An investigation into Building Information Modelling Assessment Methods (BIM-AMs)

This paper reports on an investigation into the mapping of Building Information Modelling Assessment Methods (BIM-AMs) in the Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) sector. Drawing on insights from the literature, twelve BIM-AMs were initially analysed and compared. Some of the key points distinguishing AMs are the level of detail and areas of measurement. Based on the fact that BIM-AMs span the full range of the complexity spectrum, two AMs were used in a number of case study projects to explore their variations. The first, a simplified AM, is the National BIM Standard Capability Maturity Model (NBIMS-CMM) developed by the National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS). The second, more detailed, is the Virtual Design and Construction (VDC) Scorecard, developed at Stanford University. A comparative case study methodology was implemented to investigate characterisations of the two AMs. The analysis included two different phases. The first phase assessed the reliability of using one BIM-AM on a single project but was completed by two members of the same team to explore subjectivity. The second phase applied two BIM-AMs to the same project to investigate whether they gave consistent assessments. Observations of the results identified limitations of BIM-AMs, in particular in their dependency on qualitative judgements. They are beneficial for industry, stakeholders and decision makers to measure BIM implementation, but attention needs to be given to the possibility of using more quantitative measurements in assessing BIM maturity

Critical sustainability in the design studio:Pedagogic change through student engagement and collaboration

Preparing the architects of tomorrow for the challenges of rapidly shifting global, regional and local environments must be at the forefront of architectural education. Sustainability is an essential concept that requires critical appraisal to develop innovative and successful means of addressing its issues. This research considers a final year MArch studio at a leading UK institution and asks how a critical appreciation of sustainability may be developed in students about to enter the architectural profession.The research describes the results of an ethnographic study into the design studio to identify domains for change in collaboration with learners. It goes on to discuss the development of a sustainable design community of practice to developed strategies for enhancing critical sustainability.Adopting a bottom-up approach the research sought to challenge hierarchical pedagogies and develop strategies that engender deep learning, meaningful behavioural changes and an inquisitive and nuanced approach to sustainability. Approaching architectural education from a learner perspective offered new and valuable insights into the relationship between sustainability and the design studio. Four domains for change were identified; the course structure and content, the specific learning experiences, the ethos and attitudes represented, and the context of the learning

An investigation into Building Information Modelling Assessment Methods (BIM-AMs)

This paper reports on an investigation into the mapping of Building Information Modelling Assessment Methods (BIM-AMs) in the Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) sector. Drawing on insights from the literature, twelve BIM-AMs were initially analysed and compared. Some of the key points distinguishing AMs are the level of detail and areas of measurement. Based on the fact that BIM-AMs span the full range of the complexity spectrum, two AMs were used in a number of case study projects to explore their variations. The first, a simplified AM, is the National BIM Standard Capability Maturity Model (NBIMS-CMM) developed by the National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS). The second, more detailed, is the Virtual Design and Construction (VDC) Scorecard, developed at Stanford University. A comparative case study methodology was implemented to investigate characterisations of the two AMs. The analysis included two different phases. The first phase assessed the reliability of using one BIM-AM on a single project but was completed by two members of the same team to explore subjectivity. The second phase applied two BIM-AMs to the same project to investigate whether they gave consistent assessments. Observations of the results identified limitations of BIM-AMs, in particular in their dependency on qualitative judgements. They are beneficial for industry, stakeholders and decision makers to measure BIM implementation, but attention needs to be given to the possibility of using more quantitative measurements in assessing BIM maturity

Enhancing Critical Sustainability in the Design Studio:An Action Research Project

Sustainability is a complex and contestable field. The architectural design studio typically frames sustainable design as a technical, performance orientated exercise, often at the expense of contextualised responses which address the conflicting needs of a range of stakeholders. Sustainability is often viewed at odds with “design”, in part driven by teaching structures which outsource sustainability to satellite units, elective modules or specialist consultants.This paper describes an action research project to enhance integration of sustainability into the architectural design studio. It took place over an academic semester on an MArch course at a leading UK institution. The researcher staged a series of interventions into the design studio through workshops, lectures and tutorials. A cyclical reflective process informed the structure of these sessions led to the development of a model to encourage critical responses to sustainable design.The findings show that while the workshops were deemed valuable in isolation, developing effective long-term learning for sustainability which enhanced individual design practices was more challenging. Some students were able to adapt the content and methodology of the workshops and integrate this into their own design process. Others, however, struggled to relate the sessions to their studio work without regular input. There were also differences in how students integrated the knowledge created through the workshops; some saw it as a means to clarify conceptual strategies while others used it as an analytical tool. This research concludes that although the interventions enhanced learning, their effect was limited by the implicit agenda and expectations of the design studio. Framing design as an autonomous activity which is independent, or contradictory, to sustainability was prevalent in the design studio, acting as a significant barrier to change. This paper also presents the resultant model for critical analysis of sustainable design. The findings have significance for architectural pedagogy and the nature of teaching interactions. Structured learning through facilitated workshops and seminars, embedded within the studio, may offer legitimate alternatives to the more common desk-top tutorial and “crit”.<br/

Critical learning for sustainable architecture:Opportunities for design studio pedagogy

Embedding sustainability within building design programmes should be of primary concern for educators. This research identifies opportunities to enhance learning for sustainability within a design studio pedagogy. The design studio is the primary means of educating architects in Europe, however, integrating holistic and critical approaches to sustainability is often neglected. The research adopted a qualitative approach in which a leading RIBA Part 2 architecture programme in the UK was chosen as a case study. Prolonged engagement revealed underlying pedagogic barriers and opportunities for sustainability integration. The research was conducted over two years, sampling two consecutive cohorts of students. Data were collected through interviews with staff and students, observations of teaching practices and analysis of course documents. The findings show that although students exhibited motivation for sustainability, implicit architectural values undermined holistic approaches to sustainability. However, the studio presented opportunities to overcome these barriers including: mainstreaming sustainability within assignments; embracing critical pedagogies; grounding learning in existing experiences; and focussing on the process of design. The research has significance for all design led pedagogies. It provides transferable recommendations to design educators as well as providing insights for the wider profession to enhance sustainable practice

Fire safety evaluation of ecclesiastical estate : the development and application of a fire safety evaluation procedure for the property protection of parish churches.

