Product Architecture Research Articles

Zero-gap bipolar membrane water electrolyzers: Principles, challenges and practical insights

Producing hydrogen through the electrolysis of water is an attractive method for storing intermittent, renewably-generated power in the form of a clean-burning fuel. Amongst the various types of electrolyzer that have been proposed, those employing bipolar membranes have the unique advantage of allowing the water splitting half-reactions to proceed under their kinetically most favourable conditions, thanks to the ability of these membranes to maintain a pH gradient. Maintaining such a pH gradient enables the oxygen evolution reaction to occur in basic conditions whilst the hydrogen evolution reaction occurs in acidic conditions. However, bipolar membrane electrolysis technology remains at an early stage of development and faces several challenges, including high potential losses and low energy efficiency caused by insufficient water transport across (and ion crossover within) the bipolar membrane. In this review, the strategies and methods employed to address these challenges and to enhance the performance and efficiency of bipolar membrane water electrolysis are discussed. The scope of this review is primarily on zero-gap bipolar membrane/interface water electrolyzers, as this configuration is arguably the most relevant bipolar membrane/interface electrolyzer architecture for scaled-up devices and commercial hydrogen production.

An approach to coupling analysis for open architecture product

During the configuration process of open architecture products (OAPs), adaptive change is inevitable to meet customers' personalised demands. However, the coupling between modules makes adaptive changes of open architecture products more difficult. For the coupling between modules in open architecture product design, an approach to analysing the coupling between modules is proposed. The implications of adaptive change for open architecture products are explained, and the interface relationships among the common platform, customised modules, and personalised modules are analysed. The coupling modes of three cases are discussed, i.e. the coupling between modules under the same branch, between modules under different branches with only functional collaboration, and between modules under different branches with function-structure correlation. The coupling degrees are calculated with consideration of the number of connections between modules and their comprehensive correlation degree. The structural complexity of the module is considered by development cost, development time, change cost, and change time, which is expressed with the information content in axiomatic design. Based on structural complexity, the dependency, and coupling degree between modules, the calculation method of change impact degree between modules is presented. The method on coupling analysis between modules in open architecture product design for personalised electric winches is illustrated.

Brick by brick: illuminating the cognitive landscape of the past through sensory archaeology

ABSTRACT This contribution explores the use of sensory archaeology and neuroarchitecture in the study of the earthen built environment. First, the paper discusses multi-sensory experiences focusing on earth as a building material. Second, I look at the archaeological remains of building materials to consider the sensory perception of earthen architecture manufacturers in the Eastern Mediterranean during the Bronze Age. In this latter endeavour I draw on Material Engagement Theory (MET), archaeological earthen remains, and ethnoarchaeological data to investigate the sensory aspects of working with earthen building materials. The main goal is to understand interactions between brain, mind, and culture by studying how people contributed to the manufacturing and construction of earthen architecture. While archaeology is quite visual, I argue that material culture, specifically the production of earthen architecture, shaped a multi-layered sensory experience that included all senses, rather than just visual stimulation.

Investigating Permanence Principles of Sustainability in the Sabaean-Himyaritic Yemeni Architecture

The study aims to identify a set of standards and innovations that achieve sustainability in ancient Yemeni architecture. It also attempts to know the experiences and skills of the ancient Yemeni people in the field of architecture, which led to the production of sustainable architecture. The methodology followed a historical approach to trace developments in architecture. It also relies on an analytical approach in analyzing samples and analyzing architectural and cultural characteristics. The study concluded that the ancient Yemeni people used building materials such as clay, stone, and wood to achieve the principles of sustainability. The architecture of the Himyarite Sabaean era was influenced by several factors, including the choice of a suitable site, available local materials, and local techniques. The study recommends official and private experts take advantage of the solutions to ancient Yemeni architecture and apply them to modern architecture.
 Originality/value: This study deals with the ancient Yemeni civilization, especially the Sabaean and Himyarite architecture. It seeks a deep understanding of the foundations that formed the first nucleus of inherited styles, and knowledge of the reasons for the continuation of civilization.

3D and 4D assembly of functional structures using shape-morphing materials for biological applications.

