During the 1960s, thousands of high-and medium-rise single sided corridor blocks were designed and constructed using prefabricated concrete cladding systems. Most were characterised by inferior quality material and poor workmanship, poor supervision and inadequate environmental services which subsequently deteriorated to a state of disrepair. The main culprits were condensation, water ingress and cold bridging effects owing to low energy efficiency standards and lack of thermal insulation. It was initially contemplated that at the end of their life span these problems would be remedied by adopting``high-tech'' components involving composite cladding methods and highly automated environmental services to improve the operational efficiency and optimise their long-term durability and life cost cycle. However, the cost has proved to be beyond client affordability. Meeting the requirements of today's users and the current building regulations necessitated rethinking of the whole process; and alternative costeffective maintenance and energy efficient approaches had to be developed. This paper critically evaluates the approach to low-cost maintenance and refurbishment of high-rise buildings in parts of Birmingham, UK.
Purpose -The purpose of this paper is to compare and contrast the findings of the empirical studies that were conducted in both the UK and the USA on the impact of a few sensory environmental stimuli, mainly visual and acoustical stimuli, on individual's behaviour in school buildings. Design/methodology/approach -An analysis of teaching layouts and the sequence of activities in selected school buildings was conducted. Opinions of focus groups including teachers and carers working with individuals with Autistic Spectrum Disorders (ASD), were initially explored to assess the extent of the sensory problems associated with the existing teaching settings and to highlight any operational design limitations and constraints. A questionnaire was formulated based on the feedback gleaned from the focus groups. Relevant perceptual information about behavioural reactions to varying sensory stimuli was compiled. Key sensory triggers were identified. Visual information of selected schools including photos and visual diagrams of ASD workstations were compiled, annotated and analysed for further examination. Findings -Several sensory parameters were observed in the teaching environment including bright colours and light, pattern, glare, echoing, sudden and impact sound, high and low pitch sound and background noise levels. Some variations between the two studies exist regarding particular sensory triggers and their importance as perceived by respondents. These can be directly attributed to differences in school design layout, internal finishing and workstation configuration. Other extraneous factors including the size of the study sample, location of schools and climatic factors are also implicated; however, significantly consistent adverse effects on individuals' behaviour have been identified in both studies. Originality/value -This paper highlights issues for open discussion amongst decision makers and built environment professionals to enhance the quality of life of the affected groups. This is particularly important given the extent of the sensory processing problems of individuals with ASD in both the UK and the USA. The findings will be relevant at strategic, tactical and operational levels including, inter alia, federal government agencies and decision-making bodies. Professionals involved in the process of planning, design and management of school buildings in both the UK and our sister country the US may benefit. The operational efficiency of education facilities may be maximised through control of the design and construction of school buildings. By further reducing the undesirable consequences of sensory triggers in educational facilities, the quality of life of the affected individuals may be improved.
2003),"Home-based teleworking and the employment relationship: Managerial challenges and dilemmas", Personnel Review, Vol. 32 Iss 4 pp. 422-437 http://dx.If you would like to write for this, or any other Emerald publication, then please use our Emerald for Authors service information about how to choose which publication to write for and submission guidelines are available for all. Please visit www.emeraldinsight.com/authors for more information. About Emerald www.emeraldinsight.comEmerald is a global publisher linking research and practice to the benefit of society. The company manages a portfolio of more than 290 journals and over 2,350 books and book series volumes, as well as providing an extensive range of online products and additional customer resources and services.Emerald is both COUNTER 4 and TRANSFER compliant. The organization is a partner of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and also works with Portico and the LOCKSS initiative for digital archive preservation. AbstractThis article assesses the impact of the social and psychological factors involved in the telework process. It examines factors such as motivation, social interaction, isolation and loneliness, using questionnaire data gathered from various types of small-to medium-sized businesses based in Birmingham, UK between 1996 and 1998. It provides guidelines for managers and teleworkers that might improve efficiency and stimulate greater awareness about what constitutes an effective and human-centred teleworking strategy. It also highlights and examines the most pertinent operational and logistical problems facing organisations relying on the experiences of both employers and the teleworkers themselves. It concludes that teleworkers need to be more proactive and play more of a key role in userinitiated change otherwise the``human'' factors will be overlooked. Recommends further research to incorporate these findings into practice in larger organisations. Electronic accessThe research register for this journal is available at
It is apparent that the world of education has changed over the last ten years. The emergence of newly adopted metaphors such as “virtual university”, “networked campus” and “e‐university” may have yet greater impact on a university’s modus operandi in the twenty‐first century. This, in turn, will require more flexibility to cater for varying learning, managerial and organisational requirements. In terms of space management this will shift the emphasis towards a more time‐flexible, space‐flexible and location‐flexible pattern which will become sine qua non for e‐learning. One of the main questions this paper is seeking to address is “what are the wider implications of these changes on the space design and management of existing university buildings?”. An attempt will be made to examine, speculate and extrapolate the design implications on a selected building at the UCE , Perry Barr Campus in the West Midlands.
