Public Service Buildings Research Articles

Evaluation of elderly-friendly open space and public service buildings in madiun city using importance performance analysis (IPA)

<p>The Age-Friendly City Policy in Madiun City aims to improve the quality of life for the elderly by providing friendly and easy access to open spaces and public buildings. However, challenges in implementation may include appropriate infrastructure management and effective international policies to ensure the availability and availability of services that meet the needs of the city's aging population. This research aims to bridge the perception gap and provide concrete recommendations for improving Madiun's elderly-friendly infrastructure. This research is a development evaluation with a mixed approach (mixed method). The research sample includes various parties, starting from the Madiun City government, which is involved in planning and implementing development for the elderly in Pangongangan Village, the city center, who are users and beneficiaries of these facilities. The data analysis method in this research consists of quantitative and qualitative analysis. Based on the analysis, the majority of the construction of open space facilities and public service buildings in Madiun City is in accordance with development needs, according to the perception of the government and older people. Both parties were satisfied with the development results, especially on items of high essential and performance. However, there needs to be more perception between older people and the government regarding items considered necessary. This shows the need for synchronization between government perceptions and the needs felt by elderly people in developing elderly-friendly infrastructure. </p>

Application of Wayfinding Principles in the Design of Nigerian Immigration Service Command’s Office Complex in Bauchi State, Nigeria

This paper explores the application of wayfinding principles in the proposed design of the Nigeria Immigration Service Command Office Complex in Durum, Bauchi State. Wayfinding principles aim to enhance navigation and spatial orientation within built environments. It investigates how effective wayfinding systems can enhance user experience, improve navigation efficiency, and support the operational needs of the complex. The research aims to identify specific wayfinding strategies tailored to the unique requirements of the Nigeria Immigration Service, considering cultural, environmental, and functional factors. The study adopted a qualitative research approach, involving a literature review and a case study of the Nigeria Immigration Service Command Office Complex. The findings will provide valuable insights for architects and planners in creating intuitive and accessible public service buildings in Nigeria by incorporating various wayfinding principles, including clear signage, distinct landmarks, and intuitive circulation paths. However, some areas for improvement were identified, such as the need for more prominent signage and enhanced visual differentiation between different sections of the complex. The study concludes that the intentional application of wayfinding principles can significantly enhance the usability and navigability of public buildings like the proposed Nigeria Immigration Service Command Office Complex, Durum, Bauchi.

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

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

Ludwig Hoffmann's Eclecticism

From 1896 to 1913, the Berlin municipality embarked on an ambitious programme of social reform, constructing over 300 public service buildings, including schools, hospitals, aged care homes, baths, and sporting facilities. Under the direction of Stadtbaurat Ludwig Hoffmann, the architecture of this new social infrastructure came to play a crucial role in conveying the city’s progressive image. While the eclectic historicist lexicon Hoffman drew on troubled many of his critics, he was also lauded for his ability to cast those historicist instincts into a more democratic mould. This article examines Hoffmann’s buildings in the context of changing debate over Berlin’s identity, focusing on those designed for healthcare and physical wellbeing. While Hoffmann’s architecture expressed a powerfully democratic notion of the urban collective, towards the end of his career, critics began to read a distinct paternalism in his designs that they saw as out of touch with social reality.

Corporate Identity and Spatial Fiction in Service Building Design: Kars Land Registry and Cadastre Directorate Service Building Sample

Public spaces, which are accessible spaces that are formed according to the needs and wishes of the people, managed and controlled by a government agency, are the common space. Public responsibility in the axis of service buildings, which takes place in the collective memories of the users, ensures social sustainability. Corporate identity and institutional needs shape the architecture in these buildings. Land Registry and Cadastre Directorate Service Buildings should be public, accessible buildings that contain office areas and serve the public, where property information in the land registry and cadastre archives is stored. The scope of this study is to describe the design and planning process of the Kars Land Registry and Cadastre Office Building together with its corporate identity and spatial organization. The study focuses on the architectural design process. The aim of this study, which deals with this process together with the requirements that shape the design and provide functionality, is to determine the basic qualities and needs for similar public service buildings, and to share the experience of the building design process. It is expected that the study will help in the creation of a needs program, and will be a source for space setup and organization.

