Common ground

This project explores the potentials for landscape architects to work with public leisure space to promote socio-spatial integration. In order to explore this topic, the project aims to propose a site approach for promoting sociospatial integration through cross-group interactions in public leisure space. Through a literature review, this project finds that cross-group interactions in public leisure space can be considered a powerful tool for increasing socio-spatial integration. The literature indicates that this process decreases social divide by strengthening mental bonds, sense of belonging and psychological well-being. Furthermore, several theoretical approaches for promoting cross-group interactions through the physical configuration of public space are found in the literature review. These findings are synthesized into a matrix of socio-spatial design principles (SDP), which functions as a theoretical framework for the Common Ground approach. Most knowledge found through the literature review on how public leisure space can promote socio-spatial integration were tangible enough to fit into the design principles of the SDP. However, some found theories also pertain to the process of producing space for socio-spatial integration. Based on this knowledge, a process-oriented step focusing on public participation and engaged action was created within the approach, called Participatory prototyping. In this step, prototypes in scale 1:1 of certain design elements are placed on site to create discussion, social engagement and a spatial understanding of the design proposal. In order to practically apply and synthesize different theories found in the literature review, the Common Ground approach was created within this project combining theory, analysis and public participation to read, understand and design public leisure spaces. The purpose of using the approach is to promote cross-group interactions and socio-spatial integration. The five steps of the Common Ground approach are: 1) Site portrait, 2) Socio-spatial site analysis, 3) Design, 4) Participatory prototyping, 5) Adaptions. This project evaluates the Common Ground approach by testing it in Ögårdsparken, Malmö. The SDP was used throughout the approach for reading and designing the site. For example, the socio-spatial site analyses in step 2 provided a social interpretation of the park's spatial configuration. The analyses were in line with descriptions about social use in the park given by park visitors and experts, indicating that the SDP was a productive tool for interpreting socio-spatial tendencies in public leisure space. Site users' reflections on how to promote cross-group interactions in the park strongly correlated with findings from the SDP, indicating that the matrix may have practical applications. Furthermore, Participatory prototyping in scale 1:1 proved an efficient way to create social engagement and cross-group interactions on site, in addition to gathering insights about the project. By synthesizing knowledge found through all steps of the approach, a final proposal for the park could be produced. The Common Ground approach was used to read, engage and design Ögårdsparken for socio-spatial integration. In addition to a all steps informing a design proposal for increased socio-spatial integration, performing the approach in Ögårdsparken resulted in knowledge about the site's socio-spatial qualities through applying the SDP and social engagment from many user groups through the method Participatory prototying. As such, this project finds the approach to be a productive way to promote socio-spatial integration and cross-group interactions on site. Future applications and adjustments to the approach may illuminate more ways to work towards this goal

