Building Information Modelling in UK Construction Projects: A State of the Art Review

This paper aims to present a state-of-the-art review of the scope and practical implications of the Building Information Modelling (BIM) platform in the UK construction practice. Theoretical developments suggest that BIM is an integration of both product and process innovation, not just a disparate set of software tools. BIM provides effective collaboration, visual representation and data management, which enable the smooth flow of information throughout the project’s lifecycle. The most frequently reported benefits are related to Capital Cost (capex) and Operational costs (opex) and time savings. Key challenges, however, focus on the interoperability of software, capital installation costs, in-house experience, client preference and cultural issues within design teams and within the organisation. The paper concludes with a critical commentary on the changing roles and a process required to implement BIM in UK construction projects, and suggests areas for further research

Community-led upgrading for self-reliance in informal settlements in South Africa: a review

Around the world, informal and low-income settlements (so-called “slums”) have been a major issue in city management and environmental sustainability in developing countries. Overall, African cities have an agenda for slum management and response. For example, the South African government introduced the Upgrade of Informal Settlements Program (UISP), as a comprehensive plan for upgrading slum settlements. Nevertheless, upgrading informal settlements from the bottom-up is key to inform broad protocols and strategies for sustainable communities and `adaptive cities´. Community-scale schemes can drive sustainability from the bottom-up and offer opportunities to share lessons learnt at the local level. Key success factors in their roll-out are: systems thinking; empowered local authorities that support decentralised solutions and multidisciplinary collaboration between the involved actors, including the affected local population. This research lies under the umbrella of sustainable bottom-up urban regeneration. As part of a larger project of collaboration between UK and SA research institutions, this paper presents an overview of in-situ participatory upgrade as an incremental strategy for upgrading informal settlements in the context of sustainable and resilient city. The motivation for this research is rooted in identifying the underpinning barriers and enabling drivers for up-scaling community-led, participatory upgrading approaches in informal settlements in the metropolitan area. This review paper seeks to provide some preliminary guidelines and recommendations for an integrated collaborative environmental and construction management framework to enhance community self-reliance. A theoretical approach based on the review of previous studies was combined with a pilot study conducted in Durban (South Africa) to investigate the feasibility of community-led upgrading processes

Project Management and Skills Enhancement in Informal Settlements Upgrading in Durban, South Africa

One in eight people live in informal settlements, of which 80% is found in developing countries. In South Africa, around 50% of the population lives in urban centres, where more than 2,700 informal settlements exist. Informal settlements form a major challenge of the urban landscape, exacerbating issues related to poverty, inadequate infrastructure, housing and poor living conditions. Reflections on past upgrading efforts suggest that top-down policies have not been successful to date. By contrast, participatory techniques in planning and design, can be used to enhance community empowerment and a sense of local ownership. However, participation and collaboration can mean various things for informal upgrading and often the involvement of local communities is limited to providing feedback in already agreed development decisions from local authorities and construction companies. The paper explores ‘self-built’ approaches in informal settlement upgrading, using experiences and lessons learned from good available practice in the Durban metropolitan area. The research has two key objectives; namely: • to identify the critical success factors in managing an upgrading project, discussing brief development, stakeholder management and project governance; and, • to understand the various (formal or informal) forms of procurement, uncovering the need to acquire ‘the right resources at the right time’, exploring links with local industry and/or construction practice and considering the constraints involved in the process of complying with rigid municipality processes. Empirical data are gathered in the form of semi-structured interviews, observations and focus groups with community leaders, NGOs, municipal officers and industry practitioners. The research aims to build capacity in local communities seeking to improve their quality of life and assist local authorities in enhancing their planning mechanisms. The findings can be also utilised by international agencies, policy-makers, implementers and practitioners working on upgrading programmes, plans and policies, particularly under the post 2015 UN SDGs and the Habitat III New Urban Agenda

An overview of top-down vs. bottom-up models for informal settlement upgrading in South Africa

The paper explores informal settlement upgrading approaches in South Africa and presents a review of top-down vs. bottom-up models, using experience and lessons learned from the Durban metropolitan area. Reflections on past upgrading efforts suggest that top-down policies in South Africa have not been successful to date. By contrast, participatory techniques, such as planning activism, can be used to enhance community empowerment and a sense of local ownership. This paper reveals that although the notion of ‘bottom-up’, participatory methods for community improvement is often discussed in international development discourses, the tools, processes and new knowledge needed to ensure a successful upgrade are under-utilised. Participation and collaboration can mean various things for informal housing upgrading and often the involvement of local communities is limited to providing feedback in already agreed development decisions from local authorities and construction companies. The paper concludes by suggesting directions for ‘co-producing’ knowledge with communities through participatory, action-research methods and integrating these insights into upgrading mechanisms and policies for housing and infrastructure provision. The cumulative impacts emerging from these approaches could aggregate into local, regional, and national environmental, social and economic benefits able to successfully transform urban areas and ensure self-reliance for local populations