The environment in which we live relentlessly threatens to decay or destroy our built cultural heritage through climatic and man-made means. Fire presents the most severe threat to the fabric and content of historic buildings. The destruction, when it occurs is extremely swift, the loss caused is often complete and the indirect damage from smoke and water can also be significant. The incidences of fires in churches is currently exceeding those in all other historic building types. This trend is destroying irreplaceable national treasures as arguably, England and Wales contains the greatest collection, in terms of number and antiquity, of ancient parish churches in the world. This thesis presents an investigation into the fundamental principles underlying fire safety in parish churches. It identifies that the danger to life from fire is not high, due to the fact that the natural layout of churches facilitates good evacuation routes and travel distances. The threat to church property, however, is considerable as churches generally possess very limited fire safety measures. In addition, problems of building isolation, restricted access and limited water supply means that early intervention is unlikely. Such evidence prompted the need for a decision making tool to aid the custodians of churches in the management of fire safety and in the allocation of scarce resources. The aims of this thesis were to develop a prototype fire safety evaluation procedure for the property protection of parish churches and to examine, using a sample of churches, the effectiveness of the methodology. This has been achieved by developing a 'points scheme' technique to enable the judgement on the adequacy of fire safety to be undertaken. The work involved assigning numerical values to qualitative descriptions of events, techniques and processes by a group of experts representing the interests of those involved in the use, management, and preservation of churches as well as fire safety engineering. The opinions gathered were brought to a consensus in a series of Delphi group meetings, through discussion and matrix manipulation. A 'collated norm' was established, from a collection of fire safety guidance documents for places of worship, against which technical value judgements are made and the acceptable level of fire safety is adjudicated. The procedure is unique in its evaluation configuration, in that it balances the level of fire safety against the vulnerability of property fabric and content. The assessment is undertaken through an 'observational survey'. This is conducted by an expert, knowledgeable in ecclesiastical building construction and fire safety, observing all parts of the building and making judgements on the adequacy of eighteen identified fire safety components. Features of the building which are highlighted through the assessment as being a high fire risk can receive a more in-depth survey, beyond the scope of this evaluation procedure. The practical operation of the evaluation procedure has been tested on ten churches. The outcome shows a broad spread of results. An independent qualitative observational assessment by experts support the outcome of the evaluation procedure in nine out of ten cases. Preliminary repeatability application trials have also been conducted. They showed an encouraging level of consistency, illustrating further that the developed procedure is of positive value and utility. The versatility of the evaluation procedure enables a direct link to be made between potential improvements in the assessment score and the actual cost of making fire safety improvements. This facility enables decision makers to evaluate fire safety upgrade options

A review of the impact of shelter design on the health of displaced populations

There are currently millions of displaced people encamped in low-quality shelters that jeopardise the health of these displaced populations. These shelters, which exhibit poor thermal regulation and air quality, are often inhabited by households for several years. Recently, the internal environment of shelters has been recognised as a determinant of the health of the occupants and the indoor air quality (IAQ) and internal temperatures have been identified as critical factors affecting occupants’ health. Attempts by researchers and private companies to develop healthier shelter solutions have mainly prioritised factors such as rapid deployment, transportability and sustainability. Via a systematic bibliometric analysis of the existing literature, this review examines the impact of shelters’ internal environment on occupant health. Self-reports and building simulation are the most common methodologies reported in the literature, but there is a disconnect between the reported shelter issues and their impact on health. This is likely due to the multifaceted and site-specific factors analysed. Indoor air quality, thermal comfort and overcrowding are the most commonly identified shelter issues, which are strongly related to the presence of infectious and airborne diseases. An analysis of the available literature indicates that there is still a lack of clear guidance linking shelter quality to health. Moreover, evidence of the impact of shelters on health is harder to find, and there is a gap regarding the metrics and the methodology used to evaluate shelter quality. Therefore, further research is necessary to provide evidence of the impact of shelter design on health through transdisciplinary approaches

End user engagement in refugee shelter design:contextualising participatory process

Debate about participatory design (PD) has focussed considerably upon process. Factors such as facilitation skills and commitment to a participatory ethos have been highlighted as factors mediating stakeholder engagement. Discussion has been driven overwhelmingly by experience of PD in the global North with citizens who enjoy full rights. This article considers engagement with encamped refugees in the global South. Here context has a significant impact upon engagement. Drawing on a four-year research project concerning shelter design we discuss dimensions of context that bear particularly upon PD efforts. As we illustrate, despite contextual constraint, it is possible to produce valuable knowledge about design together with residents. Moreover, attention to context can help achieve a more nuanced approach to the evaluation of PD initiatives.</p

The language of typology

Through a restructuring of traditional historical discourses on architectural typology, a typological grammar is presented that advocates a synthesis of typology with the design process.</p