Building Owners Research Articles

Building renovation Roadmapping: an automated methodology framework for energy efficiency improvement and sustainable renovation planning

ABSTRACT A significant portion of energy consumption currently derives from the building stock, which has harms both the environment and the living standard of occupants, while at the European level, the renovation rate of the current building stock remains low. This study presents a methodology for automated retrofitting scenarios in buildings that enhances user awareness through meaningful visualisations and fosters collaboration of renovation professionals with interoperable software solutions. Commercial design software (Autodesk Revit, Graphisoft ArchiCad) generates the Building Information Model (BIM) in the Industry Foundation Class (IFC) format. IFCs are processed by a parsing tool, which translates IFC files into a comprehensible data model. The proposed framework initially examines the asset-based elements and calculates as-designed energy consumption by extracting information from the produced data model. Based on conducted calculations, the proposed schema identifies mandatory renovation actions and generates scenarios for a variety of examined categories. The final output consists of a renovation roadmap that prioritises changes with the greatest impact based on the demand of the building’s stakeholders. The proposed methodology provides a promising approach to help building owners and stakeholders with the identification and prioritisation of energy-saving retrofitting actions, thus contributing to the achievement of energy efficiency goals.

Evaluation of the Demand Flexibility Potential Through Joint Optimization of Building Thermal Response and Indoor Air Quality in Commercial Buildings

Abstract Large commercial buildings may display demand flexibility, which reduces electric energy expenses for the building owner and carbon emissions from grid operations, provides distributed energy resources, and increases the penetration of renewable energy sources. Demand-controlled ventilation (DCV) and building thermal mass control can individually and jointly provide such flexibility. The performance and financial payback of these technology options can be dramatically improved if based on hourly electric prices and carbon emissions rates. In this study, a modeled but actual large office building, simulated using New York City hourly electric prices, hourly CO2e emissions rates, and weather data for the summer 2019 cooling season is based on these dynamic driving parameters. A joint optimization of a building’s thermal mass and indoor CO2 content is presented. Superior energy savings and carbon emissions reductions are found for the joint optimization scenario when compared to both the baseline operation and individual optimization of building thermal mass and indoor CO2 content. These findings motivate the development of a real-time joint control system that utilizes closed-loop model predictive control (MPC) to optimally harness both sources of demand flexibility, a system that would require the future development of forecasting algorithms for external and control-oriented system models.

Prototype of Automatic Door and Fire Alarm System Based on IoT

This research discusses the development of a prototype of an automatic door and fire alarm system based on the Internet of Things (IoT) utilizing IR sensors to detect people, servo motors to automate door opening, flame detectors for fire detection, MQ-2 sensors for smoke detection, and Telegram as a notification medium. The integration of these technologies aims to enhance security and automation in home or office environments. IR sensors are used to detect people approaching the door, while servo motors provide a solution for door automation. Flame detectors and MQ-2 are employed to detect potential fires by issuing early warnings. This system communicates through the Telegram application to notify users. Testing conducted indicates that IR sensors can detect the presence of people up to a distance of 5cm to activate the micro servo opening the door. The flame detector effectively detects fire up to a distance of 30cm, while the MQ-2 sensor detects smoke up to a distance of 20cm; both generate output signals to activate the micro servo, LED, and buzzer for fire alarms, as well as sending notifications via Telegram to the building owner. With this approach, it is hoped to create an effective, efficient, and reliable system to enhance security and response to emergency situations.

Reciprocal Pricing Strategy to Improve MSME Performance

This study aims to prove that the new concept of reciprocal pricing can affect the improvement of MSME performance. This study uses a quantitative approach with the sample technique used is Cluster Random Sampling This technique is taken with the argument that this research was conducted in several areas, namely, the tourism area of MSMEs street food vendors, then the building owner sells drinks or other products that are not similar. There were 175 MSMEs that became the object of research using the SEM AMOS analysis tool. Empirical evidence proves that Reciprocal pricing is able to encourage the improvement of MSME performance. Implement a marketing strategy strategy that focuses on building and maintaining marketing relationships between one business unit and another for the long term with the aim of providing different value to customers from competitors. The novelty of this research is Reciprocal Pricing, which is the concept of reciprocal pricing by two or more business units that provide mutual benefits to the agreed price, this variable is thought to improve performance. The implication is that efforts to improve the performance of MSMEs need to use the concept of Reciprocal Pricing in this research which is proven to encourage the improvement of MSME performance. The implementation of reciprocal pricing in improving the performance of MSMEs in tourism areas is proven to increase the number of consumers.

