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The potential of Building Information Models (BIM) to establish rights and responsibilities for multi-level building complexes in cadastral registrations has been explored in many previous researches. However, the implementation of BIM-based cadastral registrations in practice remains limited due to the complex interplay between technical potentials and legal implications as well as uncertainty about the additional complexity of a BIM model and the extra work that will be required to generate the BIM Legal model. In collaboration with Netherlands Kadaster, we have investigated the data requirements for a BIM Legal model that will support the 3D cadastral registration of apartment complexes and that aligns with BIM creation processes in practice. The BIM Legal model aims to visualise the spatial aspects of apartment complexes and to align the cadastral registration to the 3D data that is generated in the design and construction phase of new buildings. The BIM Legal file will be submitted when an apartment complex is being registered and is based on IFC, the open standard established by BuildingSMART International and used in the BIM domain. To make the implementation of BIM Legal feasible legally, technically, and economically, we apply a 3-phase approach. This paper presents the BIM Legal model as defined in Phase 1, which enables to generate a BIM Legal model compliant with current legislation frameworks with no/minimal manual interaction from BIM models as commonly generated in design processes. The paper describes the 3-phase approach, the context of Phase 1, the data requirement analyses, the defined BIM Legal data model, as well the questions that emerged during the specification process that need to be answered to further improve the implementation of Phase 1 and to further develop BIM Legal for Phases 2 and 3. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sustainable housing is a worldwide challenge, while the case of Serbia could be an example of how complex the circumstances can be and how difficult it is to see the path towards sustainability. This paper sets out to answer multiple challenges; can energy-efficient, low-impact housing enter the market and respond to the needs of its population, potentially contributing to a more affordable and futureproof housing reality in Serbia? And does this demand rather different measure than the ones conventionally explored in innovative housing approaches elsewhere? To answer these questions, the paper starts from the preview of circumstances, then the methodology is proposed and explained, after which the possible building materials and technical installations for pilot multi-apartment Passive House are selected, and in the end, results are given and conclusions are drawn. Since the building is intended for a housing co-operative, both the affordability of the proposed solution and the environmental footprint has been comprehended by the methodology proposed. In the end, by carefully balancing the benefits of individual measures – favouring those that are cost-effective and discouraging the implementation of measures that are not, a viable pilot project that could step into the market-oriented society is selected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to endeavor to develop a holistic Post Occupancy Evaluation (POE) framework, amalgamating the utilization of building facilities and Building Performance Attributes (BPA) for appraising the performance of Construction and Design Firms (CDFs) alongside building performance indicators such as occupant satisfaction within residential apartment complexes. The study adopts a tripartite research methodology encompassing theoretical exploration, on-site investigations, and analytical examinations. The theoretical component entails an extensive literature survey to integrate 15 identified BPAs seamlessly. Field inquiries involve rating building performance and gauging occupant contentment. The subsequent analytical phase establishes correlations between building performance metrics and occupant satisfaction levels. This systematic approach synergizes user insights with building services, promising a rigorous and systematic building analysis. The outcomes underscore a robust correlation linking building performance attributes to occupant satisfaction, thus affirming the pivotal role of POE as an indispensable tool for appraising building performance. The analysis reveals ten highly correlated parameters, indicating a substantial 67% connection between the Building Performance Rating (BPR) and the Occupant Satisfaction Score (OSS). These influential parameters guide improvements and updates through Post-Occupancy Evaluations (POE). This process is a valuable learning tool for enhancing future organizational projects and improving building performance. The findings emphasize the pertinence of the criteria employed in evaluating building performance, which is relevant for assessing occupant contentment and CDF’s effectiveness. Comparing the previous research, this research posits the potential for widespread adoption of POE in augmenting CDFs' performance and lays the groundwork for expanding its utilization. The scholarly exploration introduces novel perspectives and paves the way for a comprehensive integration of POE to enhance CDFs' operational proficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper evaluates the resilience of social rental housing in the UK, Sweden and Denmark. Throughout the OECD, processes of retrenchment and privatization, alongside the growth of the owner-occupied and private rental sectors, have led to nigh universal declines in the size and scope of social rental housing. These processes have not transpired evenly, however. Embracing a historical institutionalist approach, alongside novel data and methodology, this paper assesses the variegated patterns of sectoral decline and resilience in these three northern European countries. We find the Danish, association-based model - with its polycentric governance and multi-level system of financing - to have been the most robustly resilient hitherto. In the UK and Sweden, we observe patterns of decline and evidence that the non-profit and needs-based principles which traditionally underpinned these systems have reached precarious thresholds. Nevertheless, despite manifold retrograde threats and vulnerabilities over the past decades, the social rental sectors in Sweden and the UK have proved surprisingly resilient. