Greenhouse gases (GHG) performance of refurbishment projects – Lessons from UK higher education student accommodation case studies

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to develop a model that can be used as a guide for the provision, adaptation and management of on-campus student accommodation spaces and services.Design/methodology/approachA phenomenological research strategy was used for the study. Qualitative data were collected by means of focus group discussions (FGDs) and observations. A total of ten FGDs were conducted. The student accommodations were observed to augment the information gathered through the FGDs. The data was analysed thematically.FindingsThe study found that students perceived some spaces and services as essential, whereas others were perceived as nonessential. Spaces including washroom, sleeping space, kitchen, laundry area and dry line, sick bay, computer area and study area, as well as services such as electricity, water, security, fire safety, internet, study furniture, health care, generators, electric fittings, ventilation, maintenance, pest control, refuse collection and cleaning were perceived as the most essential spaces and services required in student accommodations. It also became evident that apart from the spaces and services aforementioned, a student accommodation should also be provided with spaces and services that promote students’ well-being and leisure.Practical implicationsThe model can be used as a guide by estate, facility, maintenance and hostel managers to effectively manage on-campus university student accommodation spaces and services. Moreover, the model can assist to ensure that all spaces and services perceived as essential are provided when designing, constructing or upgrading student accommodations.Originality/valueAlthough several studies have been conducted on student accommodations, studies that mainly focused on identifying and prioritising the spaces and services required in student accommodations is lacking.

PurposeThis paper compares the provision and risk associated with the lack of safety measures in the student accommodations of a university in the Western Cape province, South Africa, with the aim of developing a guide to improve the provision of the safety measures.Design/methodology/approachThe study adopted a case study research strategy. A questionnaire was used as an instrument to collect quantitative data, whereas an interview was conducted to collect qualitative data. Both descriptive (mean score) and inferential (paired t-test) statistics were used to analyse the quantitative data, whereas a content analysis was used to analyse the qualitative data.FindingsAlthough most of the measures were provided, few critical measures were not adequate or not provided at all. Moreover, the mean scores obtained indicated that there were statistically significant differences between the provision and risk of non-provision of most of the measures. Weapon detector, closed-circuit television (CCTV), water sprinkler system, lift for disabled students, disabled toilet facility, burglar bar on doors, first aid box, medically trained personnel on post and accident logbook were identified as measures requiring urgent attention.Research limitations/implicationsData were collected only from one university; therefore, the findings of the research study may not be generalised. Thus, a study that can expand the number of participating universities is recommended.Practical implicationsThe facilities department and safety unit can use the recommendations provided to improve the safety of the student accommodations. Policymakers could also benefit from the findings of the study.Originality/valueThere is dearth of studies focussing mainly on student accommodation security and safety measures from the infrastructure point of view. Thus, this article contributes to the body of knowledge in this area.

Accommodations are the basic need for university undergraduates to carry out their studies. Universities of all over the world responsible to provide accommodation within the campus or off campus to university students. According to the statistics of the Student Council of the University of Sri Jayewardenepura, about 40% of undergraduates are selected for university hostel accommodations and 60% of students must find a private accommodation. So, there can spring up a demand for student private accommodation by undergraduates. Hence, private accommodation providers are entering to the current market and automatically fulfill the demand of student accommodation. Student private accommodation can be simply defined as a room or space where the students live in or stay at there by paying a rental fee. This study mainly focuses on digitizing student private accommodation in Sri Lanka reference to the university of Sri Jayewardenepura. It attempted to develop some specific model regarding that. The objectives of the research are analyzed the nature of the existing student private accommodations, analyze the factors that affect to choose private accommodations by university students and develop a smart measure to identify student private accommodations surrounding area of the University of Sri Jayewardenepura.The primary data were collected through the google forms and questionnaires. The questionnaire and google form consisted with open ended questions, close ended questions, five-point Likert scale questions and checklists. Piolet test is done to verify the accuracy of the questionnaire. The secondary data were collected through the journal articles, reports and websites. The research was carried out by using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) software and developed a smart measure by using google my maps. 100 student private accommodations were selected as the sample within the 800m buffer zone from the University. Four sets of zones (100m, 250m, 500m and 800m) around the university was used to stratify the data. The results summarize that the nature of the existing private accommodations indicating type of occupants, type of private accommodations, type of rented rooms and other physical differences of the student private accommodations. Also, summarize that the factors that affect to choose private accommodations by university students such as location, cost, security and facilities of the accommodations. Also, the smart measure helps to find suitable private accommodation by university students.
 Keywords: Student Private Accommodations, Location, Cost, Security, Smart Measure

