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Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a developmental disorder affecting around 1:59 children. Among other characteristics, children with ASD can be unduly sensitive to elements in the built environment, such as noise or light. Despite this knowledge, to date there has been little evidence-based experimental research investigating how the environment affects them. The purpose of this paper is to conduct an experiment in a school environment with children with ASD and document the process as a model that other researchers could apply to similar studies.

The study focused on whether the application of wayfinding aids (colored doors, colored shapes on the floor and signage) in a school corridor could help children with ASD navigate to a given destination, but the process could be applied to other variables at other study sites. The study documents the approval and consent process, describes setting up the experiment, assigning controlled and uncontrolled variables, selecting and recruiting participants, and running the experiment.

The study concludes by reviewing the key lessons learned from the process of conducting the experiment. Study logistics were challenging to gain approval and set up and run the experiment; collaboration with school district personnel was essential to meet the aims of the study; and recruiting sufficient numbers of participants with ASD who were not familiar with the study site was challenging.

By describing key steps in the process of conducting a research experiment with children with ASD, the study provides a model that other researchers could follow.

There is currently a lack of research describing the best way to design learning environments for increasing numbers of children with autism. The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of classroom design on the learning and behaviour of pupils with severe autism. The research variables of interest were classroom layout; furniture, fittings and equipment (FFE); materials; colour scheme; wayfinding; lighting; acoustics; and security.

This study conducted a post-occupancy evaluation of classrooms for pupils with severe autism aged 3–19 in a school ten years after its completion. Data collection included a visual assessment of the building and an online survey to educators and administrators asking how satisfied they were that the research variables benefited pupils with severe autism.

Key findings were that zoned areas for different activities met students’ needs. Withdrawal rooms off the classroom, access to shared hygiene facilities and a secure outdoor area received high ratings. The main criticisms were the lack of robustness of FFE and the inability to control temperature. Results were collated into a table of recommendations for classroom design for severely autistic pupils.

The findings demonstrate classroom features that support the needs of pupils with severe autism, an area with limited prior research. Some findings support previous research and some adds new knowledge to our understanding of design for this population. The results provide empirical evidence for professionals involved in designing classrooms for pupils with severe autism.

Aims to investigate the problems of subsidence and their implications for domestic buildings by addressing a number of questions. What are the main causes of land subsidence? What is the potential damage of subsidence, and how can this be prevented and reduced? What are the financial and legal implications for all those involved? Looks critically at the effect of subsidence due to coal mining on residential properties and the particular problems encountered by valuation surveyors. Briefly examines the history and past operation of the compensation system to assess its effectiveness. Finally, considers the fears inherent following privatization, along with future proposals.

This paper aims at comparing teleworking adoption decision processes of multinational firms operating in Malaysia and Malaysian indigenous firms. It shows how to make comparative statistical analyses of teleworking adoption decision for the top managers of a firm.

A total of 98 organizations (represented by the CEO or Director of Human Resource Division) furnished usable responses for this study, out of a total of 162 organizations registered with the Penang Development Corporation (the registrar of companies that participated in the survey).

The results of statistical tests show that, in both multinational and Malaysia firms, the nature of work, organisational design, transportation problems, and relative advantage are important telework drivers. Availability of teleworking infrastructures is an important determinant of adoption in Malaysian firms but not in multinational firms, while workforce limitations have a strong influence on teleworking adoption in multinational firms but none in Malaysian firms.

The interest in teleworking as a new work arrangement among practitioners, government policy makers and organisations (foreign and local) in Malaysia, triggered by changes in society, has resulted in an unprecedented interest in research in this area, including the current effort.

Telework is becoming a viable and appealing work option in the accounting profession (Hunton, 2005). Many accounting firms have implemented telework arrangements to provide flexibility and support for employees who seek an acceptable balance between career and family. This form of work also supports business sustainability in the event of acts of terrorism or natural disasters. Increased reliance on various forms of telework gives rise to questions of appropriate ethical treatment of affected workers. The objectives of the present study are to examine the ethical implications of telework and identify policies for telework that might help organizations implement this type of work arrangement for their employees in an ethically informed manner. Our analysis draws upon a framework proposed by Yuthas and Dillard (1999) that combines postmodern ethics with stakeholder theory. Although this framework was developed to study the ethical design of information technology systems, we maintain that this structure is equally useful to study the ethical issues inherent with telework. Legislators, regulators, unions, and employers can use the telework policy considerations presented herein as guidelines as they deliberate, design, and implement ethical telework strategies.

The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between the embedded smart sensors (ESS) technologies and productivity; it seeks to provide an overview regarding the use and impacts of ESS in particular on users' performance. An attempt will be made to explore some of the current ESS tools and technologies, which might affect user performance.

A literature review and critical analysis of recently published papers (1999‐2005) related to intelligent buildings and smart sensors which aims to assess their impacts on productivity and performance in office buildings.

