Building Research Articles

Towards Using Digital Technologies to Balance Conservation and Fire Mitigation in Building Heritage Hosting Vulnerable Occupants: Rapid Evacuation Simulator Verification for the “Omero Museum” (Ancona, Italy)

Digital technologies can support designers in balancing architectural heritage conservation and performances using multidisciplinary approaches. Fire safety represents a challenging issue, especially in public historical buildings hosting vulnerable occupants, since heavy modifications are often required to facilitate their evacuation. Digital tools based on evacuation simulation are able to verify the impact of other sustainable, compatible evacuation management and planning approaches, especially considering the use of generic software, which can be used by low-trained technicians according to rapid setups. Nevertheless, simulator reliability should be experimentally verified through case study applications. This work thus offers the experimental verification of a rapid setup-based generic evacuation simulator in the context of a significant case study (the “Omero Museum”, Ancona, Italy), placed in a historic building hosting vulnerable occupants (disabled, elderly, children), thanks to a full-scale evacuation drill. The rapid setup described different vulnerable occupants’ categories according to literature data. Comparisons between drill and simulation results, using consolidated verification indicators, showed the overall reliability of the proposed approach, and thus encourage additional tests in historical buildings. The proposed setup-based simulator could be combined with other digital tools (virtual reality, BIM-related) to provide full support to fire risk and evacuation assessments when vulnerable occupants are present.

Mesothelioma caused by asbestos in UK public buildings: an ongoing risk to public health

Mesothelioma caused by asbestos in UK public buildings: an ongoing risk to public health

Lichen as the biological indicator for detection of environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) at the public office building in Selangor, Malaysia

Lichen as the biological indicator for detection of environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) at the public office building in Selangor, Malaysia

Research on the Effective Sheltering Rates of Public Buildings in Villages in Western Sichuan, China—A Case Study of Ganbao Tibetan Village

The western region of Sichuan Province, located in the Hengduan Mountains, is one of China’s most seismically active zones. Due to limited land resources, many villages in western Sichuan Province are situated in mountainous and valley areas, facing harsh climatic conditions, lagging economic development, and insufficient infrastructure. After experiencing seismic disasters, these villages often encounter challenges, such as cut-off mountain roads, difficulties in delivering relief supplies, and sharply a significant drop in nighttime temperatures due to the high-altitude climate. Consequently, in the case of the economic underdevelopment and limited resources, how to repurpose existing buildings for disaster relief has become a crucial issue for disaster prevention and mitigation in these villages. This paper takes Ganbao Tibetan Village, located in the alpine gorge regions of western Sichuan Province, as a case study. It evaluates the interior space utilization status of different types of existing public buildings during disasters, calculates the effective utilization rate of interior space disaster reduction conversion based on the spatial layout model, and extracts the typical interior space dimensions that are conducive to disaster relief and conversion of public buildings based on the interior space utilization characteristics of disaster relief. This study provides a reference for the design of public service buildings considering the requirements of disaster resilience transformation.

New guidelines on radiation survey and sanitary assessment of residential, public and industrial buildings and facilities in terms of radiation safety indicators. Part 1

The paper (in two parts) presents an overview of the new guidelines MR 2.6.1.0333-23 (approved on 01 December 2023) that supersede guidelines MU 2.6.1.2838-11, which were used for organizing radiation surveys of residential, public and industrial buildings and facilities and their sanitary assessment in terms of radiation safety indicators over the past 12 years. Due to a large number of critical comments on the document received during this period, a need for significant revision emerged. The scope of the revised document was expanded and now covers all stages of the life cycle of buildings and facilities: commissioning; operation period; overhaul and reconstruction; demolition. In the first part of the paper, the structure and legal status of the new guidelines are considered, as well as the main innovations in terms of measuring the ambient dose equivalent rate of gamma radiation, searching and identifying local radiation anomalies and sites of radioactive contamination, measuring surface contamination levels, and determining the minimum number of premises to be surveyed. The reasons for the introduction of certain changes are outlined. The issues of evaluation of measurement uncertainty, reporting of measurement results and registration of test reports are covered in detail. In the second part of the paper, numerous innovations will be considered in terms of estimating the indoor average annual equilibrium equivalent concentration of radon isotopes.