PurposeAmongst the alternative property sectors, student accommodation has recently become an important institutionalised property sector for pension funds and sovereign wealth funds in the global property landscape, particularly in the UK. The purpose of this paper is to assess the significance, risk-adjusted performance and portfolio diversification benefits of student accommodation in a UK property and mixed-asset portfolio over 2011–2017. Drivers and risk factors for the ongoing development of the student accommodation sector are also identified. The question of student accommodation being a proxy for residential property exposure by institutional investors is also assessed.Design/methodology/approachUsing annual total returns, the risk-adjusted performance and portfolio diversification benefits of UK student accommodation over 2011–2017 is assessed. Asset allocation diagrams are used to assess the role of student accommodation in a UK property portfolio and in a UK mixed-asset portfolio for a range of property investor types.FindingsUK student accommodation delivered superior risk-adjusted returns compared to UK property, stocks and REITs over 2011–2017, with portfolio diversification benefits. Importantly, this sees UK student accommodation as strongly contributing to the UK property and mixed-asset portfolios across the entire portfolio risk spectrum and validating the property industry perspective of student accommodation being low risk and providing diversification benefits. Student accommodation is also not seen to be a proxy for residential exposure by institutional investors.Practical implicationsStudent accommodation is an alternative property sector that has become increasingly institutionalised in recent years. The results highlight the important role of student accommodation in a UK property portfolio and in a UK mixed-asset portfolio. The strong risk-adjusted performance of UK student accommodation compared to UK property, stocks and REITs over this timeframe sees UK student accommodation contributing to the mixed-asset portfolio across the entire portfolio risk spectrum. This is particularly important, as many investors (e.g. pension funds, sovereign wealth funds) now see student accommodation as an important property sector in their overall portfolio.Originality/valueThis paper is the first published empirical research analysis of the risk-adjusted performance of UK student accommodation, and the role of student accommodation in a UK property portfolio and in a UK mixed-asset portfolio. This research enables empirically validated, more informed and practical property investment decision making regarding the strategic role of student accommodation as an alternative property sector in a portfolio.

One of the challenges faced by IISMA Awardees and students in general in Coventry University is choosing a comfortable place to live. Although various student accommodations are provided, differences in facilities and considerations from other parties such as parents and friends make the selection process complicated. This study develops a decision support system to help students choose student accommodation objectively without any intervention from others and provides a comparison of the use of different combinations of methods as additional guidance in the decision-making process. Two methods, Method Based on the Removal Effects of Criteria (MEREC) and Criteria Importance Through Intercriteria Correlation (CRITIC), are used to weight the criteria. The Multi-Objective Optimization (MOORA) method is used to determine the best alternative after the weight calculation is known. The results using a combination of the MEREC-MOORA method and a combination of the CRITIC-MOORA method place Alternative 5 (A5) in first place, while the remaining alternatives show a similar ranking order. In this study, scenario testing was also carried out by deleting and adding criteria and alternatives which then provided ranking results with a positive correlation even though different combinations of methods were used in determining the ranking.