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Of the various ways developers have created and exploited the high demand for condominium living, there is little empirical research identifying and analyzing the growing influence of condominium developers over condominium governance and living as a means to increase profit margins. Drawing from survey and interviews with condominium owners, board members, and industry representatives in Ontario and New York state, this paper explores how developers maintain control and influence in condominium affairs long after construction is completed. Our research reveals that developers may desire this influence to extract further value from development and sway major governance decisions in their favor, depriving owners and other residents of the right to shape their collective living arrangements. Examining regulatory environments in Ontario and New York, we suggest there are few regulations that adequately deal with developer influence. We conclude by arguing that developer influence undermines prospects for democratic, collective governance that is essential to the sustainability of condominium tenure and to the success and livability of urban regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focuses on surveillance technologies that New York City landlords have been installing in low-income, public, and affordable tenant housing over the last decade. It looks at how new forms of biometric and facial recognition-based landlord technology automate gentrification and carcerality, reproducing racist systems of recognition and displacement. We offer these systems a genealogy and geography, looking at intersections of zoning, gentrification, eviction, and policing that have historically solidified to dispossess and incarcerate tenants of color. Additionally, this paper addresses how and why New York City has emerged as the world's epicenter of "landlord tech," mapping out several decades of urban datafication that have rendered low-income, nonwhite majority housing complexes as laboratories for surveillance experimentations today. We observe how processes of "catching" tenants for lease violations automate a longer history of racist surveillance and property-making. Yet we also highlight tenant-led resistance that has successfully thwarted facial recognition deployment and that continues to organize for landlord tech abolition today. Through affective organizing, grounded relationality, and alliance-building, tenants have created vital abolitionist space and knowledge to curb landlord technologies and the carceral logics they encode. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Space is produced by a society in accordance with its habits, and habits, mostly in the Western society, have been heavily influenced by forms of production. Indeed, it is widely acknowledged that the Industrial Revolution definitely changed the space of modern landscapes, cities and dwellings life at all scales, and the way in which we perceive them. Cognitive capitalism is no exception. Since it fully established itself as one of the prevailing economic forces in the 21st century and in the Western world, it produced deep changes in the way in which people work, connect, and live. Starting from the assumption that changes in means of production generate new social relationships, this paper investigates how these changes might result in new ways of building architectural space. Without indulging in a deterministic attitude, it focuses on housing as one of the fundamental artefacts where a society expresses its approach to space. The house is a basic element of complex urban systems and is, therefore, the one calling for a more radical conceptual rethinking, marking an effective distance with the forms inherited from the previous centuries. Finally, the paper aims at understanding the repercussions of the digital paradigm on the space of dwelling, reasoning on some crucial questions to understand how housing might evolve, unfolding through its spatial configuration the new ways of life of the digital society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In retrofit-purposed projects such as building renovations, the early decision-support mechanism to determine an optimistic circulation plan and spatial allocation is strongly required for architects, owners and residents. In this paper, we introduce such a case study based on the building information modelling-enabled approach that has been explored using an actual project at Yeongwol, South Korea for resolving diverse residential types, including elderly housing units. The objective of this paper is to demonstrate an actual analysis of building remodelling design alternatives regarding indoor circulation and spatial allocation problems, especially considering elderly housing units. Another significant feature of this paper is a quantitative and explicit approach to the indoor walkability index using building information modelling. After acquiring indoor circulation data, such as metric distances between rooms, number of turns, spatial depth, vertical access, or any other BIM-enabled data, an appropriate and teleological weighting function was applied to determine the indoor walkability index. The usefulness of the approach was demonstrated in this paper, based on a Yeongwol project. building information modelling-enabled data provided prompt and reliable quantitative analysis results as soon as various design alternatives appear within the given timeframe to resolve circulation and spatial allocation problems for remodelling homes for the elderly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Faithfully flat descent of pseudo-coherent complexes in rigid geometry was proved by Mathew. In this paper, we generalize the result of Mathew to solid quasi-coherent complexes on rigid analytic varieties, which have been introduced by Clausen and Scholze by means of condensed mathematics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Local roads have numerous blind spots caused by complex geometry, obstacles, and narrow width. Thus, conventional proactive countermeasures, such as passive traffic signs and convex mirrors, have not always been effective in preventing local road collisions. In this paper, we present a novel proactive two-step approach for traffic safety on local roads, comprised of detection of pedestrian-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-vehicle collision risks and warning systems. First, using video surveillance and radars to eliminate blind spots, the system detects road objects, predicts their trajectories and reachable areas, and identifies a potential risk situation. Second, it provides road users such as vehicles and pedestrians with warnings through LED variable message signs, which allows them to react effectively in risky situations. We have applied the system to two local road sites in South Korea, including a university campus in Seoul City and an apartment complex in Daejeon City. The detecting system has been validated using a confusion matrix. We have assessed the warning effect through a before-and-after study and found that the proposed system contributed to the improvement of traffic safety at the case study site in that traffic conflicts decreased by 55–62%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: It has been recognised by life cycle assessment (LCA) practitioners that uncertainty analysis needs to be incorporated into LCA studies to improve the reliability of the results; however, case studies still report results without uncertainty. Reasons for ignoring uncertainty include resource constraints or a lack of knowledge or expertise. This paper presents a structured uncertainty management method that aims to improve uncertainty reporting in LCA. Methods: The most common uncertainty classification for LCA is parameter, model and scenario; however, multiple classifications exist in literature. The latest classification published by Igos et al. (2019) divides uncertainty into three dimensions: location, level and nature, based on previous research (Walker et al. 2003; Warmink et al. 2010). In this paper, the three-dimensional uncertainty classification is further developed for practical implementation in LCA. The classification is incorporated into an uncertainty management methodology that is divided into five steps: identification, classification, quantification