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The purpose of the study, upon which this paper is based, was to contribute an improved understanding of the vertical extension of buildings, by presenting a development process for its implementation in which the key aspects to consider when planning such extensions are highlighted.

The approach is based on linking the diffusion of innovation together with case study research to stimulate further development in vertically extending buildings. Four cases of vertically extended buildings in Sweden were selected for the study.

The development process highlights seven key areas for decisions when planning a vertical extension. These areas are: opportunities for vertical extension; strategies for implementation; detailed planning process; concept development; evaluation; building permit; and procurement. The development processes and lessons learnt from each case are presented, covering both success and failure.

The research is based on four cases of vertically extended buildings. The findings offer valuable insights into the development process which should provide the research community with an improved understanding of the challenges faced.

The findings will help planners, housing owners, housing developers and facility managers better understand the conditions that favour successful implementation of vertical extensions.

The paper provides the reader with an understanding of the challenges faced in the vertical extension of a building and the means of overcoming them to create a simplified development process.

This paper is based on a study of six similar buildings built in Gothenburg, Sweden, in 1971, which were in urgent need of renovation. A life cycle profit analysis shows how four competing concepts were evaluated to find a financially viable renovation concept; additionally, the environmental impacts of these renovation concepts using a life cycle assessment are presented.

Four renovation concepts are compared to find the most appropriate concept, namely, minimalist, code-compliant, low-energy and low-energy plus vertical extension concepts. The methods used for comparison are life cycle profit analysis and life cycle impact assessment; the methods used for data gathering included site visits, interviews, document study, co-benefits study and energy simulation.

The findings show that vertical extension supported the energy-efficient renovation of the buildings and that the combination of low-energy and the vertical extension had the highest return on investment and the lowest environmental impact. The selected concept for renovating the remaining five buildings combined was the low-energy plus vertical extension. Additional benefits from vertical extension include more apartments in central locations for the housing company, a wider variety of apartment layouts and a wider range of tenants. Drawbacks include increased use of infrastructure, green space and common appliances, as well as gentrification.

This study shows how a vertical extension can financially enable an energy-efficient renovation and further lower its environmental impact. Benefits and drawbacks of densification are also highlighted to better understand the implementation of vertically extending a building.

An Act to consolidate, with certain exceptions, the provisions of the Local Employment Acts 1960 to 1971. [10th February 1972]

The purpose of this paper is to study the sustainable impact of adaptive reuse of shopping malls built during communism in Kosovo.

The present study uses qualitative research using semi-structured interviews with architects, civil engineers, real estate developers and facility managers.

The study found that it is the predominant opinion of respondents that the economic impact of adaptive reuse of old shopping malls in Kosovo is reflected through extension of useful life of the malls, lower cost of reuse vs demolition, economic and tourism development of the neighborhood, job creation and increase of property prices in the surrounding area. In addition, the study found that it is the predominant opinion of respondents that by adaptive reuse of old shopping malls, the revitalization and social dynamism of the surrounding area will be improved and collective memory and identity of these shopping malls will be extended, including the increased traffic, space utilization and security. The study concludes that operational CO₂ emission of the old shopping malls will be reduced after their sustainable adaptation and also the embodied energy of the building materials will be reused.

The study has several implications. For real estate developers, it shows that is less costly to adapt and refurbish rather than redevelop. For authorities, it shows that by adapting old communist shopping malls, they would extend the collective memory of those locations, improve the social life and utilization of public spaces in the surrounding areas. The final implication is for municipal authorities and environmentalists that but allowing adaptation rather than demolition and redevelopment the embodied CO₂ emission will be significantly reduced.

The study is the first qualitative study about the impact of adaptive reuse of old communist style commercial centers in Kosovo.

There have been several recent cases reported in Malaysian newspapers of complaints about the impact of construction works on the physical conditions of the surrounding buildings. The purpose of this paper is to present the findings of a study conducted on a complaint received by the Local Authority in Selangor, Malaysia, about the impact of adjacent new construction works on the conditions of existing buildings in the neighbouring vicinity.

The sample case study consists of 28 units of two‐storey terrace houses, and the instrument used was the inspection form for building inspections. A building survey was carried out for all the buildings in the case study. Two teams conducted the survey. Each team was led by a professional building surveyor and assisted by two assistant building surveyors. Apart from basic surveying tools, a digital calliper was also used to measure cracks. Crack‐width data were collected and analysed using the statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) software.