It is apparent that the world of education has changed; the latest developments in the superhighway and the Internet are allowing students to be more flexible as to the time and place of learning in ways that were unimaginable ten years ago. The emergence of newly adopted metaphors such as “virtual university” and “networked campus” has greater impact on the teaching and learning modus operandi. The Dearing Report on higher education in the UK has emphasised that open access to a networked desktop and portable computer by all students will become the sine qua non for the next millennium. One of the main questions this paper is seeking to address is the wider implications of these changes on a university’s planning and design. Will the university be radically transformed into a virtual world? Will the university as we know it be able to exist at all? What are the alternative usages of the existing buildings? An attempt will be made to examine the implications of teleworking on university planning and the use of campus buildings. It is anticipated that this paper will highlight issues for open discussion which might increase the level of understanding and awareness between all those involved in the policy making, planning and management of university estates.
Change and the ability to cope with it has been increasingly recognised as one of the most crucial design problems in the contemporary architecture. The growing concern about the design for change evoked greater controversy during the 70's and the go's, and became the focus of many studies on flexibility of building use over which continued discussion is needed. Therefore, the prime objective of this paper is to provide an in-depth investigation supported by some empirical evidence about the nature of the process of change in school buildings, endeavouring to highlight the main design parameters which regulate this process. Three central questions will be addressed accordingly: Why does change occur? How can it be achieved cost-effectively? To what extent may the accommodation of change improve the operational efficiency of school buildings in use? The paper will later examine different design strategies and approaches of schools, concentrating on a few design variables associated with close-jit and loose-jit design concepts and their consequences on the accommodation of change. These include uni~om'ty versus variety of spatial organisation, articulation versus zoning of teaching areas, and independence of building elements. Meanwhile ConfIicting claim about their relevance to change will be reviewed and explained
PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between the embedded smart sensors (ESS) technologies and productivity; it seeks to provide an overview regarding the use and impacts of ESS in particular on users' performance. An attempt will be made to explore some of the current ESS tools and technologies, which might affect user performance.Design/methodology/approachA literature review and critical analysis of recently published papers (1999‐2005) related to intelligent buildings and smart sensors which aims to assess their impacts on productivity and performance in office buildings.FindingsIn today's immense challenges of uncertainty, workforce mobility and ever increasing insecurity and unpredictability characterizing many business organizations ESS and will have a wide‐ranging ramifications to office productivity which is partially dependent on the utility of the space and internal environment within which business operates.Practical implicationsIntelligent networks based on open, interoperable and interchangeable ESS will be of a paramount importance in optimizing the operational efficiency of office buildings as much as it will provide a long‐term multi‐ strategic approach for facility and property management. This will be beneficial to varying property stakeholders including clients, owners, facilities managers and end‐users of office building; this in turn determines the responsiveness of space.Originality/valueIt is anticipated that that the findings will be vital for all those professionals involved into the design process, management and operation of workplace.
Purpose -The purpose of this research is to explore the relationship of a few sensory environmental parameters, mainly visual and acoustical stimuli, with childrens' behaviour and performance in special needs schools. Design/methodology/approach -Analysis of teaching layouts and the sequence of activities in ten selected special needs schools have been conducted using questionnaire directed at carers and teachers. The findings were cross-validated via open-ended interviews with teachers and carers to glean more in-depth understanding about sensory influences. Findings -Several sensory parameters were observed in the teaching environment: bright colours and light, pattern glare, echoing, higher and low-pitch sound and background noise level. The study identified numerous factors having a negative effect on children's behaviour. Practical implications -This paper provides further understanding of the key factors contributing to the quality of teaching environment consistent with user's need and expectations. It provides suggestions regarding the briefing and design to support childrens' performance. This can assist in developing alternative design guidelines based on users-centered approach to schools design. Originality/value -This paper will highlight issues for open discussion amongst all those involved in the process of planning, design and management of school environments which further reduce the undesirable consequences of the aforementioned parameters towards improving their operational efficiency in use.
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