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This study explores the recent emergence of traditional Korean houses and hanoks as markers of cultural capital in Seoul, South Korea. While the ownership of detached houses itself can be a symbol of wealth in Seoul, traditional-style houses have become increasingly associated with luxurious living, particularly after the successful remodeling of hanoks in metropolitan settings such as Bukchon in Seoul. This study employs the critical luxury studies method to analyze the recent rise in hanok construction/remodeling among elites, and illustrates how traditional architectural forms have become status markers. Although the regeneration of traditional houses in cities has been examined from the perspective of gentrification or touristic cultural consumption, less academic attention has been placed on the phenomenon from the perspective of the homeowners' taste. This study examines how traditional architecture has become a form of acceptable luxury through a media analysis of published articles and interviews with the residents of hanoks. This study argues that protecting endangered traditions and rich sensory experiences function as important moralizing factors in luxury housing, indicating that sociocultural valuation becomes as significant as market valuation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article explores the use of Virtual Design and Construction (VDC) methodology in construction projects. VDC involves creating digital models of projects to aid in planning and construction. The framework for VDC includes Building Information Modeling (BIM), Project Production Management (PPM), and Integrated Concurrent Engineering (ICE). The article presents a case study of a residential construction project in Lima, Peru, where VDC was implemented. The project saw improvements in efficiency, with a reduction in construction time and increased detection of issues before work began. The article emphasizes the importance of collaborative goal-setting, careful planning, ongoing training, and a gradual introduction of VDC to ensure successful implementation. [Extracted from the article]

Once the preserve of the elite, many luxury brands are now targeting the rapidly rising global middle classes. This "democratization of luxury," understood as the perceived reduction in distinctiveness, exclusivity, and self-differentiation of luxury goods due to wider availability and access, has changed the luxury industry landscape substantially, and yet it remains an underexplored phenomenon in academic research. Building on the theory of network effects, this study focuses on how democratization influences the relationship between conspicuous signaling and luxury purchase intentions. Analysis of primary data (n = 1,156) from luxury consumers in developed (United States and Spain) and developing (China and India) markets with distinctly differing economic trajectories reveals the varying negative moderating influence of democratization. These negative effects of luxury democratization are more pronounced in developing markets (Study 1). Further, the findings highlight that consumer indulgence can help mitigate negative externalities associated with luxury democratization (Study 1) and identify its underlying mechanism through positive affect (Study 2). The multimethod approach demonstrated in this study sheds new light on consumer perceptions of luxury democratization and offers actionable implications for international luxury firms on managing this challenge in developed and developing markets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study contributes to the nascent literature on luxury experiences by focusing on a significant yet understudied segment of consumers responsible for a large share of luxury purchases. Seven in-depth interviews with ultra-high-net-worth individuals (UHNWIs), who represent the world's economic elite, and ten in-depth interviews with managers of top luxury brands reveal important features of the elite luxury experience. Not only do UHNWIs seek extraordinary, exclusive, and bespoke luxury experiences, but they are also driven by status affirmation, feelings of entitlement, and the need for distinction. They also experience a privacy paradox, with a preference for 'selective publicity'. Our findings demonstrate UHNWIs' strong disengagement from others – even other UHNWIs – facilitatedby elite luxury experiences. This study is the first to shed light on the idiosyncrasies of the elite luxury experience by combining data from UHNWIs and managers who facilitate luxury experiences. The study offers implications for managing luxury experiences directed at UHNWIs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the role of media in shaping public perception of athletes and the complex interactions between media, athletes, and the audience. It emphasizes the need to recognize athletes' humanity and individuality beyond their sport and discusses the impact of financial issues on media representations. The article concludes by calling for readers to challenge media narratives and promote more equitable and inclusive coverage of sports. However, it does not thoroughly analyze media bias or consider athletes' perspectives on their representation. [Extracted from the article]