Cracks within capitalism: Alternative rental practices and a politics of care among small-building owners in Chicago

ABSTRACT The United States is currently in the fourth decade of an ongoing, and worsening, affordable housing crisis, due in part to neoliberal financialization and the retrenchment of social safety net programs. Research has illuminated the role that landlords play in maintaining, and profiting, from this neoliberal turn in the housing market. Meanwhile, low-income renters and other marginalized people have engaged in strategic resistance and activism, drawing on a politics of community care and collectivism that runs counter to neoliberal market ideology. It is within this wider context—a housing market where neoliberal and collective care politics clash—that I analyze the viewpoints and rental practices of a unique group of housing market actors: resident landlords, or people who live in the same buildings as their tenants. Among a wider sample of 52 owner-occupants, I interviewed 22 owners who held anti-oppression viewpoints, and who attempted to put their politics into practice by adopting atypical rental practices. Drawing on Black radical and feminist traditions in urban political economy, I theorize these activities as political decisions that created sites of opportunity, where building owners and residents attempted to reconfigure their relationships under capitalism, providing a window into possibilities for more caring housing arrangements.

DEA를 활용한 재외한국학교의 효율성 분석

The purpose of this study is to analyze the relative efficiency of overseas Korean schools receiving financial support under the Act on Educational Support for Korean Nationals Abroad. The investigation includes identifying environmental factors that influence efficiency. To achieve this goal, data envelopment analysis (DEA), a method suitable for measuring efficiency, was employed to assess overseas Korean schools. The analysis covered a three-year period from 2020 to 2022, comparing and scrutinizing the efficiency of these schools during this timeframe. In addition, the study utilized the Tobit model to examine the impact of various factors on the efficiency of overseas Korean schools. These factors include the country of the school's location, educational objectives, student size, school system organization, ownership of land and buildings, school corporation, development fund, years of establishment, and the GDP of the host country. The Tobit model was employed to analyze how these variables influence the efficiency of the schools. As a result of the empirical analysis conducted from 2020 to 2022, the relative efficiency of overseas Korean schools was measured. The study identified 9 schools exhibiting Constant Return to Scale(CRS) and distinguished 25 schools with either Decreasing Return to Scale(DRS) or Increasing Return to Scale(IRS). The impact on efficiency indicates that schools located in Northeast Asia and large-scale schools demonstrated relatively high efficiency. Contrary to expectations, school corporation and completed school system organization exhibited relatively lower efficiency. Lastly, the lower the GDP of the host country, the higher the efficiency. This study identified inefficiencies in terms of technology and scale of overseas Korean schools. By analyzing environmental factors, information on the direction of government financial support can be provided. It is expected that this evaluation of the efficiency of overseas Korean schools will serve as basis for establishing strategies to strengthen the effectiveness of government subsidies.

The Development of a Framework for the Automated Translation of Sketch-Based Data into BIM Models

At the foundational phase of architectural design, it is of the utmost importance to precisely capture and articulate the visions and requirements of stakeholders, including building owners. This critical step ensures that professionals, including architects, can effectively translate the initial concepts into actionable designs. This research was directed towards developing a framework to facilitate the decision-making process by efficiently depicting the client’s intentions. This study demonstrates a framework that leverages deep learning to automate the creation of Building Information Modeling (BIM) models from sketched data. The framework’s methodology includes defining the necessary processes, system requirements, and data for system development, followed by the actual system implementation. It involves several key phases: (1) developing a process model to outline the framework’s operational procedures and data flows, (2) implementing the framework to translate sketched data into a BIM model through system and user interface development, and, finally, (3) validating the framework’s ability to precisely convert sketched data into BIM models. Our findings demonstrate the framework’s capacity to automatically interpret sketched lines as architectural components, thereby accurately creating BIM models. In the present study, the methodology and framework proposed enable clients to represent their understanding of spatial configuration through Building Information Modeling (BIM) models. This approach is anticipated to enhance the efficiency of communication with professionals such as architects.

