University Building Research Articles

Protective Coating: A Strategy for Prevention of Corrosion of Buildings in Universities in Anambra State

The study examined protective coating as a strategy for the prevention of corrosion of buildings in universities in Anambra state. The study adopted a descriptive survey research design One research question and one hypothesis guided the study. The population for the study was 66 respondents; comprising 45 building lecturers and 21 instructors from the building department of two universities in Anambra State. The study was census as the entire population was studied. The instrument for data collection was a structured questionnaire which was subjected to face and content validity by three experts from the Department of Building, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Anambra State. The internal consistency of the instrument was determined by using Cronbach’s Alpha reliability coefficient method and the instrument had an internal consistency of .74. Copies of the questionnaire were administered to the respondents. The data gathered for the study was analyzed using mean and standard deviation to answer the research question and determine the closeness responses respectively, and t-test in testing the hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. The findings of the study reviewed that the respondents agreed that protective coating is an effective strategy for the prevention of corrosion of buildings in universities in Anambra State. The study therefore recommended that protective coating methods should be adopted by contractors when building or renovating buildings in universities in Anambra State.

Suitability of Environmentally Friendly Building Design Planning for Evaluation of University Building Construction Performance

The application of environmentally friendly building designs is becoming increasingly important in the context of sustainable development, including in university building construction projects. However, evaluating the performance of construction companies in achieving the suitability of environmentally friendly building design plans for university building construction projects is still an area of research that has not been widely explored. This research aims to fill this knowledge gap by exploring the importance of suitability of environmentally friendly building design planning in evaluating the construction performance of university buildings. Through a comprehensive analytical approach, this research evaluates the readiness and performance of construction companies in adopting and implementing environmentally friendly building designs in the context of university building construction. Factors such as human resources, technology, organizational policies, and regulatory frameworks are explored to understand the barriers to and opportunities for environmentally friendly building design planning compliance. The results of this research provide a deeper understanding of the factors that influence the suitability of environmentally friendly building design planning and their impact on university building construction. This can provide practical guidance for stakeholders, including universities and construction companies, in improving sustainable development practices in university building construction projects. Thus, this research makes an important contribution to the understanding of the importance of the suitability of environmentally friendly building design planning when evaluating the construction performance of university buildings. It also provides a basis for developing policies and best practices to encourage sustainable development in university environments through the construction of new buildings.

Model and tools of the navigation system between educational institution buildings using augmented reality technology

A problem of navigation within large educational complexes has been identified, which poses a particular challenge for new students, visitors, and staff. It has been established that the implementation of augmented reality technologies considerably enhances the intuitiveness and usability of the navigation system. A comprehensive structural and mathematical model of the navigation system based on augmented reality technologies has been meticulously developed. This model formalizes the functional dependencies among the system components, enabling a deeper analysis of interconnections and optimization of operational processes. The working algorithm of the system, which utilizes cutting-edge augmented reality technology, is thoroughly described. A software solution for navigating between university buildings, using advanced augmented reality technology, has been developed. This system simplifies the spatial orientation within the campus during transitions between buildings, significantly enhancing the user experience. An interface that seamlessly combines intuitive understanding with visual attractiveness has been proposed, aiding users in effectively planning their academic day. Additionally, the system includes a module that provides visitors with essential information about respective university buildings and access to class schedules. The system architecture comprises several key blocks: the sensor block, the software and data processing block, the campus map integration block, the user interface block, and the interaction and personalization block. These components together ensure a seamless and personalized user experience. The design of the components has employed a systematic approach that ensures interface personalization, stringent data security, and efficient user interaction. In developing the application, the Kotlin programming language, MVVM architectural pattern, Dagger 2 libraries, and the ARCore platform for augmented reality, specifically tailored for the Android platform, were utilized. These technologies provide flexibility, scalability, and efficiency in development. Future research directions have been proposed, which include the further refinement of the software and the expansion of the system's functionality. Additional modules are planned to be developed to meet the evolving needs of the student body and staff of educational institutions, thus enhancing accessibility and integration with other information systems of the educational establishment.