Assessment and optimization of photovoltaic systems at the University Ibn Tofail according to the new law on renewable energy in Morocco using HOMER Pro

Abstract The current study aims to investigate and optimize the photovoltaic systems currently in operation at the University of Ibn Tofail in Kenitra, Morocco. The University has started already since 2017 to integrate photovoltaic systems in the form of carports with the objective to reduce the invoices for electricity supplied from the utility grid by at least around 40%. Until then, the University avoided selling the energy surplus to the local electricity provider due to complicated bureaucratic regulations. However, due to the new law on renewable energy adopted by the Moroccan government in November 2021, it will be possible for private households and public service buildings to sell the entire excess of energy produced by renewable energy systems instead of only 20% of the surplus according to the previous law 13-09. For this purpose, this research project seeks to verify whether an expansion of the available photovoltaic installations and the sale of the energy surplus is worthwhile or not. This research work has been done with the optimization software HOMER Pro and presents the obtained optimized results and proposals of two new scenarios in comparison to already existing photovoltaic arrays.

Evaluation of social facilities coverage: A case study of Sofia city

In order to aid the decision making process related to the provision of public services as to maximize the benefits for society, it is crucial to evaluate the current social facilities demand in terms of spatial distribution and access. The paper aims to solve this problem by proposing a method for automated assessment of the coverage of public services within an urban region using a capacitated graph. The methodology abstracts residential buildings into demand nodes and public service buildings into supply nodes within a graph and then uses shortest distance calculations in order to balance the two, while prioritizing residential buildings based on distance.The paper is focused on creating a general pipeline that can be used on any type of public services, as long as a certain geospatial and demographic data are available. The method is described without referencing specific tools, but focusing on the general procedure. The procedure is then applied to the whole city of Sofa, focusing on assessing the coverage of kindergartens using the 15 minutes walking distance, followed by a brief discussion of results.

Bureaucratic Reforms as Triggers of Experimental Design: KBS and Public Building in Sweden, 1963–74

ABSTRACTThis article explores the relationship between architecture and public administration at the Swedish National Board of Public Building (Kungl. Byggnadsstyrelsen, or KBS) in the years 1963–74. This government agency, which existed from 1918 to 1993, was in charge of planning, designing, producing and maintaining public service buildings and facilities. During the 1960s, it was subject to a number of major administrative reforms which, by rationalising the organisation’s activities, sought to make both the construction and maintenance of buildings more cost-effective for the taxpayer. These reforms paralleled rationalisation efforts in the field of architectural design, where structural and material efficiency were sought in the adoption of large-scale systems. The administrative reforms thus went beyond the reorganisation of departments and work priorities to permeate all aspects of the agency’s activities. The article presents the architectural activities of KBS as innovative and experimental responses to bureaucratic structures and requirements. Examination of the design and building processes of three projects — the national telecom headquarters in Farsta, the Garnisonen office complex in central Stockholm and Linköping University — uncovers some of the administrative structures deployed at KBS, and the creative and novel architectural solutions triggered by their integration into design and planning practices.

Analysis of Office Rooms Energy Consumption Data in Respect to Meteorological and Direct Sun Exposure Conditions

There are many papers concerning the consumption of energy in different buildings. Most describe residential buildings, with only a few about office- or public service buildings. Few articles showcase the use of energy consumption in specific rooms of a building, directed in different geographical directions. On the other hand, many publications present methods, such as machine learning or AI, for building energy management and prediction of its consumption. These methods have limitations and represent a certain level of uncertainty. In order to compare energy consumption of different rooms, the measurements of particular building-room parameters were collected and analyzed. The obtained results showcase the effect of room location, regarding geographical directions, for the consumption of energy for heating. For south-exposed rooms, due to sun radiation, it is possible to switch heating off completely, and even overheating of 3 °C above the 22 °C temperature set point occurs. The impact of the sun radiation for rooms with a window directed east or west reached about 1 °C and lasts for a few hours before noon for the east, and until late afternoon for the west.