Secondhand smoke Infiltration in multiunit housing: Health effects and nicotine levels

IntroductionApproximately 46% of U.S. multiunit housing residents with smoke-free home rules, 29 million persons, experience secondhand smoke infiltration in their apartments. Federal health authorities warn that secondhand smoke exposure in multiunit housing is detrimental to the health of children and nonsmoking adults. However, none of the 50 U.S. States bans smoking in privately-owned multiunit housing, and less than 0.1% of the 91,000 U.S. municipalities do. Materials and methodsThis study investigates the health problems reported by 162 nonsmoking residents residing in 104 multiunit apartments in 71 municipalities in 19 U.S. States and the District of Columbia, plus 2 Canadian Provinces. Smoke infiltration was confirmed for residents of 103 nonsmoking apartments using self-deployed passive nicotine monitors from 2006 to 2023. Another five subjects reported health problems from marijuana smoke infiltration confirmed by self-administered marijuana surface wipe tests. The secondhand smoke levels in smokers’ units are estimated using mathematical modeling. ResultsNonsmokers complained of eye, nose, throat, and lung irritation, headache, dizziness, nausea, difficulty in breathing, tachycardia, and asthmatic attacks as well as malodors. Many sought medical care and some were hospitalized. Some regarded their apartments as uninhabitable. About 12% resorted to litigation. Nicotine concentrations in subjects’ apartments ranged from 0.001 to 6.60 µg/m3 (geometric mean, 0.028 µg/m3). Modeled PM2.5 levels for a typical smoker’s apartment estimated air pollution levels ranging from “Very Unhealthy” to “Hazardous” levels of the U.S. Air Quality Index. Marijuana surface wipe tests in 5 units showed Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) ranging from 1.25 µg/m2 to 6.92 µg/m2. Reported health effects were similar to those with tobacco complaints. ConclusionsSecondhand smoke infiltration from smokers’ apartments into nonsmokers’ apartment units in multiunit housing can provoke major morbidity for nonsmoking residents. Nonsmokers’ efforts to eliminate infiltration by sealing of cracks, air cleaning, or increased ventilation proved futile. Building owners and managers need to be educated about protecting nonsmoking residents’ health and welfare from secondhand smoke infiltration. Smoking of tobacco and marijuana products in multiunit housing should be banned.

The history and evolution of warranty liability of apartment complexes

Regulations on defects in multi-family housing are stipulated by two positive laws: the Act on Ownership and Management of Condominium Buildings and the Multi-Family Housing Management Act. However, the characteristics and purpose of these two laws differ. The Multi-Family Housing Management Act is a public law securing the constitutional rights to housing, which includes administrative laws on the construction of housing (e.g., the Housing Construction Promotion Act) and those related to the management of housing (e.g., the Housing Act and the Multi-Family Housing Management Act). However, the Act on Ownership and Management of Condominium Buildings is a private law merely focusing on the property rights of condominium owners. Therefore, the stipulations of these two positive laws regarding defects in multi-family housing also differ in many aspects, such as the types of defects, standings to claim repair, distribution of responsibility, and statutory limitations. However, the legal aspect remains ambiguous, despite the gap being narrowed through several rounds of enactment and amendment to positive laws. In particular, the meaning of the project implementer's defect repair responsibility, which must be understood from a public law perspective, has been considerably ambiguous. Consequently, for defects in multi-family housing, the focus is merely on monetary compensation for defects, which is a matter of private law, rather than on the implementation of defect repair itself, which is a matter of public law. Accordingly, this study examines the problems related to the repair of defects in multi-family housing by analyzing the history of these positive laws, their detailed stipulations, and the differences in defect warranty liability. Based on these analyses, this study attempts to identify and suggest solutions to overcome these issues.