Modeling the relationship between outdoor meteorological data and energy consumptions at heating and cooling periods: Application in a university building

<p style='text-indent:20px;'>In this study regression modeling is proposed for calculating the heating and cooling load of the buildings by considering the outdoor meteorological data. For this pupose, Balikesir University Rectorate Building is selected as the case building. In the winter months, measurements were made in the hot water boiler in the basement of the building for the heating energy load. For the cooling energy load, measurements were made in the chiller groups near the building. As climate data, eight variables were considered: outdoor temperature, solar radiation, relative humidity, wind speed, atmospheric pressure, sunshine duration, steam pressure, and 1 m underground temperature. The Minitab statistical analysis program was used to perform the modeling. 55 samples were used for mathematically modeling the heating load, while 37 samples are used for modeling the cooling load. The R<inline-formula><tex-math id="M1">\begin{document}$ {}^{2\ } $\end{document}</tex-math></inline-formula>(coefficient of determination) values are calculated as 96.2% and 98.94% for cooling load and heating load, respectively. In addition to these findings, ANOVA results for both models were examined and both models were found to be significant.</p>

Audit Energi Menggunakan Intensitas Konsumsi Energi untuk Konservasi Energi di Gedung Kampus

Energy auditing is an essential step in optimizing energy use in commercial buildings. This research explores the application of energy auditing with the Energy Consumption Intensity method to improve energy efficiency in campus buildings. Considering the changes in occupancy and activity patterns in the university environment can provide a comprehensive insight into the associated energy consumption patterns. The audit analyzed the building's energy consumption and identified potential energy savings to improve energy efficiency. Energy data was collected and analyzed to evaluate the building's energy performance. Recommended energy conservation measures include updating the lighting system, optimizing the cooling system, and improving the efficiency of equipment use. This research recommends that campus building managers adopt sustainable practices in energy management, which can lead to reduced operational costs and lower environmental impacts. Thus, the energy audit approach with the IKE method is a relevant and effective strategy for achieving energy conservation goals in the university environment. Based on the analysis, the latest IKE for Labtek V is 38.01 (2021), while the IKE for Labtek VI is 16.75 (2021), showing inefficiency of energy use in both buildings inefficient.

Designing Sustainable Buildings for Personalized Participatory Space Teaching Buildings

In recent years, promoting sustainability in the workplace, particularly in educational environments, has become a global imperative. With the progress of society and the in-depth development of education and teaching reform, the architectural space model of traditional college and university teaching buildings can no longer well meet the various needs of today’s society, and at present, the teaching buildings of colleges and universities and primary and secondary schools in Meizhou City, Guangdong Province, China, are dominated by traditional teaching buildings. This paper discusses the architectural and environmental design of teaching buildings, in addition to considering the traditional teaching buildings to undertake the educational functions and cultural heritage of the architectural model, but also consider including thermal comfort, air quality, lighting, acoustic quality, office layout, furniture, cleanliness and maintenance, so as to innovate to meet the needs of students’ daily campus life, suitable for the contemporary social education of the college and university teaching buildings buildings, through the creation of a unique campus atmosphere that highlighting the uniqueness of the institution and creating a personalized educational experience, this focus on creating environmentally responsible and occupant-centered spaces has led to the emergence of IEQ as a key aspect of sustainable building design.

Розробка енергоефективної системи штучного освітлення головного корпусу Криворізького національного університету

Розробка енергоефективної системи штучного освітлення головного корпусу Криворізького національного університету

Towards Achieving Sustainable Environmental Efficiency: Rationalizing Energy used in Educational Buildings of University Campus

The research deals with a practical and analytical study comparing the use of the computer program for digital simulation, Design Builder, to calculate the amount of energy consumption in buildings, as the aim of the research is to conclude the most influential architectural elements in reducing energy consumption in the typical building of Al-Azhar College of Engineering for Girls (CEG). This is done by calculating the amount of energy consumption of the college building with its existing specifications while making architectural modifications to the building to conclude which elements have an impact on reducing energy consumption under the influence of the climatic conditions of the city of Cairo. These architectural elements include treating the glass surfaces and curtain walls in the building and increasing the operating temperature of the air conditioners to cool the building, as it is clear from the simulation results that the greatest reduction in the building’s cooling load is by 40%. The research concludes with recommendations that contribute to energy rationalization in educational buildings on campus, thus achieving efficiency in the internal and external environment.