Integrated project delivery methods for energy renovation of social housing

Integrated project delivery methods for energy renovation of social housing

Optimised project delivery methods forsocial housing energy renovations European Social Housing Organisations (SHOs) are currently facing challenging times. The ageing of their housing stock and the economic crisis, which has affected both their finances and the finances of their tenants, are testing their capacity to stick to their aim of providing decent and affordable housing. Housing renovation projects offer the possibility of upgrading the health and comfort levels of their old housing stock to current standards and improve energy efficiency, and this solution also addresses the fuel poverty problems suffered by some tenants. Unfortunately, the limited financial capacity of SHOs is hampering the scale of housing renovation projects and the energy savings achieved. At the same time, the renovation of the existing housing stock is seen as one of the most promising alternative routes to achieving the ambitious CO2 emissions reduction targets set by European authorities – namely, to reduce EU CO2 emissions to 20% below their 1990 levels by 2020. The synergy between European targets and the aims of SHOs has been addressed by the energy policies of the member states, which focus on the potential energy savings achievable by renovating social housing. In fact, the European initiatives have prioritised energy savings in social housing renovations to such an extent that these are referred to as ‘energy renovations’. Energy renovation is therefore a renovation project with higher energy savings target than a regular renovation project. In total, European SHOs own 21.5 million dwellings representing around 9.4% of the total housing stock. Each SHO owns a large number of dwellings, which means there are fewer people to convince of the need to make energy savings through building renovations, maximising the potentially high impact of decisions. Moreover, SHOs are responsible for maintaining and upgrading their properties in order to continue renting them. As such, SHOs are used to dealing with renovations on a professional basis. The limited financial capacity of SHOs to realise energy renovations magnifies the importance of improving process performance in order to get the best possible outcomes. In the last 30 years numerous authors have addressed the need to improve the performance of traditional construction processes via alternative project delivery methods. However, very little is known about the specifics of renovations processes for social housing, the feasibility of applying innovative construction management methods and the consequences for the process, for the role of all the actors involved and for the results of the projects. The aim of this study is to provide an insight into the project delivery methods available for SHOs when they are undertaking energy renovation projects and to evaluate how these methods could facilitate the achievement of a higher process performance. The main research question is: How can Social Housing Organisations improve the performance of energy renovation processes using more integrated project delivery methods? The idea of a PhD thesis about social housing renovation processes originated from the participation of TU Delft as research partner in the Intelligent Energy Europe project SHELTER1 which was carried out between 2010 and 2013. The aim of the SHELTER project was to promote and facilitate the use of new models of cooperation, inspired by integrated design, for the energy renovation of social housing. The SHELTER project was a joint effort between six social housing organisations (Arte Genova, Italy; Black Country Housing Group, United Kingdom; Bulgarian Housing Association, Bulgaria; Dynacité, France; Logirep, France and Société Wallonne du Logement, Belgium), three European professional federations based in Brussels (Architects Council of Europe, Cecodhas Housing Europe and European Builders Confederation) and one research partner (Delft University of Technology). Research methods This thesis is composed of five studies. The first study is based on a literature review. The second study is based on five case studies from four countries (Belgium, Italy, France and United Kingdom), a questionnaire completed by 36 SHOs from eight countries and 14 interviews with experts from ten countries. The third is based on two French case studies and the fourth and fifth are based on 8 and 13 Dutch case studies respectively. Construction projects in housing involve a high number of professionals and take place over a long period of time. External factors, such as the economic and political situation or changes in construction or procurement regulations, can have a considerable influence on the construction process. Moreover, the specific characteristics of the construction sector of every country can also shape the process. In consequence, there are many interrelated variables that can have an influence on the dynamics of the process and on the outputs achieved. Research that seeks to understand the causes of changes in this process need to dig deeper into the internal and external characteristics of the process, which makes case study research the most appropriate research method for this type of study. The cases in each of the studies have been selected because innovative project management methods aiming for better collaboration between the participating actors were applied and because it was possible to gather high-quality data concerning these projects. The data were gathered mainly through interviews but other methods were also used: a questionnaire, observations and an analysis of tender documents. A protocol based on the recommendations of case study research literature was applied to assure the scientific validity of the data collected through the interviews. The case studies were complemented with a wide-ranging literature review covering scientific publications on project management in construction, mainly from the UK, the US, Australia, the Netherlands, Hong Kong and Finland. Reports from Intelligent Energy Europe projects were also reviewed, as well as legal texts relating to the tender options open to European social housing organisations. Construction management methods How to improve the performance of construction processes has long been and is still one of the key issues of the construction industry sector, social housing included. The performance of construction processes has been addressed from a range of perspectives in the construction management literature and diverse project management methods have been proposed. These methods are interrelated and in constant evolution. Moreover, different terminology is used to describe similar methods, which makes it difficult to obtain a clear picture. To simplify, three main perspectives or methods to improve the process integration and actors collaboration can be identified: • the multi-project: supply chain integration; • the single-project: integrated project delivery methods; • and collaboration: partnering. Supply chain integration looks at the performance of the construction process from a multi-project perspective, relating the construction process to an industrial process. The project delivery method takes a single-project perspective into account because it is based on the premise that the complexity and singularity of any construction project will make it unique. Finally, partnering is focused on the characteristics of collaboration between the actors involved in the construction process. The singularity of renovation projects and the limitations of public procurement make the single project perspective the most feasible strategy for improving the process performance of social housing renovation projects. As such, the analysis of the project delivery methods is the most suitable method for improving the performance of renovation processes. The literature review shows that the more integrated project delivery methods are particularly indicated for construction projects with a high commitment to sustainability in general and for energy performance in particular. The literature review also reveals that the key factor in the process efficiency of all project delivery methods is collaboration between the actors involved in the project. Partnering methods can have a substantial positive influence on process performance. The study of the legal limitations imposed by the currently applicable public procurement Directive 2004/18/EC shows that even though a limited amount of tender options are available, is it possible to tender projects that apply integrated project delivery methods using the competitive dialogue procedure. Moreover, the recently approved but not yet enacted public procurement Directive 2014/24/ EU facilitates even further the use of competitive dialogue tenders for social housing energy renovations. Project delivery methods in European social housing energy renovations This study is based on five case studies, 36 questionnaires and 14 expert interviews, and identified four main project delivery methods for the energy renovation of social housing, namely: • Step-by-Step (SBS) • Design-Bid-Build (DBB) • Design-Build (DB) • Design-Build-Maintain (DBM). SBS can be considered a major renovation when the replacement of a series of building components eventually produces the same final result as a renovation project. In order to optimise the service lives of building components, an SHO might choose to split a major renovation project into a series of minor renovations. Cost-efficiency is achieved by procuring a large number of replacements only when a particular component has reached the end of its service life. This project delivery method will not usually include a design phase because these interventions usually involve replacing building products and systems. DBB, DB and DBM take place all at once and involve design companies, construction companies and maintenance companies. The difference between the three methods is the time frame for the involvement of the different actors and the contractual relationship with the SHO. In DBB, the various contracted parties are involved in the project one after the other, while in DB design companies and construction companies are involved during the same time period, and in DBM all three parties are involved during the same time period. Under DB, the SHO tenders the design and construction work in a single contract and under DBM it tenders the design, construction and maintenance work in a single contract. The contracted entity may be a single company, with or without subcontractors, or a consortium. SBS and DBB are the most commonly used project delivery methods for social housing renovation projects, although DB and DBM are also used for a small number of projects. The vast majority of SHOs use more than one project delivery method simultaneously, mainly a combination of SBS and DBB. For new-build projects, DBB has traditionally been considered the most commonly used project delivery method; however, our survey revealed that it is in fact the second most commonly used project delivery method