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Web‐based document management applications serve to store, organize, and manage a collection of documents within the context of a building project. The organization of documents, using mechanisms for indexing and relating these, aims to build an information structure that supports effective searching and browsing. We present a methodology for a stronger integration of project documents of different formats into a rich, highly interrelated, information structure. Specifically, we propose a decomposition of project documents by content in relation to a semantic structure for the categorization of document components. We consider a notion of typologies from architecture as a guide for constructing such a semantic structure. We discuss the application of this methodology to building projects, and propose its use in Web‐based document management applications in the AEC industry. As an illustration of this methodology, we describe a prototype application, as a presentation tool for architectural analyses in an educational context.

Generative Production Systems are generative design computation that is linked to optimal physical production. They can improve the design and production of products which have unique geometries. The purpose of this paper is to introduce a preliminary methodology for Generative Production Systems.

The paper takes the form of a literature review investigating the structures and formats of successful methodologies. The literature review also investigates Generative Production Systems' theoretical foundations, development and implementations.

The potential of Generative Production Systems is restricted because enabling information is fragmented and difficult to access. In other fields, such barriers have been overcome through the introduction of methodologies that provide guiding principles, rules and strategies (P‐R‐S). The P‐R‐S type of methodology structure is suitable for Generative Production Systems.

The use of Generative Production Systems requires more upfront investment than the use of CAD/CAM software packages. However, they require little, or no, human input after they are set‐up. The preliminary methodology provides structured guidance about how to set up a Generative Production System. Further, the explanatory text enables wider understanding of Generative Production Systems, and how they can improve design and production.

An analysis is provided for the structure and format of successful methodologies in general. A preliminary methodology for Generative Production Systems is introduced. Further, the paper provides an overview of the disadvantages and advantages of Generative Production Systems compared to typical CAD/CAM software packages.

This study explores the utilization of simulation tools for building performance assessments among design professionals in Ghana.

A quantitative approach was used to obtain responses from 104 design professionals in Ghana through a structured questionnaire. The questionnaire was generated through a critical review of the related literature on the subject matter. Data from respondents were analyzed through descriptive and inferential statistics.

Results from the analysis indicated that design professionals in Ghana possessed a low level of awareness of the simulation tools used for building performance assessments. Subsequently, the findings also revealed that the design professionals' level of usage of the simulation tools was low.

Practically, the establishment of this study informs design stakeholders, educational institutions and researchers in Ghana. For design professionals, these findings will focus on enhancing their use of simulation tools for evaluating building performance in Ghana. For educational institutions, these findings will enable them to implement the necessary strategies for incorporating the concept of building performance simulation into their curriculum in order to boost awareness and utilization. Finally, researchers will also use the study's findings to identify any research gaps for future studies.

The findings from this study pioneer knowledge on an under-investigated topic within the Ghanaian construction industry. It also provides insight into the developing state-of-the-art technology employed in the built environment.

The purpose of this paper is to identify two ways of conceptualizing cellular automata (CA) systems: a utility-focussed approach focussed on modeling, simulation and prediction as typically found in science-based disciplines, and a second, exploration and speculation-focussed approach typically found in design-related contexts. These two approaches to CA are linked to first-order cybernetics and second-order cybernetics, respectively.

The author illustrate and support the argument made by showing in a review of earlier work as well as three case studies of CA use in architectural design work how linear, science-based “first-order CA” cannot adequately support design processes. In such contexts, CA are typically adapted to allow for circular, conversational processes and to take involved observers into account.

The analysis of the three case studies shows that design-oriented approaches to CA aimed at generating novelty require “second-order CA” – CA that are based on second-order cybernetic principles.

Limitations of this paper arise from the limited number of reported and analyzed case studies as well as from a necessary simplification and generalization of observations for the sake of brevity.

Findings resulting from the investigation emphasize and extend early experimental approaches to CA in design-related contexts that conceived CA systems as part of conversational design processes. The transition from first-order to second-order CA is necessary to allow for speculative and explorative design conversations that support designers in generating novelty in conversational settings.

