Search

Josef Frank (1885-1967) certainly occupies a prominent place in the central European architectural scenery of the early twentieth century. His work is entirely devoted to living and of course, in addition to having designed furniture, furnishings and beautiful fabrics, Frank designs and creates architectures. The furniture and objects of furniture that he produces in Vienna at the beginning of the twenties, born on the idea of English furniture from which he takes inspiration to reinterpret the models and adapting them to new needs, perhaps throw a new light on the origins of that kind of furniture that we generally consider "Scandinavian". For Frank the language of architecture is not only a metaphor of the narration but could also become language in the strict sense; even to the point of substituting written text, as it happens for example in a singular correspondence exchange with a woman. The letters we refer to are instead those in which architecture, or better, its graphic representation, substitutes words to concretely undertake -not only conceptually- the value of prose, of the written text. Architecture that can sometimes even become an idiomatic mean of seduction, as it happens to a certain extent in the thirteen letters that Josef Frank sent to Dagmar Grill in 1947. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of the article is to find out the role, symbolic meaning, and functions of the image of the Mississippi River in “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer” (1876) [4] and “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” (1884) [3], the two greatest works of fiction by Mark Twain; the article also aims to explore how different aspects of American culture are revealed in the two great Mark Twain’s books and how this knowledge can contribute into studying US culture. Our research is based on text analysis and interpretation of images in “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer” and “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.” One of our assumptions is that the Mississippi River is rightfully called the “Body of the nation”, as it has played an outstanding role in economic, historical, and cultural development of the American nation. The Mississippi Valley has given rise to numerous cultural masterpieces with their variety of topics, characters, and creative techniques; it has also modified Mark Twain’s approach to life and fiction. Another assumption is that the two greatest books by Mark Twain provide a thoughtful reader with a lot of cultural knowledge including the geographical and historic background, traditions, beliefs, values, and character types of the XIX-th century America. To conclude, the two Mark Twain’s books under discussion, “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer” and “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn”, should be considered not only as samples of exciting fiction, but also as a cultural reservoir that serves as a valid source for studying America of the XIX-th century by university or high school students or any other interested readers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The universe of Hejduk’s, is a unitary and undivided ‘reality’ of a trinitarian form, where poetry, painting, and project are interconnected and undistinguishable worlds. His is a deeply dramatic architectural universe; a sort of reliquary inhabited by angels and demons and adorned with fantasy characters, animals, machines and anthropomorphic figures. A world completely infused with a poetic soaked of a profound sense of the sacred. This tight connection between architecture and literature, in addition to marking his entire work, is also a way of relating to the teaching activity at the Cooper Union school, whose classes required the study of both architecture and literature. Its projects accurately described in all its parts and functions, and contrived as a sort of tale in which images and writing become complementary. The way Hejduk developes the project issues and elaborates its representation makes it clear this is not an occasional approach for him, in the sense that it is not aimed to a specific theme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the sixteenth century, after the austerity of the medieval atmosphere, and the perfect harmony of the Renaissance forms, the rich and cultured commission of the European courts began to turn towards new architectural and expressive solutions. These new expressions, had a substantial purpose: to amaze, to distance themselves from such elegant perfection as if one wanted to declare a certain "boredom" towards the now consolidated splendor. Today, in the yacht design world we are witnessing what we could call a formal neo-Baroque, similar to the one described and the results are paradoxal suggestions and utopistic images. The study presented here intends to investigate the causes and consequences of the proliferation of a certain visual culture in this area. Methodologically, the study has carried out a critical reading of the most common languages and iconography in the media dedicated to the dissemination of yacht design knowledge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As more organizations adopt project management approaches and the demand for project managers grows, there is increasing interest in the competence of project managers and in standards for development and assessment of project management competence. This paper will compare the level of achieved core competencies of the project manager within project management approaches. The current situation requires readiness of university students to be able to apply their knowledge of project management in their professional career. This study presents results of research, focused on the level of knowledge obtained by studying of project management at University. The study compares the level of readiness of two groups of students (future graduates), one of private owned university