after SBS. The DBM approach has the maximum potential for delivering energy savings, because it facilitates collaboration between the different actors and promotes their commitment to achieving project goals. Furthermore, DBM offers greater price certainty and less risk of design failure compared to other project delivery methods. However, the project delivery method cannot guarantee the achievement of targeted energy savings by itself. Numerous factors need to be taken into account when considering a change in the project delivery method. The property asset management of the dwelling stock that is renovated using SBS, which focuses on building elements and systems, is completely different from the property asset management of the dwelling stock renovated by DBB, DB or DBM, which focuses on entire properties. It is therefore unlikely that SHOs that are already applying SBS will switch to another project delivery method. Switching between DBB to DBM, or to DB, is feasible since they are similar in terms of property asset management. A change of project delivery method could be motivated by the use of energy performance guarantees offered by energy performance contracting, which is possible in cases where DBM is used. However, this choice is not suitable for all SHOs. For example, if an SHO has an in-house design team and changes to DBM (or DB), its design team will not be involved in the project as the contractor will have its own design staff. If an SHO has a corporate responsibility towards SMEs and changes to DBM (or DB), it will be more difficult to keep SMEs directly involved since they will need to organise themselves into consortia. And finally, if an SHO already has a contract with a maintenance company to manage their entire housing stock, changing to DBM will create a conflict in their maintenance management, since for every property where DBM has been used, a different maintenance company will take charge of maintenance. Energy efficiency in French social housing renovations via Design-Build-Maintain The study is based on the analysis of two social housing renovation projects, implemented by two French SHOs: • the renovation of 14 dwellings in a three-storey apartment block in Nurieux-Volognat (in south-eastern France) by the Dynacité SHO; and • the renovation of 231 dwellings in four apartment blocks (ranging from 6 to 10 storeys) in Vitry-sur-Seine (in the southern suburbs of Paris) by the Logirep SHO. The data on the case studies were obtained from: the tender documents (call for offers, specifications and preliminary designs); observation during the negotiation phase in the case of Dynacité; interviews, carried out after the construction work was finished, with the social housing renovations manager, the social housing project manager, the construction company, the architect’s office and the maintenance company involved in both cases; and the evaluation reports produced by project managers at the SHOs. The results demonstrate that it is possible to engage design companies, construction companies and maintenance companies to achieve energy savings that exceed those stipulated by the SHO and to obtain a guarantee of results. This approach also makes it possible to shorten the duration of a project, while limiting the costs involved to approximately the equivalent of those incurred in DBB renovation projects. The collaborative set-up of the DBM process also results in improved relations between the actors involved. However, an analysis of these relationships indicated that there is still room for improvement, particularly with regard to the maintenance company. In order to guarantee the benefits of implementing a DBM process, it is necessary for the SHO to put in place the following: realistic but ambitious minimum requirements; clear and measurable award criteria that stress the importance of achieving high energy savings; and a guarantee mechanism that is fair and robust. Moreover, the SHO needs to ensure that the scale of the contract is large enough to guarantee that any compensation paid to non-selected candidates does not adversely affect the total cost of the project and that the SHO’s maintenance strategy must be flexible enough to handle maintenance contracts that are project-related as well as maintenance stock-related contracts. Competitive tenders for integrated contracts for social housing renovation projects The study, which is based on an analysis of eight renovation projects undertaken by SHOs in the Netherlands, shows that Dutch SHOs apply a range of mechanisms in order to influence the ambition, collaboration and long-term view of the consortia that participate in competitive tenders for integrated renovation projects. Their aim is to improve the quality of the construction process and thereby enhance the quality of the output. The scale of the ambition is raised, in first place, through the competitive character of the selection procedure. Several candidates are invited to the tender but only the best will be selected. Secondly, the minimum performance level is defined above common standards by setting high but achievable minimum requirements. Thirdly, the candidates are encouraged to perform at their best by being rated by award criteria that evaluate their performance. The findings show that SHOs are not all singing from the same song sheet when it comes to determining the level of ambition they require from their candidates in relation to the key issue of energy saving. Collaboration is encouraged mainly by setting a very tight deadline for the design proposals, a period of just 11 weeks on average. The consortium members are thus required to work closely together in order to get the proposals out on time and make a convincing pitch in a presentation. The findings show that the procedures with higher numbers of meetings between the SHO and the consortium during the design proposal period appeared to increase collaboration with the SHO. Other mechanisms, such as setting conditions for the nature of the candidates or proposing team coaches, were implemented to a lesser extent and not regarded as appropriate by all SHOs. A longer-term view is promoted by including an optional long-term maintenance contract for the renovated dwellings. The results of this strategy were not as good as expected, however, because the majority of the candidates did not integrate maintenance into their proposal, preferring to make an additional and separate maintenance offer. The SHOs did not include maintenance as an integral part of the renovation project because they were afraid of the possible implications of a long-term maintenance contract on a project basis for their general building stock maintenance strategy and their in-house maintenance teams. The role of the architect using integrated contracts for social housing renovation projects The focus of previous studies is on analysing the implementation of integrated project delivery methods from the demand side, the social housing organisation. However, it has been also identified that the use of integrated project delivery methods have consequences for the supply side actors. Especially for the architect because his central role in the design process could be affected. This study, which is based on the analysis of the role of the architect in thirteen renovation projects that used integrated contracts, concludes that the main role of the architect, as having principal responsibility for the design choices made, does not change when integrated contracts are used. However, the decision-making power of the architect does decrease. With the use of integrated contracts, the main contractor and some specialised contractors can also influence the design choices – an influence that they would not otherwise have. In cases where the main contractor plays an active leading role in the consortium, the reduction of the decision-making power of the architect may become even more evident, and in the opinion of some architects, turn the role of architect into a role more akin to that of technical and aesthetic advisor. The changes in how design decisions are taken do not have a negative impact on the quality of the relationship between the architect and the SHO, and has a positive influence on the quality of the relationship between the architect and the construction companies involved in the project. Some changes were reported relating to the workload for each project compared to Design-Bid-Build projects. In some cases, architects were no longer involved in project management tasks, while in other cases architects were assigned additional responsibilities, such as communicating with tenants. It is not possible, therefore, to establish a direct relationship between the use of integrated contracts and the size of the architect’s workload. Where there is an evident change is in the distribution of the workload and payment for the work done for the integrated contracts that have been tendered through a competitive procedure (seven of the thirteen projects analysed). In projects tendered using a competitive procedure, the work of the architect is condensed into a shorter timeframe (42% shorter than with a non-competitive procedure) and there is a higher risk that the working hours will not be paid in full if the consortium is not awarded the contract. Conclusions In order to improve the performance of energy renovation processes undertaken by social housing organisations, the Design-Build-Maintain project delivery method offers the best opportunity to facilitate the active involvement of all actors, obtain the best possible project performance and to guarantee the quality of the end results. However, given the characteristics of each SHO and the characteristics of the renovation projects, DBM is not always the project delivery method chosen. If DBM is not used, other simpler management mechanisms, such as the early involvement of contractors or the use of in-house maintenance companies as advisors, should be considered to contribute to better process performance. In order to apply the DBM project delivery method successfully, it is necessary for the SHO to focus its efforts on designing a tender procedure that maximises the potential of the entire project delivery method. • Choosing a competitive tender procedure that allows the dialogue with candidates. • Defining performance-based specifications with realistic but ambitious minimum requirements and a set of clear and measurable award criteria that stress the importance of achieving energy savings. • Defining a performance guarantee mechanism that is fair and robust. • Setting up tender process conditions that facilitate communication between the candidates and the SHO and that promote team working among the candidate team (consortium). The members of the candidate team, the consortium, also need to adapt to the new game rules. Specifically the architect needs to gain more managerial skills in order to keep his leading design decision position and become more of a team integrator. Future research should consider the changes in the roles of the other consortium members and the best consortium structures to ensure a good product quality and the fair treatment of all the parties involved.

