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Facility management (FM) is a critical component of building sustainability because a late response to the FM needs will add unnecessary wastes. A lack of communication has been criticized as an impediment to improving the common understanding of FM requirements among the stakeholders and in turn affects the efficiency of FM. Recent developments in Virtual Reality (VR) have encouraged the utilization of interactive building visualization in the design, construction, and maintenance of different types of facilities. This study finds the interpersonal interaction in the VR environment to be a critical factor in the effective communication in FM by creating a shared immersive experience. To prove the concept, a Building Information Modelling (BIM)-based VR environment tool was developed to bring remotely located stakeholders – building occupants, facility managers, vendors and designers – together to walk through in the same virtual building. It enables real-time interactions of remote stakeholders in the same environment, with a shared immersive walkthrough experience. This tool offers an alternative communication method for sustainable FM. Unity 3D was used to create the interactive environment, and Photon Unity Networking (PUN) was used to implement the cross-platform multiuser function. A case study has shown that this alternative communication method can help stakeholders examine the same facility in remote locations and improve the efficiency of communication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Facility management (FM) is a critical component of building sustainability because a late response to the FM needs will add unnecessary wastes. A lack of communication has been criticized as an impediment to improving the common understanding of FM requirements among the stakeholders and in turn affects the efficiency of FM. Recent developments in Virtual Reality (VR) have encouraged the utilization of interactive building visualization in the design, construction, and maintenance of different types of facilities. This study finds the interpersonal interaction in the VR environment to be a critical factor in the effective communication in FM by creating a shared immersive experience. To prove the concept, a Building Information Modelling (BIM)-based VR environment tool was developed to bring remotely located stakeholders – building occupants, facility managers, vendors and designers – together to walk through in the same virtual building. It enables real-time interactions of remote stakeholders in the same environment, with a shared immersive walkthrough experience. This tool offers an alternative communication method for sustainable FM. Unity 3D was used to create the interactive environment, and Photon Unity Networking (PUN) was used to implement the cross-platform multiuser function. A case study has shown that this alternative communication method can help stakeholders examine the same facility in remote locations and improve the efficiency of communication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to investigate the awareness and knowledge base of high school counselors regarding careers in the construction industry. The study was completed using a self administered survey. The study instrument was approved by the Texas A&M University (TAMU) Institutional Review Board (IRB) and Houston Independent School District prior to use. The target schools were those who participated in a previous study conducted by the same authors. The collected data was then analyzed using descriptive statistics methods. Findings indicate that the counselors have very limited knowledge about the various construction programs. The data also showed that the counselors carry a negative image of the construction industry, which can be attributed to their lack of knowledge about the professions in this industry. Also, it was found that the counselors rate their students' knowledge about this industry to be very high. However, a majority of the counselors indicated that they are open to any training about construction careers, if made available. With this information gathered and analyzed, future steps may be taken to better prepare high school counselors for career counseling in the fields of construction and the construction industry, helping them place it in a more positive light. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The construction industry today does not have a good reputation in the overall job market. The purpose of this study is to identify and analyze the perceptions held by high school students in the Houston area about construction industry careers. For this study, a survey was conducted in schools in the Houston Independent School District. A random sample of selected schools was taken from a list of all schools in the Houston district. From these selected schools, only juniors and seniors were studied. The survey gathered data to identify where influences towards the construction industry originate, what knowledge the students have about careers in the construction industry, and how perceptions differ for males and females. Descriptive and inferential analyses are used to analyze the data. With this information gathered and studied, future steps may be taken to enhance the construction industry's image. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]