Built heritage modelling and visualisation: the potential to engage with issues of heritage value and wider participation.

Modelling and visualisation of the built heritage is an area where the use of digital tools and techniques have become pervasive. This extends across all stages and aspects of heritage projects, and has come to include the culture of data pertaining to physical objects and environments, the subsequent uses to which that data may be put, and the manner in which stakeholder groups engage in debate, discussion and participatory decision-making. This paper provides a critical discussion of the implications of these developments and the associated technologies, and argues that what might appear to be ‘stages’ of a project should be regarded as a cycle, which embeds social and qualitative aspects of the built heritage as key components. The paper aims to contribute to the debate regarding how we can embrace developing technologies within heritage study, and how application of the technology can help to foster deeper engagement in heritage, and across society

How to save a theatre: The Orpheum, Vancouver.

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to concern the Orpheum Theatre in Vancouver, which survived the threat of major internal demolition and rebuilding during the 1960s and early 1970s. The building has subsequently undergone significant restoration and conservation work, including the incorporation of modern acoustic improvements and the construction of a new entrance area. Understanding the mechanisms through which the building was restored and brought back into use formed a central strand of the work. Design/methodology/approach: The paper employed a single case study approach, and used the Orpheum Theatre to simultaneously study and consider the practical and heritage implications of the restoration project. The methods employed included archival study, on site recording and a study of the social and architectural history of the building. Findings: The manner in which the building was restored was unusual and rooted in the community, and holds resonance for many similarly at risk theatres and cinemas, in both Canada and elsewhere. Practical implications: The paper is interesting both from the perspective of that refurbishment, and also from the fact that it was designed by a prominent Scottish architect, B. Marcus Priteca, who designed a large number of early movie palaces in Canada and the USA. Originality/value: Through exploration of the processes involved in saving the building, the paper draws conclusions regarding its importance to the continued vibrancy of the city. The incorporation of social as well as technical information within building conservation also holds resonance within building conservation practice and planning. © Emerald Group Publishing Limited

The state of global surveying education: final report.

This research was commissioned through a joint proposal issued by CHOBE and the RICS to provide an overview report on surveying education across the globe. CHOBE note that since their initial 'State of the Nation' analysis of Built Environment in 2008, and subsequent iterations in 2010 and 2015, the national and international landscapes around higher education and built environment provision have changed significantly. In particular, the global reach of the RICS has expanded, and developments around in-country provision and trans-national education (TNE) have gained scale and maturity. It was considered timely to produce a globally-relevant review of the state of surveying education, extending to wider built environment domains that reflect the current position. Working in collaboration with international partners from institutions in Sri Lanka, Canada, Australia and Nigeria, the purpose of this project is to build on previous research regarding education and pedagogy within the field of surveying. The research aims to define the overarching themes that have emerged, both globally and regionally, with regard to the scope and context of teaching surveying within higher education institutions. As the global education market diversifies with an apparent move towards embracing work-based and postgraduate options as a central stream for entrants to the industry, the project aims to explore, analyse and represent the current state and likely future directions for surveying education in selected global regions. This report provides a current snapshot of global surveying education, which can be used to direct future work towards focussed areas of study, engagement and application

Walking through the abstract(ed) city and co-creating urban space.

This paper explores how co-designing urban walkability can be augmented by an innovative hybrid approach, whereby virtual records and visualisations of the walking experience can enhance the awareness, perceptions and immersion of the participant in both real and virtual spaces. From one side of that model, the research explores how people might be intrigued enough to discover the real context, based on their experience informed and enriched by parallel images of the city. On the other side, the study aimed to develop a critical understanding of urban walking through the lens of 3D high-definition LIDAR scanning technology, where visualisation techniques were used to support studies to explore how the rich experience of walking could be captured and represented. The paper presents a theoretical framework to propose how walking could be promoted, and positively influenced by the urban environment, by regarding the city from the abstract perspective of the virtual point cloud. The research has investigated how and whether a place – real and abstracted - could act as a trigger to produce novel ideas and unfold thoughts in a participatory way. The interlinkages between motion and (visual) perception of the environment as an aesthetic experience were critical to informing how digital technology can be utilised as a virtual space within which the richness of real interactions and experiences with urban space can be represented, refined, interacted with and used within a rich(er) process of co-design

Reading underused urban spaces: Aberdeen views.

This paper explores the application of a combination of urban analysis methods in order to gather data and explore the implications of abandonment in a city. Nowadays, in a period of economic recession, developments based on demolitions and reconstructions, are not always suitable. The direction of this paper includes the idea of existing areas, buildings and their reuse as a main and primary starting point of the built environment sustainability. The research uses Aberdeen, Scotland, as a case study. Within the research, the concept of urban abandonment is explored across three subcategories, which enable the clarification of differences between various urban conditions and features. The aim of the paper is to demonstrate that a certain combination of qualitative methods can enable a detailed exploration of the current urban situation. This detailed information enabled to gather more empirical quantitative data based on the consideration raised from the analysis. The work is original in that it seeks to combine theories of abandonment with the spatial assessment of urban environments, and thus holds the potential to carry significance within urban design and planning practice

A concept design stages protocol to support collaborative processes in architecture, engineering and construction projects.