PurposeRefurbishment is inherently more sustainable than building new. However, planned and actual costs of refurbishment projects are bound to vary due to the complex nature of most such projects. This can affect the performance of refurbishment work. The purpose of this paper is to examine factors responsible for elemental cost variations between the actual and planned costs of refurbishment projects. The study also examines factors that contribute to differences in actual and planned cost between refurbishment and new build projects.Design/methodology/approachA quantitative approach was adopted for this study. A literature review identified factors responsible for elemental cost variations in refurbishment projects, as well as factors responsible for differences in actual and planned cost of new build and refurbishment projects. This was followed by a questionnaire survey of refurbishment projects across Malaysia. A total of 55 respondents provided input through a questionnaire survey to identify these factors.FindingsThis study demonstrates that procurement strategy (PS), inappropriate contractors (IC), poor project management (PPM), availability of funding, materials and equipment, and force majeure (FM) significantly affect refurbishment cost performance. Electrical installations, firefighting equipment, and painting were the building elements most affected by cost variations. A regression model for refurbishment cost prediction indicates that PS, IC, PPM, availability of funding, materials and equipment, and FM were significant predictors of building refurbishment cost performance.Originality/valueThis paper provides insight into the major factors affecting elemental cost variation of refurbishment works, as well as building elements most affected by cost variations and provides a model for predicting refurbishment cost performance.