3D structures are crucial to biological function in the human body, driving interest in their in vitro fabrication. Advances in shape-morphing materials allow the assembly of 3D functional materials with the ability to modulate the architecture, flexibility, functionality, and other properties of the final product that suit the desired application. The principles of these techniques correspond to the principles of origami and kirigami, which enable the transformation of planar materials into 3D structures by folding, cutting, and twisting the 2D structure. In these approaches, materials responding to a certain stimulus will be used to manufacture a preliminary structure. Upon applying the stimuli, the architecture changes, which could be considered the fourth dimension in the manufacturing process. Here, we briefly summarize manufacturing techniques, such as lithography and 3D printing, that can be used in fabricating complex structures based on the aforementioned principles. We then discuss the common architectures that have been developed using these methods, which include but are not limited to gripping, rolling, and folding structures. Then, we describe the biomedical applications of these structures, such as sensors, scaffolds, and minimally invasive medical devices. Finally, we discuss challenges and future directions in using shape-morphing materials to develop biomimetic and bioinspired designs.

Between Vision and Possibility – Industrial Architecture From the Socialist Period in Sarajevo

<p class="Abstract" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="sr-Cyrl-BA">As a contribution to the research on the specificities of Yugoslav modernism, the development of industrial architecture in the City of Sarajevo after World War II is presented. When defining the architectural typology of industrial buildings during this period of development, examples of conceptual designs whose implementation was either fully or partially absent were analyzed. </span><span style="background-color: var(--bs-body-bg); font-weight: var(--bs-body-font-weight); text-align: var(--bs-body-text-align);">The paper elaborates on the specific socio-economic and cultural context that determines the architectural production of the post-war period. Financial difficulties led to significant rationalization of construction that resulted in devoid of aesthetic expression. Nonetheless, conceptual designs from the archive of the People's Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina's Ministry of Construction (</span><i>Ministarstvo građevina NRBiH</i><span style="background-color: var(--bs-body-bg); font-weight: var(--bs-body-font-weight); text-align: var(--bs-body-text-align);">) show careful consideration of the technological process in conjunction with contemporary constructive possibilities and aesthetics of the functionalist design of modernism. </span><span lang="sr-Cyrl-BA">The detailed presentation of the ambitious design of the Bosna Film "film city" in Jagomir provides a vivid insight into the undisputed development of architectural thought in this area.</span></p>

A quality-based sustainable supply chain architecture for perishable products using image processing in the era of industry 4.0

In India, approximately one-third of agricultural produce is wasted every year due to the different issues present in the post-harvest supply chain stages. The supply chain management of perishable products becomes complex and challenging due to the inclusion of its perishability dynamics. Quality is the main factor that governs the buying or discarding of perishable products by consumers. Therefore, the main aim of this research work is to develop an accurate and efficient image processing model for the classification of the product (Tomato) based on its quality for managing the supply chain. There are three novelties in this research work. A four-stage supply chain architecture integrated with the image processing system at mandi, and warehouses is proposed (First). This image processing system is developed in two stages. In stage I, the acquired images of tomato during its life cycle are labelled with the help of machine learning algorithms (Second). This labelled data is used in stage II for the development of a classification model to segregate the product into various grades. For this, an optimized architecture of seven-layer Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) model is developed followed by optimization of its hyperparameters simultaneously using Design of Experiments (DOE) technique (Third). The optimized CNN model achieved maximum accuracy of 88.40% and reported an execution time of 7 min. Further, the results of standard hyperparameter optimization techniques like Grid search, Random search, Bayesian, and Hyperband are compared with the proposed DOE technique on the optimized CNN architecture. The work done in this paper enables the supply chain managers to take accurate and rapid decisions for pricing, procurement, storage, and transportation at various stages of the supply chain leading to Industry 4.0. This will result in reduced post-harvest losses and simultaneously achieve the benefits across social, economic, and environmental dimensions of sustainability leading to better supply chain management.

Projectized Community of Practice: A Case Study of Globally Distributed Information Technology Organization

The execution of globally distributed information technology service projects (GDITP) by globally distributed teams, while inherently complex, offers the advantages of swift implementation and seamless service delivery to global clients. The numerous challenges including the intangibility of customer specifications, the iterative nature of information technology (IT) activities and coordination difficulties arising from diverse teams contribute to complexity in managing these projects. Moreover, the organizational complexity is compounded by competing power centres, turning project delivery into a politically contested process. In traditional projects such as construction or customized manufacturing, overcoming aforementioned challenges through strong top-down leadership is typical in many time-bound projects. However, in the realm of IT projects, which are inherently people-centric, enforcing a command-and-control environment is challenging. Communities-of-practice (CoP) offer an alternative structure that engages highly skilled employees in a collaborative community, navigating the challenges posed by IT projects. Our study explores this innovative approach, focusing on a product firm effectively leveraging CoPs to successfully execute global service projects. Delving into the functioning of CoPs, our research illustrates how they scale up using both formal and informal networks to meet diverse global customer requirements. Despite operating globally, CoPs exhibit emergent collective mindfulness, adapting tools, processes and products to the demands of the projects. The study also details how the organization manages complexity while adhering to product architecture and a uniform project framework.