In today's immense challenges of uncertainty, workforce mobility and ever increasing insecurity and unpredictability characterizing many business organizations ESS and will have a wide‐ranging ramifications to office productivity which is partially dependent on the utility of the space and internal environment within which business operates.

Intelligent networks based on open, interoperable and interchangeable ESS will be of a paramount importance in optimizing the operational efficiency of office buildings as much as it will provide a long‐term multi‐ strategic approach for facility and property management. This will be beneficial to varying property stakeholders including clients, owners, facilities managers and end‐users of office building; this in turn determines the responsiveness of space.

It is anticipated that that the findings will be vital for all those professionals involved into the design process, management and operation of workplace.

Within the building sector a lack of clarity in terminology does not help designers, clients or researchers. Non-domestic buildings have shown rapid increases in the use of advanced technology and control systems with varying drivers, many of which are labelled as intelligent. The term smart has been used interchangeably with intelligent without any clear distinction between the two. If the term Smart Buildings represented a separate, more advanced grouping, it would provide an opportunity to focus the future progress of non-domestic building development. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

Drawing upon academic and industrial literature and experience, this paper reviews the scope of Intelligent Buildings and the current available definitions of Smart Buildings to form a clear definition of both smart and Intelligent Buildings.

These definitions define the border between the intelligent and the (more advanced) Smart Building. The upper bound of the Smart Building is defined by (the future development of) the predictive building.

This work provides a clear focus which will allow the progression of the non-domestic building sector by providing guidance and aspiration, as well as providing a platform upon which a large amount of technical work can be based.

The observation by the authors, based on their extensive experience working in K-8 public schools in the region showed the special needs classrooms catering to children with exceptionalities such as Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Intellectual Disability (ID) and Emotional Disturbance (ED) are typically makeshift arrangements with no consideration given to students' unseen sensory needs. A thorough literature review indicates that there are no holistic design guidelines in place to meet the sensory needs of students with ASD, ID and ED. This study seeks to address this gap by providing considerations to meet the sensory needs impacting these students' focus, behavior and classroom engagement with course content and peers.

Sensory design guidelines were established utilizing a qualitative method, providing a foundation for the development of classroom prototypes that address the sensory needs of students with ASD, ID and ED.

The new guidelines, which correlated interior design strategies with the sensory needs of children with ASD, ID and ED, and the resulting prototypes provide a basis for the further development of design standards and takes designers closer to creating more conducive and inclusive environments.

This study reinforced the belief that these recommendations should be considered in the school-wide design. Many students can be included with their typical peers for all or part of their school day if space has been designed to accommodate their differences.

This study bridges the gap while documenting the correlation between design factors and sensory needs of students with exceptionalities, in this case, ASD, ID and ED.

The aim of this research study is to develop a risk-based framework that can quantify maintainability to forecast future maintainability of a building at early stages as a decision tool to minimize increase of maintenance cost.

A survey-based approach was used to explore the risk factors in the domain of maintainability risks under tropical environmental conditions. The research derived ten risk factors based on 58 identified causes related to maintainability issues as common to high-rise buildings in tropical conditions. Impact of these risk factors was evaluated using an indicator referred to as the “maintenance score (MS)” which was derived from the “whole-life maintenance cost” involved in maintaining the expected “performance” level of the building. Further, an ensemble neural network (ENN) model was developed to model the MS for evaluating maintainability risks in high-rise buildings.

Results showed that predictions from the model were highly compatible and in the same order when compared with calculations based on actual past data. It further showed that, maintainability of buildings could be improved if the building was designed, constructed and managed properly by controlling their maintainability risks.

The ENN model was used to analyze maintainability of a high-rise building. Thus, it provides a useful tool for designers, clients, facilities managers/maintenance managers and users to analyze maintainability risks of buildings at early stages.

Concrete structures undergo early and fast deterioration, which causes defects such as cracks, water leaks and delamination, resulting from a lack of or inefficient maintenance practices. To improve this behaviour, this paper aims to develop a maintenance strategy benchmarking model for concrete structures.

Fuzzy logic toolbox on MATLAB R2018a was used to develop the proposed model and it was applied to two cases. A comprehensive literature search was done to review common concrete defects, their impact on the performance and functionality of the structure, effectiveness of maintenance strategies and previous maintenance benchmarking models. The literature findings were further validated through expert interviews which have been incorporated in the model.

Case study results show that preventive maintenance (PM), predictive maintenance (PdM) and corrective maintenance (CM) strategies are required more or less in similar combinations for maintenance of concrete roof structures. The best combination for case 1 is 36.42% PM, 35.40% PdM and 28.18% CM, and for case 2 is 35.93% PM, 35.08% PdM and 28.99% CM. According to suitability, they can be ranked as PM > PdM > CM.

This model will contribute as a comprehensive decision-making tool for building/facility managers. The findings further carry a strong message to those who practice only CM in their buildings.