Future-Proofed Design of Low-Energy Housing Developments: Case studies from the UK and Sweden

This study examines the concept of ‘future-proofing’ the energy design of housing developments so as to achieve low-levels of energy consumption and carbon emissions over their lifecycle. This refers particularly to the selection of fabric energy efficiency measures and on-site low- or zero-carbon technologies (microgeneration or local energy networks) at an early design stage. The research adopts a multiple case study method with data gathered from two ‘best-practice’ housing developments in the UK and Sweden; namely, North West Cambridge (Cambridgeshire) and Välle Broar (Växjö). The research explores the future-proofed approaches used in the two cases in relation to a pre-established conceptual framework, which involves two aspects; namely; adopting lifecycle thinking and accommodating risks and uncertainties. The cross-case analysis reveals that there is widespread experimentation, which demonstrates that future-proofing is still in its infancy. Drivers for future-proofing mostly prompt strategies to accommodate risks and uncertainties in the UK; whereas in Sweden they lead to the adoption of lifecycle thinking. This is due to unique context-specific governance and institutional factors at both national (country) and local (case study) levels. The chapter concludes with the need to transfer knowledge to mainstream housing construction and inform policy-making in relation to long-term performance over a project’s full lifecycle

Strategies and Techniques to Future-Proof the Energy Performance of Housing Developments

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate “best practice” building strategies and sustainability‐oriented techniques and tools used to assess the energy performance of housing developments. The objective is to propose guidelines that can integrate futures thinking into the selection of energy‐related design responses, such as materials, building components and energy systems, from the early project stages. Design/methodology/approach – An interdisciplinary approach is adopted with the inclusion of social, economic and environmental aspects of the energy supply and demand. A multiple case study approach is employed, which focuses on the residential sector of European mixed‐use developments that represent sustainable communities of “best practice”. Findings – The investigation of “best practice” housing developments reveals that the majority of design responses cover mainstream environmental design strategies. Energy efficiency measures are still the “low hanging fruit” towards meeting the sustainability objectives. In addition, established sustainability‐oriented techniques and tools used focus mostly on projections of almost certain facts rather than explorations of a portfolio of plausible futures. Originality/value – The paper represents a shift away from the short‐term mindset that still dominates design and construction practices. It provides an overview of building strategies and decision‐support techniques and tools for improving and incentivising sustainable energy solutions over the long term

'Normal' Informal living spaces in low-income human settlements in South Africa

Housing delivery remains a major burden on the South African government. The ever increasing backlog of delivering standard housing to the low-income sector remains, and the unwanted informal settlements continue to increase in the urban areas. For many migrant urban poor, the informal has become the normal despite the challenges of spaces for daily activities, especially the lack of space for social and cultural practices. For households that have received the standard subsidized houses, challenges of space limitations still exist. This is evident with innovative extensions being carried out by households in the state subsidized housing settlements in a bid to accommodate various socio-economic and cultural activities. These extensions are often in contravention of municipal norms and standards, and can lead to slummed environments if not checked. This paper seeks to compare how households deal with socio-cultural practices in informal dwellings and settlements and how the practice is handled in the formal (subsidized) settlements. The study advocates for a more flexible and contextual policies that is informed by grassroots approaches, which are layered and multifaceted, with not merely socio-economic but also socio-cultural imprints, are essential to meet urban poor’s needs. A theoretical approach, combined with a pilot study based on observations and interviews with inhabitants, is applied to narrate the daily activity of households and to deeply understand their characteristics of “normal informality” in some low income settlements located in KwaZulu-Natal province (South Africa). The overarching aim of this research is to re-examine informal settlements through the “normal” lenses of the community. The study starts investigating the meaning of ‘Informal settlement’ questioning normality and informality. It argues that in-fact the informal settlements can be said to the normal at least for many urban poor. The intended “Normality”, based on pre-defined standards, is compared with the Indigenous Normality and the pilot study’s findings suggest the need to incorporate the latter in policy and upgrading programs led by the community