or qualification, reduction and reporting, and is integrated into the iterative steps of an LCA in accordance with ISO 14044 (2006). The method is demonstrated in a tiered-hybrid case study of an Irish apartment development from cradle-to-gate that focuses on climate change. The data sources include the bill of quantities, Ecoinvent datasets, Irish input-output tables and Irish environmental accounts data. Results and discussion: The initial uncertainty assessment of the case study found that the deterministic value likely underestimates the total tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalents (t CO2-eq.) for the apartment development. The probability that the impact is greater than the deterministic value is approximately 93%, prior to uncertainty reduction. The main contributors to the total uncertainty were identified as the choice of Ecoinvent dataset, the sectoral emission intensities and the Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change Global Warming Potentials. Therefore, work to reduce the total uncertainty should focus on identifying the most suitable dataset for the building material to reduce the input distribution for that material and on acquiring more product-specific data. Conclusions and recommendations: The developed uncertainty management method improves the way uncertainty is managed in practice in LCA case studies by providing a detailed and structured way for uncertainty to be identified, classified, measured and reported. It further identifies where resources can be focused to iteratively reduce the overall uncertainty of the results and thus improve their reliability. It is recommended that the developed method is tested across other case studies, life cycle stages and impact categories in further work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Building information modeling (BIM) object classification is a key step in supporting the full automation of architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) domain tasks such as cost estimation and building code compliance checking. A machine learning approach is designated to address any classification task without requiring the domain knowledge to be explicitly or manually specified in detail. The success of machine learning, however, relies on the quality and suitability of input features. In order to support seamless interoperability of BIM applications, the authors have proposed invariant signatures that uniquely define each AEC object and capture their intrinsic properties. In this paper, the authors combine the use of invariant signatures together with machine learning approach to address BIM object classification. The developed invariant signatures include geometric signatures, locational signatures, and metadata signatures. To test the robustness of their use as machine learning features, the authors created a new BIM object data set with 1,900 AEC objects in five major categories of building elements, including beams, columns, footings, slabs, and walls. The data were manually annotated by independent annotators to ensure the quality. Among those AEC objects in the data set, 1,330 objects (70% of the data) were used as training/development data and 570 objects (30% of the data) were used as testing data. The authors extracted the predefined invariant signatures as features and tested the robustness of them in AEC object classification using different machine learning algorithms. The best-performing algorithm achieved 99.6% F1-measure in the testing data, which outperformed the state of the art (94.9% F1-measure). As a demonstration of the value of such object classification, a comparative experiment was conducted to take off quantities of walls from a student apartment complex, both using the state-of-the-art commercial software and using the object classification–based automation. Consistent results were found between these two quantity takeoff methods, whereas using object classification–based automation further saved time and manual efforts significantly (saved 98.1% of the loading and object selecting time). These results showed that the use of proposed invariant signatures and machine learning algorithms in BIM applications is promising. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is a critical commentary on the organizational challenges for collectivization of domestic workers (DWs) who constitute a core part of India's informal economy. Building upon field research among DWs working in a mega-city and in multiple homes, we explore three challenges—the transformation of labor NGOs to 'unions,' the 'place' of the union and the 'place' of the worker in organizing DWs. While the first challenge deals with the form of the collective that best enables the transformation of subjectivity and consciousness of DWs from 'servant' to 'worker,' the latter two emerge from the structure of work of DWs—the fact that they are dispersed among multiple employers, and the possibilities offered by large apartment complexes for DW unions to work in concert with the state to guarantee worker rights. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines vernacular governance and spatial transformations of low-cost apartments (LCAs). LCAs are a plausible solution to housing shortages for the urban poor in cities that face constantly increasing land values and limited space. Although prohibited by law, various spatial transformations occur to meet immediate needs. This case study addresses the practice of vernacular governance in the spatial transformations of LCAs through the vernacularisation by nomotropism to meet residents' needs and solve their problems without the government's complicated bureaucracy. Atomisation occurs from the neighbourhood to the molecular scale, among next-door neighbours and by creating multiple, distinctive vernacular governances on each LCA floor. This study offers a new perspective on housing policy in terms of distributing decision making to the community, thus creating flexible appropriation of space to meet residents' ever-changing and immediate needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this paper is to examine whether salience of neighbor comparison information attracts more attention from residents and consequently leads to significant energy conservation. An eye-tracking experiment on 54 residents in a local apartment complex in Korea found that the average time of attention to the neighbor comparison information increased to 277 ms when the size of the information was four times larger and the information was located to the far left. However, the interviews with the subjects suggest that salience of the information is seemingly unrelated to energy conservation, because most of them did not agree with the social consensus that individuals need to refrain from consuming energy when they know that they have consumed more than the neighbor's average. Utility data on 502 households in the apartments revealed that, of the households notified that they consumed more than their neighbors, only less than 50% reduced their energy consumption, which supports the interview results. Therefore, it was concluded that neighbor comparison information did not lead to significant energy conservation effects in the community, although salience of the information contributed to attracting more attention to the information. Unavailable household data remained as limitation to clarify the effect by households. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the development of e-commerce, the last-mile delivery has become a significant part of customers' shopping experience. In this paper, an autonomous last-mile delivery method using multiple unmanned ground vehicles is investigated. Being a smart logistics service, it provides a promising solution to reduce the delivery cost, improve efficiency, and avoid the spread of airborne diseases, such as SARS and COVID-19. By using a cooperation strategy with multiple heterogeneous robots, contactless parcel delivery can be carried out within apartment complexes efficiently. In this paper, the last-mile delivery with heterogeneous UGVs is formulated as an optimization problem aimed at minimizing the maximum makespan to complete all tasks. Then, a heuristic algorithm combining the Floyd's algorithm and PSO algorithm is proposed for task assignment and path planning. This algorithm is further realized in a distributed scheme, with all robots in a swarm working together to obtain the best task schedule. A good solution with an optimized makespan is achieved by considering the constraints of various robots in terms of speed and payload. Simulations and experiments are carried out and the obtained results confirm the validity and applicability of the developed approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper reviews four housing typologies designed by Grupo Austral in 1939 for rural regions of Argentina. The design of each dwelling was adapted to the different climatic regions of the country, which range from warm subtropical to cold desert. Grupo Austral's design proposals demonstrate an outstanding environmental awareness. In this paper, the design features of these houses are evaluated against present knowledge and advanced environmental simulation tools. The original building specifications are found to compare very well with contemporary environmental design practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current paper aims to analyze the architectural genotype principle that considers the arrangement of spaces as an abstract relational model. The goal is to demonstrate that syntactic measurements show that spatial structures allow messages to be decoded in each dwelling's inner spaces' architecture. The research uses the justified graphic technique for spatial syntax. Twelve detached houses have been randomly selected out of a total of sixty-two contemporary buildings that were built in a subdivision of Setif between 1990 and 2010. The analysis findings showed that the spatial characteristics and properties that constitute the generic rule underlying the studied space can be detected. This research supports the notion that the implementation of the spatial syntax method can aid in the proposition of innovative solutions regarding the design of sustainable housing projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper presents the profiles of the tourists interested in hire Bucharest apartments accommodation using a website that offers this kind of services. For this aim, an online measuring instrument named Google Analytics was used and applied to the website www.eastcomfort.com. The information resulted are useful for the website improvement in order to make it more attractive for tourists. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While Public-Private Partnership (PPP) is widely adopted across various sectors, it raises a question on its meagre utilisation in the housing sector. This paper, therefore, gauges the perspective of the stakeholders in the building industry towards the application of PPP in various building sectors together with housing. It assesses the performance reliability of PPP for housing by learning possible take-aways from other sectors. The role of key stakeholders in the industry becomes highly responsible for an informed understanding and decision-making. To this end, a two-tier investigation was conducted including surveys and expert interviews, with several stakeholders in the PPP industry in Europe, involving the public sector, private sector, consultants, as well as other community/user representatives. The survey results demonstrated the success rate with PPPs, major factors important for PPPs such as profitability or end-user acceptability, the prevalent practices and trends in the PPP world, and the majority of support expressed in favour of the suitability of PPP for housing. The interviews added more detailed dimensions to the understanding of the PPP industry, its functioning and enabling the formation of a comprehensive outlook. The results present the perspective, approaches, and experiences of stakeholders over PPP practices, current trends and scenarios and their take on PPP in housing. It shall aid in understanding the challenges prevalent in the PPP approach for implementation in housing and enable the policymakers and industry stakeholders to make provisions for higher uptake to accelerate housing provision. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Seoul, apartment complexes have proliferated over the past half-century with distinctive spatial and morphological characteristics. From the 1980s, aggressive housing policies by the developmental state drove massive construction of apartment complexes, ensuring housing supply and the restructuring of society to a modern lifestyle. Over time, developments shifted to become more market-driven and luxury high-rise apartment complexes increased, reflecting the trend towards socioeconomically homogeneous communities, which propelled self-contained gated communities. To understand the increasingly exclusive nature of apartment complexes, particularly the boundary where the inside (private) and outside (public) meet, this paper examines two apartment complex neighbourhoods made with different development methods: Mok-dong, a master-planned area by 'Housing Site Development' in the 1980s and Geumho-dong, a neighbourhood transformed by apartment complexes under 'Housing Redevelopment' from the 1980s to the present. The research focused on 28 complex's boundary, including the surrounding vertical borders, pedestrian paths, roadways, and access control. The results show two different patterns of gating process: additive closure among older complexes and innate closure of newly built complexes. However, by tracing these features over time, gating proved to be an intensifying phenomenon with the application of various elements and methods to secure the internalized complex infrastructure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Advances in automated energy metering system over the years have engendered transparency, self-control, efficiency, and equity in energy use especially among residential households globally. Despite this development, only few studies have shown the disaggregated effects of household attributes, dwelling characteristics, and metering systems on residential energy efficiency in the Global South. This paper argues that apart from household contextual factors—socio-economic and housing—the metering systems could indirectly account for energy disparities among urban households. This study therefore compared electricity consumption by urban households under the postpaid meter system and the prepaid meter system using electricity utility data obtained from residents in Ojo Lagos, Nigeria. Findings indicated that electricity consumption levels differed significantly between the postpaid and the