Exploring an unknown: Representative sample survey on structure and energy-related quality of the non-residential building stock in Germany

The non-residential building stock in Germany, as in many other countries, is not fully represented in any official statistics, in contrast to residential buildings. This is surprising given the economic significance of this asset and its importance as a source of greenhouse gases. The knowledge gap was closed in a representative sample survey providing statistically valid data on structural parameters and energy-related characteristics of the non-residential building stock in Germany. This became possible because by December 2014 authoritative building polygons from all German cadastres were available in a national database for the first time. These geospatial data, adjusted for topological inconsistencies and supplemented with owner information in an on-site screening, were used as a sampling frame in the previously unknown population of the non-residential buildings, a new approach in building stock statistics worldwide. While the geometry of all buildings can be derived from the geospatial data, energy-related characteristics and renovation activities have to be obtained by interviews with the owners of the relevant non-residential buildings in the sample. With this methodology, regular monitoring of building stocks at reasonable costs becomes possible. It also can be transferred to other states with similar geospatial data infrastructure, in particular to other EU Member States.

Investigation of policy tools for energy efficiency improvement in public buildings in China—current situation, obstacles, and solutions

The energy consumption from the building sector accounts for more than 21% of the total in China, where the energy-use intensity of public buildings could reach 3 times that of residential buildings. Energy efficiency improvement (EEI) is considered to be one of the most rapid and cost-effective means for the building sector to achieve carbon neutrality. The Chinese government has carried out a series of policy tool exploration to promote the energy efficiency improvement efforts by public building owners since over a decade ago, but encountered various problems and obstacles. This paper investigated and compared the current status challenges, and problems in the implementation of EEI policy tools in China and developed countries through literature review, field investigations and interviews with experts and stakeholders, and finally also put forward some possible coping strategies for Chinese government. Results indicated that energy grading and labeling, energy benchmarking, carbon-emission trading and energy-consumption quota management were the main 4 EEI policy tools designed based on measured energy consumption data, where the first 3 ones had been widely used over the developed countries but the last one was unique to China. Difficulty in large-scale collection of building energy-consumption data, lack of scientific methods on building energy-use level evaluation, limited data application and feedback, undesirable association between stakeholders, etc., were the main obstacles for achieving the long-term effectiveness of the EEI policy tools. Cooperating with energy supply enterprises to collect data, establishing an effective energy grading system and a closed loop of policy implementation, exploring a new model of building carbon-emission trading and a differential pricing mechanism, combined with innovative financial supports, might be the solutions. The main contribution of this study is that a comprehensive investigation and analysis on the current development status, obstacles, and possible solutions of the public building EEI policy tools in China was carried out, which is expected to provide a reference for the government of China and even the world.

Smart operational technologies programming for whole-building decarbonisation

Have you ever finished designing a new building and wondered what technologies are specified for the building? When using delegated design for building technologies, is the scope clearly defined or is it left to the vendor to decide? If you do not know the answers to these questions — or worse, you say to yourself, ‘my vendor has that’ — this paper is for you. Regardless of project delivery, if building owners want to democratise their building data, take advantage of digital twin technologies and advanced data layer capabilities and operate their buildings at the highest possible levels of performance, they must take control of their building’s operational technologies (OTs). Delegated design of OTs is typically the root cause of building owners not controlling or owning their building performance data. This paper is intended to provide building owners with the basic framework for OT programming, which is the only way to ensure ownership and control over building performance data. Our previous Corporate Real Estate Journal paper from Vol. 12, No. 3, Spring 2023 titled ‘Integration of building science and data science to de-risk an affordable strategy for building decarbonisation’ provides a higher-level view of the benefits from the integration of OTs. The convergence of global challenges requires building owners to address building performance as performance is now expected by owners, investors, occupants and governments. Merging building science and data science is the most cost-effective way to deliver expected building performance over the life of a building. Smart building infrastructure technology democratises building data and is the key to cost-effectively controlling building performance. Data is the new gold and smart operational technology programming is the new shovel.

집합건물의 공용부분에서의 수익금의 분배 및 대지권 미등기 상태의 아파트 경매에 관한 소고

To summarize the main points of the author's argument, the following are the key points.
 First, it is reasonable to view the act of the managing body of condominium building seeking unjust enrichment against an unauthorized occupant of the the section for common use of condominium building an act of management. Therefore, in order for the managing body to exercise the right to unjust enrichment, it must meet the requirements of resolution of the managing body’s meeting.
 Second, if the managing body is viewed as a litigator for the division ownership holder, it is reasonable to assume that the Res Judicata over the division ownership holder's claims subordinate the managing body.
 Third, a division ownership holder must have a resolution of the unit owners' meeting in order to claim a share of the profits from the the section for common use of condominium building from the managing body.
 Finally, if a purchaser at an auction pays the price including the section of exclusive ownership of condominium building and the right to use site as the auction price, but only acquires the he section of exclusive ownership without the right to use site, the purchaser may claim that the auction price for the right to use site is unjustly enriched from the enforcement creditor and may claim warranty liability against the debtor under Article 578 of the Civil Code.