Social integration genom meningsfulla möten i det offentliga rummet

Denna uppsats undersöker huvudsakligen hur Malmö Stad arbetar med det offentliga rummet för att främja meningsfulla möten och social integration. Genom en dokumentstudie och intervju med respondent från organisationen söktes svar på uppsatsens frågeställning. Uppsatsens teoretiska ramverk består av en litteraturstudie och presenterar teorier kring det offentliga rummet, social integration och meningsfulla möten. I teoridelen presenteras även strategier som påfunnits i litteraturstudien för att främja social integration och meningsfulla möten i det offentliga rummet. Det teoretiska ramverket användes för att analysera Malmö Stads arbete med det offentliga rummet. För att besvara frågeställningen ”Hur arbetar Malmö Stad med det offentliga rummet för att främja meningsfulla möten och social integration?” presenteras i resultatdelen hur Malmö Stad ser på möten i det offentliga rummet. Därefter presenteras påfunna strategier i arbetet med det offentliga rummet för att främja meningsfulla möten och social integration. Resultatet visar att Malmö Stad arbetar med det offentliga rummet på flera olika sätt för att främja meningsfulla möten och social integration. Angående utformningen av stadens offentliga rum pekar resultaten på att Malmö Stads förhoppning är att dessa ska stimulera delaktighet, demokrati och möten mellan olika människor. Resultatet av undersökningen pekar även bland annat på att det är det offentliga rummets tillitsskapande potential som är centralt för att främja social integration enligt organisationen. Vidare har ett antal strategier som används av Malmö Stad i arbetet för att främja social integration och meningsfulla möten i det offentliga rummet påfunnits i resultatet. Dessa sammanfattas i listform nedan: -Att utforma och planera platser för gemensam aktivitet -Att fokusera på bekväma platser i gestaltningsprocessen som möjliggör gemensam identitet -Att planera och utforma det offentliga rummet för att länka samman olika delar av staden. -Att genom uppsikt, livfullhet och tydliga territoriella markörer, skapa en känsla av trygghet i det offentliga rummet -Att använda sig av medborgarsamverkan i skapandeprocessen -Att utforma flexibla eller löst programmerade platser för olika behov och intressen -Att satsa på grön- och parkområden i stadens fortsatta utvecklingsprocess Sammanfattningsvis besvarades uppsatsen frågeställning ”Hur arbetar Malmö Stad med det offentliga rummet för att främja meningsfulla möten och social integration?” genom en empirisk undersökning som analyserades med hjälp av teoretiska resonemang. Stadens fortsatta arbete med det offentliga rummet kan eventuellt stärkas av att utnyttja den teori som uppsatsen presenterar. Vidare kan Malmö Stads arbete bidra till en allmän större förståelse för hur möten som främjar social integration kan möjliggöras med hjälp av det offentliga rummet.This paper’s principal goal is to study in which ways the City of Malmö works with public space to facilitate meaningful contact and social integration. This goal was achieved by conducting a study of the city’s official documents and performing an interview with a respondent from the municipal organization. Theories concerning public space, social integration, meaningful contact and strategies using the public space to facilitate meaningful contact and social integration were collected through a literature review. These theories were later used to analyze the City of Malmö’s work with public space. In order to answer the paper’s main question “How does the City of Malmö work with public space to facilitate meaningful contact and social integration?” in a structured way, the result of the study is divided into subcategories. Firstly, the organization’s views on public space, social integration and meaningful contact is presented. Thereafter the study goes on to present strategies for facilitating meaningful contact and social integration through public space which were encountered through the study. The results show that the City of Malmö works with public space to facilitate meaningful contact and social integration in a range of ways. The results indicate that Malmös public spaces are meant to inspire participation, democracy and interactions between different people. Furthermore, the results show that “trust-building” is a central way in which public space is thought to facilitate social integration according to the City of Malmö. A number of strategies used by the municipality to facilitate social integration and meaningful contact through public space were also discovered: -To plan and design spaces for shared activities -The use of comfortable places that facilitate the construction of a shared identity -To plan and shape the public space in a way that links different parts of the city. -To strive for visibility, liveliness and clear territorial markers as a way of creating security in the public space. -To use public participation in the design process. -To create flexible or loosely programmed places to accommodate different needs and interests. -To focus on parks and green areas in the city’s development process. In conclusion, the paper’s main question “How does the City of Malmö work with public space to facilitate meaningful contact and social integration?” was answered through analyzing an empirical study by comparison with the paper’s literature review. The theory presented in this paper may possibly contribute to further strengthening the City of Malmö’s continued work with public space. Furthermore, the organization’s work may contribute to a better general understanding for how meaningful contact that contributes social integration can be made possible through use of public space

To what extent does the knowledge gap between client’s expectations and project construction team deliverables adversely impact commercial (Office Buildings) BIM projects?

Building Information Modelling (BIM) is an evaluation methodology that has the potential to achieve an adequate communication of information between different construction project stakeholders and clients. Due to the amount of information involved in construction projects and the requirement in control of time, cost and waste, BIM can be perceived as a future-proofed design, construction and Facilities Management (FM) process. Having been involved in various projects working to Level 2 BIM standards over the past 3 years the author has seen a gap in terms of client’s expectations of BIM deliverables and those which are actually produce by the project teams. This is most evident during the building to operations phase at project handover. A better way of communicating the BIM process to client should be implemented, exploiting its full potential, not only through the duration of design and construction phase of the building, but more importantly for the operation and maintenance of the building assets following handover to the client. Literature review was conducted investigating the gaps in communication and client and design and construction team stakeholder perspectives on the BIM process. A prototype solution, aiming to help and bridge the communication gap was derived. The objective of this research, which involved literature review, stakeholder interviews and proposed focus group discussions was to develop a prototype solution with the aim of helping to bridge the gap between client expectations and project team delivery

An examination of the use of Geotechnical BIM to provide value engineering solutions for coastal infrastructure.

