Search results

Examines the main benefits and pitfalls of facilities management as applied to grant‐maintained schools (GMS) by assessing its implications for selected school buildings. Addresses a number of questions regarding the desirability of this method as applied to GMS. On what assumption has the GMS model been based? To what extent has this model affected their operational efficiency? What are the financial implications? What are the future prospects? Concludes that, despite the degeneration of school buildings resulting from lack of funding, there are still many opportunities for the facilities manager.

Sets out to examine the need to educate professionals involved in all trades at all levels throughout the construction industry so that the industry as a whole becomes safety conscious. States that the European legislation governing the conduct of building operations from inception, through use and maintenance to demolition is now in place, and in the UK the CDM regulations came into effect in March 1995 and implement the European Community Temporary or Mobile Construction Site Directive. Says that many problems have been instigated by the CDM in the UK in smaller contractors on smaller jobs who may become the “principal contractor”, without having the financial, managerial or technical resources of the larger contractor, yet having the same safety responsibilities. This would seem to potentially create a problem which affects the operation and validity of the regulations. Seeks to address these problems and inconsistencies in the knowledge and expertise gap concerning safety in the construction industry. Aims to address a number of questions: how can we ensure the long‐term safety on site?; how can these problems be alleviated, while achieving in this case the worthwhile goal of safer building?; how can the problem of the small builder be addressed on a European basis?; can the training and education of those in the building trade be altered to improve safety awareness and procedures? Anticipates that feedback information will be generated regarding safety standards and their optimization throughout sectors of the industry. Recommends that all trades and professions must incorporate safety within their particular skill training and all persons involved should be licensed by the trade association and a consumer safeguard and the safety of persons in the industry.

It is apparent that the world of education has changed; the latest developments in the superhighway and the Internet are allowing students to be more flexible as to the time and place of learning in ways that were unimaginable ten years ago. The emergence of newly adopted metaphors such as “virtual university” and “networked campus” has greater impact on the teaching and learning modus operandi. The Dearing Report on higher education in the UK has emphasised that open access to a networked desktop and portable computer by all students will become the sine qua non for the next millennium. One of the main questions this paper is seeking to address is the wider implications of these changes on a university’s planning and design. Will the university be radically transformed into a virtual world? Will the university as we know it be able to exist at all? What are the alternative usages of the existing buildings? An attempt will be made to examine the implications of teleworking on university planning and the use of campus buildings. It is anticipated that this paper will highlight issues for open discussion which might increase the level of understanding and awareness between all those involved in the policy making, planning and management of university estates.

The aim of this study is to present design tactics (DTs) for supporting the adaptability of existing primary and middle school buildings into the emerging needs of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The study introduces a novel algorithmic model for postoccupancy evaluation of the existing school buildings and provides solutions to enhance the adaptability of these buildings.

This study employs the DTs defined by the authors, integration of DTs to the algorithmic model and tests the usability of the proposed model in the selected sample set. The sample set consists of four primary and middle school buildings with different architectural qualities. The degrees of flexibility of the existing sample set are evaluated depending on the outcomes of the implementation.

The degrees of flexibility are achieved as a result of execution of the algorithmic model for each selected school building. Initial results of the case studies show that the flexibility of a school building is highly related to affordances and design decisions of the plan layout which were considered in the initial phases of the design process. Architectural qualities such as open plan and having sufficient voids in the interior and exterior space become prominent factors for ensuring flexibility.

Developing a systematic approach to the adaptation problem of primary and middle school buildings to postpandemic reuse is a novel research topic. Apart from this contextual originality, the proposed taxonomy for postpandemic reuse in terms of three levels of adaptation is a new conceptual framework. Moreover, the proposed algorithmic model itself can be considered as an original contribution, as well as a merge of qualitative values such as adaptation and flexibility with an algorithmic model.

The purpose of this paper is to compare and contrast the findings of the empirical studies that were conducted in both the UK and the USA on the impact of a few sensory environmental stimuli, mainly visual and acoustical stimuli, on individual ' s behaviour in school buildings.

An analysis of teaching layouts and the sequence of activities in selected school buildings was conducted. Opinions of focus groups including teachers and carers working with individuals with Autistic Spectrum Disorders (ASD), were initially explored to assess the extent of the sensory problems associated with the existing teaching settings and to highlight any operational design limitations and constraints. A questionnaire was formulated based on the feedback gleaned from the focus groups. Relevant perceptual information about behavioural reactions to varying sensory stimuli was compiled. Key sensory triggers were identified. Visual information of selected schools including photos and visual diagrams of ASD workstations were compiled, annotated and analysed for further examination.

Several sensory parameters were observed in the teaching environment including bright colours and light, pattern, glare, echoing, sudden and impact sound, high and low pitch sound and background noise levels. Some variations between the two studies exist regarding particular sensory triggers and their importance as perceived by respondents. These can be directly attributed to differences in school design layout, internal finishing and workstation configuration. Other extraneous factors including the size of the study sample, location of schools and climatic factors are also implicated; however, significantly consistent adverse effects on individuals’ behaviour have been identified in both studies.