The findings show that the adjacent new construction works have impacted the existing buildings nearby. A numbers of cracks of various magnitudes were identified in all the existing houses. One significant finding is that there appears to be no significant relationship between the cracks on the interior and the exterior, nor between the original and the renovated parts, of the existing buildings.

The significant number of cracks identified in the existing houses implies that the cracks were associated with the impacts from the new construction works. However, the primary cause of the building cracks was difficult to determine. It is therefore proposed that the Local Authority should establish guidelines at the local level for new construction works to prepare an inspection report on the condition of existing buildings in the surrounding area before the project commences. Building condition reports can then be used for reference in the event of claims received from the surrounding building owners alleging that the new construction works have adversely impacted the existing conditions of nearby buildings.

Discusses the application of the English and Welsh Building Regulations to the form of earth‐walled buildings of the West Country commonly known as cob. Its aim is to provide designers and controlling Authorities with a better understanding, so as to enable a more informed approach to the approval of earth‐building projects. Presents findings in respect of new building, alteration and extension to existing buildings and the material change of use of cob building. Concludes that such buildings can comply with the Building Regulations, advising that it is essential that the aims of the Regulations are incorporated into the design as early as possible, thereby avoiding conflicting needs at a later stage.

By comparing the legislative regimes in different states, this paper aims to provide a platform upon which an agenda of “good practice” can be formulated and initiated in relation to the provision of access to the built environment for disabled people.

The paper utilizes a desktop approach to examine the various regimes. Particular focus is placed upon the regimes in the European Union States of the UK, Malta, Ireland and France and these are contrasted with those in the non‐European states of Australia and the USA.

The paper shows how the UK, Malta and possibly Ireland have attempted to take a path of amicable cooperation and negotiation to establish the principle of “reasonable” adjustments to improve access to new and old buildings, whereas France and the USA have tended to adopt a prescriptive course of technical detail and legal compliance to enhance access. The paper also reveals how Australia follows an intermediate route of cooperation and human rights legislation to achieve the same goals.

The paper places new insights into the public domain through the evaluation of the strengths and weakness of each approach.

This paper uniquely recognizes a number of mistakes that have to be avoided in future legislation and makes tangible recommendations on how to make further progress in the quest to make the built environment more accessible to disabled people.

Property market forces rarely dictate attention to the more complex and specialist needs of minority groups, like the disabled, unless such a consideration is specifically included in the brief. Overcoming that selfishness and to integrate disabled people into the built environment of our community, is a struggle which has been receiving increasing attention for the last two decades. On 14th December, 1987, an approved document giving guidance on the provision of facilities for disabled people wishing to use certain buildings accompanied an updated mandatory requirement, which became Part M of Schedule 1 of the Building Regulations. This means that all local authorities, many of whom had dragged their feet in the matter up to then, have some real, if arbitrary, standards which they are expected to enforce on many developers. That probably marks the end of the beginning of a process which started, very tentatively, with the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act 1970.

The purpose of this paper is to draw attention to some of the practical difficulties that exist within the current regulatory framework that is guiding refurbishment practice with regard to improving energy efficiency and reducing carbon emissions.

The paper presents a critical review of Building Regulations Approved Document L2B, the current models for measuring energy and carbon emissions and third‐party certification schemes.

Sustainable refurbishment programmes can incorporate various measures and technologies to help to address the current efficiency and emission targets. Yet while specific improvements to energy efficiency and carbon emission may be technically possible, it seems that they are unnecessarily hampered by a series of hurdles.

The paper offers a detailed and applied consideration of three regulatory issues that can affect the achievement of sustainable measure targets in sustainable refurbishment projects.

THE Reference Department of Paisley Central Library today occupies the room which was the original Public Library built in 1870 and opened to the public in April 1871. Since that date two extensions to the building have taken place. The first, in 1882, provided a separate room for both Reference and Lending libraries; the second, opened in 1938, provided a new Children's Department. Together with the original cost of the building, these extensions were entirely financed by Sir Peter Coats, James Coats of Auchendrane and Daniel Coats respectively. The people of Paisley indeed owe much to this one family, whose generosity was great. They not only provided the capital required but continued to donate many useful and often extremely valuable works of reference over the many years that followed. In 1975 Paisley Library was incorporated in the new Renfrew District library service.