Consideration of daylight’s colour

The aim of the study is to underline the contribution of colour in daylighting projects as an objective parameter of visual performance and pleasantness.Window technology offers ways to use daylight in buildings. Glazing, shading systems and indoor materials modify its aspect by offering a large variation of its colour. However, colour of daylight changes greatly according to climate, spatially and temporally.Variation of the colour of daylight is illustrated as well as an example of the resulting change of surface colours with or without a type glazing. Then, a method to predict directional colour of skylight is suggested with the intention to apply it in daylighting calculations.     

The ‘Place’ of Cosmopolitan Architecture

The paper takes as its point of departure the necessity to open a space between the international and the national. That space will be as much political as will be one that allows for a certain architecture. For the sake of argumentation that space has been identified as the cosmopolitan. What characterises the cosmopolitan is the possibility that it is the form of modernity once the modem has been freed from the oscillation between the national and the international. Once modernity is introduced then the question to be addressed is not what is modern architecture but what is the architecture of modernity. Part of the argument developed here is that a beginning can be made once it is understood that modernity has to eschew the symbol. And yet, the symbols that proliferate are either national or international. Consequently, this gives rise to a complex interplay between the cosmopolitan, modernity and the possibility of an architecture that is non-symbolic. The question of how to think this complex set of relations is the project undertaken by the paper.     

Hans Scharoun’s ‘Dwelling Cells’ and the autonomy of architecture

This article traces a genealogy of three Berlin housing projects: Hans Scharoun’s housing estate Charlottenburg Nord (1956–1961); the Siedlung Siemensstadt (1929–1931), planned with Martin Wagner; the pre-modern reform block of Nonnendamm, designed by Johnson and Josef Feldhuber (1910–1912). Whilst for Scharoun the inversion of the figure of the perimeter block of Nonnendamm through the Zeilenbau organisation of Siemensstadt exemplifies modernism’s radical break from the past, it is the variegated form or Gestalt of Charlottenburg Nord that verifies the essential nature of a dwelling cell, or neighbourhood.

By contrast, this paper argues that Scharoun’s dwelling cell is the result of a continuous trajectory of typological reasoning. Each of the key spatial components of Nonnendamm—the figure of the block, the façade, the ground and the void—are taken up, hyper-articulated and re-configured, all in the service of the coherence and differentiation of a segment of the urban population. This trajectory exemplifies how modern architecture’s impetus for experimentation is taken into the service of and propels the broader reflection across disciplines regarding how to house and group the urban population.     

Phytocoenotic biodiversity of the planned national nature park ‘Foothills of Altai’

Abstract

The planned national nature park is situated in the northern part of the Altai foothills within the Belokurihinskiy granite massif. The flora includes 11 species of vascular plants listed in the Red Books of the Russian Federation (2008) and the Altai Territory (2006). Two species are endemics of Altai-Sayan mountainous country: Silene turgida and Dentaria sibirica. More than half of the territory (52.8%) is covered with forests. The fir taiga with the abundance of relict forms is the most extensive in terms of the area. Thus, the territory of the nature park features the following vegetation types: forests (small-leaved forests and conifer forests), meadows (steppe meadows, real (present), lowland meadows), meadow steppes, brakes, rocky vegetation, water vegetation and anthropogenic vegetation.     

Towards a geography of displacement. Moving out of Brussels’ gentrifying neighbourhoods

This paper takes up recent calls for re-invigorating research activity on the socio-spatial effects of gentrification, and on gentrification-induced displacement in particular. It does so by analysing the socio-economic profiles and destination municipalities of individuals who moved out of Brussels’ gentrifying neighbourhoods in the early 2000s. Findings clearly indicate that highly contrasted residential mobility patterns are conflated in this set of migrants. Surely, the majority of these out-migrants do not match the idea of low-status residents forced out of their neighbourhoods as gentrification develops. Yet, results also highlight a specific residential mobility pattern associated with low-status individuals moving out of gentrifying neighbourhoods. I argue that these findings outline a believable picture of the geography of displacement, that is, they show where former inhabitants displaced by gentrification are most likely to relocate. These movements are mostly over short distances, and directed towards impoverished working-class neighbourhoods within the city. Nevertheless, others leave the city as a whole. These findings echo earlier comments on the growing social-spatial polarisation of the Brussels’ urban landscape, and validate to some extent appraisals by local community organisations that stress that part of the urban poor are being “exported” from gentrifying inner neighbourhoods in Brussels towards generally depressed, old industrial regions in the rest of the country.