Assessing the potential of using geothermal energy in buildings: Parametric analysis

For the development of more energy-efficient buildings, pursuing comprehensive sustainable solutions can help decrease greenhouse gas emissions, and using natural resources sustainably and at low cost are challenging objectives for the achievement of the United Nations (UN) sustainable development goals. In this context, the main objective of this research is the evaluation of the energy-efficiency improvement of shallow geothermal systems, based on one case study building located at Aveiro University. The present research undertakes the improvement of several parameters with influence on the shallow geothermal systems efficiency, using as a demonstrator a university building in Aveiro University, the CCCI department building. The performed work was developed in three phases: (i) the acquisition of vertical temperature profiles in 15 exploration boreholes, (ii) the simulation of the buildings’ energy needs using EnergyPlus® software, and (iii) the evaluation of the energy demand of the geothermal system using HYGCHP® software. A sensitivity analysis was carried out with HYGCHP® by changing several parameters (average ground temperature, soil thermal conductivity, pipe radius, and total installation length) to assess the reduction potential of the annual energy consumption. Combining different parameters in the design phase allows a considerable reduction in the annual energy consumption. Two parameters are highlighted with a higher influence: the soil thermal conductivity and the average soil temperature (measured in the boreholes). A synthesis of the simulations carried out will lead to concrete recommendations and guidelines for future planning actions regarding geothermal systems installation to ensure sustainable use conditions, comfort, and health in the campus environment.

Artificial Intelligence-Enabled Techno-Economic Analysis and Optimization of Grid-Tied Solar PV-Fuel Cell Hybrid Power Systems for Enhanced Performance

The incorporation of energy from renewable sources into the power grid is crucial for achieving sustainable and environmentally friendly power generation. This study proposes an artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled methodology for the analysis & optimization of “grid-tied solar photovoltaic (PV)-fuel cell hybrid power systems.” The research aims to demonstrate how AI techniques can assist in decision-making, improve system performance, and achieve higher levels of energy efficiency and financial viability. The study presents the results of a project focusing on a renewable energy system that feeds into the grid and powers a university building. The hybrid power system’s performance and cost were evaluated using unified approaches to modeling, simulation, optimization, and control. The findings indicate that the AI-optimized “solar PV-fuel cell hybrid system connected to the grid” offers excellent performance, meeting 74% of the building’s energy needs through renewable sources. The system also achieved a low levelled price for energy and minimise CO2 emissions, further enhancing its environmental sustainability. The proposed AI-enabled approach proves to be a promising solution for creating grid-connected renewable energy systems with significant benefits for energy efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and environmental impact.

Improving Sustainable Management of University Buildings Based on Occupancy Data

Improving Sustainable Management of University Buildings Based on Occupancy Data

Assessment of Architecture Students’ Knowledge of Passive Design Strategies in Academic Buildings in a Typical Nigerian Private University

Buildings use more than 40% of the energy consumed worldwide. This has prompted the development of numerous strategies to guarantee that buildings can still function maximally with reduced energy use. The concept of passive design strategies has been widely employed in architectural professional practice to ensure the reduction of building energy usage is kept to a minimum and enhance building performance. In architectural design training, however, despite the study of building climatology, several students are still seen designing buildings in tropical climates with little adoption of passive design strategies. To this end, this study aims at assessing the knowledge level of graduate architecture students at Lead City University, Ibadan, Oyo State of passive design strategies in academic buildings. The case study research approach was used, and respondents were chosen through random sampling. A total of 84 students were given structured questions to answer in order to collect primary data. Data were analysed using frequencies and percentages in SPSS, and the results were presented using tables. Respondents’ level of awareness and importance of the various concepts associated with passive design in academic buildings were considered. The study revealed that respondents have good knowledge about passive design strategies. Building materials, day lighting, and natural ventilation were identified as the most crucial among the passive design strategies used for academic buildings in achieving users' comfort and reducing energy conservation. Also, building mass was observed to be considered the least important among the passive design strategies. Keywords: Academic building, Architecture students, Design strategies, Passive design, Thermal comfort.

Linguistic Landscape of a Modern Post-Soviet Capital — Case of Chișinău, Republic of Moldova

The study of linguistic landscape considers the hierarchy of languages motivated by political, administrative, and economic reasons, as reflected in the graphic design and order of inscriptions. In this research, we will present the linguistic landscape of Chișinău by analyzing top-down and bottom-up signs and commercial billboards. The choice fell on this city because it is multiethnic, home for Moldovans/Romanians and other nationalities. The relevance of the topic is explained by the fact that Moldova aspires to join the European Union, and in 2018 Chișinău became one of the country’s pilot municipalities for the application of the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages, which the country has adopted, but has not yet ratified. The new signs must indicate direction to public and cultural institutions, monuments and memorials, parks and major streets, university buildings, the railway station, and the airport with trilingual inscriptions in Moldovan, a local minority language (Russian, Ukrainian, Bulgarian, German or Yiddish) and English. The investigation of the linguistic landscape will help identify the dominant language(s) in the Moldovan capital, understand the relations between linguistic communities and the linguistic situation in Chișinău.