prepaid metered households. Further analyses showed that the prepaid meter households used 47% less electricity kWh per annum compared with the postpaid meter households, intra-group variations in domestic electricity use were attributed to the household socio-economic and residential characteristics, and inter-group variations in electricity use rates were attributed to the metering system used by households. This study has both practical and policy implications for urban energy management especially with regard to the metering systems put in place for residential energy use and the need to ensure energy justice in socio-economically polarized cities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The special features of some old residential complexes make reconstructing a better option than rebuilding. The complexity of redesign issues, the ability of computers to solve problems, and the capability of evolutionary optimization techniques in architecture make the use of these methods a priority over traditional processes. This paper, while introducing Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) as one of the swarm intelligence based algorithms, answers the question of how this algorithm can be used to redesign residential complexes. To achieve this, after reviewing the application of PSO algorithms in architectural space planning, the redesign criteria and constraints was divided into four categories; including primary design specifications, contact-related criteria, designer-related criteria and redesign-related constraints. After the quantification process of these criteria, how to implement the algorithm to achieve optimal plans for each of the five plan types available in high-rise apartment complex in Mashhad, Iran, was shown as a case study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Urban Policy & Research is the property of Routledge and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Urban Policy & Research is the property of Routledge and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The air pollution these days is a serious environmental concern and it is not just a mere fact but a harsh reality which is creating problems for the mankind such as some serious health issues. In some parts of the world the air quality index have reached to an irrefutable level which demands for a solution now. Hence, the purpose of this paper is to tackle this problem at a large scale by providing with an artificially intelligent mobile air purifier for "outdoors". The main problem of DMAPS is to provide with purified air in the outdoors, such as a residential colony, in apartments, office complex, etc. since most of the times people travel outdoors and stay away from their home for a long time. This ability of providing with such a smart-sensing, self-driving machine is the advantage of the paper because other air purifiers exist but they are made for indoors, they do not have mobility and also do not possess AI capabilities. The method used in this air purifier is formulated by connecting three major functions. The first one being, 'the smart mobility' of the machine using the approach of deep reinforcement learning, the second is the air 'purification using the Arduino system' and the last is, 'the detection of humans' so that DMAPS can be around them and provide them with purified air, based on the YOLO algorithm. The whole system, works in a way that each and every function is very much connected and works simultaneously. In a nutshell, this air purifier, moves from one place (where there is low pollution content) to another place (where there is higher pollution content), purifies the environment and simultaneously have an objective to smartly detect humans to give out fresh air to them. Hence, in this way the whole methodology tries to fix the problem of air pollution by purifying the air outdoors to make it safe to inhale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: The dramatic event of the Grenfell Tower in 2017 reminds the importance of addressing fire issues as a whole and clearly highlighted one of the major roles played by the façade as fire propagation vector. To understand and analyse this disaster, numerical simulation allows particular phenomena to be evaluated more easily. The numerical model addressed for the fire behaviour of the façade system was developed using a multiscale approach and validated at different scales. In this paper, the fire behaviour of the façade and of its window frames is addressed. A computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model is used to investigate the fire spread from the initial apartment to the overall façade with different scenarios for the fire source and ventilation. Fire propagation through windows to the façade and to upper apartments is addressed. General curves representing the re‐entry of flames into upper apartment are extracted from simulations. The numerical results are validated by comparison with observations from videos and pictures of the real fire. Numerical results show that whatever the initial fire location and ventilation conditions, even if the fire source is of hundreds kilowatts, it is enough to ignite the adjacent element early and to the appearance of external flames shortly after. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Boletín de la Asociación de Geógrafos Españoles is the property of Asociacion de Geografos Espanoles and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Purpose: Maximising the benefit of learning from defects is regarded by UK housing associations (HAs) as a key opportunity to meet their challenges of building more homes with reduced government funding and rent incomes. Despite learning from defects being a frequent recommendation to reduce defects in the construction literature, there is scarce empirical evidence into how HAs actually learn from defects. The purpose of this paper is to better understand how HAs learn from past defects and induce change to reduce defects. Design/methodology/approach: Guided by organisational learning (OL) as the theoretical lens, a 21-month action research (AR) project explored one HA's defects management and learning processes. Findings: OL has the potential to reduce defects in new homes but is a secondary task which is reliant on a defects management team analysing defect data to identify priority areas. As such, learning from defects can be reduced due to peaks in workload if data analysis is a manual process. Furthermore, a dual learning approach plays a significant role for HA's learning consisting of designing out defects (codification) supported by networking (personalisation) to tackle issues of workmanship on site and those defects that cannot be designed out. Originality/value: This study demonstrates OL has the potential to reduce defects in new homes but is a secondary task in HA's practice; and highlights the practical challenges of academia and industry co-production in AR in construction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The growth rate of the aging population raises the demand for and challenges of public and subsidized (P&S) housing for the elderly. The decline in elderly ability increases their dependence on the quality of facilities provided by their residential apartment. Hence, the purpose of this paper is to develop an integrated indoor built environment–quality of life model for the elderly in P&S housing estates. Design/methodology/approach: A questionnaire survey, including scales for 4 quality of life (QoL) domains (physical health, psychological health, social relationships and overall QoL), and 13 indoor built environment (BE) components were identified. In total, 365 survey data were collected from the elderly in 18 political districts of Hong Kong, while reliability analysis, multiple regression analysis and structural equation modeling were adopted in the data analysis. Findings: Based on the congruence of results of these statistical analyses, it was revealed that: furniture and fixtures predict all the four QoL domains of the elderly; lighting and color induce social relationships; and overall QoL is predicted by distance and handrails. Originality/value: Several recommendations were made in accordance with the research results, such as review minimum spacing requirements to provide walking distance for elderly physical activity, investigate the micro-climate for appropriate building orientation, consider the changing body size of the elderly for supply of furniture, use warm colors with high levels of illumination, and so on. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Legislative initiatives regarding universal accessibility promote the elimination of architectural barriers. This is a positive measure as it aims to ensure equal rights and opportunities for disabled people, in accordance with the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (United Nations, 2006). One of the challenges facing society today is the determination of reasonable accommodation, a concept that encompasses those necessary modifications and adjustments which do not impose a disproportionate burden. For this purpose, technical, economic and social aspects shall be taken into consideration, as required by legislation. This paper proposes reasonable accommodation in residential buildings, taking into account the different options for its attainment, by applying a multi-criteria analysis based on a wide range of objective indicators of three types: technical, social and economic. This proposal was one of the objectives of the R + D + i Project called "VIVable-From accessible housing to sustainable housing: The essence of reasonable accommodation". From VIVable, the fuzzy multi-criteria assessment method for determining reasonable accommodation may be totally extrapolated to other uses. At the same time, the proposed method may also be extrapolated to other countries where basic requirements for universal accessibility in buildings and equal rights of persons with disabilities are standardized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Japan, a housing plan has been established involving mainly high‐rise housing and standardization. However, there have been few analyses and studies of the relationship and harmony between people and the natural environment based on the relationship between the residence and the surrounding environment. This paper aims to grasp the environmental perception of residents formed by the arrangement and building plans of settlements, focusing on the resident's residential floor and the location of the dwelling unit, classified as inland side facing land or coastal side facing water. We also explore cognitive characteristics from the constituent and cognitive domain areas of each cognitive domain and perform comparative analysis. Furthermore, we analyze the changes in the cognitive domain caused by vertical displacement of residential floor, aiming to grasp the effect of dwelling unit location and residential floor on formation of environmental perception in high‐rise residences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of residential architecture in Yugoslavia during the period of socialism had its peak in the 1960s and 1970s. Significant progress in construction was accompanied by housing research directed towards finding the optimal urbanistic solutions for the newly formed lifestyle of the socialist society. The tendency was to “pack" as many residential units as possible into each building, almost up to the limits of the functional minimum, at the same time with the aim of setting a more humane pattern of living. Innovative theoretical ideas were developed at leading housing research centers and then spread at conferences, consultations, expositions and architectural contests. Top quality design concepts were mostly obtained through architectural contests, which, among other things, also served the purpose of testing theoretical principles and new concepts of residential patterns on actual examples. Although the term “socialist apartment" seems to be accepted in practice, in the scientific sense, it has not been sufficiently explored or examined. The aim of this paper is to explore whether there was a certain architectural pattern as a form of response to the specific socio-economic conditions in Yugoslavia, in terms of a functional scheme that architects followed and which could be defined by the term “socialist apartment". [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this article is to examine the prediction accuracy of the Random Forests, a machine learning method, when it is applied for residential mass appraisals in the city of Nicosia, Cyprus. The analysis is performed using transaction sales data from the Cyprus Department of Lands and Surveys, the Consumer Price Index of Cyprus from the Cyprus Statistical Service and the Central Bank of Cyprus' Residential Index (Price index for apartments). The Consumer Price Index and the price index for apartments record quarterly price changes, while the dependent variables for the computational models were the Declared and the Accepted Prices that were conditional on observed values of a variety of independent variables. The Random Forests method exhibited enhanced prediction accuracy, especially for the models that comprised of a sufficient number of independent variables, indicating the method as prominent, although it has not yet been utilized adequately for mass appraisals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The emergence of 'Tiny Houses' as a dwelling and cultural phenomenon reveals significant frictions with regulatory systems orientated towards orthodox housing models. In this regard the tiny house movement shares a genealogy with traditions of self-build housing and more recent sustainable and affordable housing alternatives. In each instance, regulatory frameworks have created points of resistance, including a planning system that differentiates between various categories of permanent and temporary accommodation. In regional areas such tensions are apparent in various forms; fluidity between temporary and permanent residential uses, unregulated self-building and the use of non-residential structures for housing. We position Tiny Houses as a category of these conflicts, arguing that the regulatory intent of restricting dwellings has a range of purposes in Victorian planning law, including the protection of farmland, the regulation of wastewater and the maintenance of housing standards. This paper will utilise Victorian planning decisions and definitions to consider the way in which non-conforming housing models have been addressed in rural settings and credibility given to claims of sustainability and innovation in housing provision within the broader decision-making framework. The results suggest that varied housing is enabled by the planning system, however category issues remain regarding mobility, permanence and impact. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study delves into the evolving landscape of modern living in South Korea, which has the widespread apartment complexes that have emerged from the efficiencycentric approaches of industrial capitalism. It explores the paradigm shift in the 21st-century capitalist society, which now values creativity and individual expression over functionality and uniformity. This shift has led to a noticeable disparity between the monotonous spatial composition of mass-produced housing and the dynamic, creative lifestyles of contemporary residents. The research method involves a comprehensive analysis of both lifestyle and architectural magazines, providing insights into the changing preferences and lifestyles of residents, as well as the perspectives of professionals. The study aimed to highlight the changing nature of residential spaces and the design strategies, moving away from the conventional utility-focused designs, towards environments that foster creativity and reflect the individuality of inhabitants. Key findings indicate a growing public preference for residential spaces that are versatile, creatively stimulating, and aligned with the multifaceted nature of modern lifestyles. Contrasting these views, architectural experts emphasize the fundamental values of living, advocating for spaces that connect residents with nature and enrich everyday experiences through sensory engagement. The study concludes that while there is a divergence in perspectives between the general public and architectural specialists, both recognize the necessity for sustainable housing solutions. These solutions should cater to contemporary societal changes while preserving essential life values, thereby overcoming the limitations of the prevalent apartmentcentric urban housing model in South Korea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We propose a method for efficiently and automatically arranging building drawings using a 3D National Geographic Information System (NGIS) within a real-world urban scene. In the architectural design office, in general, the designer manually adjusts the position of each building drawings in order to place buildings within a specific area, so the larger the area to be placed, the higher the processing cost and the longer the working time. On the other hand, we classify the user-specified area based on building regulations, apply the boundary particle method used in fluid simulation, and place building drawings near the boundary according to the area type. Then, we propose a priority map and a priority solver to automatically place buildings as many as possible inside the area, and create several building drawing layouts so that users can select from them. We have reduced the time required for designing urban and apartment complexes by improving the cost of manual labor by automating the optimized layout of building drawings while satisfying the given building regulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The recent growth of cooperative housing in Spain questions existing design standards and regulations as well as cultural norms of ownership, management and current housing typologies. This paper analyzes the design opportunities and challenges emerging from this. It studies the transformative capacity of housing cooperatives and how the realization of new social, spatial and economic demands is restricted by regulatory and administrative frameworks that limit collective ownership and use. Based on a case study analysis of recent projects in Barcelona, the paper discusses how regulations condition housing design, but also why changing ideas of ownership, household and dwelling structures require a review of how regulations are formulated and implemented. It examines this in the context of designing with housing cooperatives and their ethos defined by engagement in and responsibility for all decision-making processes and self-management. In cooperative housing, architecture is a process, not a product, one that extends beyond the completion of a building. This gives credibility to the claim of cooperative housing not just as a grassroots response to housing failures, but also as a political project of democratization and social transformation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The emergence of Covid-19 and its epidemic features have affected many people around the world. Regardless of the physical and psychological problems caused by it, people must isolate themselves from their surroundings. This problem is more intense in urban areas where people live in crowded apartments and high-rise buildings. During the lockdown, residents of such buildings suffered from disconnection from nature, in addition to the lack of communication with others. As most multi-story apartments and residential complexes do not have separate green spaces and do not provide a safe connection to nature for occupants, it is very tough for the residents of these buildings to endure the disease, and occupants are more vulnerable to disease. Accordingly, this study proposes the biophilic design as an effective approach to provide a secure connection with nature in residential complexes and high-rise apartments. Design/methodology/approach: The questionnaire method was used in this study to analyze the raised hypotheses. Two types of residential zones were selected for the survey and comparing the results. One is apartment units without dedicated green space, and the other is villa houses with private green space. Size of the sample population include 300 people (150 residents of an apartment block and 150 residents of villa homes). Findings: Strict restrictions during the pandemic have prevented people from connecting with nature, especially in urban areas, owing to the lack of separated and dedicated green spaces, whereas connection with nature can be healing and lead to relieving anxiety and stress in this era based on the approved research. Accordingly, applying a biophilic approach to the design process would be helpful. Research limitations/implications: The lack of a biophilic project to observe was one of the limitations of this study. Being an available biophilic project in the surroundings could be very helpful to observe and acquire comprehensive knowledge and experiences from the handlers and users of biophilic buildings. Practical implications: This study can be beneficial for patients, individuals and occupants of apartments and residential complexes in urban areas who suffer from distance from nature and green spaces during the restrictions of pandemics such as Covid-19. Originality/value: This study proposes the use of biophilic architecture in the design process of residential complexes and high-rise apartments to provide isolated and dedicated green spaces for occupants, especially during the lockdown when people have been deprived of parks and public green spaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For apartment complexes receiving medium-voltage electrical energies, the apartments can choose an electricity charging method between the single and general contracts in the Republic of Korea. In the single contract, a residential high-voltage rate is applied to the total electrical energy consumptions of households and common areas. On the other hand, in the general contract, different rate plans are applied to the electrical energy consumptions of households