A ‘Strategy-as-Practice’ exploration of lean construction strategizing

A growing body of work emerging from the management and organizational studies literature is the ‘Strategy-as-Practice’ (SaP) perspective, which focuses on the ways in which strategy is actually enacted within organizational settings. This perspective is used to examine the diffusion of lean construction. In recent years lean construction has grown in prominence to become one of the primary performative improvement recipes for the construction sector. However, rather than providing a stable strategy around which more collaborative, intelligent and efficient project-based organizations develop, this research reveals how the lean concept transforms during its journey with unintended organizational consequences. An ethnographic case study, informed by SaP, demonstrates how a lean strategy and its effects on organizational practice and culture cannot be understood separately from material and embodied practices and power effects. As well as contributing to the examination of lean construction practice, the findings show how strategy is enacted within construction organizations and the ensuing effects of social power. A new trajectory is opened for research into strategizing within construction organizations, which provides ways to explore actual practices and spaces where strategizing occurs.     

A practitioner's view of the ‘Regenerative Paradigm’

The Building Research & Information special issue titled ‘Regenerative Design and Development’ (2012, volume 40, number 1) describes emerging theory and practices. This commentary reflects on some practical aspects of understanding and implementing regenerative development. Design professionals can certainly engage with the concepts of regenerative design to increase social and natural capital. Its scope provides for increased boundaries of practice by considering not only the building as an artefact, but also the potential to broaden the brief and engage with wider issues: the surrounding site, the encouragement of a low-carbon lifestyle and providing a positive contribution to eco-services. Drawing on some experience from practice, key challenges are raised: What impediments are likely to arise? What methodologies are needed for overcoming impediments and integrating these ideas into practice? How can the regenerative concept be applied to an urban context? Concern is expressed about how the complexity of systems thinking can be translated into the decision-making processes without adding undue complication. An important implication of regenerative development is for the existing building stock to be treated as a valuable resource of embodied carbon; its prolonged life and avoided demolition are fundamental.

Le numéro spécial de Building Research & Information intitulé « Conception et Développement Régénérateurs » (2012, volume 40, numéro 1) décrit la théorie et les pratiques émergentes. Le présent commentaire réfléchit à certains aspects pratiques de la compréhension et de la mise en oeuvre du développement régénérateur. Les professionnels de la conception peuvent certainement adopter les concepts de la conception régénératrice afin d'accroître le capital social et naturel. Son champ d'application permet d'élargir les limites de la pratique en envisageant non seulement le bâtiment comme un artefact, mais également les possibilités d'extension du cahier des charges et de prise en compte de problèmes plus larges: le site environnant, l'encouragement d'un style de vie bas carbone et la fourniture d'une contribution positive aux éco-services. En s'appuyant sur une certaine expérience issue de la pratique, les défis majeurs sont soulevés: quels obstacles sont susceptibles d'apparaître? Quelles méthodologies sont nécessaires pour surmonter ces obstacles et intégrer ces idées dans la pratique? Comment le concept régénérateur peut-il être appliqué à un contexte urbain? Des inquiétudes sont exprimées quant à la manière dont la complexité de la pensée systémique peut trouver sa traduction dans les processus de prise de décision sans ajouter d'excessives complications. Une implication importante du développement régénérateur est que le parc bâti existant doit être traité comme une ressource précieuse de carbone intrinsèque; il est essentiel d'en prolonger la durée de vie et d'en éviter la démolition.

