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An interior thermal insulation system based on hydrophilic mineral wool is presented in this paper. Basic thermal and hygric parameters of the applied materials are given. The design and development of the thermal insulation system including its verification in semiscale experiments are described. Finally, an example of the application of the designed system in the reconstruction of a historical building in Prague is shown, and the results of in situ experiments are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Building on a historical case study on the first two stock exchanges to adopt the now globally dominant for-profit organizational form, the Stockholm Stock Exchange in 1993 and the Helsinki Stock Exchange in 1995, we argue that interaction among socially proximate peers contributes to pioneering organizational form adoption within an industry, particularly when such forms are introduced by established organizations. Peer interaction can induce a search for technically efficient organizational forms through the sharing of collective experiences, the establishment of collective assumptions, and a joint search for solutions. Together, these factors contribute to the legitimization of novel organizational forms in the local setting before the adoption of the first instantiation of those forms. We propose a context-sensitive multilevel model of peer-interaction-induced pioneering organizational form adoption that considers shared macro environmental drivers, idiosyncratic local environmental drivers, and peer interaction as central social mediators between the two. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The theme of the energy requalification of historic buildings is addressed considering the Palaeontology Museum of Naples (Southern Italy). It is assessed whether, through non-invasive methods and without intervening on the building envelope, it is possible to obtain internal hygrothermal parameters suitable to allow both occupants' thermal comfort and satisfactory conservation conditions for the archaeological finds. In addition, a relevant reduction of energy requirements and CO2 equivalent emissions is required. Dynamic energy simulations are conducted regarding both the current configuration and the various possible modifications concerning the air conditioning system; the model is calibrated by comparison with real energy consumption data. The electric and primary energy are compared for the various cases. Furthermore, the internal hygrothermal conditions for occupants' thermal comfort and for conservation of the archaeological finds are analysed. Finally, the possibility of inserting a suitable and minimally invasive photovoltaic system is evaluated and an almost 'Double Plus-Zero Energy Building' is obtained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Assemblages are the actors, artefacts or practices that are intertwined with and co-produce theories. Despite being at the core of the performativity process, assemblages have been overlooked in recent performativity studies. Thus, this study examines how assemblages are changed by theories during performativity. It builds on the case of the historical development of the Blue Ocean Strategy: a management theory that proposes the creation of new market spaces, rather than competing within existing ones. The study shows a process model in which the theory changes the assemblages that change reality and enlarges its scope in turn. It offers implications both for performativity and for practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study established the transfer laws of vibration waves in a linear system under simple harmonic loading. Then, a method based on multipoint delivery in the frequency domain was proposed to predict the vibrations of historical timber buildings induced by traffic loads, in which the transfer function between two delivery points of different single frequencies is obtained. Finally, the vibration responses of the Feiyun pavilion induced by traffic loads were predicted and compared with experimental field test results. The results indicate that the predicted vibration responses and experimental field tests at the measurement point in the Feiyun pavilion correspond well in the concerned frequency bands and that the proposed prediction method can be used to predict the structural vibration responses under the influence of complex traffic loads. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flooding events pose a high risk to valuable monumental buildings and their interiors. Due to higher river discharges and sea level rise, flooding events may occur more often in future. Hygrothermal building simulation models can be applied to investigate the impact of a flooding event on the environmental conditions inside a building. The objective of this study is to develop such a model that is able to evaluate the best fitting drying regime for historic buildings. A model is created based on on-site measurements of the indoor climate conditions in one building that had to cope with flooding in the recent past. The result of this study is a hygrothermal building simulation model that can predict the indoor climate conditions inside a room as a result of a flooding event. Different climate control systems can be integrated in this model to evaluate the most suitable drying regime to minimise the risk to the building, its interior and its collection. Furthermore, damage functions can be applied to analyse the risk to the collection caused by the flooding event. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Treating rising damp in the walls of historical buildings is complex because moisture transfer into the walls of old buildings in direct contact with the ground leads to the migration of soluble salts. This work analyzes rising damp using concepts and methods of unsaturated moisture flow theory, and a numerical validation study. A simple analytical model describes the rising damp front for the simplified situation of a monolithic wall. The influence of wall thickness, boundary conditions, wall composition, and material properties, such as porosity and sorptivity, are analyzed in detail. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This article, based on an interview study of public engagement with the new Welsh Assembly building - the Senedd - theorizes the limits and opportunities of 'political tourism', or visits to sites of political importance. To understand visitors' engagement with the assembly building, we explore how they account for their reasons to visit, and their perceptions and expectations of the new building and institution. We identify two principal types of vocabulary displayed by members of the public in making sense of the building, those of political engagement and tourist consumption. Both are informed by what we refer to as practices of the 'democratic gaze'. Both vocabularies reveal, to varying degrees, the social mechanics of the gaze, and the inscription and interpretation of agency around the building's design. We conclude by exploring how this study can inform discussions of political engagement and tourism practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article reports on the history of the building on 20 Hanover Square in London, England, the first home of the Royal Society of Medicine (RSM). For more than 110 years, the building was occupied by two medical societies, first by the Royal Medical and Chirurgical Society and then by RSM. The building was built in 1717 and was designed by Nicholas Dubois. The first occupants were all aristocrats. Developments in the city from 17th to 19th century are included.