuttering temporalities and promise of care and its loss. In conclusion, we suggest how caring for a building is far from uniform and offer some future direction as to how an affects of care account can be helpful in studying diverse modes of (being in) the world of care in/through the built environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on a multi-phase study conducted on the World Health Organization’s (WHO) age-friendly cities program, healthy-cities program, and global sustainable-cities initiatives, this paper assesses how older adults – particularly those living with chronic health conditions and disabilities – discuss mobility challenges in qualitative research. Initial results indicate that demobilizing levels of travel cost and travel risk are implied, with older adults refraining from direct discussion. Reflective analysis is performed on marginalized older adults’ conceptual associations, ideologies, and response to social norms, to identify sources of pressure which may lead to downplaying or self-censorship on transport disadvantage. Results highlight that inequalities may arise from both the built environment and how research trainees communicate in research. Despite literature which suggests severe impacts of transport disadvantage, older adults may face difficulties in voicing their needs when research trainees adhere to the following social norms. First, physical access and feasibility may be minimized as mere matters of convenience to the able-bodied individual; second, overcoming transportation barriers may be seen as based on one’s effort – as opposed to the disabling effects of the built environment; third, health and fitness in general may be also associated with one’s effort, and increasingly also to one’s commitment to environmental-sustainability; fourth, older adults may feel pressure to align perspectives with more privileged stakeholders, or with the general public; fifth, money and income may be delegitimized as apt research topics, regardless of how inability to overcome travel costs may impact daily-wellbeing. Implications for educating future gerontology-research trainees conclude the study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research attempting to identify the perceptual basis for environmental preference began four decades ago, but advances have been limited in ensuing years as the research focus shifted without critically revisiting its initial assumptions. This paper does that by reconsidering the basis for environmental preference and psychological well-being from the perspective of the ecological approach to perceiving. With its emphasis on perception-action and dynamic events, the ecological approach highlights dynamic perceptual phenomena that were overlooked due to previous theoretical presuppositions. When the ecological approach is applied to the study of environmental preference, it reveals foundational dynamic properties of environmental perception that immediately implicate affective experience. A research agenda based on an ecological perspective is suggested, and also the prevailing essentialist distinction between natural and built environments is challenged. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biophilic design elements in healthcare environments increase the connection between the built environment and its local natural environment and have been shown to improve the psychological and physiological well-being of patients and medical staff. Similarly, natural materials, which are part of the biophilic paradigm, have been shown to enhance the indoor qualities of habitable spaces. Despite these advantages, existing research on biophilia and natural materials in healthcare design has been mostly focused on specific case studies and thus requires further synthesis into practical design guidelines. To address this need, this paper uses case studies and evidence from the literature to enumerate predictable outcomes and develop visual guidelines related to biophilic design--daylight, views, gardens--with a final focus on materials. The implications of key design parameters are analyzed to their potential impact on patients and medical staff, including recovery rates, hospitalization days, pain medication intake, stress levels, active behavior, and task performance. The provided guidelines include biophilic light design specifications that can reduce hospital stays by 3.67 days and biophilic views that may reduce pain medication intake by up to 61%. Natural materials, including living garden vegetation, were shown to be most impactful on stress and behavioral well-being. An additional focus on natural materials for biophilic design is defined by developing a toolkit for analyzing effective locations for views of materials within a patient's room. The guidelines developed in this further support the transition into simulation and computational analysis tools that assess the health outcomes of various biophilic design strategies from a range of design characteristics and interventions to produce correlations to health and productivity metrics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The planning of university campus directly impacts students’ quality of study and living, and there is a considerable amount of research on campus planning assessment, most of which uses post-occupancy evaluation methods. This paper tries to propose a new comprehensive assessment method for campus planning, which collects spatio-temporal behavioral data of students in their daily life through GPS software, then assesses the actual effect of campus planning comprehensively by analyzing the spatio-temporal behavioral characteristics of students. This paper also verifies the reliability of the student behavior characteristics analysis through questionnaire and explores the possible biases. The results indicate that, in addition to significant advantages in reliability, accuracy, and comprehensive judgment, the proposed method can visually reflect specific issues existing within tangible campus spaces and their impact on student behavior. Therefore, it can provide practical and reliable evidence for the practice of campus planning renewal. This method used in this paper is also applicable to other fixed group living spaces within a certain scale, like communities and neighborhoods.

As the global community strives to address the pressing challenges of environmental degradation and social inequality, the role of architecture in promoting sustainable development has gained unprecedented significance. This paper explores the intrinsic connection between architecture and sustainable development, focusing on Egypt as a case study. The research follows theoretical and practical application methodology, where case studies and solutions are applied. Egypt, with its rich historical heritage and rapidly urbanizing cities, presents a unique context to investigate how the built environment can contribute to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) outlined by the United Nations. This study adopts a multidisciplinary approach, integrating architectural analysis, urban planning principles, environmental science, and social studies to examine the various ways in which architecture influences and interacts with sustainability goals. Case Studies include two locations in Egypt as future concepts to solve problems: Downtown Cairo and Nubia-Aswan, where ideas were introduced towards a better quality of life. The findings of this research underscore the importance of collaboration between various stakeholders, such as government bodies, non-governmental organizations, architects, and the public, to create a holistic approach to sustainable architectural design and urban planning towards resilient communities. The paper also emphasizes the need for education and awareness campaigns to foster a culture of sustainability within the architectural and construction sectors. Proposed projects were introduced in the International Union of Architects (UIA) World Congress of Architects in Copenhagen 2023 and published in UIA Guidebook 2030.