Analysis of data on levels of public exposure to natural sources of radiation in the Ivanovo region

The paper presents the results of analysis of the Ivanovo Regional databank of radiation doses to the pub-lic from exposure to natural and technologically enhanced radiation background for 2008–2022. Despite the fact that the average individual annual effective dose of public exposure due to natural sources of radiation in the Ivanovo region calculated for the whole 15-year period (4.63 mSv/year) does not qualify as increased (i.e. does not exceed the level of 5 mSv/year), in some years of the period under review the average dose repeatedly exceeded this level, reaching 7.50 mSv/year. The analysis of the structure of the doses of public exposure due to natural sources of radiation in the Ivanovo region showed that the contribution of the dose from internal exposure to radon, thoron and progenies according to measurement results from 2008–2022 ranged from 65.98 to 81.47%. The paper provides examples of buildings of different types in settlements of the Ivanovo region, in which the indoor radon isotopes equilibrium equivalent concentrations are more than 1.5 times higher than the established action level for existing dwellings and public buildings (200 Bq/m3). Despite the significant amount of measurement data in the Regional databank, it is necessary to obtain additional information on the indoor radon levels in existing wooden and other low-rise dwellings and public buildings in the most radon-prone areas of the region. For this purpose, a radon survey is planned for 2024-2026 in the cities of Ivanovo and Kohma, Privolzhsky, Gavrilovo-Posadsky, Teykovsky and Zavolzhsky districts of the Ivanovo region within the framework of a joint project of Saint-Petersburg Research Institute of Radiation Hygiene after Professor P.V. Ramzaev, the Directorate of the Federal Service for Surveillance on Consumer Rights Protection and Human Wellbeing in the Ivanovo region, and the Center of Hygiene and Epidemiology in the Ivanovo region.

Sustainable preventive maintenance of MMC-based concrete building structures in a harsh environment

The construction industry plays a significant role in environmental strain, attributed mainly to its substantial resource consumption, primarily driven by the surge in residential construction. Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) presents an innovative paradigm for designing and constructing infrastructure and buildings more efficiently, using conventional materials with unconventional techniques. The article aims to apply this approach to an MMC-based building structure, minimizing its life cycle impact by optimizing the consumption of building materials, with particular attention to the effects of the maintenance phase from a preventive point of view. This study focuses on assessing the sustainability of reinforced concrete flat slabs employing a hollow structural body system, explicitly emphasizing environmental aggressiveness factors contributing to corrosion, such as carbonation and chlorides. The research explores ten design options for a waterfront public residential building, examining their impact on the economy, the environment, and even society regarding the maintenance cycles required over the structure's lifetime, depending on the preventive strategy employed for each design. In assessing the sustainability of these options, researchers employed a combination of the best-worst method (BWM) and the VIKOR technique, considering nine criteria related to sustainability. The study found that 5 % silica fume concrete is the most cost-effective and environmentally friendly option, with hydrophobic impregnation reducing social impacts. However, compared to one- and two-dimensional evaluations, the study demonstrates the importance of simultaneously considering a design's life cycle's economic, environmental, and social impacts to achieve sustainability in maintenance with a holistic view. This approach led to an 86 % higher sustainability rating for a design using sulforesistant cement in the concrete mix than the baseline.

Characteristics Analysis of Public Buildings on the Tsunami Risk Area in Banda Aceh City

Characteristics Analysis of Public Buildings on the Tsunami Risk Area in Banda Aceh City

Gamified interaction and urban regeneration: an analysis of serious game participation in rural architectural transformation and its influential factors

ABSTRACT This study investigates the utilization of serious games in rural public building design and their impact on residents’ contentment with building renovations. It highlights serious games’ role as an interactive medium for education, training, and communication, specifically in enhancing residents’ approval of rural public building designs. Employing the concept of diegesis from narratology, the study develops a structural equation modelling (SEM) by dividing games into intra-diegetic and extra-diegetic components. This model examines the influence of Game Participation (GP) and Learning Participation (LP) in serious games on satisfaction with updated building designs, as well as the direct and indirect impacts of various factors on these dynamics. The research methodology encompassed creating and applying a serious game focused on architectural design, accompanied by thorough quantitative analysis of the gaming process and results. The study tested multiple hypotheses regarding the positive impacts of game interactivity, perceived creativity, immersive experiences, game quality, atmosphere, and environment on GP and LP. Notably, the beneficial effect of game engagement on learning engagement and the significant positive influence of GP and LP on design satisfaction underscore the potential of serious games in improving educational outcomes and satisfaction with building renovations. Additionally, enjoyment was identified as having a substantial positive moderating effect on the relationships between GP and Design Satisfaction (DS) and between LP and DS, underscoring the importance of enhancing the appeal and engagement of serious games in their design. Additionally, as the game advanced, participants increasingly aligned their opinions on various design aspects, particularly emphasizing the importance of integrating natural landscapes as a key environmental consideration in community redevelopment.

