Perceptions and Reuse of Concrete Building Structures

Concrete has gone through significant changes in popularity in the United Kingdom. This paper explores factors associated with shifts in the perception, and reuse of concrete buildings. and how these changes have influenced the use of concrete in Architecture and Design in the UK. The popularity of concrete has fluctuated over the past few decades. This is driven by a combination of cultural, aesthetic and sustainability factors.  In the 1980’s and 90’s fairfaced, textured, bush-hammered concrete acquired a reputation which took some three decades to reverse. UK public opinion on concrete ‘Brutalist’ buildings of these decades is mixed, but tends to often be negative, where terms used include ‘Depressing’, ‘Hideous’, ‘Monstrosities’, ‘Eyesores’. There is currently a growing appreciation for the history and cultural significance of concrete and specifically ‘Brutalist’ architecture. Although these buildings were previously despised, they are now recognised as part of the UK’s architectural heritage and efforts are made to preserve them for future generations. Buildings and complexes, which were once run-down urban environments, are now changed into more desirable housing complexes often leading to drastic social changes in the area. Concrete has been generally seen as a material that has significant environmental impact, especially in terms of carbon emissions. Concrete’s durability, thermal mass and fire protection properties paired with advances in technology that can improve the appearance and consistency of finishes, have all improved the popularity of concrete. Strides are also being made to improve the sustainability of concrete constituent materials. The positioning of concrete as a sustainable, energy efficient building material that can also have an aesthetic appeal, combined with its versatility and durability, make concrete once again a popular choice for contemporary architecture and Interior design

The Digital Paradox when Future and Tradition Co-Exist Contemporary Fashion with Augmented Reality

Nowadays fashion world has undergone significant transformations in the digital era, with technology playing a crucial role in various aspects. The digital era has transformed the fashion industry by redefining how fashion is produced, marketed, and consumed. Technology has opened up new opportunities for creativity and innovation within the fashion landscape. This research explores the intersection of digital technology and traditional fashion by examining the paradoxical coexistence of the future and tradition in the realm of contemporary fashion, specifically through the integration of Augmented Reality (AR) experiences. The importance of this study lies in understanding how fashion, as a reflection of culture, adapts and evolves in the digital era while still preserving its historical and cultural significance. By addressing this paradox, the research aims to shed light on the potential solutions and implications for the fashion industry. The primary problem addressed in this work is the tension between embracing technological advancements and maintaining the authenticity and heritage associated with fashion. Through a Qualitative approach, including observation, interviews and literature studies, the methodology aims to investigate the various ways in which AR is currently being integrated into fashion. The results of this study provide insights into the benefits and challenges of incorporating AR in fashion, including enhanced consumer engagement, personalized experiences, and increased value. By examining the coexistence of future and tradition, this study aims to bridge the gap between technological advancements and the preservation of cultural heritage in the dynamic landscape of fashion

Impact of Biophilic Design on Supporting Metacognitive Thinking in Early Childhood in Childcare Centers: A Multidisciplinary Study

It is widely known how modern life from activities, games, and technologies has consumed children’s lives and attention, distracting them from the natural environment and its benefits. Moreover, although childcare centers are nowadays considered one of the primary environments where children spend most of their time, a child-nature connection is not much considered in their designs, giving more attention to technologies and artificial life. Environmental psychology theories declare that children are greatly affected by the surrounding physical environments, emphasizing nature as the richest environment that can feed their cognition and enhance their thinking skills, creativity, and development. A wealth of research studied the effect of nature-connected environments through biophilic design on children’s physical and psychological developmental aspects (226,975 articles since 2000). However, less concern is given to the cognitive development aspect (only 18.75% of the total), with a gap in terms of metacognition as a kind of high-order thinking. Metacognition enhances children's behavior and high-order thinking skills such as reflective thinking, creativity, and problem-solving. Hence, this paper aims to investigate the role of biophilic design in supporting metacognition in young children by conducting a multidisciplinary study that addresses the four theories Biophilic, Attention Restoration, Froebel’s theory, and Metacognition. The aim of this paper was achieved, firstly, by conducting a structured literature review in a multidisciplinary approach in Architectural, Environmental Psychology, Educational, and Cognitive Psychology fields using academic databases such as Elsevier, Scopus, Research Gate, and Academia. Secondly, analyzing the gathered data and the interrelations between the previously mentioned four selected theories. This paper’s findings show three conclusions; firstly, a restorative environment supports metacognition by stimulating reflective thinking and developing skills. Secondly, biophilic design’s attributes fulfill the factors for creating a restorative environment. Thirdly, specific metacognitive skills are supported by certain biophilic attributes. This paper revisits the design criteria for childcare centers providing a framework and a guideline abstracted from the biophilic approach for supporting children’s development and metacognition

Gender and Culture Inclusivity in the Story of Hope Fashion Collection.