Measuring seismic resilience of building portfolios based on innovative damage ratio assessment model

Accurate assessment of seismic resilience provides policymakers with important information on their decisions; however, traditional methods for assessing resilience are usually based on the repair cost, economic loss, repair time, and downtime, and the influences of other important performance measures such as casualties and unsafe placarding on resilience are poorly understood. To illustrate the influences of casualties and unsafe placarding on resilience, building-level resilience comparisons between traditional and the proposed methods are performed. Then, a new damage ratio assessment model that considers the contribution of economic loss, casualties, downtime, and unsafe placarding is proposed. The model is justified according to available loss ratios in the literature. Based on this model, damage ratios for the four building sectors (i.e., office, residential, school, and public service buildings) are estimated. Obtained damage ratios are combined with fragility analysis to estimate the building-level functionality. To assess the functionality of the simplified community (building portfolios), the functional interdependencies among different building sectors are calculated using the damage augmentation matrix model. A hyperbolic recovery function model that is calibrated with the observed recovery data of 456 buildings is suggested for describing the recovery process of the community. The seismic resilience of the community is assessed based on the functional analysis and recovery function models. Resilience comparisons between the traditional and the proposed methods reveal that the traditional methods often result in an inaccurate assessment. The whole methodology is exemplified by assessing the seismic resilience of nine simplified hypothetical communities. The methodology should be modified when other important performance measures are available.

Radio Frequency-based Smart Control for Lighting in Public Service

In the context of energy efficiency, the control function of electrical equipment is an essential part of saving electricity consumption. That proven by several previous studies about the control of electrical equipment that has been successful for efficiency. In this study, electrical equipment will be controlled in public service buildings, using radio frequency (RF) and the internet. The realisation of this research is to make a radio frequency prototype and an internet-based light control device. For the buildings whose location is difficult to reach by the internet, light control uses radiofrequency. While for buildings that are affordable by internet access, using the internet to control the light. In this study, the microcontroller used is ESP 8266 MCU Node and TCM 3105 FSK IC Modem for connection to the internet. Device performance in running controls measured by the delay. Delay is the time difference between the command input time and the time the device has run the command. The average delay is at an average distance of 1513 ms at a distance of 1 m, 2844 ms at a distance of 10 m, 4674 ms at a distance of 100 m, 4060 ms at a distance of 150 m and 3151 ms at a distance of 300 m. The delay value decreases because, at distances of 100, 150, and 300 connections are lost. Under these conditions, the delay value is considered empty (0) so that the average decreases. The farther the distance, the higher the percentage of unconnected, this can be seen at distances of 100, 150, and 300 m.

Analysis and Comparison of Hough Transform Algorithms and Feature Detection to Find Available Parking Spaces

Parking space is one of the most critical needs of people’s lives, especially in Indonesia. According to the Central Statistics Agency, vehicle growth in Indonesia in the last ten years is 9% per year. Meanwhile, parking needs are being eroded by settlements, shops, and public service buildings. Limited parking lots make it hard for drivers to find available parking spaces. When looking for a parking space, it was causing impacts such as traffic jams, air pollution, causing noise and panic. The intelligent parking system is the solution to this problem. This system can provide information on available parking slots. In this study, parking locations are marked with a circle. If a circle is visible, then a parking lot is available, and if not, then the parking location has been filled by the vehicle. Circle objects in images taken using the camera can be identified by the Hough transformation method or feature extraction. These two methods are compared to measure the accuracy and speed of the process. Experiments and observations on the performance of both methods show that both methods can recognize the location of the available parking slot. The feature extraction method has a better detection speed with an average processing time of 1.1 seconds. The Hough transformation algorithm has an average processing time of 4.1 seconds. Then it can be concluded that the feature extraction method is better applied to the smart parking system.

Carbon sink calculation model of urban construction land based on building capacity.