One Kensington Gardens is a large nine-storey luxury apartment building on High Street Kensington. Rarely are there any lights on. The building exemplifies the many buy-to-leave homes in Kensington and Chelsea, the richest local authority in the UK. Looking at these homes from the perspective of residents and councillors who live and work in the borough, I explore how buy-to-leave housing hollows out community, increases the cost of living, sanitises public space, and results in exclusionary and physical displacement. I also identify what role the local authority has in the process of financialising housing in the borough, including how councillors work with developers to make decisions that do not meet the needs of the residents they have been elected to serve. By concentrating on the voice of residents, I show how buy-to-leave homes reinforces the super-gentrification of the borough and becomes another form of gentrification that contributes to displacement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores the relationship between zoning laws and gentrification in urban development. It discusses the historical evolution of gentrification and the proliferation of zoning laws in the United States. The article also examines the efforts of the city of Cincinnati to address gentrification through zoning reform. It concludes by urging city leaders to implement equitable changes to prevent the negative effects of gentrification. The text also discusses the history and impact of gentrification, the debate surrounding it, and the historical connection between gentrification and racial segregation. Additionally, it discusses the legal history of zoning ordinances in the United States and the distinction between exclusionary and inclusionary zoning practices. The text highlights the impact of zoning ordinances on communities and the recent zoning changes in Cincinnati to promote equitable development. It emphasizes the importance of community input and proactive reform in creating more inclusive zoning practices. [Extracted from the article]

This document explores the relationship between housing prices and land use regulations in different cities in the United States. The authors argue that land use regulations contribute to the misallocation of housing quality across neighborhoods. They find that in highly regulated cities, high-quality housing is more likely to be located in less desirable neighborhoods, leading to lower rental predictions for owner-occupied units. Conversely, in low-regulation cities, high-quality housing is more likely to be located in high-quality neighborhoods, resulting in higher rental predictions for owner-occupied units. The authors suggest that understanding the impact of land use regulations is crucial for accurately predicting rental values. [Extracted from the article]

Art historian Hal Foster and his colleagues write of the accelerating convergence between fine art and consumer goods: "artistic and commercial, high and low, rare and mass, expensive and cheap, and so on. There is little tension, and not much insight, now that these pairs have imploded--just a giddy delight, a weary despair, or a manicdepressive cocktail of the two."1 Nowhere is this messy collision more evident than the arena of non-fungible tokens (NFTs), where artists and fashion designers compete in their aspirations to lay claim to the medium for their works. This article uses the recent litigation between luxury fashion house Hermes and artist Mason Rothschild over a series of so-called "MetaBirkin" NFTs to examine whether the test developed in Rogers v. Grimaldi can effectively resolve disputes over trademark infringement by expressive works. The non-dimensionality of the NFT challenges the premise that paintings and purses are all that different and exposes the broader "crisis of the object" that inspires art and plagues trademark law. As contemporary art has increasingly used the medium of the artwork to challenge its capitalist context, the Rogers inquiry has grown ineffectual at delineating the boundaries between infringing and non-infringing expressive works at the intersection of art and fashion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

"Vertical Cities: Micro-segregation, Social Mix and Urban Housing Markets" is a book that delves into the topic of social differentiation and micro-scale segregation in cities. It explores the hierarchies and social inequalities that exist within urban areas, drawing on case studies from Europe, Africa, the Americas, and Asia. The book emphasizes the importance of understanding the contextual approach to segregation and the need for awareness among decision-makers. It provides valuable insights for researchers, practitioners, and policymakers interested in urban studies and geography. [Extracted from the article]