Environmental Assessment of Energy System Upgrades in Public Buildings

Environmental Assessment of Energy System Upgrades in Public Buildings

Microbial air quality in a complex public building: influence of work type, height level and environmental stressors

Microbial air quality in a complex public building: influence of work type, height level and environmental stressors

Energy-saving diagnosis of public buildings based on multi-objective optimization algorithm

ABSTRACT This study focuses on existing ventilation, heating, and air conditioning systems in public buildings and mainly considers three objectives: system energy consumption, indoor thermal comfort, and efficiency. A multi-objective diagnosis system is established, which correlates evaluation indicators with key equipment, forming a clear hierarchical diagnosis system. Meanwhile, particle swarm optimization algorithm is combined with linear weighting method to optimize the operating parameters of key equipment based on the diagnosis results, obtaining the optimal parameters of various operating scenes. For winter conditions, the average system energy consumption is 34.2 W/m2, the average system energy efficiency ratio is 1.5, and the average indicator for indoor thermal environment is 1.06. For summer conditions, the average energy consumption of the systems is 28.9 W/m2, the average energy efficiency ratio is 2.2, and the average indicator for indoor thermal environment is – 0.82. Compared with the measured results, most of the optimized indicators are better, but the system energy efficiency ratio is slightly lower than the measured results for winter conditions. Through the established diagnosis system and optimization method, this research evaluates and optimizes the existing the systems in public buildings. Demonstrating the effectiveness of the established diagnosis system and optimization method.

The curious case of atrium urbanism: voids in and of capitalism

All produced spaces are curious since they could, by definition, be different. Atriums—double height or greater vertical voids typically to be found in skyscrapers’ lobbies—are an interesting illustration of this general contention. An internal feature of super-tall architecture the world over, the atrium flourishes in parts of cities where land value is high and given that atria could be occupied with directly rentable space this is an ostensibly puzzling affinity. Drawing primarily on the ideas of Henri Lefebvre and Walter Benjamin, this paper suggests that the presence of atria in major commercial—and increasingly public—buildings grows from oblique attempts to generate surplus value. Paradoxically, it is the voided space of the atrium that explains this strategy. My argument is that voids of open space can actually increase the value of objects, bodies, and practices that are assembled in and around them; paradoxically ‘emptiness’ itself can be monetised in a context of rentier capitalism. Defamiliarising the atrium, which is a distinctive and singular architectural feature of this moment, suggests a wider research agenda for those interested in critical analysis of the contradictory spaces that are produced when capital builds.

Placement Principles of Islamic Calligraphy in Architecture: Insights from the Al-Hambra and Al-Azem Palaces

This paper addresses a critical gap in the study of Islamic architecture by exploring the interconnected relationship between Arabic calligraphy and architectural design. Specifically, it examines the principles guiding the placement of Islamic calligraphy within the interior and exterior spaces of Islamic public buildings through a qualitative analysis of two notable case studies, the Al-Hambra Palace in Granada, Spain, and the Al-Azem Palace in Hama, Syria. This research elucidates fundamental principles that underpin the integration of calligraphy in Islamic architectural contexts. To enhance the robustness of the findings, interviews were conducted with three expert master calligraphers, providing skillful insights that enrich the understanding of calligraphy placement. This study reveals significant implications for the decoration of walls and ceilings in Islamic buildings. However, the findings are limited by the scope of the case studies and the subjective interpretations of the interviewed experts. This research contributes valuable knowledge to the field, informing contemporary architectural practices and the preservation of cultural heritage.

Wheelchair Accessibility to Public Buildings in Songea Municipality

Wheelchair accessibility to public buildings is an increasing area of important in research in the field of rehabilitation medicine worldwide, but wheelchair accessibility to public buildings in developing countries is a poorly researched phenomena making the situation unclear. The study assessed wheelchair accessibility of public buildings in Songea Municipality. A descriptive cross sectional survey where by objective assessment of 16 public buildings was performed in Songea Municipality using a standard survey guideline (Americans with Disabilities Act Guideline). Cluster sampling technique was used to sample the available buildings into different clusters and 19 buildings were sampled randomly from each cluster. The overall score of accessibility compliance was 38%.Of the five areas of accessibility assessed, entrance had the highest compliance of 92%, and parking had lowest score of 0%, others were accessible route 31%, ramp 20% and toilet 17% .The buildings which were built before a year 2010 had a mean score of 20.5% and those built after the year 2010 had a mean score of 55.2%. The results of the current study shows that most of public buildings surveyed in Songea Municipal are inaccessible to wheelchair users despite the presence of building regulations and persons with disability act of 2010.The study recommends the enforcement of the law by the government to all public buildings, emphasis to be made on parking, ramps, toilets and accessible routes. The study also recommends remodeling of the available inaccessible elements by the buildings administrators.

