The Impact of Integration between the Theoretical and Practical Side of Sustainability Teaching in Architecture Departments

Today the world is facing great environmental problems. The built environment with its sick architectural designs has a major contribution in these problems, and it becomes clear that architects play a key role to overcome these problems or minimize their affect by taking sound sustainable measures in architectural designs. This makes teaching sustainability in higher education one of the most important tools to raise student's environment awareness, especially in architecture departments. Here appears the general research problem regarding the need to include sustainability teaching in architecture departments as an essential part of its curriculum starting from the early years of study, besides identifying the best methods to combine this subject with the existing ones, here appears the specific research problem considering the existing separation between the theoretical sustainability teaching and it's practical application in architectural design. That caused missing sustainable principles in students design. The hypothesis refers that adding sustainability as an important part of the curriculum in architecture departments from the early years of study have a great effect in changing students thoughts to shift towards sustainable designs, besides the integrating the theoretical part of teaching sustainability in classroom with its practical side in design studios. This will promote achieving the aimed goals of teaching this subject, and deeper student's knowledge about it. Keywords: sustainable teaching, theoretical and practical teaching in architecture departments

The Role of Sustainable Infrastructure in Resilient City Production

Currently 54% of the world's population lives in cities and this rate is expected to reach 66% in 2050. These enormous numbers of people may face various kinds of risks if their cities exposed to natural or human disasters. This requires taking the necessary measures to preserve their lives and properties, through special planning and design measures related to city's infrastructures and buildings to increase their abilities to withstand threats and raise cites potentials to protect the city and its inhabitants from hurt and damage, or at least minimize them. As the majority of the city's components, whether infrastructure or built environment, are rigid components and do not have the flexibility to cope with any kind of disasters, therefore it is necessary to look for new type of infrastructure and buildings that are flexible and capable to face risks. Here appears the general research problem related to city weakness and its inability to cope with risks. And the special research problem concerning the need to shift to a new type of city called the resilient city. And how this shift can take place? And what are its requirements? The aim of the research is to identify resilient city elements like resilient infrastructure that are capable to resist expected or unexpected environmental conditions especially rainstorm. The hypothesis of the research is that designed sustainable infrastructures are capable to resist environmental hazards and will help to produce the resilient city. Keywords: Resilient city, Sustainable drainage infrastructure, urban floods

The Technology of Climate Adaptive Building Shells (CABS) In Improving Environmental & Economic Efficiency

Designing buildings with high environmental and economic efficiency has recently become very difficult, and the ecological problems of the whole world have become realistic and require radical solutions. As 20 - 60% of the total energy used in buildings is affected in their enclosures design and construction, consider adopting sustainable energy efficiency strategies in their design and construction. In the past, factors such as society, economy, and technology influenced architecture, prompting architects to develop innovative design theories, particularly after the industrial revolution and the devastation it left in the environment, such as pollution and natural resource consumption, as well as the phenomenon of heat islands. In addition, many factors such as society, economy, and technology led to the idea of active adaptive smart buildings emerged as these factors have provided technological advances in electrical control systems, computer engineering, information technology, artificial intelligence, electronic science and materials science, opportunities for the use of motor building systems in architecture and its components. Therefore, it introduced the concept of active, interactive, moving and adaptive facades instead of the traditional fixed facades, which are characterised by interacting with the surrounding environment through many technologies that improve the economic and internal environment of the building and its efficiency to make the building sustainable. CABS work with the concepts of adaptability, versatility, and evolution. This paper aims to provide a comprehensive review of the research, design and development efforts in the CABS system field. Based on the study of the theoretical framework, a classification is made to place a variety of concepts in one context. Thus, a measurement ruler is reached that includes an essential vocabulary and indicators that can characterise the CABS so that the research can measure its level of effectiveness in the examples selected. Keywords: adaptive facades, CABS, economic efficiency, environmental efficiency, adaptability, sustainable energy. DOI: 10.7176/JETP/12-2-06 Publication date: July 30th 202