Discrimination against minority groups often still occurs and becomes a global problem. The problem of discrimination, such as minority gender and cultural minorities, is a social issue that needs to be exposed to get awareness. Inclusivity is one of the methods used to increase awareness of issues of gender and cultural discrimination. Inclusivity is one of the discourses to answer the challenges of sustainable development goals related to the topic of gender equality and reducing inequality. Fashion is a branch of design that often presents the context of inclusivity through works. The discourse of glocalization in the fashion industry also provides an opportunity to raise local content related to minority culture and gender as inspiration and communication through fashion works. The Story of Hope collection is an example of a fashion creation with the theme of gender and minority culture. The problem discussed in this paper is how gender and cultural inclusivity communicated through fashion stories of hope. The study applied qualitative methods with primary data collection techniques through observation and interviews. The secondary data obtained through literature studies. The theory used in analyzing the data uses a Barthes semiotic approach and postmodern aesthetic of bricolage. The Story of Hope collection is a fashion creation that adapts gender-fluid trends and applies traditional fabrics to represent culture in contemporary clothing. Story of Hope collection can be used as a communication tool in conveying inclusive discourse through its constituent visual elements

Net Zero Transformation of Buildings with Gamification and Sustainability Performance Monitoring System

Today’s digitally hyperconnected world, inching closer to mid-century climate-concern goals, is engaged in accomplishing sustainability targets. Industry and infrastructure have become as central to climate action as they have traditionally been to economic growth and social development. Commercial and public buildings in Smart cities contribute significantly to such progress. However, buildings also carry a negative impact on the environment and society, contributing through pollution, depletion of resources, carbon emissions, and high energy consumption. This paper describes the criticality of a sustainability performance information platform that brings together all the aspects of a sustainable building’s social, economic, and environmental qualities through intelligent management and operations. The author extends his belief in multi-dimensional sustainability by emphasizing the importance of people-participation through behavioral change and persuasive design in clean building technology to bring about a change for good. This paper is an attempt at a framework that will lead to greater collaborative efforts towards more intelligent, sustainable cities with interoperable green buildings

Enhancing Smartness and Interoperability of Building Management Systems in Non-Residential Buildings

In smart and sustainable cities, smartness of buildings is expected to evolve. A smart building should enhance its users’ productivity and minimize its environmental impact. Although these objectives are seemingly common, the development of the smartness of buildings is actualized in the form of an incoherent combination of standards and solutions. The emergence of the IoT (Internet of Things) is expected to bring major improvements in the development of smartness, but at the same time, it may even worsen non-systematicity. Such inconsistency creates barriers to the commercialization of innovations and poses challenges to technical building management. Here, we clarify the situation between the conventional building management system approach and the IoT-based entrants. We analyze the different approaches to building automation systems’ interoperability by means of a literature review, professional interviews and smart readiness indicator impact evaluation. The study forms a general view based on the presented information and suggests approaches for specifying technical building systems, which are expected to improve their schematic clarity and reduce performance gaps of buildings. This study can be used as a practical tool by technical building managers, and it discusses issues needing consideration to the benefit of policymakers, industry and academia

The Contradictions of Saint Paul’s Cathedral: An Architectural Exploration of Its Relationship with the People of London

Saint Paul’s Cathedral is a contradiction. Beautiful and majestic, it combines an almost Catholic shape with a Protestant soul. It is one of the most powerful symbols of England, and a reason for pride for any Londoner. This paper wants to explore the architectural variations of Saint Paul’s, especially before and after the Great Fire in 1666, to unveil the peculiar relationship between the cathedral and the people of London. Although St Paul’s has been a constant for the Londoners, its role in their lives has not always been the same. The progressive change in people’s attitude towards the cathedral went at the same pace as the alteration of the architecture of the building, which mirrored the social, political, and religious changes of the country. From being a central point of commerce and medieval social life during its Norman period and its Gothic style, the cathedral evolved into the highest symbol of religion and power and reached its peak with the design provided by Wren. Looking at the different models of Saint Paul’s, from its first consecration in 604 until today, it is evident that the building has been an active player in English history, adapting itself to necessity. It witnessed the Norman Conquest, the Dissolution of the Monasteries under Henry VIII, and the Great Fire, and it was the symbol of the English strength and resistance in World War II. Therefore, the study of the architectural changes of Saint Paul’s is the study of the city of London, its people, and some of the most significant historical events that shaped England