and their common areas, where a generic high-voltage rate plan is applied to the common consumption. Hence, depending on the amounts and composition of the consumptions, both contracts have their own strengths and weaknesses in terms of the total electricity charge. The management office of an apartment complex can select its preferred contract considering the amount and composition of the power consumptions on an annual basis. In this paper, we first formulate a model for the contracts and analyze their properties based on Monte-Carlo simulations. We then observe the contract properties through actual metering data from 30 apartment complexes in Korea. From the analysis of this paper, we can select appropriate contract for a given apartment complex and have guidelines for saving electricity charges. The greater the consumption of the electrical energy and the common area portion, the more advantageous the general contract is in terms of reducing electricity charges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A review has been undertaken which focusses on the fire safety document 'Open plan flat layouts' (NF 19), where the review identifies that NF 19 comes with limitations in its representation of sprinkler performance and its adopted values for door closing behaviours, location of fires, heat release rate and number of occupants when compared to more recent literature. To assess the impact of assumptions for door closing behaviours and fire location specifically, an event tree analysis of exemplar apartments has been undertaken, comparing NF 19 assumptions to data from literature. This analysis indicates that the previous assumptions for these parameters would not be expected to alter the conclusions of NF 19. As a result of the review and analysis, recommendations are made for the design of open plan apartments. The paper ultimately lays the groundwork for future studies, where additional assessments are needed to consider other NF 19 assumptions, including sprinkler performance, as well as to reassess existing guidance limitations derived from NF 19. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the habitation history and building repair history of wooden private houses in Yamaguchi Prefecture, and the circumstances that result in their repurposing as shared houses are investigated. Simultaneously, the nature of the repair work is grasped, and the features of the lifestyles of the tenants and space evaluation are explained by habitation condition analysis of youth single households with observational research. As the examples have space conditions suitable for their use as shared houses and repairs are performed by the manager, they can be repurposed as shared houses with low rents. The degree of satisfaction of the tenant's shared habitation is high; therefore these wooden private houses are model examples that demonstrate the possible practical use of wooden private houses as shared houses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Becker's theory of home production suggests substitutability between consumption spending and home production. Using panel data with detailed information on spending and time use, we analyze households' ability to replace consumption spending by home-produced counterparts. Keeping wages fixed and changing lifetime resources by the shock to housing wealth during the Great Recession, we estimate an elasticity of substitution that is consistent with a life cycle Becker model. However, we estimate that only about 11% of total spending is replaceable by home production, which, in contrast to prior literature, makes it unlikely that home production fully mitigates the consequences of wealth shocks to well-being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The design of mass housing projects, with their complex array of apartment types and constraints, can be challenging for architects. Automated-organizing programs can assist in exploring various design alternatives, but the computational cost of checking all possible building organizations grows exponentially. This paper describes a method that utilizes a variant of the Constraint Satisfaction Problem (CSP) to bound and direct the growth of search trees. The method allows designers to explore design alternatives using geometrical objects and incorporates constraints related to daylight and privacy evaluation. Two search tree strategies, breadth-first search (BFS) and depth-first search (DFS), are implemented using a custom solver, with DFS proving suitable for larger search trees and BFS being appropriate for searching through the entire tree. By clearly defining the problem and adjusting the constraints, designers can efficiently explore the design space and obtain valid building alternatives in a reasonable time. • Solver employs direct search strategies for constraint solving. • Light and privacy constraints integrated via object-oriented data modeling. • Designers efficiently explore and generate residential complex alternatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents a generative design exploration methodology utilized to assist designers in problem structuring and decision-making in a multi-disciplinary setting. This novel design exploration methodology is based on the hybridization of a genetic algorithm (GA) and the Theory of Innovative Problem Solving (TRIZ). This methodology allows investigation of unexpected solutions, application of innovative ideas for resolving contradictory design objectives, and continuous interaction between designers and the search engine. In this study, the design case of a mid-rise apartment complex is used to examine the capacity of the proposed multi-agent design exploration method. Accordingly, both quality and numeric performance-based values of the design alternatives, including the visual appearance of the complex and apartments' shadows over one another, structural and energy efficiency, and life-cycle impact of the building's structural system, are investigated to demonstrate the usability and benefits of the developed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urban green spaces provide various social, economic, health, aesthetic, environmental, and ecological benefits. This study aimed to investigate the influence of green spaces on apartment prices, with a particular emphasis on visual greenery and the proportion of green spaces. Hedonic pricing models have often been used to assess the impact of green spaces on housing prices. Herein, 16 variables were considered as factors affecting housing prices and divided into housing, neighborhood, and green space characteristics. The findings indicate that the presence of green spaces enhanced the value of apartment complexes. Moreover, both visual greenery and the proportion of green spaces within apartment complexes influenced housing prices. Additional analysis demonstrated the impact of green space characteristics within Seoul apartment complexes on housing price changes from 2016 to 2022, finding that higher green space proportions and visual greenery led to approximately 20% higher price increases, and structural equation modeling revealed that the proportion of green spaces within apartment complexes, directly and indirectly, influenced housing prices through visual greenery. Overall, this study emphasized the importance of ensuring well-managed green spaces within and around apartment complexes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]