This study aimed to propose a performance-oriented approach of automatically generative design and optimization of hospital building layouts in consideration of public health emergency, which intended to conduct reasonable layout design of hospital building to meet different performance requirements for both high efficiency during normal periods and low risk in the pandemic.

The research design follows a sequential mixed methodology. First, key points and parameters of hospital building layout design (HBLD) are analyzed. Then, to meet the requirements of high efficiency and low risk, adjacent preference score and infection risk coefficient are constructed as constraints. On this basis, automatic generative design is conducted to generate building layout schemes. Finally, multi-objective deviation analysis is carried out to obtain the optimal scheme of hospital building layouts.

Automatic generative design of building layouts that integrates adjacent preferences and infection risks enables hospitals to achieve rapid transitions between normal (high efficiency) and pandemic (low risk) periods, which can effectively respond to public health emergencies. The proposed approach has been verified in an actual project, which can help systematically explore the solution for better decision-making.

The form of building layouts is limited to rectangles, and future work can explore conducting irregular layouts into optimization for the framework of generative design.

The contribution of this paper is the developed approach that can quickly and effectively generate more hospital layout alternatives satisfying high operational efficiency and low infection risk by formulating space design rules, which is of great significance in response to public health emergency.

The role of institutional facilities is of paramount importance to ensure quality of teaching and learning with respect to achieving quality of education in any given higher educational institutions (HEIs). The purpose of this paper is to determine the performance of physical and non-physical facilities of higher institutional facilities.

The data were collected from respondents using a closed-end questionnaire. In total, 1,000 questionnaires were administered to students and 735 were returned and valid for analysis. Partial least squares-structural equation modelling was adopted for analysis.

It was found that the exogenous constructs [physical facilities (PPE) and non-physical facilities (PNE)] scored 32.7 per cent (R² = 0.327) of the variance of the facility’s performance. It was also found that the physical facility is the most significant factor that determines facility performance.

This paper is limited to investigating the performance of physical and non-physical facilities; it is not in any way a measure for the students’ views about other services offered by the institutions. Future research is needed to use relevant information from HEIs’ facilities for validating factors that determine the facility’s performance.

Physical facility was identified as the most influencing factor that determines the facility performance based on the information provided by respondents. This research should help the facility management department at HEIs when designing the academic facility management. The study will also serve as a yardstick for the Federal Ministry of Education, the National University Commission in academic facility accreditation. This paper contributes to both the body of knowledge in facility management by considering the performance of facilities at HEIs.

This paper demonstrates the duality of HEIs’ facilities into physical and non-physical facilities and their distinct contribution to the overall facility’s performance.

This paper aims to describe the immersive atelier model (IAM), a pedagogical model for remote inter-university studios that promotes quality education. The IAM uses multi-user virtual environments (MUVEs) in two atelier types: A predefined MUVE and a student-shaped one. The study questions how the IAM, using MUVEs, meets the needs of remote inter-university studios. The research explores how MUVE types are used and experienced by students.

Forty-six students that participated in a remote studio course involving three universities were monitored through observations and a post-course questionnaire, responded to by twenty-five students.

Findings provide insights into the learners’ experience and a rich description of the teaching and learning acts that emerged while using the MUVEs types. Student-shaped MUVEs were found particularly supportive of acts associated with indirect learning and conceptualization. The study identifies subtypes of student-shaped MUVEs that support these desired educational acts.

Findings provide encouraging insights for expanding the traditional atelier beyond its physical constraints and supporting sustainable quality education in remote inter-university studios.

The IAM can assist tutors in designing future virtual design studios to achieve diverse knowledge and learning progress.

This paper fulfills an identified need to update the atelier pedagogical model to support sustainable quality education in remote inter-university studios. Based on the affordances of MUVEs, the IAM expands the traditional atelier with types of virtual ateliers to support the learners’ sense of belongingness and engagement.

Innovatively, the IAM simultaneously uses MUVEs as educational and design spaces that enhance learning.

