Headquarters Building Research Articles

Enhancing human well-being and comfort: Optimizing the integration of plants in buildings

The escalating challenges posed by greenhouse effects and the imperative for sustainable solutions have garnered global attention towards mitigating environmental harm, with buildings emerging as significant contributors to carbon emissions. This case study meticulously examines the Shunde Country Garden Headquarters Building, a visually captivating exemplar of plant integration within architectural frameworks. While the initial design emphasizes aesthetics and sustainability, a deeper exploration uncovers shortcomings in considering the well-being of occupants. The integration of plants into building structures holds promise in carbon absorption and reduced energy consumption, making a positive contribution to sustainability. However, the Shunde case underscores challenges such as insufficient natural light, poor ventilation, and elevated indoor humidity levels. These issues highlight the critical necessity of aligning architectural designs with human experiences, transcending mere aesthetics and sustainability. This study also reveals a noticeable oversight in the social dimension of buildings integrated with plants within existing certifications and architectural practices. While certifications like LEED, WELL, Envision, and BREEAM primarily evaluate sustainability from a conventional standpoint, architects often prioritize aesthetics over the living experiences of occupants. The absence of comprehensive guidelines addressing human well-being and comfort impedes the widespread adoption of Vertical Greenery Systems (VGS). In response, this project aims to propose a design guideline that holistically considers environmental, economic, and social aspects. By accentuating occupants' comfort and well-being, the objective is to unlock the practical potential of VGS across various countries. The proposed design guideline encompasses environmental, economic, and social considerations. It delves into lighting, support, and landscape elements for the environment, and addresses economic aspects such as potential, construction, design, and landscape economy. Importantly, the social aspect takes precedence in the guideline, concentrating on innovation, location, and landscape. By addressing environment, economy, and society, this paper endeavors to elevate the impact of Vertical Greenery Systems on human well-being and comfort, fostering a sustainable and harmonious relationship between architecture and nature.

Variable refrigerant flow heat pump model with estimated parameters and emulated controller based on manufacturer data

A new physics-based and modular variable refrigerant flow (VRF) heat pump model aimed toward multi-year simulations is presented. The model allows the simulation of any number of indoor units (IU), outdoor units (OU) and compressors. A parameter-estimation procedure and a control strategy both using available manufacturer data is proposed. The model is validated against data collected from a VRF system that services the first floor of the former ASHRAE Headquarters Building in Atlanta (USA), comprised of 22 IU, 2 OU, and 8 compressors. Results show that the model accurately predicts the total energy consumption over a two-month cooling period, with a relative error, normalized mean bias error, and coefficient of variation of the root mean square error of 1%, 1.6%, and 16.7%, respectively.

Samian Ware in Early Roman Contexts at Capidava

The present paper is part of a series of publications related to the research carried out in the last decade in the early Roman contexts from Capidava (Constanța County), as well. The subject of the article is a batch of 17 fragmentary ceramic vessels, belonging to the terra sigillata category. Of these, the first 16 items (Cat. nos. 1-16) are fragments of imported vessels produced in the famous ceramic production centre of La Graufesenque, in South Gaul. The last vessel, Cat. no. 17, is of local production, from the category called Pontic sigillata decorated by the barbotine technique. The entire batch of ceramic material was discovered during the archaeological excavation carried out at the Late Roman headquarters building (principia), during which the foundations of this building were also excavated. Beneath these foundations were discovered the ruins of an early Roman habitation level represented by military barracks-type buildings, a stone-paved street, a well, a rubbish pit and a waste drain that led to that pit. The material presented by us comes from this earliest context, respectively from all the urban planning elements listed above, especially from the waste drain and the rubbish pit. The dating of the material is early, namely the Flavian era until the end of Trajan’s reign. From this point of view, the ceramic material presented here completes the picture provided by other categories of material previously published from the same archaeological context.