The relationship between mass customization and sustainable performance: The role of firm size and global E-commerce

The formation of mass customization competencies is crucial for the increasing number of manufacturing companies in modern times. This study assessed the relationship between mass customization capability and its determinants on sustainable performance. Additionally, it explores the mediating role of mass customization capability and sustainable performance, while also examining the moderating effects of firm size and cross-border eCommerce in these associations. The study used online survey data from 339 manufacturing small-to-medium-sized enterprises in China to test the hypothesized relationships. The collected data were analyzed using partial least square structural equation modeling and necessary condition analysis. The results indicated that flexible manufacturing competencies, modular product architecture, and customer relationship management are significantly and positively connected to mass customization capability. Moreover, the study observed that mass customization capability and competitive pressure have a significant positive influence on the sustainable performance of Chinese manufacturing SMEs. The findings also revealed that firm size and cross-border e-commerce engagement have a negative and positive moderating effect, respectively, between mass customization capability on sustainable performance, which confirms a relatively higher effect of customization capability on sustainable performance among smaller firms and firms engaged in cross-border eCommerce. Fundamentally, these findings can lead to the development of a comprehensive framework to promote mass customization capability, cross-border e-commerce, and sustainable development of manufacturing small-to-medium-sized enterprises China.

A Theory of Architectural Production in a Geography of Change: Auguste Choisy in the Ottoman Empire

This article presents an expanded intellectual, historical and geographical context of Auguste Choisy’s history of architecture. Reading his history of Byzantine architecture along with his travelogue, L’Asie Mineure et les Turcs en 1875 (1876), the article situates Choisy’s notion of architectural production in relation to the background of the modernisation projects of the Ottoman Empire. It draws connections between Choisy’s historical and geographical thought at the end of the nineteenth century, articulating the notion of a material landscape composed of resources, work, and a sense of environment that suggested the ways in which a society transforms the earth to inhabit it. With environment in the background, Choisy’s history articulated architecture as an index of how a society makes use of its resources, organises work and allows for experimentation within its systems of knowledge.

SOCIAL PRODUCTION AND CONSUMPTION OF SPACE: STUDY OF PUBLIC-MARKET IN BANDUNG, INDONESIA

This paper aims to examine the role of architecture in social production and consumption of space, using public markets –architectural artifacts with rich social contents– as cases. This research adopts Low’s (2017) concept of social production of space and Dovey’s (2010) social constructivism of place to uncover the social production and consumption of public markets’ space. Cihapit and Pamoyanan market in Bandung, Indonesia, are selected as research cases, due to their cultural contents, appealing to consumers from middle to upper class society. It is found several roles of architecture in social production and consumption of public market space: building typology and morphology signifies historical context of development; architectural buildings contributes to formalize trading activities and elevating social class of market traders; commodities zoning is organized based on functional and socio-historical consideration; spatial intensity is determined by access and commodities zoning; informal atmosphere emerges as a distinctive advantage of public markets; and spatial quality is relative depends on governance capacity. Although normative criteria for good design can be formulated, in practice, spatial quality of public market is relative and depends on its capacity for spatial governmentality. By exploring social production and consumption of space and place provides broader perspective on the social practices of architecture, emphasizing its contribution for social and humanity studies.

Production performance of Hylocereus polyrhizus based on cladode size and position

The analysis of productive architecture of plants involves macroscopic observation of spatial distributions of different vegetative and reproductive organs. However, few studies have evaluated these aspects in dragon fruit plants for production purposes. The objective of this study was to evaluate vegetative, reproductive, and quality parameters of dragon fruit plants (Hylocereus polyrhizus; variety Cebra) based on the position and size of cladodes, considering morphological, production, and quality characteristics of the fruits. The experiment was conducted from September 2016 to May 2018, using a completely randomized design in a 3×4 factorial arrangement, consisted of three positions of cladode insertion in the plant (primary, secondary, and tertiary) and four different cladode sizes (≤ 20 cm; 21-40 cm; 41-60 cm, and 61-80 cm), with five replications and six cladodes per plot, totaling 360 evaluated cladodes. According to the results, vegetative and reproductive characteristics of dragon fruit plants variety Cebra were affected by the cladode position and size. Fruits developed on primary cladodes with sizes of 21 to 40 cm presented, in general, better-quality characteristics. All evaluated physical and physicochemical characteristics were affected by the cladode position and size, except for titratable acidity and soluble solids to titratable acidity ratio. Fruits developed on cladodes smaller than 20 cm had lower quality. Therefore, maintaining and promoting the growth of primary cladodes with sizes of 21 to 40 cm and removing those smaller than 20 cm is recommended.