VŠEMVS in Bratislava (Slovak Republic) and one of Faculty of Management and Economics, Thomas Bata University in Zlín (Czech Republic). Efforts to develop the project competencies will enable companies and project managers to meet the challenges of today's changing environment and prepare for the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The analysis of foreign experience in the implementation of projects for sustainable development economy has shown that in almost all countries the greatest number of innovation projects are carried out in the construction and energy sectors, while very strict requirements for energy efficiency level are imposed on the facilities. The accumulated array of analytical data in this field is definitely insufficient to obtain clear and unambiguous conclusions about the relationship between the energy efficiency of the building and, for example, the reduction in the cost of energy-efficient materials and systems and the increase in the cost of energy resources. In this connection, development of scientific tools for such an assessment is required. To justify a new theoretical approach to assessing energy efficiency it is necessary to develop the principles for the formation of a matrix for managing the energy efficiency of capital construction. This matrix is the basis for understanding the definition of "energy efficiency of capital construction", as well as the basis for justification of scientific tools and methods for assessing the energy efficiency of innovative projects. It is conclusion that implementation of the Smart City concept is related to improving the power efficiency of functioning of certain buildings, infrastructure items, some city districts, and the city as a whole. The developed author's toolkit will allow to carry out public-private monitoring of energy efficiency of Smart projects implementation. The expected positive consequences of implementing projects using Smart technology include the implementation of industrial revolution in IT, improving the energy efficiency of urban infrastructure, formation of a highly urbanized environment for individuals and legal entities, as well as the introduction of intelligent and environmental systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this contribution is to analyze the state of implementation of EU structural funds, the amount of funds allocated and the number of successful projects for individual operational programs in the programming period 2007 - 2013 in the Slovak Republic. Structural policy and structural funds as a tool are by their very nature directly aimed at reducing disparities between regions and reducing the disadvantaged regions or regions of the Member States. Basics and fundamentals of regional policy and structural policy at the same time are the Structural Funds, which are drawn by the Member States in the framework of multiannual cycles called as programming period. What priorities and how the funds will be used in turn defines the National Strategic Reference Framework developed by each EU country. Given that the Operational Programs for which funds are allocated have specific objectives and tasks, our objective in this contribution was to analyze realized projects across operational programs implemented in Slovakia in the 2007-2013 programming period, to define their individual objectives, to approach them and summarize the concrete results for each operational program. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The design and construction phases for the realization of a large yacht, today, are involving a growing number of actors, each one with his own special skills, know how and language. Even the old concept of shipyard is evolving in a more fragmented and composed reality.These processes require a strategy in order to optimize communication and exchange of awarness among all the parties involved. Cultural, strategic, economics, technique and even social considerations have to be done in order to develop communication and efficency in all the phases of design and construction. A special consideration, focusig on this point, has to be done about the potential role of visual communication in the design process, coming back to valuate and consider the special role of drawing, seen as a common platform to express ideas, solutions and projects. The study introduces case studies of the role of drawing as a crucial method to optimize communication among operators in some of the main phases of the design and construction of a large yacht. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Environmental problems related to the pollution and protection of the natural resources; deterioration of the air quality; pollution of water and soil; hygiene and influence of chemical substances on living organisms; waste and the proper usage and disposal of the waste; resources of energy by their rational utilization; material cycles and energy in the nature are not unknown issues. All these concerns are taken into account within science lessons such as chemistry, geography, ecology, biology and physics at primary and secondary schools. Making of educating projects focusing on modernization of the education related to the context of waste and waste management and its impact on the environment is an opportunity to expand the knowledge, information and the know-how of pupils in the given field. The aim of the contribution is to highlight the possibilities of increasing the education in the areas of waste, its chemical composition and waste management through the ongoing educational project (KEGA No. 044UKF-4/2017). To achieve the goal of the project we will find out the actions of pupils related to the didactic reconstruction of the waste concept, the proper waste treatment in terms of its chemical composition and disposal of the waste. We will focus on pupils' ideas, conceptual mapping and free vocabulary. We will survey how pupils perceive the terms in question and focus on the development of