OPENING DOORS: FRANCES HESSELBEIN’S LEADERSHIP, COURAGE, IMAGINATION, AND VISION

AbstractThe author had a long history with Frances Hesselbein, going back to Frances’s years as CEO Girl Scouts of the USA. She knew her through good times and exceedingly challenging ones. She writes, “Frances often said, ‘leadership is who you are, not what you do;’ but what she did at the vanguard of key social movements in the second half of the last century and the first two decades of this century made a real difference to our society. She helped make us who we are.” The author also includes comments made two decades ago during her interview with the late Tom Moran, when he was Chairman of Mutual of America, an organization Frances worked with closely, with offices in its headquarters building. Moran recounted “… the outstanding example Frances set. There is no way to measure the inspiration she provides others to give that extra effort to make the world a better place to live in and share.”

Detailed Design Analysis of Curved Glass Curtain Wall—Taking the Design of a Headquarters Building in Wuxi as an Example

Taking the design of a headquarters building in Wuxi as an example, from the perspective of architecture, this paper extracts many key points of the detailed design of curved glass curtain wall, combines actual cases and work experience, specifically analyzes the challenges and problems faced by glass curtain wall in the practice of detailed design, and expounds the basic ideas and technical strategies of this case in the selection of curtain wall system scheme and the related structural design of curtain wall.

Barracks of the Roman Garrison in Olbia Pontica

In the article, on the basis of the discovered sites, new areas of the Roman garrison location are revealed, in the form of seven barracks (contubernia), which were added to the defensive wall and tower at the Lower city of Olbia Pontica. At the lateral quarter, which belonged to the Roman officer, there were found marble bases of the internal columns with the name of the centurion M. Emilius Severinus of the Legio I Italica. The architectural complex located to the south of the barracks in its layout resembles administrative buildings of the Roman camps like a principia – the officers’ house, which consisted of a number of rooms located along the perimeter around the courtyard: with a separate kitchen, a dining room, a central sanctuary room (aedes principiorum), where were stored legionary signs (signa militaria), altars, and statues of deities and emperors. This can be evidenced by the architectural details found during the excavations, terracotta in the shape of eagles and Roman soldiers, Roman weapons and equipment. A similar arrangement of barracks in Olbia is known on the citadel, under the Northern defensive wall. The problem of interpretation of the praetorium building in Olbia is also considered, some quarters of which could serve as Roman barracks. The construction of the barrack blocks and headquarters buildings can be attributed to the second half of the 2nd century AD – the time of the stationary Roman garrison appearance in Olbia.

From ISET to InDRE. IV. Institute of Epidemiological Diagnosis and Reference: new orientation, 1990-2012.

From 1990 to 2012, the Sanitary and Tropical Diseases Institute experienced the most important changes. In 1989, its name and orientation were modified to become the National Institute of Epidemiological Diagnosis and Reference. Shortly before, it had been formalized as the apex of the National Network of Public Health Laboratories and had incorporated laboratories for preventive programs such as exfoliative cytology and rabies, malaria and tuberculosis diagnosis; subsequently, it would incorporate other networks that emerged as part of the response to major epidemic outbreaks and to the new epidemiological outlook. In this period, 27 priority diagnostic algorithms were defined, organized in 18 networks, some of which began to collaborate with global networks. In 2001, the Institute started working with pathogens related to bioterrorism. By then, space restrictions of the headquarter's building were evident; in 2008, starting the construction of new facilities was decided. The Institute and its diagnostic networks constitute a milestone in Latin American public health of the 21st century.

Making a new world: Karin Jonzen and the World Health Organization in New Delhi and Geneva in the early 1960s

This the first art historical study to focus on Karin Jonzen (née Löwenadler, 1914–98), the youngest sculptor to contribute to the first Battersea Park ‘Open Air Sculpture Exhibition’ in 1948 and the Festival of Britain in 1951. Jonzen’s pre-war art school training was at the Slade School of Fine Art (1933–36) and the City and Guilds Art School at Kennington (1937), before she won the British School in Rome Sculpture Scholarship in 1939, though her residency was thwarted by the outbreak of war. The article focuses on two previously neglected UK commissions that Jonzen completed for the UN’s specialist agency, the World Health Organization (WHO), in the early 1960s for new headquarters buildings in New Delhi and Geneva. Drawing on previously unpublished archive material in Geneva, New Delhi and London, the article establishes the commissions as government gifts to the WHO and analyses the works in relation to their respective buildings and the WHO’s ideal of making a new world dedicated to health as ‘a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being’. The article offers new perspectives on Jonzen’s sculptural practice and the significance of the commissions in the context of post-war British sculpture and its promotion at home and abroad.