As the dual carbon goals are being approached, there has been an increase in the number of energy-saving renovation projects for existing buildings. However, building renovation also brings about environmental impacts and incremental costs, which need to be addressed urgently. This study proposes an integrated artificial intelligence framework to facilitate multi-criteria energy renovation decision making by combining a surrogate-based machine learning (ML) model and an evolutionary generative algorithm to efficiently and accurately identify optimal renovation strategies. To enhance the robustness of the methodology, a comparative analysis of four different ML models—light gradient boosting machine (LightGBM), fast random forest (FRF), multivariate linear regression (MVLR), and artificial neural network (ANN)—was conducted, with LightGBM demonstrating the best performance in terms of accuracy, adaptability, and efficiency. Using the heuristic optimization algorithm and entropy-weighted method, the framework achieved average energy savings of 56.62%, a reduction in carbon emissions of 51.60%, and a 24.27% decrease in life-cycle costs. Compared to local ultra-low-energy building standards, the optimal solutions resulted in a 2.60% reduction in carbon emissions and a 15.85% decrease in life-cycle costs. This integrated framework demonstrates the potential of combining machine learning surrogate models, evolutionary generation, and entropy-weighted methods in building energy retrofitting optimizations, offering a novel, efficient, and adaptable approach for researchers and practitioners seeking to balance energy consumption, carbon emissions, and life-cycle costs in renovation projects.