Capturing flexibility gains by price models for district heating

Flexibility can support the energy transition and improve the efficiency of heat supply to buildings. This study tests price models for the inclusion of heat pumps (HPs) in district heating network (DHN). Various price models were tested in two cases in Sweden. In Sweden, DH companies are increasingly confronted with instances where building owners invest in a HP and only use DH when it is too cold for the HP to function efficiently. This poses challenges for DH companies due to the high costs associated with peak load production. Potential gains in HP-DHN flexibility and the investment and operational risks of HP-DHN integration are therefore important topics to understand and investigate. Our results show that HPs can increase the flexibility of DHNs, reduce costs and environmental impact. We also identify that the lowest risk exposure to DH companies, in HP-DHN arrangements, is when the building owner invests in the HP and the DH company operates it.

Effects of Individual Client’s Competencies on Construction Project Performance: Mediating Participation Attitude and Partnership

Within a construction project, the clients are categorized as private individuals, private companies, public institutions, etc. In this research, the private client is identified as a non-professional individual building owner and is involved in making decisions and solving problems for successful construction project performance. However, irrational decision-making and conflicts frequently occur with project delay and poor performance because the individual clients are normally non-professionals and lack the capacity to lead various stakeholders on the project. This study analyzes the effects of the project managerial competencies of the private individual clients on the construction performance. The client’s competencies were defined as ‘personal’, ‘social’, and ‘professional’ factors, and participation attitude and partnership were used as the mediating factors. The offline survey was conducted with 241 building owners in South Korea. The result indicates that personal and professional competencies had a positive effect on project performance, whereas social competency did not have an effect. Personal competency had the greatest effect on participation attitude and partnership. Social and professional competencies had a positive effect on partnership, not participation attitude. Hence, this shows that the personal competencies of the building owner as the end user of the project related to cognition, planning, and decision-making are important for project success.

Homeowners of Saint Petersburg at the End of the 19th Century: Numbers, Social, National and Gender Composition

The article is devoted to the study of the quantitative and qualitative composition of homeowners in Saint Petersburg at the end of the 19th century. Analysing the book “List of Homeowners in Saint Petersburg”, the author of the article compiles the social, national and gender composition of Saint Petersburg owners of apartment buildings in 1892.

Three-dimensional property: Current development trends on the Polish example

Abstract 126The majority of modern European legislations traditionally follows the concept of land ownership derived from Roman law. It is based on the assumption that the owner’s rights are unlimited in spatial terms. Within this understanding, the spatial scope of ownership extends to open space above and below a specific part of the land’s surface, delineated two-dimensionally. Several exceptions to the general underlying approach have been successively introduced in particular European legal systems in the course of historical development. These include, in the first place, building leases and apartment ownership as well as separate ownership of buildings. Furthermore, widely accepted limitations as to the vertical scope of ownership stem from specific regulations in the fields of mining law, geological law, water law and aviation law. Another manifestation of departure from the traditional concept of land ownership are legal solutions falling into the category of three-dimensional (3D) property, which is of increasing interest nowadays in view of growing needs for new forms of ownership and land use in densely built urban areas. At the core of the concept of 3D property in the strict sense lies the possibility to divide the space into distinct layers defined by horizontal and vertical planes, and to create so-called three-dimensional immovable properties which constitute independent objects of property rights. Such 3D units can serve multiple above- and underground investment purposes. Regulations regarding different models of 3D property rights have already been adopted in a number of countries in Europe and worldwide. Recently, conceptual work on layered ownership has been undertaken in Poland, which has opened a discussion in the legal scholarship on the future legislative changes to be implemented in order to introduce the notion of 3D property to domestic law. In parallel with these tendencies, the idea of 3D cadastre is being promoted. It offers 127the possibility to register real estate objects located at different levels. Worthy of note in this regard is also the impact of the current technological advancements on increasing the investment potential of urban space through 3D property formation. This article elaborates, first, on the general concept and selected types of 3D property rights existing in national jurisdictions. Against this background, the proposal for the new legal construct of layered ownership has been discussed with particular consideration of the possible ways of adapting it to the Polish property law framework. Some of the opportunities and challenges brought about by the 3D property rights development have been then outlined in the context of extensive implementation of emerging technologies in real estate transactions.