Environmental education (EE) in architectural departments Al-Nahrain University as case study

Since architecture is concerned with the design of various buildings at the architectural and urban levels, and since buildings are responsible for nearly half of energy consumption worldwide, this matter calls for the need to pay attention to the curricula and theories of environmental architectural design originally based on environmental education curricula in the departments of engineering Architecture to seek to prepare the teaching staff and students to face this reality by developing curricula that distinguish academic and professional institutions and specifically related to environmental education curricula for the purpose of finding appropriate and compatible solutions with every design act in view of the increasing environmental problems in the light of global indicators, the research seeks to identify the most important stages of education Environmental in the field of architecture, starting from the stage of the exploratory approach through the stage of the proposal approach to the stage of the critical approach, with the identification of the most important environmental design theories such as biomicry, which helped in finding solutions to the problem of high energy consumption of eight buildings at the architectural and urban levels, as well as the research seeks to review the position of Environmental education curriculum in the Department of Architecture – Al-Nahrain University, To show its compatibility with the most important stages of environmental education approved globally. The research concluded that there is a weakness in the alternatives approach and the critical approach that must be activated as an important stage of environmental education in that department. The research also recommends the necessity of activating environmental design theories in the field of practical and academic architectural practice, such as the biomicrological design theory for the purpose of raising the environmental efficiency of buildings and reducing energy consumption. In those buildings

Investigation thermal comfort in urban environmental centres by combining traditional and modern principles

Traditional cities have been able to provide thermal comfort to their residents through the use of simple physical principles related to the movement of air from cold areas high-pressure represented by a cold air gathering focal like the basements and the middle courtyard and shaded alleys to hot areas low-pressure such as large urban open courtyards that exposed to sunlight. However, due to the industrial revolution, The Urban development has deteriorated the traditional urban fabric, and it’s environmental components, which provided urban fabric with thermal comfort reasons, have disappeared, and a modern urban fabric has emerged that does not take environmental considerations and thermal comfort into account. Here, the research tries to suggest a planning urban style that combines the Principles of architecture and traditional planning with a modern ideas that are appropriate for the times, achieving new urban centers within the city capable of providing thermal comfort to its occupants and creating an urban environmental vision to revitalize traditional urban areas by using vertical green walls

The importance of evaluating the environmental design and performance of student projects as a product of architecture departments: A case study

This study investigated the extent to which the requirements and guidelines of environmental education approved by the National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB) are met in the academic programs of the Architecture Department of Al-Nahrain University. It also attempted to examine to what extent these guidelines are considered in practical and theoretical parts, and across various stages. To this end, the number of topics given in the field of environment was determined and a review of the importance of this subject was done. Then, the most important studies carried out in this area were extracted and a comparison was made between what must be achieved in the field of environmental education according to the NAAB guidelines and what really exists in educational courses of the Architecture Department of Al-Nahrain University. As a result, the shortcomings that prevented the fulfillment of the NAAB conditions were identified. The findings suggested that, in order to meet the NAAB requirements on environmental education, there is a need to activate applied practical aspects in the environmental education concerning academic projects and the preparation of supporting laboratories for applying the software and calculations on such projects to verify the projects' performance environmentally