Green Building Concepts and Technologies in Ethiopia: The Case of Wegagen Bank Headquarters Building

The building sector is a key contributor to climate change, accounting for 40% of global energy consumption and 39% of CO2 emissions. Presently, green buildings have been viewed as crucial strategies to reduce the negative effects of the construction sector. Yet green building research is often carried out in developed countries, while relatively little is known in sub-Saharan African countries. Therefore, this study attempts to investigate the extent of adoption of green building concepts and technologies in Ethiopian buildings, with particular reference to the Wegagen Bank Headquarters building. The study employed an interview, which was underpinned by observation. The quantitative data were analyzed through descriptive statistics while the qualitative data were analyzed through content and context analysis. Results revealed that while the building provides convenient access to transportation; it lacks designated open spaces. Based on the findings, the widely used technologies were energy-saving lighting, highly efficient plumbing fixtures, and external solar shading system. Lack of awareness, lack of policy, insufficient professional skills, the perception that green buildings are expensive, and lack of green building materials hindered the adoption of the concepts. Therefore, the study suggests developing green building policy and rating systems, professional capacity building, and awareness creation as important measures.

Health-Supportive Office Design—It Is Chafing Somewhere: Where and Why?

This explorative case study investigates health-promoting office design from an experience and meaning-making perspective in an activity-based flex-office (A-FO) in a headquarter building. This small case study (n = 11) builds using qualitative data (walk-through and focus group interviews). A reflexive thematic analysis (RTA) of the experience of design approach was performed on this from a health and sustainability perspective, including the physical, mental, and social dimensions of health defined by WHO. Results show a wide range in participants’ experiences and meaning-making of the health-promoting office design of their office building. The control aspect plays a central role in participants’ experiences, including factors such as surveillance and obeyance, related to status and power, in turn associated with experiences of pleasantness, symbolism, and inclusiveness. Three main themes are identified in participants’ experiences: (1) comfort–non-comfort, (2) outsider–insider, and (3) symbolism. The major finding of the study is the ambiguity among participants about the health-supportive office design of the office building per se and its various environments. There is a sense that it is chafing, due to dissonance between the intention of the office and the applied design.

Potential reduction in drinking water consumption at the headquarters of the Regional Electoral Court of Pernambuco - TRE/PE

Water conservation in buildings includes not only reducing the demand for potable water, but also adopting alternative sources for activities with less noble purposes. Public buildings under the jurisdiction of the Federal, State, and Municipal governments are required to promote actions aimed at the rational use and conservation of water, according to the responsibility established in the Environmental Agenda in Public Administration.In light of the above, this study aims to analyze the potential for reducing drinking water consumption at the headquarters building of the Electoral Regional Court of Pernambuco - TRE/PE through the use of alternative water sources, such as rainwater and condensed water from air conditioners. The methodology began with the characterization of the study site and the consumption of potable water.Subsequently, the technical and economic feasibility of rainwater and condensate water use was investigated, as well as a comparison between the proposed measures. The results obtained indicate that the techniques studied are beneficial, presenting significant potential for reducing the consumption of potable water that would be used for toilet flushing, 63% for rainwater use and 62% for condensate water.In addition, they can also provide annual financial savings of R$8,216.01 and R$8,045.74, respectively. Thus, besides reducing drinking water consumption, the proposed measures also promote the minimization of financial costs, whose capital can be used in the search for continuous improvement of services provided to society.

The Micro-district … A Smart, Sustainable Vision In The Architecture Of Headquarters Buildings

People spend about 70-80% of their time indoors. When it comes to employees who averagely start working from the age of 21 until the age of retirement, 60; more or less. Almost 8 to 9 hours per day is the average of working hours. According to Bahrain’s labour market regulatory authority, that makes it 40 to 45 hours per week (5 days of work). Thus, it exerts a significant impact upon the lives of a great number of people. Today the power that we must unleash is the power of innovation. Human beings, their ideas, inventions, dreams, and connections, are the capital of the future. Because where great minds go today, great things will happen tomorrow. “Micro smart district” is the point of the research that aims to introduce design guidelines for the smart workplace in headquarters’ buildings and create intimates and intelligent ways in a comfortable environment.