Transgress: Alternative Practices in the Production of Cultural Facilities in Self-managed Territories. Casa Guadua, Altos del Pino. Soacha

This article delves into a study subject, the creation of a community space, aimed at enhancing memory and fostering community cohesion in the context of self-built habitat. With a transgressive approach, rooted in the peripheral production of knowledge, the design process diverges from the globally hegemonic architectural production. Instead, it horizontally explores alternative and collective processes based on subjectivity. During the construction process, the involvement of an international organization allowed us to evaluate the effects, tools, and dynamics between vertical and hierarchical production and horizontal production based on a dialogue-creation processes.

The House I'd Like to Have: Women's Spatial Cultures, Design, and Aesthetic in 20th Century Italy

"Has any woman ever designed architectures in the past centuries? You may ask her to design a hut, not even a temple! She can't. She is foreign to architecture." These infamous words of Benito Mussolini (1927) reflected the widespread sexism of the Fascist regime and prompted a silent wave of dissent pioneered by women intellectuals, architects, writers, and journalists in the early 20th century. They advocated for a valuable feminine contribution to Italian architecture and their story is still partially unknown by architectural historians today. This essay tackles Italian women's spatial design and aesthetics during the regime, a period in which they kept silently operating within the built environment as professional architects with unbuilt projects and as amateur designers inside their homes. These circumstances, as argued here, determined the emergence of a feminine and feminist approach to architectural design and criticism that transcended the male boundaries of high culture, reinforced by the Fascist regime and in line with the modernist binary understanding of taste and cultural architectural production. The latter is studied through the lens of cultural domesticity, a theoretical framework that merges cultural sociology, feminism, and architecture. By focusing on Italian women's lived experiences and unconventional design approaches, this study ultimately looks at the consolidation of feminine aesthetics and how it informed women's spatial design as it keeps challenging the boundaries of architectural history.

Spreading the aroma of spices across India: the brand of JK Masale

Research methodology Interviewing the protagonist and collecting information from secondary resources such as company documents, company and competitor websites, industry reports and online databases like Euromonitor International. Case overview/synopsis The case explores the metamorphosis of JK Masale from a small-scale family business in India to a regional player. Over a period of six decades, JK Masale (JKM) has emerged against the backdrop of a fiercely competitive spice industry. India, being a confluence of varied regional cultures, poses a diverse consumption pattern. It varies to a great extent with respect to the specific food habits prevalent in each climatic zone of the country. While the brand had successfully captured the Eastern Market and the western market of the country, Mr. Vikash Jain, Managing Director of JK Masale, contemplated to venture in Southern India and introduce new product categories. The case delves into one of the major challenges faced by JKM over the brand architecture and labelling across product categories. Thus, the case provides an excellent opportunity for budding managers to: analyse the company’s performance in the backdrop of a dynamic competitive environment; understand the nature of strategic decision-making and its appropriateness for a small family-owned business; evaluate a brand amongst brands on the architectural framework and select appropriate brand architecture for new products; and understand applicability and risks associated with growth strategies. Complexity academic level The case study can be positioned in both undergraduate and postgraduate level programs for courses on marketing strategy and brand management. Primarily, this case would be ideal to discuss brand relationship and brand architecture in the given context. Instructors have an option to cover concepts like market structure, company analysis, growth strategies and emergent and deliberate strategy through the case.

An Active and Robust Catalytic Architecture of NiCo/GaN Nanowiresfor Light-Driven Hydrogen Production from Methanol.

On-site hydrogen production from liquid organic hydrogen carriers e.g., methanol provides an emerging strategy for the safe storage and transportation of hydrogen. Herein, a catalytic architecture consisting of nickel-cobalt nanoclusters dispersed on gallium nitride nanowires supported by silicon for light-driven hydrogen production from methanol is reported. By correlative microscopic, spectroscopic characterizations, and density functional theory calculations, it is revealed that NiCo nanoclusters work in synergy with GaN nanowires to enable the achievement of a significantly reduced activation energy of methanol dehydrogenation by switching the potential-limiting step from *CHO → *CO to *CH3O → *CH2O. In combination with the marked photothermal effect, a high hydrogen rate of 5.62 mol·gcat-1·h-1 with a prominent turnover frequency of 43,460 h-1 is achieved at 5 Wcm-2 without additional energy input. Remarkably, the synergy between Co and Ni, in combination with the unique surface of GaN, renders the architecture with outstanding resistance to sintering and coking. The architecture thereby exhibits a high turnover number of >16,310,000 over 600 h. Outdoor testing validates the viability of the architecture for active and robust hydrogen evolution under natural concentrated sunlight. Overall, this work presents a promising architecture for on-site hydrogen production from CH3OH by virtually unlimited solar energy.