knowledges in this area. It requires understanding of mutual relations and consequences for the environment to detect the method of study the pupils' ideas about the term of waste. We will focus not only on what the pupils' ideas about the waste are, but how the concept of waste has developed over the course of history and in what context it is used in the media, in daily interviews or in professional publications today. We will point out the methods of education about the definition of waste and the related terms. The aim of the project is to shape the positive attitudes of pupils to protecting the environment and health to a greater extent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Practice of project management is continually changing in the contemporary business. Working with the small teams and often with the limited budgets, while facing frequent changes in the business requirements, project managers are under continuous pressure to deliver fast turnarounds. Following the demands of new trends in the business management, leaders in the R&D sector are optimizing and adopting different and new styles and strategies more effectively. Waterfall models are suitable for projects with very clear product requirements and where the requirements will not change dynamically during the course of the project completion. Currently, agile is the most popular model used in the IT industry. Customer's interaction is the backbone of the agile methodology, and open communication with minimum documentation are the typical features of an agile environment. This paper proposes a new hybrid way of managing innovation projects, flexibly combining the traditional (TPM) and the agile (APM) methods that is particularly dedicated to the new product development (NPD). We have described the attributes of some traditional and agile methodologies that can be far and widely used in the new product development. We have also provided the challenges associated with implementation of the agile processes in NPD. The proposed hybrid method is completely flexible and adaptable to the unique characteristics of the innovation project. Also, this paper investigates what is the necessary organizational transition in the manufacturing enterprises, required before converting from the traditional to the proposed new hybrid model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents the main research results of the needs of the Russian tourist destinations in the development of friendly projects. Since 2014 there have been significant structural changes in the structure of inbound tourism in Russia. The greatest growth often shows the tourist flows from the countries of the Asian and Pacific region. Practice of information search, choice, and behaviour in the visit of tourists from these regions are different from the habits of the Russian and European tourists. It is obvious that behavioural characteristics are determined with cultural and religious values and norms. In these circumstances, the ability of destinations to offer the tourist product which would be not only interesting but also comfortable, safe, and which would not violate the religious and cultural values, as well as would be relevant to the spiritual needs, becomes one of the key competitive factors and the significant advantage. The authors analyse the successful experience of China friendly and Halal friendly Standard, which are built on the factor of intercultural communication. These programs, as Russian experience demonstrates, are aimed solely at the adaptation of tourist services to the needs of tourists in cultural diversity terms. Taking into account the world experience, it's necessary to develop such additional program items. It means to inform the local community about the cultural and religious peculiarities in the tourists' behaviour, as well as to inform travelling tourists about cultural and religious peculiarities of Russia and its individual regions. The authors present the basis of new friendly-projects development, as well as the forecast of the number of tourism industry participants of these projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Slovak housing estates represent the realizations of 20th century urban visions. Construction of mass housing was not only substantiation of the Athens charter ideas to the urban conception. A large number of housing estates in Slovakia from this period has a quality and original urban concept. The authors of the settlements, however, often point to the fact that the realized settlements has varied considerably from the original intentions. What qualities (problems) did the new construction lacking the concept bring? Can the original concept be the inspiration for the transformation of existing settlements? To what extent does it allow them to adapt to today's conditions and needs? The aim of the study was to evaluate the quality of the original concept and the project of settlement. Compare them with the implementation and the current state. In the work we identify: - The key unrealized elements of housing estates, essential for the original concept. - Realized construction, which distorts the original concept. Comparison of original concepts and projects of housing estates with their implementation and the current state were processed for case studies of housing estates in Bratislava and Banská Bytrica. The starting point of our research was an archival research and a subsequent analysis of proposed and realized settlement patterns. Based on this analysis, we evaluated the degradation respective strength of the original concept and its adaptability to today's needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The research work is focused on identifying the specific aspects of development and implementation of project management strategies in the arts and culture sector, on assessing the influence of culture on socio-economic development and on studying the process of forming a philosophy of project management