Antimicrobial resistance among migrants in Europe: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND: Rates of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) are rising globally and there is concern that increased migration is contributing to the burden of antibiotic resistance in Europe. However, the effect of migration on the burden of AMR in Europe has not yet been comprehensively examined. Therefore, we did a systematic review and meta-analysis to identify and synthesise data for AMR carriage or infection in migrants to Europe to examine differences in patterns of AMR across migrant groups and in different settings. METHODS: For this systematic review and meta-analysis, we searched MEDLINE, Embase, PubMed, and Scopus with no language restrictions from Jan 1, 2000, to Jan 18, 2017, for primary data from observational studies reporting antibacterial resistance in common bacterial pathogens among migrants to 21 European Union-15 and European Economic Area countries. To be eligible for inclusion, studies had to report data on carriage or infection with laboratory-confirmed antibiotic-resistant organisms in migrant populations. We extracted data from eligible studies and assessed quality using piloted, standardised forms. We did not examine drug resistance in tuberculosis and excluded articles solely reporting on this parameter. We also excluded articles in which migrant status was determined by ethnicity, country of birth of participants' parents, or was not defined, and articles in which data were not disaggregated by migrant status. Outcomes were carriage of or infection with antibiotic-resistant organisms. We used random-effects models to calculate the pooled prevalence of each outcome. The study protocol is registered with PROSPERO, number CRD42016043681. FINDINGS: We identified 2274 articles, of which 23 observational studies reporting on antibiotic resistance in 2319 migrants were included. The pooled prevalence of any AMR carriage or AMR infection in migrants was 25·4% (95% CI 19·1-31·8; I2 =98%), including meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (7·8%, 4·8-10·7; I2 =92%) and antibiotic-resistant Gram-negative bacteria (27·2%, 17·6-36·8; I2 =94%). The pooled prevalence of any AMR carriage or infection was higher in refugees and asylum seekers (33·0%, 18·3-47·6; I2 =98%) than in other migrant groups (6·6%, 1·8-11·3; I2 =92%). The pooled prevalence of antibiotic-resistant organisms was slightly higher in high-migrant community settings (33·1%, 11·1-55·1; I2 =96%) than in migrants in hospitals (24·3%, 16·1-32·6; I2 =98%). We did not find evidence of high rates of transmission of AMR from migrant to host populations. INTERPRETATION: Migrants are exposed to conditions favouring the emergence of drug resistance during transit and in host countries in Europe. Increased antibiotic resistance among refugees and asylum seekers and in high-migrant community settings (such as refugee camps and detention facilities) highlights the need for improved living conditions, access to health care, and initiatives to facilitate detection of and appropriate high-quality treatment for antibiotic-resistant infections during transit and in host countries. Protocols for the prevention and control of infection and for antibiotic surveillance need to be integrated in all aspects of health care, which should be accessible for all migrant groups, and should target determinants of AMR before, during, and after migration. FUNDING: UK National Institute for Health Research Imperial Biomedical Research Centre, Imperial College Healthcare Charity, the Wellcome Trust, and UK National Institute for Health Research Health Protection Research Unit in Healthcare-associated Infections and Antimictobial Resistance at Imperial College London

Surgical site infection after gastrointestinal surgery in high-income, middle-income, and low-income countries: a prospective, international, multicentre cohort study