This paper highlights issues for open discussion amongst decision makers and built environment professionals to enhance the quality of life of the affected groups. This is particularly important given the extent of the sensory processing problems of individuals with ASD in both the UK and the USA. The findings will be relevant at strategic, tactical and operational levels including, inter alia, federal government agencies and decision-making bodies. Professionals involved in the process of planning, design and management of school buildings in both the UK and our sister country the US may benefit. The operational efficiency of education facilities may be maximised through control of the design and construction of school buildings. By further reducing the undesirable consequences of sensory triggers in educational facilities, the quality of life of the affected individuals may be improved.

The purpose of this paper is to use an affordance approach to understand how university faculty use and value their workspace and respond to proposed spatial changes.

A mixed method survey was given to faculty in the college of engineering at a large public American university. Data were analyzed using an affordance lens.

The analysis indicates that the majority of engineering faculty highly value private offices and appears resistant to non-traditional workspace arrangements.

The authors performed the analysis with a relatively small sample (n=46).

University administrators need to communicate with faculty and take their opinions on spatial changes seriously. Changes to space may affect STEM faculty retention.

This paper could affect the quality of work life for university faculty.

The paper provide needed research on how faculty use and value their workspace while discussing the implications of alternative workspaces within the academy. Theoretically, the authors contribute to ongoing research on relationship between material and social aspects of organizational spaces.

It is apparent that the world of education has changed over the last ten years. The emergence of newly adopted metaphors such as “virtual university”, “networked campus” and “e‐university” may have yet greater impact on a university’s modus operandi in the twenty‐first century. This, in turn, will require more flexibility to cater for varying learning, managerial and organisational requirements. In terms of space management this will shift the emphasis towards a more time‐flexible, space‐flexible and location‐flexible pattern which will become sine qua non for e‐learning. One of the main questions this paper is seeking to address is “what are the wider implications of these changes on the space design and management of existing university buildings?”. An attempt will be made to examine, speculate and extrapolate the design implications on a selected building at the UCE , Perry Barr Campus in the West Midlands.

The purpose of this study is to examine the use of IoT technology (RFID technology, sensor networks, wearable devices and other smart items) in office settings and its respective impact on the optimization of employees’ productivity and workspace effectiveness.

The paper reviews 41 relevant publications reporting IoT use in office settings to identify how this technology has been applied in office settings and what topics are mostly addressed in the literature; how IoT technology improves employees’ productivity; and what the benefits and risks associated with IoT use in the workplace environment are.

Two main areas of application of IoT technology in the workplace environment were identified. The first one concerns the influence of the physical characteristics of workplaces on aspects related to workspace effectiveness. The second one is employee-centered and concerns the use of IoT data to identify employees’ social behavior, physiological data and emotional estates associated with productivity. IoT technology provides real-time data with speedy information retrieval. However, its deployment in office settings is not exempt from risks. Employee workplace surveillance, re-individualization of the IoT data and employee refusal of IoT technology in office settings are the main risks associated with this technology.

This literature review categorizes IoT application in office settings according to two perspectives and highlights employees' attitudes, user-experience of IoT technology and the risks associated with this technology. These results will help researchers and workplace managers interested in the deployment of this technology in the workplace environment.

The factors contributing to maintenance cost include the life‐long environmental factors that the building is exposed to during its useful life as well as parameters relating to the design, construction and maintenance processes. The performance of risk associated with these factors decides the future maintenance requirements of buildings. Ignoring these risks factors generally result in high maintenance costs. The purpose of this paper is to identify the maintainability risk factors and their implications on maintenance costs.

A survey based methodology was used to establish the risks factors of building maintainability. A sample of high‐rise buildings was selected to evaluate these risk factors that were identified through an extensive literature review and survey of substantive experts. Further, these risks factors were applied to a real case study.

A total of ten risk factors of maintainability were identified in relation to high‐rise buildings. They were analyzed using a case study and the implications on maintenance cost were evaluated. The results show that there is a considerable reduction in maintenance cost when these risks are minimized.

The research was limited to the USA and its six biggest cities. The results presented are predominantly qualitative and the results rely on extensive evaluation.

The paper provides useful information to the designers and users on the maintenance problems related to buildings. Also it highlights critical risk conditions that should be considered to minimize maintenance costs.

The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between the embedded smart sensors (ESS) technologies and users' performance in the workplace. An attempt will be made to assess the impact of incorporating ESS on user performance in the workplace.

A multi‐pronged approach was adopted in compiling relevant factual and perceptual information about users responses in the workplace. Both questionnaires and structured interviews with users and facilities managers (FMs) in a selected study sample are adopted to identify issues of concern and assess the level of users comfort in the workplace.

The incorporation of ESS will have wide‐ranging implications to office productivity which is partially dependent on the utility of the space and qualities of internal environment within which business operates.

The use of ESS is significant in optimizing the operational efficiency of the workplace and its responsiveness of meeting varying users needs. This will be beneficial to varying property stakeholders including owners, clients, occupiers and FMs.