Activities of Āgenskalns Gymnastics and Sports Society and Its Headquarters at 7 Baldones Street

Āgenskalns Gymnastics and Sports Society was one of the largest and best-known Baltic-German sports organizations in the first half of the 20th century. Sports enthusiasts of various professions, including engineers, participated in the activities of this society. The house built by the Society in 1910 at 7 Baldones S treet, Riga, which has been rebuilt several times, played an important role in the sports life. The research presents comprehensive documentary evidence about the Society until the repatriation of the Baltic- Germans in 1939 and the history of its headquarters building. Using the documents and press materials from the Latvian State Historical Archive (LSHA) of the National Archives of Latvia (NAL), archive documents of the Riga Construction Board, as well as the collection of the Latvian Sports Museum, previously unknown facts have been revealed.

Казармы римского гарнизона в Ольвии

The author has identified some new locations of the Roman garrison within previously known architectural objects, based on the mappings of the finds associated with the Roman troops. These are seven barracks (contubernia) adjoining the defensive wall and tower in the Lower City of Olbia, which were studied in 1930s. In a lateral premise, which should belong to the Roman officer according to the Roman military planning, a few marble bases of the internal columns were found, with the name of the centurion M. Emilius Severinus of the legio I Italica. The layout of the architectural complex located to the south of the barracks resembles some administrative buildings of the Roman camps like a principia — the officers’ house, which consisted of a number of rooms located along the perimeter around the courtyard: with a separate kitchen, a dining room, a central sanctuary room (aedes principiorum), where legionary signs (signa militaria) were stored, altars, and statues of deities and emperors. This can be evidenced by the architectural details found during the excavations, terracotta in the form of eagles and Roman soldiers, Roman weapons and equipment. A similar arrangement of barracks in Olbia is known on the citadel, under the northern defensive wall. The problem of interpretation of the praetorium building in Olbia is also considered, some quarters of which could serve as Roman barracks. The construction of the barrack blocks and headquarters buildings can be attributed to the second half of the II century AD — the time when a regular Roman garrison appeared in Olbia.

Assessing the values-based context of conservation for modern architectural heritage: a study on the Headquarters Building of the T.R. 17th Regional Directorate of Highways Complex, Istanbul

ABSTRACT This article contributes to the debate on modern architectural heritage by emphasizing the values-based context of conservation. Considering the abstractness of the concepts and the clarity of realities, the paper tries to introduce the uncertainty of the valuation phase for the conservation of modern architectural heritage by presenting a remarkable case study: The Headquarters Building of the Turkish Republic (T.R.) 17th Regional Directorate of Highways Complex, Istanbul. Designed by Mehmet Konuralp in 1973, the Headquarters, as one of the first skyscrapers in Istanbul presenting the basic qualities of modernism, was listed as an architectural asset in 2004 based on its art-design, artistic-technical, social, and symbolic values. However, it fell victim to a series of decisions taken by administrative authorities on the grounds that the attributed values are not worth protecting. Through a comprehensive analysis of the Headquarters, this study intends to demonstrate the incomplete understandings of modern architectural heritage and its values, as well as to present a discussion concerning similar cases at risk. As a concluding remark, the existing values-based approach of conservation for the modern architectural heritage calls into question and some initial possibilities are proposed to raise awareness.

The search for identity in a global world: The case of Doha in Qatar

During the second half of the 20th century, urban areas in the Arabian Gulf countries underwent massive change as they transformed from small villages into global cities. This was due to these countries’ development from pearling- and fishing-based economies into ones based on oil, followed by in many cases by efforts to transition into more broad-based economies. In the case of Doha, the capital of Qatar, oil revenues have been used to develop a new modern city, but little attention was paid to the conservation of the local cultural heritage. Many buildings that were old were treated as reminders of an earlier, poorer life and thus gave way to more modern replacements. High-rise buildings were built for economic benefit and to project the image of a global city. Meanwhile, rapid development led to an expansion of the city in all directions. In parallel, the old city centre deteriorated and has become an area of refuge for low-income foreign workers. Today, Doha has become a global city, its coastal skyline gleaming with glassy high-rise buildings, but with few reminders of the local Qatari culture. The demolition process and construction of modern buildings and facilities has led many to feel that the city has lost its identity and sense of place. This paper explores the recent efforts to conserve and reconstruct the local city identity. For example, some construction projects are following newer trends based on renovation and rehabilitation; these include the rehabilitation project of Souk Waqif and the ongoing Msheireb regeneration project. In addition, a number of new projects make use of the local Qatari architectural style, as is the case with the Gulf Mall, the Ministry of Interior and the traffic headquarters buildings.