Utilization of Colonial Buildings into Business Houses in Semarang

Colonial buildings that still survive today are the main attraction because they have high characteristics and historical value. Colonial buildings are one of the cultural heritage that need to be maintained. The existence of colonial residential buildings must be maintained and utilized commercially as one of the solutions to survive. Maintenance of old colonial buildings is not easy, it needs to be quite expensive due to the age of the building and the need for rejuvenation. Heirs or owners of colonial buildings must maximize the building commercially, one of which is on the building on Jalan Beringin Sekayu Semarang by making it a business house. This colonial building has not yet entered the cultural heritage building. Still, it has the potential to enter the cultural heritage building in the future judging from the history and appearance of the building's façade.
 The use of colonial residential buildings in business houses needs careful adjustment and arrangement because of the existence of 2 different functions. Residential houses are private zones that require the privacy of homeowners and their families, while business premises are public zones that can be accessed publicly and must reflect professionalism to be trusted by clients and must increase employee productivity. Comfort as a home and professionalism in a place of business are not easy to do without good planning. Planning must not change the total face of the building so that the historical value of the cultural heritage is not lost. Spatial adjustments must also be made by considering aspects of function, comfort, and professionalism. Without good planning, colonial buildings that have historical value, and cultural heritage characteristics will be lost and buildings cannot function properly with disruption of activities as residences and places of business. 
 The research was conducted with descriptive qualitative research methods through field observation, interviews, and literature studies. Research needs to be done so that colonial buildings can survive as cultural heritage and be used properly with adjustments due to their function as a residence as well as a place of business. The results of the study can describe the changes or adaptations that occur due to the use of colonial buildings of residential houses in places of business. These changes and adaptations include the appearance of the façade, zoning area, and circulation.

Post-Construction Defects in Multi-Unit Australian Dwellings: An Analysis of the Defect Type, Causes, Risks, and Impacts

Due to the rising prices of houses and rent, apartment buildings have become the preferred and most utilized dwellings in Australia. However, there have been cases of serious defects in multi-unit dwellings (apartment buildings), posing various risks to and reducing potential residents’ confidence in such dwellings. To address this issue, the current study investigated the types, causes, risk severity, and impacts of defects on residents in mid- to high-rise multi-unit dwellings in Australia. The study utilized a mixed approach involving quantitative (online questionnaire) and qualitative (interviews) methods. Data were collected from 104 apartment building residents in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, with support from interviews with six experienced local construction professionals. The results revealed that there are 11 key defects present in local apartment buildings, with waterproofing, internal finishes, and structural issues being the most frequently reported. Residents typically report these defects to building owners, agents, and managers, who take more than three months, on average, to rectify them, adding to the residents’ psychological issues and their inability to use the property as intended. The reasons for the delayed rectification of defects include non-responsive owners, agents, and building management teams, scheduling conflicts, litigation, and high costs. The interviewed professionals acknowledged the presence of defects and identified the reliance on Design and Construct (D&C) and fixed price contracts, lack of public awareness, and absence of a system to capture builders’ reputation, as well as a manipulative quality check system, as key reasons for defects. This study addresses the defect concerns in multi-unit Australian dwellings (apartments) and expects to spark a much-needed debate around reforms in the construction sector to address these issues and minimize their risks and impact on residents.

Data-driven model for real-time evaluating capacity of commercial buildings to participate in the demand response

The collective building stock is a major energy consumer, driving political discussions and forcing building owners to seek out cost-effective technologies. This creates a business opportunity in demand response (DR) services for commercial real estate. Despite recent efforts, developing a simple, scalable model remains an open question. We develop a real-time method for estimating electricity consumption profiles and inertia, enabling a bidding strategy on the DR market without compromising indoor climate. Accurate prediction of temperature changes is achieved through efficient models validated with real data.