Reducing the emissions of greenhouse gases is of utter importance for the mitigation of climate change mitigation. In Sweden, the building and service sector is responsible for 21% of total greenhouse gas. Renovating existing buildings, more specifically those which were constructed before 1980, can significantly contribute to the reduction in energy consumption and emissions of greenhouse gases. Because the majority of these buildings are in need for renovation. But the energy renovation and energy efficiency-related maintenance rate in Sweden is very low due to lack of technical drawings and documentation of information about material specifications and structure systems. Adoption of augmented reality technologies can be beneficial as these technologies present digital information in the context of the physical environment. However, the level of adoption of these technologies in renovation and maintenance projects is still very low. This paper expands the technology acceptance model to evaluate determinants of users’ acceptance of augmented reality technologies in renovation and maintenance projects.

This paper reports a research study which evaluated the possibilities of building information modelling (BIM) within renovation of buildings of significant architectural, historic or cultural values. Renovation or restoration projects of historic buildings can be more demanding, challenging and complex than traditional renovation of for instance within housing. Objective of this research has been to transfer ICT (information and communication technology) and BIM research findings to historic design practice and true renovation project environments. The concept of building information modelling BIM is a proposed integrative framework for all design and construction project information in digital form. BIM can currently be seen to be in a phase of pragmatic pilot projects in several countries. Nevertheless, BIM has not been tested that much in renovation projects yet, although the importance of renovation and restoration is remarkable within the total volume of western construction sectors. One essential conclusion of this study is, that renovation design work should be started earlier in model-based design projects than in traditional renovation projects. More resources have also to be assigned to earlier design phases, if BIM is intended to be used extensively throughout the project. Another finding is the new concept of an inventory model, which is proposed to be the container for all building inventory, survey and measurement data. Even more so, when significant historic, hence more demanding building renovation is concerned, because there are more needs for various kinds of surveys, accurate data gathering and analyzing queries concerning the project.

This paper presents findings on students' satisfaction with one of the biggest private student accommodation in Johannesburg, South Africa. Management services play an important role in the level of student satisfaction. Without good management services and a poor interaction between student and management, the quality of services provided will have an adverse effect on the level of student satisfaction. In assessing overall student satisfaction, the quality of services offered to students is the significant element to be considered. Hence the purpose of this study was to determine the level of student satisfaction with the quality of management services provided to them in private student accommodations. Data that was received was analyzed by means of frequencies and tables, which employed the use of descriptive statistical procedures and Mean Item score. Analysis was based on the 58 useable questionnaires obtained from students out of 60 questionnaires issued. Findings from the study revealed that electricity supply, Wi-Fi connection, and general rules are among the most important aspect of student satisfaction/dissatisfaction with quality of management services. Thus, the study recommends that the management engages with students regarding their problems, and timely deal with arising complains. Furthermore, management should provide high quality Wi-Fi connection that will be suitable for all student accommodated, and also provide proper supply of electricity as well as increase the supply of hot water.

The growing demand for student accommodations has led to inefficiencies in finding reliable housing near educational institutions. "Campus Heaven" aims to bridge this gap by leveraging AI and ML to provide a seamless accommodation and service hub for students. This paper explores the need, architecture, methodologies, and implementation details of the proposed system. The system integrates machine learning for sentiment analysis on reviews, an AI chatbot for assistance, and a comprehensive services module for student necessities. Key findings indicate that the platform improves user satisfaction by offering reliable service options and fostering community interaction among students. However, challenges related to user adoption and data privacy are noted. Future enhancements could include expanding service offerings and improving community engagement features

This paper presents findings on students' satisfaction with one of the biggest private student accommodation in Johannesburg, South Africa. Management services play an important role in the level of student satisfaction. Without good management services and a poor interaction between student and management, the quality of services provided will have an adverse effect on the level of student satisfaction. In assessing overall student satisfaction, the quality of services offered to students is the significant element to be considered. Hence the purpose of this study was to determine the level of student satisfaction with the quality of management services provided to them in private student accommodations. Data that was received was analyzed by means of frequencies and tables, which employed the use of descriptive statistical procedures and Mean Item score. Analysis was based on the 58 useable questionnaires obtained from students out of 60 questionnaires issued. Findings from the study revealed that electricity supply, Wi-Fi connection, and general rules are among the most important aspect of student satisfaction/dissatisfaction with quality of management services. Thus, the study recommends that the management engages with students regarding their problems, and timely deal with arising complains. Furthermore, management should provide high quality Wi-Fi connection that will be suitable for all student accommodated, and also provide proper supply of electricity as well as increase the supply of hot water.