Firm location and systematic risk: the real estate channel

Purpose This paper aims to investigate whether the cyclicality of local real estate prices affects the systematic risk of local firms using a geography-based measure of land availability as a quasi-exogenous proxy for real estate price cyclicality. Design/methodology/approach This paper uses the geography-based land availability measure as a proxy for the procyclicality of real estate prices and the location of a firm’s headquarters as a proxy for the location of its real estate assets. Four-factor asset pricing model (market, size, value and momentum factors) is used to examine whether firms headquartered in more land-constrained metropolitan statistical areas have higher systematic risks. Findings The results show that real estate prices are more procyclical in areas with lower land availability and firms headquartered in these areas have higher systematic risk. This effect is more pronounced for firms with higher real estate holdings as a ratio of their tangible assets. Moreover, there are no abnormal returns to trading strategies based on land availability, consistent with stock market betas reflecting this local real estate factor. Research limitations/implications This paper contributes to the literature on local asset pricing factors, the collateral role of firms’ real estate holdings and the co-movement of security prices of geographically close firms. Practical implications This paper has important managerial implications by showing that, when firms decide on the location of their buildings (e.g. headquarters building, manufacturing plant and retail outlet), the location’s influence on systematic risk should be part of the decision-making process. Originality/value This paper is among the first to use a geography-based measure of land availability to study whether the procyclicality of local real estate prices influences firm risk independent of the procyclicality of the local economy. Thus, both the portfolio formed and firm-level analyses provide a more direct evidence of the positive relation between the procyclicality of local real estate prices and firm risk.

Gestão de custos como instrumento de eficiência no âmbito do Ministério Público do Estado do Rio Grande do Norte

A atual pesquisa tem o propósito de estudar os custos com o serviço de energia elétrica no âmbito do Ministério Público do Estado do Rio Grande do Norte (MPRN), no período de janeiro a agosto de 2018, com a finalidade de obter um diagnóstico gerencial, que possibilite propor ações para reduzir os custos desse serviço. A abordagem da pesquisa caracteriza-se como quali-quantitativa; em relação aos objetivos, é classificada como descritiva e explicativa, e, quanto aos procedimentos, como pesquisa documental e estudo de caso. O estudo apresenta diagnóstico da despesa com o serviço de energia elétrica e apontou medidas de gestão para reduzi-la, considerando as atuais restrições orçamentárias institucionais. Os principais resultados apontam para agregações de 3 (três) comarcas, redução da demanda contratada junto à Cosern do prédio sede das Promotorias de Natal e implementação das sugestões de boas práticas, de baixo custo, para redução do consumo de energia no âmbito institucional do MPRN.

Implementation of Building Information Modeling for Construction Clash Detection Process in the Design Stage: A Case Study of Malaysian Police Headquarter Building

The Malaysian government motivates constructor companies to use Building Information Modeling (BIM) on their projects because it can dominate problems such as design error, delay, and construction-overrun costs. This research also assesses the effect of BIM in the design phase of the construction process and how this technology can detect all existing clash in construction plans during the design phase. The research was carried out through a case study that contains an architectural, structural, and Mechanical, Electrical and Plumbing (MEP) BIM models and their following clash detection. The current study implemented Autodesk Revit and Autodesk Navisworks Manage as BIM tools to develop features to simplify and automatically clash detection process. The result from the case study analysis revealed that BIM is an appropriate tool for detecting clashes among the building elements. Therefore, constructability issues can be determined earlier during the design phase before the construction phase begins, controlling project cost, time, and having a seamless design to produce a better building.

Construction Status of ISLIS/IRI Headquarters Building

Construction Status of ISLIS/IRI Headquarters Building