The Architecture of Politics and the Politics of Architecture: A Comparative Approach to Parish Church Building and Civic Government in Late-Medieval Europe

AbstractChurch construction was one of the most challenging, and most political, tasks undertaken by medieval cities. Comparing examples from across Europe reveals profound differences, however, in both the architecture of politics and the politics of architecture; that is, how building projects were administered and how their administration shaped their socio-political significance. Although ranging across the continent, this article is centered on construction in two representative cities: Vienna and London. While the former had a small number of churches, all under the direct control of the mayor and council, the latter had over a hundred, each overseen by locally appointed officers. In Vienna, church construction was, thus, an important field of activity for the city government, which oversaw the work and celebrated its own leadership of the project; in London, it lay outside civic control and offered local opportunities for domination by wealthy families. This difference can be found across the continent, separating the large, old cities of England, northern France, Spain, and the Low Countries, which could have numerous churches, from smaller towns and cities both in these places and across the rest of central, northern, and southern Europe, which typically had a single, major parish church and only a few subordinate ones. This article considers the implications of these two contrasting models—centralized and decentralized, civic and parochial, high government and local politics—on how architectural production functioned as a field of political activity and how church building shaped local distributions and articulations of power in medieval Europe.

Insights into New Trends and Contemporary Challenges in 3D Printing in Architectural Sector

This chapter explores the most recent trends and challenges stemming from the integration of 3D printing within the architectural sector. The rapid evolution of additive manufacturing has brought forth innovative design possibilities, parametric modeling and sustainable material exploration. The discussion provides insights into available 3D printing technologies and methodologies for fabricating architectural products or designs, along with the advantages and challenges that must be addressed to get maximum benefits. To achieve this goal, case studies and current research are examined, with a specific focus on ongoing issues related to housing and environmental needs. Through an analysis of these developments, this contribution highlights the dynamic landscape where technology and architecture intersect, underscoring the necessity of collaborative approaches to fully realize the continuously improving and more sustainable efficiency of 3D printing in shaping the future of the construction field.

Integrating Variety, Assembly, and Lightweight Design in Product Architecture of Cabin Monument

In aircraft cabin design, particularly in the design of aircraft monuments such as galleys, there are specific conflicting objectives that needs to be balanced. The key objectives are to meet customer requirements, optimise assembly processes for increased production and achieve lightweight design for efficient operations. The paper presents a methodical approach that integrates variety, assembly efficiency and lightweight design considerations into the early stages of product architecture design. Using the after monument of the Airbus A320 family as an example, the paper proposes specific module drivers such as ‘common unit’, ‘different specification’ and ‘load path compatible modules’ to guide the design process. These module drivers aim to harmonise the different objectives of stakeholders, including aircraft manufacturers, cabin manufacturers and airlines. The method is illustrated using a geometric representation of product architecture alternatives optimised for each of the variety, assembly and lightweighting objectives. Overall, the paper contributes to the advancement of a stakeholder-oriented modularisation approach and provides a starting point for future developments. It highlights the importance of defining module drivers and visualising the trade-offs to achieve a balanced product architecture in the aviation industry.

Accelerating Development: Taylor Woodrow and Arcon’s Prefabricated Steel Structures in Decolonizing West Africa

This article examines the Arcon system, a flexible prefabricated steel structure used for the construction of factories and warehouses that accompanied industrial development in Ghana, Nigeria, and Sierra Leone during 1950s and 1960s. While initially created for emergency housing in Britain during World War II, the Arcon system was successfully marketed across the West African colonies in the immediate post-war period, largely through the backing of a British-owned contracting firm, Taylor Woodrow. Although not distinctive designs, these steel sheds, clad with asbestos sheets or local materials, were highly efficient structures that supported and enabled a system of colonial resource extraction. The Arcon system, we argue, was successful because it mediated between two sets of constraints: the temporalities created by the impending timetable of independence, and the material constraints on the production of architecture in the region, including the labor required. Through this examination of the Arcon system, we show that the developmental projects instituted as a prelude to decolonization proved profitable for British contractors like Taylor Woodrow, but also that business practices and material flows shaping the built environment under colonialism persisted into the immediate post-colonial period.