The exploitation and utilization of mineral materials during urban construction causes a large amount of carbon emission, but could also contribute to carbon sequestration. In the related literature, carbon sequestration process of building mineral materials has received limited attention and scientific quantification. On the basis of extracting building capacity and identifying building types, we used the technology of remote sensing image shadow height inversion to quantify mineral material consumption and carbon content parameters. Carbonization rate was measured by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). Finally, a calculation method for carbon sink in urban buildings was constructed. We investigated the uncertainty of this method with Puhe New Town in Shenyang as an example. The results showed that the order of carbon sink density of different types of buildings followed the order of residential buildings > public service buildings > other types of buildings > commercial and financial buildings > industrial buildings; the ratio of carbon sink volumetric in diffe-rent types of construction land followed the order of commercial and financial buildings > residential buildings > public service buildings > other types of buildings > industrial buildings. The carbon sink calculation method based on the urban scale of building capacity in this study could quickly and accurately estimate the magnitude of carbon sinks from the inorganic materials in various types of urban construction lands. Under the background of limited urban natural carbon sequestration, using building carbon sequestration to enhance the urban carbon sequestration could provide new ideas for the low-carbon development of cities in China.

Utjecaj načina financiranja na troškovno-vremenske aspekte javnih i društvenih građevina

The comparison of the traditional (budget-funded) public building procurement model with the public private partnership (non-budget funded) model is presented in the paper. Public service buildings procured based on the traditional model and those procured according to the PPP model are compared in the scope of research involving nine buildings realized in the Republic of Croatia. The results point to greater efficiency of the PPP model in the construction of public service buildings, with regard to both cost and time of construction work.

A methodology for estimating rebound effects in non-residential public service buildings: Case study of four buildings in Germany

Non-residential buildings comprise a quarter of the European Union (EU) building stock and cause approximately one-third of this stock's energy consumption. The imperative to reduce their energy consumption is widely accepted in EU countries. It is now common to upgrade both residential and non-residential buildings to increase energy efficiency, but studies indicate a significant gap between energy performance and design. In the residential sector, this gap has been extensively investigated and quantified under the heading of the ‘rebound effect’, but there do not yet appear to be studies on rebound effects in non-residential buildings. This paper develops a methodology to fill this gap. Through technical measurements in four recently retrofitted German public service case study buildings, rebound effects were estimated under two definitions: the ‘elasticity’ rebound effect and the ‘energy performance gap’ (EPG). Cross-sectional data of actual and calculated consumption in 176 comparable buildings was used to estimate typical rebound effects which could be expected in such buildings. The case study results indicated comparatively low rebound effects but high EPGs. Semi-structured interviews with building occupants and operators identified credible determinants of energy consumption. The methodology proved effective and robust, and is offered for further use and development.

Sustainable Design Techniques for Glass-Metal Architecture Facades of Public Building

There is no doubt that the mineral glass facades give public service buildings lightness, grace and beauty, and it is a good and distinct idea reached by the pioneers of modern architecture, in the countries of Europe and America. So it is not surprising that cold cities seek to use these facades, in a way that ensures them comfort, and does not require expensive treatments from them. These facilities, which are described as modern and contemporary, have spread to many Egyptian cities without taking into account the environmental difference, as if they were a single group, which looks very similar to Western facilities, in a phenomenon known as the international style. The research problem stemmed from the need to study the effect of observing process design and sustainable implementation treatments on the glass mineral facades of public buildings, whether governmental or private in Egypt. The aim of the research lies in crystallizing concepts and methods of sustainable design, in order to reach the optimal use of raw materials and technologies, mineral glass facades for public service buildings in Egypt. Also reducing the use of new materials in these interfaces. In addition to respecting the principles and foundations of the urban planning of the site, which make these facades compatible with the environment with all its elements. The safe design of the facades also plays a role in taking into account the safety factors of the facade elements and their structural installation during the design and implementation stages. Finally, the architectural nature compatible with the environment, from a historical and social point of view, and even with the customs and traditions of society.The third axis concluded that the mineral glass facades should benefit from the latest technology developments and successes, to produce patterns that achieve a great investment in the properties and specifications of the materials, in order to enhance the goals and functions of sustainable design. Then the research ends with a set of controls and recommendations necessary to adopt the ideas of contemporary environmental trends, such as taking a sustainable design as a general approach to the development of mineral glass facades, and then the use and employment of natural energy elements, in light of an objective assessment of future development prospects.