This article aims to reveal the social and spatial change in Bakırköy through time and to identify the drivers behind this transformation. Bakırköy has been chosen as it hosted the Roman, Byzantine, and Ottoman Empires, leading to its multicultural and layered structure. It has been influenced by the dominant features of each era, shaping socio-economic changes, spatial transformations, and urban planning practices over the historical process. The interaction of these socio-spatial elements within Bakırköy encompasses broad themes such as social differentiation, economic change, and urban governance, thereby presenting case studies to examine the dynamics of urban areas in Istanbul. The research has been conducted at two levels. First, spatial changes were examined through relevant documents, literature, and historical maps. The periods were determined as the state-led development period (1923-1950), liberalization period (1950-1980), neoliberal transformation period (1980-2000), and globalization period (post-2000), with the pre-1923 period being considered separately. Subsequently, five case studies were selected to represent different functional land use at the local level. The first case study involves an area known as the İskender Çelebi Farm in the 17th century, which was chosen to represent the transformation from a food production area to industrial production in the 18th century and has become a mass housing area in the 20th century, now known as the Ataköy districts. The second and third case studies represent the transformation from industrial production areas in the 19th and early 20th centuries to residential, tourism, and shopping areas. The fourth case study focuses on the coastal strip, which was used as a public space for 'sea baths' in the 19th century and today exists as luxury housing projects under private ownership. The fifth case study involves an area that served as an airport in the early 20th century and is currently planned for a hospital and green spaces, although it remains a public service. Through these cases, which demonstrate the shift from the productional use of space to consumption, the study seeks to answer the following questions: First, how do demographic and economic changes play a significant role in the differentiation of urban space, and in a related context, what is the local-scale impact of changing policies on the functional change of the selected cases? The findings reveal that industrial investments, supported by transportation investments, choose their locations in the changing/transforming economic order. The decentralization of industry and the privatization or transformation of public investments into consumption-focused urban areas through public-private partnerships have also been observed. The study aims to prove that this change in space lays the groundwork for social differentiation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the phenomenon of the commercialization of the American Dream through the example of consumerism around the realm of the suburban home, a key element of this concept in the United States, as well as the role of reality television in creating and encouraging inflated standards of consumption. It uses the example of the American television show Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. The article outlines the history and role of the American Dream, particularly the origins of the term itself, coined by Truslow Adams. The behaviour that Thorsten Veblen calls conspicuous consumption, which is characterized by a tendency to display material status in order to gain social respectability and prestige, is identified. The suburban house as a key element of the American Dream is analysed through the example of the makeovers presented in the programme. Their significant scale and unrealistic nature are often at odds with the real financial capabilities of the participants and are the cause of bankruptcies and financial problems. As the programme belongs to a genre that is supposed to reflect reality, in the light of the cultivation theory, created by George Gerbner, it influences viewers whose world-view is shaped by it and whose role models are imitated. Thus, the presented standards of a comfortable home in line with the American Dream can influence viewers' consumption behaviour by showing them that the acquisition of possessions is a solution to problems, a reward for an honest life and that there are no financial consequences associated with them. The lavishness of the houses and their luxury reinforce this impression. Finally, the article seeks to answer the question to what extent and why the need of Americans to live up to the vision of living the illusive American Dream – thus creating an image of success and social status – is exaggerated and its standards are taken to an 'extreme'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In today's society, individuals invest considerable effort into enhancing their physical appearance for socioeconomic success. Despite significantly expanding the boundaries of luxury brands, there has been limited academic exploration into the analysis of luxury brand value from an erotic capital perspective. This study explores the effect of erotic capital on the consumption value and purchase intention of luxury brands. We surveyed 148 VIP customers of major luxury brands and ascertained key elements of erotic capital, notably finding that factors such as pleasure, beauty, and arousal positively influence consumer behavior. Additionally, we confirmed the moderating effects of age and VIP level. Our findings suggest that luxury brands should incorporate the concept of erotic capital into their designs and marketing strategies while maintaining their brand identity to effectively navigate rapidly changing market environments and expand their customer base. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Luxury houses are constantly in search of meaningful, ethical and sustainable alternatives to petrochemically-derived materials that may end up in wastefills. We are witnessing the emergence of a new era that will change the world forever. Still in its infancy, the concept of bioengineered fabrics may offer the most planet-friendly and noble alternative to the luxury industry. Just as the Rennaissance period was born out of the Black Death, today's accelerated development of environmentally-safe materials seem to have been born out of the Covid-19 crisis that has obliged us to reconsider the damage we have inflicted on the health of our world in the name of profitability and employment since the advent of the Industrial Revolution in Britain, only 261 years ago. Do bio-based alternatives offer the prospect of a real way forward? To which extent could bacteria-based solutions be embraced by the luxury sector? Will they ever be accepted as 'noble materials'? [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The global urban population is expected to increase by 2.5 billion people over the next 30 years. Yet the doubling of urban landscapes in the last decades have already led to habitat loss and concomitant impacts to biodiversity. Nonetheless urban landscapes remain important for wildlife, and multi-city analyses have revealed that wealthy urban areas house more biodiversity (species richness), a 'luxury effect'. We researched some of the mechanisms for the luxury effect for urban black-tailed deer, a species of increasing concern in urban landscapes across the northwestern Nearctic. We hypothesized that deer were capitalizing on anthropogenic resource subsidies occurring in affluent housing and supported by urban green spaces such as parks and golf courses. In 2018-19 we satellite-collared twenty deer in an affluent urban landscape in British Columbia, Canada, with 13-hr fix rates. We used generalized models in an information-theoretic framework to weigh evidence for competing hypotheses about the role of tree cover, productivity, public green spaces, and wealth in explaining deer selection. Wealth, manifesting as housing lot size, emerged as the dominant predictor of deer space-use, which is highly concentrated into very small home-ranges. Other landscape elements stemming from affluence, including golf courses and parklands, were also strongly selected by deer. We show post-colonization landscape conversion from dry semi-arid savannah to well-watered high-productivity landscapes is supporting deer, with ramifications for the rest of the biotic community. With urban landscapes becoming an increasingly important for biodiversity conservation, understanding these mechanisms and incorporating them into urban planning can help to promote wildlife-human coexistence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On the basis of selected figural bronzes (components of furniture, lamps, and chandeliers), the author examines a phenomenon of late antique artistic creation that has largely been overlooked by previous research and has never been studied more closely. The focus is on bronzes that appear to pick up artistic models of Hellenistic times in a direct bridging of a period of more than 300 years. The present study also addresses the question of the motivation of Late Antique patrons and consumers. After weighing all arguments, it becomes apparent that we are obviously not dealing with fragmentary evidence of a continuous artistic tradition. Instead, the revival of Hellenistic motifs and image types that can be observed in the upscale house furnishings of the 4th and 5th centuries AD is likely to be interpreted not merely as an arbitrary expression of nostalgia or sentimentality, but as a thoroughly conscious political, i.e. purposefully programmatic, return to past glory days, which is why behind the bearers of this apparently very limited phenomenon of Late Antique artistic creation we can assume mainly the leading families of the time still adhering to the old faith. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Late Antiquity, aristocrats and city administrators continued the tradition of using impressive architectural and decorative elements in their urban residences, reminiscent of the practices in the Roman Empire. During this period, especially the most accessible and visible parts of houses were adorned in a remarkable manner to showcase the sophisticated tastes, social status, and wealth of the homeowners to their visitors. For this purpose, a particular architectural design and ornamentation was preferred because this urban elite group, in addition to hosting people under their patronage in extravagant residences, also took advantage of the domestic environment to strengthen relationships with peers of similar status. The courtyard, an indispensable feature of these residences, served particularly as one of the primary areas for welcoming visitors, thus leading to its meticulous design. This space, which was vital for shaping the initial impression of both the house and its owner, could feature fountains with decorative elements in its most visible area. Similar to the bathrooms and toilets within the house, these fountains were elements that elevated the overall standard of residences. Closely connected to channels and clean waterways, these fountains not only served practical functions but were also used to display the homeowner's high status by enhancing the quality and value of the houses. This article primarily focuses on examining the reflections of social changes in residential structures, especially residential fountains, due to the evolving structure of Late Antiquity. It discusses the fundamental characteristics of "fountains positioned in courtyards" as a type of fountain through a group of luxury residences from Late Antiquity