The digitisation of construction is taking root as Building Information Modelling is becoming more prevalent across the industry. From an Irish context, the adoption rate of BIM has been slow; nationally its advantages and merits have been welcomed and the appropriate government support is either available, soon to be implemented or in the early conceptual stage. Within the Irish governments Project Ireland 2040 framework there are significant infrastructure developments looming ahead, in particular regarding ports and harbours. The importance of this type of infrastructure is only further compounded due to the UK’s departure from the EU and the need for creating robust trade infrastructure. This research explores Geotechnical BIM as a crucial tool to be utilised but yet to be recognised in the development of coastal infrastructure. Suffice to say Coastal Infrastructure such as Harbours or Tidal Defences have long projected lifespans. Due to their function, they have to endure severe environmental loading as well as the geological complexities at where they interface with the natural environment. The primary purpose of this research is to offer guidance and awareness to the wider AEC industry through an investigation of current literature, emphasising the importance of Geotechnical BIM as a value engineering tool for coastal infrastructure. The findings in this section point to an urgent need of a national mandate to propel BIM in Ireland and examines the current status of Geotechnical BIM. Secondly it aims to explore the application of Geotechnical BIM through a case study where BIM in principle has been applied to the geotechnical design. The findings in this section examined significant capital savings in the range of 40%. Finally a survey was then carried out to gather data from industry providing insight on how other disciplines find Geotechnical BIM within the wider BIM process and derive recommendations as to better integrate Geotechnical BIM. The results indicate that Geotechnical BIM is welcomed however there are concerns related to cost and risk. The Author concludes that the advantages outweigh the concerns shared in addition to the limitations of the traditional process and suggests the need for a specific level of model detail identifier for Geotechnical models to improve communication and reduce risk

Can the Application of the Visual Programme Tool Dynamo Assist in Streamlining Current COBie Requirements for Design Professionals

information exchange (COBie) is still a misunderstood and miscommunicated topic. Despite the free distribution of supporting information, many errors remain in its practical application. This study explores strengthening COBie design practices, reducing computational expense by data automation and streamlining the workflow process without the need for designer’s total immersion into COBie theory. Synergies between Autodesk Revit and Dynamo BIM were the chosen software utilised to achieve such a goal. A literature review is first employed to provide a current overview from academic and industry sources, with the principles of design science the chosen methodology in the development, implementation and evaluation of a solution orientated research strategy. Data was gathered via questionnaires from eight Mechanical, Electrical and Plumbing (MEP) engineering firms in Ireland who currently have a demand for COBie design deliverables. This paper reports a general lack of awareness for the open source COBie Testing software tool and a misconception as to exact COBie for Design deliverables. Results indicate considerable time saving across separate projects for six COBie parameters identified for streamlining due to inefficient workflows. Testing COBie data was fully verified in accordance with the international standard NBIMS v3 using the COBie Quality Control Reporter, making it compliant for Facilities Management software use

A critical examination of visual programming and generative design for the compliance checking of open plan office layouts against HSE guidelines post Covid-19.

The purpose of this study is to explore the feasibility of Visual Programming (VP) and Generative Design (GD) in assisting employers review open plan office layouts against Ireland’s HSE guidelines implemented in May 2020 in response to Covid-19. The pandemic has affected all areas of life with workplace standards requiring a complete overhaul. This study will attempt to ascertain compliance with natural ventilation and social distancing requirements through the completion of an experimental research study, utilising Computational Design (CD) tools. A GD study will be undertaken to provide the designer with numerous office layout design solutions to evaluate and evolve. The findings will be examined through a semi structured focus group study with industry professionals. All visual programming algorithms shall be repeatable and adaptable to be utilised on an individual project’s unique situations. The author hopes this study will show that in theory, computational compliance checking, and computational design can be a viable workflow for designers

To What Extent Can Lean Construction Processes and Principles be Utilised in the Design Stage of a BIM Project in the Irish Design and Construction Industry