which would foster cultural development. The article indicates the guidelines for advancement of the philosophy of cultural project management on the basis of systematizing of the principles, factors, methods and forms of project management in the culture sector. It presents the assessment of actual state regulation effects in the socio-cultural sphere at a regional level. As a result of the research, the specific aspects in designing projects for culture and art development have been elucidated. The projects are considered as means for creating cultural amenities as public goods and services within the framework of market-driven economy. The article rationalizes and reveals the contents of the principles, factors, methods and forms of project management in the culture sector. It indicates the guidelines for advancement of project management in the culture sector on the basis of a case study focused on a particular region. It also provides evidence for the importance of project management the culture sector in terms of the present-day social environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of serious problems of the 21st century characteristic for our society is global spiritual crisis in the contrast to exaggerated focus on its technological progress. At present, humanistic dimension of man is being disappeared; bigger emphasis is put on technical progress rather than on moral values and moral development of humankind. In this regard, the need of educating man becomes a crucial imperative for our society. It needs humans, who would not only have deep knowledge from various fields of science but who would learn how to interconnect it with cognition and acquisition of the values that help social ways of life, lead to harmonious cohabitation of individuals in communities. One of the most important and influential agents for meeting the needs of society is undoubtedly teacher, his or her role, his or her personality and competences he or she is authorized. The research team of the project APVV called „Evaluation of Teacher's Competencies" that is being carried out at the Faculty of Arts, Constatine the Philosopher University in Nitra, Slovakia, is based on current social needs of in-service teacher training improvement and needs of continuing education. The project is focused on finding the real state of teacher's professional competences enabling a subsequent design of a set of adequate reliable criteria for their diagnosing as well as a design of evaluation instruments. The project is aimed at humanistic principles of evaluation, at designing of professional, personal, and socio-communicative competences, it is aimed at designing creative mechanism of evaluation of teacher's competences the part of which would be stimulating elements for creative self-reflection and professional teacher's performance. The objective of the paper is to point out the timeliness of the researched topic and present several fundamental findings from the first phase of the carried research. In order to map the present situation in the field of evaluation of teacher's competences, the researchers used two structural questionnaires, one for head teachers and one for teachers from basic and secondary schools in Slovakia, as the main research instruments. The paper intentionally presents, analyses and discusses the findings based solely on opinions of the research samples of 670 teachers in Slovakia, who except of other aspects expressed positive and negative opinions on this sensitive an insufficiently worked out field of evaluation of teacher's professional competences by their head teachers. It is this view at positives and negatives the evaluating process brings along with that creates the main topic of the paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The focus of this research is to develop techniques for optimizing the learning environment, identifying factors that facilitate and impede the formation of an educational space model which produces a coherent and socially desirable system of socio-moral and socio-cultural attitudes of the current generation of engineers.1 This makes it possible to build specific models of abilitation of would-be engineers, providing comprehensive education and training and ensuring one's professional fulfillment. It could be argued that the implementation of this approach is the most productive way of maintaining and enhancing the continuity of the profession, thus bridging the engineering generation gap that exists today. The issues of engineering ethics and the development of codes of ethics of engineers receive far more attention in the international academic community than those of lifestyle and professional identity, something we refer to as the «ethos» of modern engineers. [8;11] Many countries have well-established codes of ethics and numerous unions of engineers and research associations. The Society for Philosophy and Technology, that has been operating in the USA since 1975 and is in fact an international organization, convenes regular conferences on engineering ethics and publishes conference proceedings. [6; 9] Among other hotly debated issues is the teaching of ethics in specific engineering disciplines and the provision of creative learning resources to introduce ethics into the culture of engineering education. We believe that the issue of building the professional ethos of an engineer should not be limited to the development and enforcement of codes of ethics only. [1; 7] Research work into the processes of forming the professional ethos of today's generation of engineers, its complexity and challenges of its reform involves the creation of a public image of the engineering profession as a certain subjective picture of the world, the tracking of its structural and content dynamics in the course of professional training, as well as a study of the professional academic community and the transformation of its mission and strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]