Uncertainty-aware visually-attentive navigation using deep neural networks

Autonomous navigation and information gathering in challenging environments are demanding since the robot’s sensors may be susceptible to non-negligible noise, its localization and mapping may be subject to significant uncertainty and drift, and performing collision-checking or evaluating utility functions using a map often requires high computational costs. We propose a learning-based method to efficiently tackle this problem without relying on a map of the environment or the robot’s position. Our method utilizes a Collision Prediction Network (CPN) for predicting the collision scores of a set of action sequences, and an Information gain Prediction Network (IPN) for estimating their associated information gain. Both networks assume access to a) the depth image (CPN) or the depth image and the detection mask from any visual method (IPN), b) the robot’s partial state (including its linear velocities, z-axis angular velocity, and roll/pitch angles), and c) a library of action sequences. Specifically, the CPN accounts for the estimation uncertainty of the robot’s partial state and the neural network’s epistemic uncertainty by using the Unscented Transform and an ensemble of neural networks. The outputs of the networks are combined with a goal vector to identify the next-best-action sequence. Simulation studies demonstrate the method’s robustness against noisy robot velocity estimates and depth images, alongside its advantages compared to state-of-the-art methods and baselines in (visually-attentive) navigation tasks. Lastly, multiple real-world experiments are presented, including safe flights at 2.5 m/s in a cluttered corridor, and missions inside a dense forest alongside visually-attentive navigation in industrial and university buildings.

Analysis of the Impact of Layout Mode on the Wind Environment of Dormitories in Coastal Universities in Southern Fujian Province

The building wind environment in coastal areas is highly complex and variable, particularly during winter when strong winds prevail. Understanding the influence of winter winds on human comfort and addressing health issues caused by wind noise in human settlements are very valuable research topics. This study focuses on developing strategies to optimize the wind environment in dormitory buildings located in the southern coastal area, where prolonged periods of strong winds have a significant impact. Specifically, we investigated the current wind in the teacher–student dormitory at Jinjiang Campus of Fuzhou University through questionnaire surveys and field measurements. Additionally, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations were employed to evaluate different dormitory layouts. The research results indicate that it is preferable to position the dormitory areas downwind of large-scale buildings, adopt a staggered layout instead of a regular determinant layout to mitigate the narrow tube effect, avoid designing large-scale squares in the center of the dormitory areas, and enclose the dormitory groups with low-level corridors. These findings provide valuable guidance for the optimizing of winter windproof designs of university buildings located in the same climatic zone along the southeast coast.

Monitoring of public buildings via energy-efficient Z-Wave wireless sensors

Simultaneously managing energy consumption and ensuring a health environment in public shared buildings presents significant challenges. This study explores the use of advanced monitoring techniques and specific Z-Wave sensors to optimize building management systems. The focus is on maintaining air quality, minimizing energy usage, and achieving significant energy savings. Various sensor types are employed, and data collection and processing are performed through a central gateway. The methodology is tested in university buildings, demonstrating the potential for energy savings by dynamically interacting with HVAC systems based on occupancy levels. Effective monitoring and control strategies can contribute to improved energy efficiency and occupant well-being. In specific cases, most notably when the occupancy of rooms is low, energy consumption can be reduced by up to 70%.

University Land Grabs: Indigenous Dispossession and the Universities of Toronto and Manitoba

Whether leased or sold, Indigenous land provided the endowment capital for new universities in the nineteenth century. Many institutions of higher learning – including the universities of Toronto and Manitoba – began as large-scale landowners. By 1828, Toronto’s university still held more than two hundred thousand acres of land, an area larger than the present-day city of Toronto. The extent of university landholding in settler societies, however, has often been missed because the land parcels assigned to universities were both larger than, and distinct from, their campuses. This article accordingly examines how landholding undergirded Canadian universities’ development in the nineteenth century, taking the University of Toronto and the University of Manitoba as its focus. It argues that land was the essential ingredient in university building in both Ontario and Manitoba, linking these new universities’ establishment and subsequent wealth to Indigenous dispossession. Using Indigenous land to finance higher education was not unique to these universities nor to Canada. Yet, across settler societies, university landholding made institutions of higher education the beneficiaries of Indigenous removal and agents of colonization. In addition, once in operation, these new universities would also produce knowledge about land and its cultivation. Inspired by the growing field of European agricultural science, Canadian universities with land endowments professionalized the study of branches of knowledge like agriculture and engineering, displacing Indigenous ways of being and thinking about land. The effect of this knowledge valuation is still felt today. The products of university agricultural research – from nitrogen fertilizers to hybridized corn – profoundly transformed landscapes and altered local ecologies in line with settler knowledge systems and desires.