Purpose: This paper proposes and tests, through a series of structured multi-disciplinary design activities, a “Concept Design Stages Protocol” (CDS Protocol) to structure project initiation, to attain smoother collaboration and greater consensus among multi-disciplinary project teams. Design/methodology/approach: A collaborative approach from the outset is imperative for project success, especially when considering multi-disciplinary teams in the architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) industry. However, involving different disciplines hinders communication paths and affects informed decision-making. Findings: Based on these findings, the research demonstrates that the CDS Protocol provides a solid foundation to aid in the optimal implementation of collaborative design, and with particular regard to multi-disciplinary working. Originality/value: The research demonstrates the potential for significant improvement in the optimisation of the conceptual design stages, with positive implications for time, communication and whole-team engagement

Application of a conceptual stages design protocol for early collaborative design through computer based mediation.

Effective conceptual and collaborative design process in architecture is a prerequisite for efficient overall project development. This can be facilitated by computer mediation methods, including emerging augmented reality technologies and tactile and tangible interfaces. With the current paradigm of conceptual design process being disorganised and quite often overpowered by communication gaps between the different design professionals, collaborative conceptual design is essential to be understood and most importantly effectively managed. Bridging the conceptual design stage with the later detailed design ones by using digital technologies can effectively assist transferring the information and initial ideas between the different design stages and bridge the communication gap between the different stakeholders, like the design professionals i.e. architects, engineers, design managers, etc., as early as possible. This paper is focused on reviewing different design processes and on presenting a predefined Conceptual Design Protocol (CDP) as a descriptive model that illustrates the steps of the design process as sequences of actions that occur during design and eventually manages the conceptual design process. Two studies illustrate the evolution from the current paradigm to the proposed design process and are both briefly presented in the paper. The preliminary study showcases a multidisciplinary conceptual design approach. During the second study, the design process is managed to follow the CPD and the participants utilise a design application developed specifically for the particular study and installed on a tangible user interface (TUI). The nature of design progression and collaboration is recorded and analysed, allowing for a number of conclusions to be drawn regarding the conceptual design process, the role of digital technologies and the application of the CPD

Managing demand in the North East.

Local authorities and Regional Transport Partnerships may need to be seen to be reacting to the Scottish Government’s inclusion of Workplace Parking Charges in the recent Transport Scotland Bill, with provisions soon to be enshrined in legislation. The Nestrans Board has expressed a desire to explore this issue in the context of wider demand management measures. As organisations, there is a need to have evidence to express meaningful views when faced with questions regarding demand management. Furthermore, the wider policy context operating in the North East of Scotland must also be reflected upon and due regard given to the existing local, regional and national transport policy objectives and how the forthcoming regional transport strategy will set the future agenda for how businesses and citizens travel in and around the region in a sustainable way

Infrastructure development and abandonment.

The Nigerian Government is developing infrastructure guided by the United Nations (UN) call for sustainable development. However, uncompleted government infrastructure (roads, bridges, buildings, dams and others) projects litter the entire landscape of the country. This research investigates the causes of infrastructure abandonment in Nigeria through literature review and distribution of questionnaire. It also posits possible solutions to the menace of abandoned infrastructure. Findings from the literature review revealed inefficient procurement processes, defective design, cost overrun, and changes in government (election). From 129 questionnaire distributed to Architects, Engineers, Project Managers, Surveyors, Builders and Construction Procurement Personnel in the built environment both in the public and private sectors in Nigeria, 80 responses were received and analysed with SPSS Pearson Correlation Analysis. The findings from the survey showed that inadequate planning, change in government, faulty procurement, corruption and politics are some of the causes of abandonment. “Changing procurement method” ranked highest in the recommendation for addressing the abandoned infrastructure projects followed by designing with deconstructability in mind. Amongst other recommendations are using innovative management tools and refurbishment of abandoned projects. This research is imperative for the revitalisation of abandoned infrastructure environmentally, economically, and socially and the integration of innovative management tools for the future sustainable procurement of infrastructure

Myths of sustainability: an evaluation of their enduring influence on sustainable construction in Singapore.

Singapore faces specific and immediate risks due to environmental challenges and climate change. To overcome these challenges, the government has been making efforts to implement policies and guidelines on building designs and construction methods in order to achieve sustainable construction to develop an environmental friendly and resource-conserving city. This research provides a review of Singapore's construction industry's perception and awareness of sustainable construction and its effort in implementing new practice. An online questionnaire was conducted with the industry's A1 contractors addressing common myths of sustainability, and whether regulatory compliance and initiatives will affect respondents' perception, thereby changing their attitudes when practising sustainable construction. A Spearman rank correlation and Kendall's coefficient tests relating to contractor's awareness, attitudes and obstacles in practising sustainable construction were also conducted to identify if there is a monotonic relationship between the ordinal variables. The research shows that respondents positively embraced the idea of sustainability and some have adopted initiatives to further enhance their practices. Although a majority of such practices are due to regulatory compliances, however, through driving forces such as public sector taking the lead and government incentive programmes, the Singapore construction industry will be more responsive and thereby can pursue sustainable construction more effectively and efficiently