Mots clés: cadre bâti, cadre de conception, pratiques de conception, conception régénératrice, construction durable, développement durable     

Spatial Restructuring of Industries Under Economic Globalization: Enterprises’ Choice and Governments’ Response

1. Introduction An undeniable fact happening in the process of globalization is that the regional division of labor first brought about by the multinational corporations is hav-     

‘Don’t look down!’: A short history of rooftopping photography

The article examines the practice known as ‘rooftopping photography’ and its significance for the representation of vertical cities. It begins by charting the historical development of architecture as a viewing platform in the age of the camera, and dwells on the imagery of cityscapes from above that emerged in the inter-war period. Against this background, the essay investigates how rooftopping arose out of the urban exploration movement and became a global trend in the early 2010s. This phenomenon is situated within its wider social and cultural context, and is discussed with reference to the online media discourse that contributed to its public visibility. A set of ideas from the philosophy of photography and visual culture inform the critical analysis of rooftopping photographs: this broad and diverse body of images is examined with a focus on two predominant modes of representation—panoramic and plunging views. The affective responses elicited by so-called ‘vertigo-inducing’ images are discussed through the concept of vicarious kinaesthesia, which offers insights into the nexus between visceral experience and visual representation that lies at the core of rooftopping. By unpacking this interplay, the essay explores a phenomenon that has hitherto been given little scholarly attention and reflects on its broader implications for the relationship between photography and architecture today.     

Comparison of Techniques for Prediction of Mechanical Strength of Firefighters’ Protective Clothing Using Near-Infrared Spectral Data

Fire Technology - As most textile tests are destructive, non-destructive test (NDT) methods are needed to evaluate in-use firefighters’ protective clothing and to provide guidance as to when...     

Housing Market Renewal: Evidence of Revanchism or a Response to ‘Passive Revanchism’ Supporting ‘Citizenship of Place’?

In England, housing market renewal (HMR) proved an urban policy cause célèbre held to be representative of state-sponsored gentrification. This paper considers some critiques and explores the relocation experience of a group of residents in South Yorkshire, England during the implementation of HMR policies during 2005–2007. This paper argues that: (i) from the mid-1970s, ‘place-based citizenship’ and participation standards had been eroded and the introduction of HMR was an antidote to state neglect; (ii) state failure in addressing ‘slow-burn’ shocks such as deindustrialisation and housing market restructuring can be viewed as a form of ‘passive revanchism’ and (iii) HMR can be viewed as a means of addressing deficits in participation standards that arise from differential experiences of place: the term ‘citizenship of place’ is therefore used to signal the call for a more nuanced account of policy interventions such as HMR in order to assess how complex processes of restructuring affect citizens across spatial and temporal scales.     

The Internal Layout of the Wards of Chang’an in the Tang Dynasty

The authors conduct a textual research on the internal layout of the wards of Chang’an in the Tang Dynasty and challenge the existing hypotheses and the conjectural model of the ward. Questions are raised from the aspects of spatial cognition, street hierarchy, and the regularity of urban fabric. The significant contrast of block dimensions between eastern and western cities is revealed, by comparing the layout pattern of the urban blocks of Tang Chang’an with that of Kahun of ancient Egypt, Olynthus of ancient Greece, Timgad of ancient Rome, and Mirande of the Middle Ages, as well as Old Herat of Afghanistan. It is concluded that a typical ward of Tang Chang’an had a dual structure of strict super-grid placed over residential quarters in an organic growth pattern. The socio-economic causes of this unique structure are also explored. Finally, the authors make a quantitative comparison between a ward in Tang Chang’an and Heijo-kyo of Japan respectively and illustrate the essential difference on concept and structure between the two models.     

A New Interpretation in Urban Form of the Wards of Tang Chang’an

By comparing the gridiron plans of ancient western cities with that of Tang Chang’an in the same scale,the authors find that a residential ward of Tang Chang’an was about the same size as an ancient western city.Thus the paper puts forward a hypothesis that Tang Chang’an was not a single city,but a cluster of hundreds of small towns with rigid layout.This theory is then proved by comparing a ward of Tang Chang’an with a typical small town in China from the perspectives of town scale,spatial layout,residential density,and land-use.The authors further explain the main cause for this unique urban form of Tang Chang’an,which was the compulsory migration policy.     