Evaluation of reality and standards for fire evacuation routes in buildings – case study

Any building, at any time could experience a fire. Because of that, occupants need a fire evacuation path that is designed according to the design standards as they are unable to be entirely prepared for fire emergency scenarios. However, the majority of these standards were developed using empirical judgments. The aim of the paper is to determine whether the fire escape exit route design takes into account the demands and behaviour of building occupants or if it only considers the recommendations and regulations already in place. One university building has been chosen for qualitative research, and as a result, students and teachers are the primary target population. The following factors are taken into consideration throughout the research: the number of students and professors, the movement speed of building occupants and persons with special needs, the plan, the number of floors, the width and length of corridors, the location and type of stairways, as well as type, position and geometry of doors. The findings of this case study indicated that younger occupants can safely exit the building, however older occupants and students with disabilities, as well as teaching personnel need more time for evacuation across the same evacuation paths in fire situation. In this regard, the findings of this research paper offer conclusions that might be useful in design and organization of such and similar buildings and environments.

Predictive AC Control Using Deep Learning: Improving Comfort and Energy Saving

The growing global population and the availability of energy-hungry smart devices are critical factors in today's alarmingly high electricity usage. The majority of energy used in urban areas is consumed by buildings, with heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (AC) systems accounting for a significant amount of energy use. This project proposes an AC controlling algorithm that uses the Internet of Things sensors and a deep learning framework in temperature prediction to control a single AC unit. The algorithm consists of a Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) model to predict the indoor temperature for the next J minutes. The highlight of this model is its capacity to predict the future temperature based on the predetermined AC status, whether it is switched on or off. The AC unit will be turned off if the J-minute predicted temperature is within the desired thermal comfort range, and it will be turned back on if the sensor readings exceed the upper pre-set threshold. The experiment is performed on the dataset collected by Chulalongkorn University Building Energy Management System (CU-BEMS). The LSTM prediction model developed using CU-BEMS data yields an average Root Mean Squared Error and Mean Absolute Error of 0.08 and 0.03, respectively. A half-day simulation is also performed in controlling the AC unit from 7:39 a.m. to 11:35 a.m. The proposed algorithm shows that 49.00% of the time, the AC unit can be turned off while the thermal range is maintained between 27ºC to 27.9ºC, providing a strategy for managing the AC unit and achieving energy savings.

Sustainable Water Management with Design and Economic Evaluation of Recycling Greywater at Abu Dhabi University—A Case Study on Decentralization

Wastewater can be segregated as greywater and blackwater separately. The greywater generated in malls, restaurants, and university buildings is generally dilute, while it will later become concentrated when it is merged into the main sewage collection line. It would be more economical and environmentally friendly if the greywater is treated locally using a modular wastewater treatment facility that produces treated water amenable for other uses such as irrigation or horticulture. The objective of this article is to study the economic feasibility and design a decentralized plant that produces fresh water from greywater generated at the Abu Dhabi university campus located in the United Arab Emirates. The proposed unit will consist of a compact design of filtration, chemical treatment and disinfection processes that would generate treated wastewater that can be used for horticulture in and around the local campus or can be stored and supplied for irrigation purposes. Several parameters such as total suspended solids, biological oxygen demand, and chemical oxygen demand are measured and monitored throughout the entire process and are regulated by appropriate operations performed for each unit. This study shows that decentralization of greywater treatment is not only economical but also essential for the management of fresh water, which in turn assures environmental sustainability. By using coagulation, flocculation and chlorination with a 30 mg/L alum dosage, 0.6 mg/L of polyacrylamide and 0.12 mg/L of sodium hypochlorite, respectively, greywater is treated to meet the water specification for reusing it for horticulture. Further, a modular plant with an investment of USD 8 M is proved to process 90,000 tons of greywater with a 34% discounted rate of return.