Public Space as Urban Cultural and Tourism Education Facility with Historical Atmosphere: Case Study : Old City Area of Jakarta

The Old City area, which is a part of Jakarta City has become the symbol of Batavia's historical greatness. Batavia is also known as the Queen of The East due to its beauty (Brill, 1993). From its long historical record and the abundant number of historical heritages, Old City area revitalization efforts have become a priority in DKI Jakarta Governor’s work programs. Based on Law Number 26 Year 2007 regarding Landscapes, Jakarta should own 30% of green open spaces in its administrative area. However, Jakarta only provides 10% of green open (Hariyawan et al., n.d.). The small amount can also be seen in the Old City area with a small portion of green open space or public area. The Old City area of Jakarta is now filled with illegal dwellings and abandoned buildings which are often used by migrant communities as their residences. This situation creates irregularity and discomfort for the people. Old City area is a cultural heritage area, which is often utilized as a gathering area for artists with routine activities such as photographers, mural artists, and theatrical actors. However, these communities often face difficulties due to limited facilities in the area. Based on the policy analysis of historical cultural heritage preservation of the Old City area in Jakarta, we can conclude that revitalization efforts aim to provide public open spaces by optimizing their functions, and comforts, while also bringing back the historical heritage atmosphere. The goal of this design is to shape interaction space patterns that are in accordance with the local art communities so that they can have their own working spaces. The method utilized in this research was a qualitative descriptive and case study methods, which were implemented in the Old City area. The revitalization of the Old City area in Jakarta has the potential to improve it as urban tourism and art education, which is also integrated with green open space that functions as social space. The involvement of communities in the area is also important in assisting the organizing, driving, and supervising efforts of public areas

Application of a Biomimetic Approach in the Design Exploration of the Indonesian Red Cross Memorial Covid 19 Volunteer Monument, Tangerang Regency

Coronavirus Disease 2019 (Covid-19) has been declared a global pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO) and a national disaster by the Indonesian government since March 2020. The high speed of the virus' spread has caused an enormous multidimensional crisis in terms of health, social, and economic aspects all over the world, including Indonesia. As of May 8, 2023, Covid-19 has infected 6,787,354 people, with 161,459 of them having died. Among the many victims, there are also many volunteers who have fallen while serving the community in dealing with the pandemic. To commemorate the fallen volunteers, the Indonesian Red Cross of Tangerang Regency plans to immortalize them through a monument in the Solear area, Tangerang Regency, Banten. This monument is intended as a place to remember the fallen volunteers for their families, colleagues, and the public. The Architecture Student Association (Gamatara) of UPH had the opportunity to contribute their design ideas in the framework of community service. The approach used in developing the design of this monument is biomimetic. Biomimetic architecture is defined as the science and art of designing buildings by imitating aspects of nature as examples, models, references, and guidelines for solving problems in architecture. In the design of this monument, biomimetic is applied to make nature an inspiration for form. This approach is used as the actualization of the symbol that the way to prevent pandemics like this in the future is through harmonization with nature. This approach can be seen as the application of metaphor, prioritizing conceptual and visual synergy. The bamboo shoot shape was chosen as an appropriate metaphor that depicts resilience and the emergence of new hope. The design exploration is directed towards combining the form and the resulting spatial experience to create a sense of place and a meditative reflection space that supports activities

Optimization of P25/CaTiO3nanorod Composite Photocatalysts for High Organic Matter Degradation Performance

Wastewater is discharged into rivers and oceans without any treatment, causing significant damage to animal health and destroying ecosystems. Semiconductor photocatalysts are attracting attention as an effective means for solving this problem. Among them, titanium-based perovskite semiconductors are expected to be the next-generation photocatalysts because of their wide range of properties, including chemical and optical stability. CaTiO3, in particular, has attracted attention because of its excellent corrosion resistance, low cost, and ease of material synthesis. In this study, CaTiO3 nanorods (CaTiO3NR) were prepared by hydrothermal synthesis. The photocatalytic activity was improved by forming a heterostructure between TiO2 particles (P25) and CaTiO3NR and by optimizing the mass ratio of P25 to CaTiO3NR. Methylene blue solution was used as a pollutant model to evaluate the degradation performance of photocatalysts under UV irradiation. The results showed that controlling the mass ratio of P25 /CaTiO3NR can significantly improve the photocatalytic performance and has better degradation than P25/CaTiO3nanocuboids composite photocatalysts. The highest photocatalytic performance was achieved by the P25 /CaTiO3NR=3:1 composite photocatalyst, which had about 60% more decomposition performance compared to P25