Background: Surgical site infection (SSI) is one of the most common infections associated with health care, but its importance as a global health priority is not fully understood. We quantified the burden of SSI after gastrointestinal surgery in countries in all parts of the world. Methods: This international, prospective, multicentre cohort study included consecutive patients undergoing elective or emergency gastrointestinal resection within 2-week time periods at any health-care facility in any country. Countries with participating centres were stratified into high-income, middle-income, and low-income groups according to the UN's Human Development Index (HDI). Data variables from the GlobalSurg 1 study and other studies that have been found to affect the likelihood of SSI were entered into risk adjustment models. The primary outcome measure was the 30-day SSI incidence (defined by US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention criteria for superficial and deep incisional SSI). Relationships with explanatory variables were examined using Bayesian multilevel logistic regression models. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT02662231. Findings: Between Jan 4, 2016, and July 31, 2016, 13 265 records were submitted for analysis. 12 539 patients from 343 hospitals in 66 countries were included. 7339 (58·5%) patient were from high-HDI countries (193 hospitals in 30 countries), 3918 (31·2%) patients were from middle-HDI countries (82 hospitals in 18 countries), and 1282 (10·2%) patients were from low-HDI countries (68 hospitals in 18 countries). In total, 1538 (12·3%) patients had SSI within 30 days of surgery. The incidence of SSI varied between countries with high (691 [9·4%] of 7339 patients), middle (549 [14·0%] of 3918 patients), and low (298 [23·2%] of 1282) HDI (p < 0·001). The highest SSI incidence in each HDI group was after dirty surgery (102 [17·8%] of 574 patients in high-HDI countries; 74 [31·4%] of 236 patients in middle-HDI countries; 72 [39·8%] of 181 patients in low-HDI countries). Following risk factor adjustment, patients in low-HDI countries were at greatest risk of SSI (adjusted odds ratio 1·60, 95% credible interval 1·05–2·37; p=0·030). 132 (21·6%) of 610 patients with an SSI and a microbiology culture result had an infection that was resistant to the prophylactic antibiotic used. Resistant infections were detected in 49 (16·6%) of 295 patients in high-HDI countries, in 37 (19·8%) of 187 patients in middle-HDI countries, and in 46 (35·9%) of 128 patients in low-HDI countries (p < 0·001). Interpretation: Countries with a low HDI carry a disproportionately greater burden of SSI than countries with a middle or high HDI and might have higher rates of antibiotic resistance. In view of WHO recommendations on SSI prevention that highlight the absence of high-quality interventional research, urgent, pragmatic, randomised trials based in LMICs are needed to assess measures aiming to reduce this preventable complication

The Role of Local Building Systems in Enhancing the Sustainability of Post-Disaster Temporary Housing

Housing destruction and resulting population displacement are among the most visible effects of post-disaster scenarios, and the provision of temporary housing during the disaster recovery phase is critical to ensuring adequate levels of comfort, protection, privacy, and a gradual return to normal life activities. The urgent need to provide temporary housing quickly led to a focus on the use of prefabricated building systems based on standardized and comprehensive solutions, and despite the multitude of solutions offered in previous disaster scenarios, they often led to unsuccessful results. Since the solutions offered did not meet users' social and cultural needs, they were unsustainable in the long and short term of the disaster recovery period. Conversely, solutions based on local building systems can significantly reduce costs and provide temporary housing units faster. The research aims to understand the role of the local building system in building and providing temporary housing after disasters and its impact on the sustainable performance of temporary housing during the disaster recovery phase. The research found that a balanced use of prefabricated and local building systems is the best option to make temporary housing more successful after disasters. Keywords: post-disaster, sustainability, temporary housing, local building systems, prefabricated building systems DOI: 10.7176/CER/14-2-05 Publication date: April 30th 202

Benefits of 3D Printing as A Sustainable Building Technology for Post-Disaster Housing

In previous years, many countries were exposed to many natural and artificial disasters. Iraq is considered one of the countries most affected in the recent period by wars and natural disasters. These disasters were accompanied by many losses in lives, equipment, and infrastructure. One of the most prominent losses resulting from disasters is the loss of many residents of their homes because they were destroyed and forced to flee or seek refuge in safer and more habitable areas. As a result, the demand for housing increases during disaster recovery, whether temporary or permanent, to meet the housing needs of IDPs or refugees. Therefore, the research examines the prospects of using 3D printing (3DP) as a sustainable building technology to meet the needs of temporary or permanent housing for those affected by disasters. The research aims to clarify the benefits of using this technology, compare it with traditional construction methods, and study the obstacles that prevent its use to form a reliable knowledge base to meet the housing needs of those affected by future disasters. The research found that 3D printing technology during disaster recovery has many advantages, such as providing housing at the required level and speed, reducing construction waste, increasing construction safety, achieving sustainability goals, and reducing construction errors and costs. It also includes some obstacles related to his condition, economic conditions, and availability. Workers with experience in dealing with these modern technologies in construction. Keywords: 3D Printing, 3D Printed House, Sustainability, Post-Disaster Housing. DOI: 10.7176/JETP/12-2-04 Publication date: May 30th 202