Project Delivery Systems in Finnish New Building Construction – A Review of the Last Quarter Century

Abstract The project delivery system (PDS) is the key means by which the owner creates preconditions for successful realization of a project. Thus, it is worthwhile finding out which systems are used in different instances. This paper aims to increase general knowledge in this area first by introducing the results of an analysis of data on more than forty thousand new building construction projects launched in Finland between 1989 and 2013.Annual shares of different PDSs are determined separately for residential, industrial and business premises, as well asother buildings – mainly public service buildings. The paper also sheds light on changes in the market structureto the extent that they influence the use of different PDSs in order to discoverthe key factors which could possibly hamper making conclusions about general trends in,and the impact of the economic situation on, the selection a PDS for a project.As to the results, the study shows that the separate contracts method is used the most while the share of construction management is the smallest. In-house construction, design-build and the traditional comprehensive contract are other systems used whose shares fall between theabove two extremes.Changes in market structure over time most likely influence the use of different PDSs in housing construction.

Bacterial and Fungal Aerosols in Air-Conditioned Office Buildings in Warsaw, Poland—The Winter Season

The microbial quality of the working environment was assessed in winter in air-conditioned office buildings in Warsaw. The average indoor concentrations of bacterial and fungal aerosols were low (<103 cfu·m–3), below Polish proposals for threshold limit values in public service buildings. Even during cold months, if the air-conditioning system works properly, people remain the main source of bacterial aerosol in offices, whereas infiltration of outdoor air remains a major mechanism responsible for their fungal contamination. An analysis of the bioaerosol size distribution showed that microbial propagules that reach both the upper and lower respiratory tract may evoke numerous adverse health effects from irritation and asthmatic reactions to allergic inflammation. A comparative analysis of viable and total airborne microbial counts showed that viable micro-organisms accounted for up to 0.3% of the total number of microbial propagules. Hence, a comprehensive hygienic assessment of office workplaces should include an efficient control of both these elements.

Environmental assessment in construction using a Spatial Decision Support System

This research proposes a Spatial Decision Support System based on the Geographical Information System (GIS) to evaluate the environmental performance in construction. The system has been designed to add a spatial component to the current tools for the inspection and management of the sustainability of buildings and to assist the planners in their decision-making. The multi-criteria evaluation method developed in the Green Building Challenge and implemented in the software SbTool has been used as a reference. The evaluation method presents a hierarchical structure of criteria and variables which is applied to buildings spatially indexed in GIS and the environmental data of the buildings comes from an external data-base developed in Access. In order to validate the system, the environmental assessment of a group of residential, industrial and public service buildings during the phases of operation was simulated. The application of this tool in the inspection and environmental assessment of buildings allows the geographical scale of analysis to be extended to a group of buildings within the area of interest and consequently to extend the limits of its usefulness within the field of planning and environmental assessment.

The modelling and simulation of elevator group control sytems for public service buildings

Elevator traffic control systems have become more and more complicated due to their nature of intelligence. Artificial intelligence methods employing neural networks have been proved to be successful in many fields, such as process modeling, pattern recognition and classification problems. They have also been applied to basic problems in elevator traffic control systems, such as the prediction and control of elevator movements. In particular, neural networks can offer better solutions to the passenger call allocation process when compared to the classical traffic control methods. Elevator control algorithms utilizing neural networks aims at distributing the most suitable cars to the floors by considering the passenger service demand. Neural networks can dynamically learn the behavior of an elevator system and predict the next floors to stop, based on what has been learnt. In this paper the neural network approach has been applied to Duplex/Triplex group control systems for improving passenger waiting time and a lift simulation software has been developed and implemented in order to assess the learning capability by measuring the performance of the control algorithm. The lift traffic analysis have been carried out by examining the simulation results obtained.