The process of navigating through an environment to reach a desired destination is known as wayfinding. It involves understanding one's current location, determining the desired destination and choosing a path to get there. Wayfinding design plays a significant role in enabling users to navigate an environment with ease and reach their desired destinations in a timely manner. However, poorly designed wayfinding systems can lead to confusion, stress and insecurity, which negatively impacts the user experience. This research paper explores the concept of wayfinding in educational buildings limited to universities, and its potential to enhance the user experience of students, faculty and visitors. Wayfinding can be a challenging task in large and complex buildings such as educational institutions. The study investigates the different factors that can affect wayfinding in educational buildings, including signage, lighting, spatial layout and technology. The paper presents case studies of two university buildings to investigate how a wayfinding system can improve user experience. The findings show that efficient wayfinding can improve the user experience greatly by reducing confusion, boosting efficiency and increasing overall happiness. The paper concludes with guidelines for educational institutions to improve wayfinding in their buildings with the help of signages and enhance user experience.

Access to social protection in old age is crucial and yet contingent upon negotiations between the social structures of the welfare states and the personal networks within which individuals are embedded. International migration, changing family dynamics, and the transformation of care and other welfare policies in the global North make it challenging for older migrants to negotiate social protection. Drawing on 45 semi-structured interviews with first-generation older Turkish migrants in London and 13 semi-structured interviews with professional service providers for the community, the paper aims to investigate the assemblages of formal and informal social protection in the lives of older migrants. Findings indicate the complexity in accessing informal social protection and the navigation of formal care support in the UK for first generation older Turkish migrants and the contingency of access to formal care services on informal support networks for participants. It has been demonstrated that built infrastructure and policies aimed at older adults have great influence on assemblages of care, highlighting the need for more age-friendly and integrated policies to facilitate access to social protection for diverse groups of older adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the life experiences of creative expats and the associated impact of, and on, the built environment of their host localities. Grounded on participants' testimonies, we develop the concept of transient mentality as a potential mediating factor in-between such reciprocal relations. Employing an interview and survey-based research approach and drawing on grounded theory for data collection and analysis in Beijing, China, we found that the prevalence of a transient mentality among creative expats is influenced by the nature of their occupations, the fluidity of their social relationships, and the rapid transformations in the built environment. This transient mentality, in turn, affects the production of the cityscape through the consumption preferences of these expats. We argue that understanding such a transient mentality is crucial for urban planning and cultural policy, particularly in (emerging) global cities that work to brand themselves as international creative hubs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urban environmental factors such as air quality, heat islands, and access to greenspaces and community amenities impact public health. Some vulnerable populations such as low-income groups, children, older adults, new immigrants, and visible minorities live in areas with fewer beneficial conditions, and therefore, face greater health risks. Planning and advocating for equitable healthy urban environments requires systematic analysis of reliable spatial data to identify where vulnerable populations intersect with positive or negative urban/environmental characteristics. To facilitate this effort in Canada, we developed HealthyPlan.City (https://healthyplan.city/), a freely available web mapping platform for users to visualize the spatial patterns of built environment indicators, vulnerable populations, and environmental inequity within over 125 Canadian cities. This tool helps users identify areas within Canadian cities where relatively higher proportions of vulnerable populations experience lower than average levels of beneficial environmental conditions, which we refer to as Equity priority areas. Using nationally standardized environmental data from satellite imagery and other large geospatial databases and demographic data from the Canadian Census, HealthyPlan.City provides a block-by-block snapshot of environmental inequities in Canadian cities. The tool aims to support urban planners, public health professionals, policy makers, and community organizers to identify neighborhoods where targeted investments and improvements to the local environment would simultaneously help communities address environmental inequities, promote public health, and adapt to climate change. In this paper, we report on the key considerations that informed our approach to developing this tool and describe the current web-based application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Large-scale agent-based microsimulation platforms, increasingly used in transportation demand modelling, require fully enumerated and spatialized lists of the population and its sociodemographic characteristics as input. The quality of the synthetic population, measured as its ability to reproduce the sociodemographic characteristics of the real population and their spatial distributions, is thus a determinant factor of the model reliability. While many efforts were devoted to improving the sociodemographic accuracy of synthetic populations, less attention was paid to perfecting their spatial precision. Conventional spatialized population synthesis methods, where the generation and spatialization processes are separated, are vulnerable to inconsistencies between zonal synthetic populations, and the built environments on which they are then distributed. These methods also present transferability issues that lie in their high reliance on rich spatialized datasets and knowledge of the local context. Hence, we propose an integrated multiresolution framework (IMF) that overcomes the limitations of the conventional framework (CF) by its ability to directly generate synthetic populations at the building resolution with minimal data requirements. The IMF includes an extension of an optimization-based method to multiresolution applications where any number and aggregation of spatial resolutions can efficiently be controlled. The CF and the IMF are applied to generate synthetic populations for Montreal, Canada. We define and measure sociodemographic accuracy, spatial precision, overall quality, and building-resolution fit of the synthetic populations to compare the frameworks' performances. Despite a small loss in accuracy, the IMF achieves drastically better spatial precision, overall quality and building-resolution fit of synthetic populations, compared to the CF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]