This study aims to confirm the inverse relationship between scheduled corrective maintenance (SCM) and corrective maintenance (CM) in health-care facility management. That is, the higher the SCM, the lower the demand for CM, and the lower the SCM, the higher the demand for CM. Furthermore, the study shows the importance of SCM as compared with CM in healthcare facilities.

This study investigated 28 services in facility engineering services for an exploratory study by using the open-ended approach of the grounded theory. Five years of data with a total of 20,480 SCM work orders and 84,837 CM work orders were extracted from the central management information system database. Data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences program. Data were presented in the form of mathematical scores using descriptive statistics and correlation test to elaborate the variable characteristics and make conclusions.

This study provides empirical insights about the effectiveness of proactive maintenance in reducing breakdowns for systems or equipment in health-care facilities. Findings suggest that increasing SCM will reduce CM demands.

The location approach, with restrictions to the comparison between CM and SCM, still allows for exploration, especially on the factors that can reduce the demand for correction. These factors include planned preventive maintenance, work flow process, level of competency of maintenance workers and health-care maintenance strategic planning.

Proactive maintenance is important in preventing dangerous occurrences in hospitals. Reducing breakdowns increases customer satisfaction. Therefore, this study shows implications to health-care maintenance organizations in the context of business strategic development.

Data are crucial in proving a hypothesis. This study confirms the evidence of facility management demand theory and highlights the inverse relationship between SCM and CM.

This paper aims to report upon the further development of a hybrid application programming interface (API) plug-in to building information modelling (BIM) entitled confined spaces safety monitoring system “CoSMoS”. Originally designed to engineer-out environmental hazards associated with working in a building’s confined spaces (during the construction phase of a building’s life-cycle), this second generation version is expanded upon to use archival records to proactively learn from data generated within a sensor network during the building’s operations and maintenance (O&M) phase of asset management (AM).

An applied research methodological approach adopted used a two-phase process. In phase one, a conceptual model was created to provide a “blueprint map” to integrate BIM, sensor-based networks and data analytics (DA) into one integral system. A literature review provided the basis for the conceptual model’s further development. In phase two, the conceptual model was transposed into the prototype’s development environment as a proof of concept using primary data accrued from a large educational building.

An amalgamation of BIM, historical sensor data accrued and the application of DA demonstrate that CoSMoS provides an opportunity for the facilities management (FM) team to monitor pertinent environmental conditions and human behaviour within buildings that may impact upon occupant/worker safety. Although working in confined spaces is used to demonstrate the inherent potential of CoSMoS, the system could readily be expanded to analyse sensor-based network’s historical data of other areas of building performance, maintenance and safety.

This novel prototype has automated safety applications for FM during the asset lifecycle and maintenance phase of a building’s O&M phase of AM. Future work is proposed in several key areas, namely, develop instantaneous indicators of current safety performance within a building; and develop lead indicators of future safety performance of buildings.

The paper aims to investigate the comfort-related performances of an innovative solar shading solution based on a new composite patented material that consists of a cement-based matrix coupled with a stretchable three-dimensional textile. The paper’s aim is, through a performance-based generative design approach, to develop a high-performance static shading system able to guarantee adequate daylit spaces, a connection with the outdoors and a glare-free environment in the view of a holistic and occupant-centric daylight assessment.

The paper describes the design and simulation process of a complex static shading system for digital manufacturing purposes. Initially, the optical material properties were characterized to calibrate radiance-based simulations. The developed models were then implemented in a multi-objective genetic optimization algorithm to improve the shading geometries, and their performance was assessed and compared with traditional external louvres and overhangs.

The system developed demonstrates, for a reference office space located in Milan (Italy), the potential of increasing useful daylight illuminance by 35% with a reduced glare of up to 70%–80% while providing better uniformity and connection with the outdoors as a result of a topological optimization of the shape and position of the openings.

The paper presents the innovative nature of a new composite material that, coupled with the proposed performance-based optimization process, enables the fabrication of optimized shading/cladding surfaces with complex geometries whose formability does not require ad hoc formworks, making the process fast and economic.