in the regions of Asia Minor and the Mediterranean. Examining a sample of urban houses from Sardis, Aphrodisias, Xanthus, Arycanda, Side, Perge, Sagalassos, and Laodicea, and cities outside Asia Minor, this article emphasises the architectural features, functions, and significance for homeowners of the fountains dating from the 4th to 6th centuries AD located in the peristyles and open courtyards of these houses. The brief descriptions provided in the relevant section about the sampled fountains offer a contextual and spatial understanding of the fountains under consideration. Additionally, the objective is to elucidate how these fountains turned into an essential element of the luxurious homes of the elite through their architectural styles and decorative designs, and how homeowners used these fountains as instruments to display their social statuses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Villa of Caddeddi, in the territory of Noto (Siracusa) is located on the south bank of the Tellaro river, about 3 km from its mouth. The site, interpreted as a rural luxury residence dated to the fourth–fifth century CE, was first discovered in 1972 and intermittently investigated in the subsequent decades and mostly studied from the perspectives of the splendid mosaic floors there uncovered. The excavated structure accounts for just a portion of the complex, which is partially covered by an eighteenth–nineteenth century farmhouse. After a long period of neglect, the villa, mainly known in literature for its exquisite mosaic floors, has been recently restored and opened to the public and become subject of new studies by the University of South Florida's Institute for Digital Exploration (IDEx) and the Institute of Heritage Science – CNR which between 2019 and 2022 conducted a remote sensing, using ground penetrating radar method, campaign in partnership with the Parco Archeologico e Paesaggistico di Siracusa, Eloro, Villa del Tellaro e Akrai. The results related to the digital exploration and ground penetrating radar allow new knowledge relating to the Roman villa and allows a scientific reconstruction of the villa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While the home is an important place for individuals to act pro-environmentally, researchers have rarely explored the pro-environmental behavior of hotel customers in terms of their home away from home experiences during their travels. This study uses a combination of qualitative (interviews) and quantitative (questionnaires) methods to explore customer experiences of home spaces in the hotel context and the relationship between people's experience in hotels and their pro-environmental behavior. The study shows that (1) customers' experience of home spaces in hotels occurs through three dimensions: the function of home, the emotion of home, and the imagination of home. (2) Both the function of home and the emotion of home exert a significantly positive impact on hotel customers pro-environmental behavior. (3) The imagination of home exerts a significant positive effect on pro-environmental behavior both inside and outside of the hotel. (4) The pro-environmental behavior of customers in their own homes has a positive moderating effect on the relationship between the home experience and pro-environmental behavior in the hotel context. By combining the concepts of home spaces and pro-environmental behavior, this study, on the one hand, bridges the research gap between place experience and pro-environmental behavior in the hotel context; on the other hand, the study transcends the limitations engendered by studying pro-environmental behavior in the hotel and home space from a binary perspective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to climate change, Egypt has recently suffered from recurring electricity crises. Despite efforts made to increase electricity production in Egypt, recently, in the summer months, the energy demand has increased at unprecedented rates, especially in the housing sector. Therefore, the government and homeowners should work together to improve the energy performance of residential buildings. This paper aimed to develop a decision-making tool that helps homeowners choose optimal energy retrofit measures that suit their priorities. The study began with the data-collection and case study selection. Then, the thermal evaluation of the base case for dwellings in the case study was conducted through simulation runs using the DesignBuilder v7.1 software. Then, the optimal envelope energy retrofitting measures were determined, followed by a retrofitting-measure scenario simulation process. Then, the payback periods were calculated for all scenarios, and the tool database was developed using an Excel spreadsheet. Finally, the user interface for envelope energy retrofitting measures for gated communities (EERMGCs) tool was designed by Visual Basic for Applications. EERMGCs, the tool developed in this paper, is a simple, multi-objective and interactive tool that provides the optimal envelope retrofit measures according to user priorities, either a specific budget, the shortest payback period, the lowest possible costs, or the highest energy saving rate. The outcome of this research is developing a framework that can be considered a basis for developing decision-making tools for gated community housing in Egypt. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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