Although different in many ways, Building Information Modelling (BIM) and Lean Construction are two processes that are having a significant impact on the Design & Construction Industry. In recent years, the Irish AECO industry has seen a tenfold increase across numerous construction disciplines with the adoption of new workflows and processes centred around both BIM and Lean methodologies. Existing literature identifies a strong synergistic relationship between the two processes and highlights the opportunity for Lean processes and principles to be implemented into the design stage workflow. This paper investigated existing literature relating to several lean processes currently implemented in the construction industry and specifically highlights Target Value Delivery (TVD), Last Planner System (LPS) & Set Based Design (SBD) as suitable for implementation during the design stages. The Thematic Analysis method was used for analysing the data sets obtained from the online questionnaire and interviews to help gauge industry awareness and opinion relating to the implementation and potential constraints associated with the side by side implementation of these processes. An interaction matrix that investigated the positive and negative interactions associated with the synergistic relationship between the two processes was carried out as part of this research. Additionally, this paper investigated and collated a list of barriers that exist in today\u27s design and construction industry that continue to prevent a complete and successful BIM project delivery process and specifically highlighted the need to identify the value to project stakeholders when implementing these new processes throughout all project areas of the AECO industry

An Investigation Into Current Procurement Strategies That Promote Collaboration Through Early Contractor Involvement With Regards to Their Suitability for Irish Public Work Projects

Previous research has established that multi-disciplinary collaboration will benefit a construction project throughout its lifecycle. While Lean Construction, Building Information Modelling (BIM), and Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) can all be viewed as separate processes which add independent value to a project, they are more effective when used in partnership with each other. In order to ensure the high levels of collaboration expected for these processes to work in unison, the early involvement of the Contractor is paramount. Early contractor involvement within the design process can ensure a more focused integrated project team, improvement of both constructability and cost certainty, as well as better risk management. This approach has only been used occasionally on Irish public works projects. Competitive tendering has resulted in creating a culture of claims and adversity, not conducive to collaboration and therefore raising the question, is the traditional procurement format representing value for money for the Irish State. This paper will investigate current procurement strategies that promote early contractor involvement and their suitability for Irish public works projects. The research will primarily focus on contracts that are best aligned to the Capital Works Management Framework (CWMF) strategic objectives of ensuring greater cost certainty, better value for money and more efficient end-user delivery. To achieve this an initial literature review was undertaken exploring award criteria for early Contractor involvement both within the International and Irish public and private sectors. This research focused on establishing and examining the potential barriers for implementation. The analysed data from this process was interrogated through Stakeholders interviews that aimed to understand the current state of the public work project procurement process and if government agencies would endorse a move away from the “lowest bid win” criteria for contractor selection. A case study was also carried out showcasing a form of IPD used in Ireland. The findings from this paper suggest that early contractor involvement in partnership with IPD can provide a more advantageous solution for the Irish State while also promoting both BIM and Lean Construction processe

An Evaluation of BIM for the Water Sector in Ireland

The level of BIM adoption is increasing within the AEC industry as a whole. However, some industries have been slower to adopt BIM than others, the water sector being one of these. This paper focuses on the use of BIM for water network distribution networks. If BIM is to be promoted within the water sector in Ireland, it is important to first understand why the industry is not choosing to adopt it. This study will aim to determine if it is because BIM is not suitable for their projects or if it is other factors like an unwillingness to change their methods. This paper investigates the benefits and barriers for implementing BIM on water supply projects. This will be achieved by carrying out stakeholder analysis in the form of interviews with industry professionals. The findings of the stakeholder analysis will then be used to develop an assessment model to evaluate if BIM is being implemented successfully. This assessment model was tailored for use by a Client in the water sector. This paper shows that BIM is suitable for use on some water network distribution projects. However, there are a number of considerations to be taken into account when deciding if BIM is suitable for a particular project

Housebuilding & BIM

Building Information Modelling has grown in popularity in the Irish construction sector. In 2017 the government indicated their intention to incorporate BIM into the public procurement of construction projects. The UK government mandated BIM for this purpose in 2016. It has been identified that the housebuilding /residential sector has been slow to adopt BIM. Currently there is a housing shortage in Ireland. The governments Rebuilding Ireland action plan seeks to address this by increasing the level and speed of delivery of social housing and to increase the output of private housing at affordable prices. This paper examines the relationship between BIM and housing and makes proposals on how BIM can help alleviate the housing crisis in Ireland. Its findings have been established from an in-depth literature review and qualitative research of the housing sector. It concludes that BIM is a tangible mechanism to enhance offsite manufacture. OSM will improve both housing outputs and performance. Cross laminated timber is a sustainable alternative to concrete and steel and is proven in offsite manufacture. This paper recommends direct government involvement in CLT manufacture, Off site construction and BIM training and implementatio