Numerical and experimental analysis of the vibration serviceability of the Bears’ Cage footbridge

The Bears’ Cage footbridge is a slender steel structure with a single span. Its dynamic behaviour is predicted based on a refined finite-element (FE) model and the vibration serviceability is assessed according to the current codes of practice. The assessment indicates a high susceptibility to human-induced vibrations with disturbing vibration levels even for sparse pedestrian densities. To validate the predicted behaviour of the structure, an extensive experimental study is performed including static deflection and dynamic vibration tests. The analysis shows that statically, the longitudinal movement of the supports on one side of the span can be considered unconstrained, indicating a behaviour of the sliding pot bearings as designed. Due to the footbridge’s arch-like shape, the longitudinal stiffness of the supports highly influences the natural frequency of the fundamental bending mode. The analysis shows that the longitudinal stiffness of sliding pot bearings and the structural inherent damping ratio of the fundamental mode significantly reduces once an initial friction level in the sliding pot bearings is overcome as the result of a significant movement at the supports. The vibration serviceability is reassessed based on the calibrated FE model and shows that even for high pedestrian densities, maximum vibration comfort is ensured.     

Stakeholders’ perception of residential density: a case study of Adelaide, Australia

‘Residential density’ is a frequently used concept often applied in planning practice. The notion of density policy is well understood; however, it is perceived, and by extension applied, differently across the world. Despite the increased focus and awareness of housing density, there appears to be little coherence or consensus within the planning and development sector, political circles and the general community about what it is, how it should be applied, and whether or not it is a positive or negative feature. Therefore, the aim of this paper is to identify stakeholders’ understanding of density. In order to achieve this, a case study approach was adopted in order to know the various stakeholders’ awareness and comprehension of density, and to that end, Adelaide, the capital city of South Australia, was selected as a case study city for this purpose. The research demonstrated that the stakeholders’ perception of density is strongly influenced by the built form of residential areas (for example, public image) rather than that of measurement or scale, even though there is no direct relationship between built form and density.     

The role of decision makers’ use of visualizations in project portfolio decision making

Visualizations are increasingly used to display data for project portfolio decision making. Such decisions support the delivery of organizational strategy and aim to enhance the overall outcome from project investments. While some studies show that visualizations help data interpretation, others suggest they might bias decisions. To better understand whether and how visualizations affect project portfolio decisions, we develop and test a conceptual model that emphasizes the role of the decision maker in interpreting and using visual data. Using a dual-informant sample of 138 firms, we show a positive relationship between decision makers’ use of visualizations and project portfolio success that is mediated by decision-making success. We draw upon theories of cognitive fit and cognitive load to explain how the relationship between the use of visualizations and decision-making success is influenced by both the decision maker's tendency to use heuristics and their familiarity with visualizations.     

‘The spring of hope,the winter of despair’: an unfinished narrative of Mediterranean cities

Early in 2011, a powerful surge of protest calling for political and social change swept along the North African shoreline. Not for the first time, and almost certainly not for the last, the established rhythms of urban life in the region were to be severely disrupted. The patient work of well-laid plans counted for little as people took to the streets and military governments resisted; overnight, public squares became places of protest and even battlegrounds. Tunis, Tripoli and Alexandria – the three cities that feature in this paper – were by no means the only places to feel the strong winds of change. Moreover, all three of the case studies have long histories and, as with so many other cities around the Mediterranean, turbulence is nothing new. It is hard to think of other parts of the world where cities have so often experienced changing fortunes: at one moment in history nourishing the growth of civilization, at another trapped in a spiral of decline. Located between three continents, in a region of geological as well as geopolitical instability, Mediterranean cities are familiar with bad times as well as good. This paper explores the nature of this volatile process and its impact on urban life and form.     

Testing and application of the computer model ‘SIMULEX’

A number of computer models for the evacuation of buildings have been produced in recent years. These models typically use a system known as ‘network-node’ modelling, which makes a number of large assumptions concerning human motion. Methods used in the software package ‘SIMULEX’ differ from the traditional methods of assessing motion in terms of average parameters and ‘flow rates’. The most significant feature of the model is the geometrically accurate simulation of the evacuation movement of each individual person from a building space. The algorithms which achieve this movement are not based on any standard method of evacuation modelling, so it is important to assess how realistic the algorithms prove to be, and also to investigate the performance of the system as a whole.This paper describes a series of tests in which SIMULEX models the movement of a large group of people through a number of exits of different widths. The maximum sustainable flow rates that were achieved in the tests are presented and compared to data from different sources. The application of SIMULEX to the proposed design of a large commercial store is also discussed.