Optimizing faade shading design for public buildings in China's hot and humid regions: A comprehensive analysis

This paper presents a comprehensive analysis of faade shading design methods tailored for public buildings in Chinas hot and humid regions. Through a multidisciplinary approach integrating climatic analysis, quantitative modeling, and architectural principles, the study investigates the critical role of shading in enhancing energy efficiency and occupant comfort. Highlighting the climatic characteristics and solar radiation impact specific to hot and humid areas, the analysis underscores the necessity of tailored shading solutions. A review of traditional and modern shading strategies, alongside case studies, elucidates successes, limitations, and emerging trends. The paper also delves into mathematical modeling techniques for optimizing shading efficiency and explores the integration of shading with architectural design and renewable energy systems. The findings advocate for a holistic approach to faade shading, emphasizing its significance in achieving sustainable building practices in hot and humid climates.

Benefits of a Smart Building Design in Public Library Facilities, Lagos State, Nigeria

The study refers to the benefits in the adoption of a smart building design in public library facilities, Lagos State, Nigeria. Public libraries in Lagos serve as vital resources for education, information, and community activities. However, challenges such as outdated infrastructure, limited financial resources and varying levels of technological literacy among the community need to be addressed to ensure successful integration. The study examined the practicality, benefits, challenges, costs associated with integrating smart technologies and infrastructure such as smart lighting, heating, ventilation, air conditioning systems, occupancy sensors, energy management systems etc. The research methodology present in this study was sampling technique and sampling procedure, sampling frame, instrument for data collection, and data analysis techniques. The study discussed public library facilities, the criteria for categorization smart buildings, basic smart devices needed in public library buildings, problems and solutions identified with public library buildings in Lagos. The findings of this study indicated that introducing smart building design for a public library facility offers several notable benefits which include significant energy savings, improved indoor environmental quality, enhanced user experience through personalized services, and efficient space utilization. Moreover, smart building features enable real-time monitoring and data analytics for informed decision-making and maintenance. However, the challenges that needs to be addressed during the assessment process include high upfront costs, interoperability and data security concerns, potential disruptions during the transition phase, and the need of training staff to utilize the new technologies effectively. Overall, with careful planning, stakeholder involvement, and appropriate fundings, the library can embrace smart technologies to enhance its operational efficiency, user experience, sustainability, and contribute positively to the surrounding community.

Urbicide the City of Gaza

At 7 October Gaza city is being subjected to genocide as a result of the angry reaction, with most of the victims were childrenand women. South Africa submit a request to the International Court of Justice in a case entitled “Application of theConvention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide in the Gaza Strip (South Africa v. Israel)”.Acceptance indicates the validity of the request. Urbicide the city is one of the methods used by the colonial authorities toredesign the urban environment, by demolishing homes, public buildings, infrastructure, hospitals, open spaces and evenzoos, which would be a reformulation of the Palestinian narrative from the Israeli perspective. The study methodology isbased on analyzing the Urbicide concept . which is done through understanding the phenomena, analyzing them, andcomparing them with similar cases. This is done by analyzing some of the military objectives carried out during the war onurban, architectural, historical, governmental and community sites in Gaza. The place was destroyed, the population wasdispersed, the features of the city changed, the infrastructure disappeared, and hope became a mere mirage. The extent ofthe interrelation between the urbicide and genocide is become clear.

Assessment of Knowledge and Fire Safety Preparedness among Employees at Shopping Malls in Lusaka District

Fire disasters in public buildings continue to raise major concerns about the safety of individuals who occupy thesebuildings, as well as the customers. The objective of this study was to assess the knowledge and fire safetypreparedness among employees of shopping malls in Lusaka district. This study employed cross sectional descriptivedesign, with quantitative methods. Data was collected using a structured questionnaire from 83 respondents(employees) who were purposively sampled from six shopping malls in Lusaka. Collected data was analysed usingdescriptive statistics. The findings revealed that employees’ levels of knowledge on fire safety preparedness is low.Further, that there is low or lack of implementation of practices aimed at ensuring fire safety. The study therefore,recommends that employees in public buildings be trained on how to ensure fire safety and appropriate responses incase of fire. Moreso, fire safety plans should always be displayed to the public.

Assessment of Scaffolding Systems in Addis Ababa Public Building Projects; Current Practice, Related Problems, and Potential Solutions

Assessment of Scaffolding Systems in Addis Ababa Public Building Projects; Current Practice, Related Problems, and Potential Solutions