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Heritage at Altitude: Navigating Moisture Challenges in Alpine Architectural Conservation
No full textThis study presents the diagnostics and microclimate analysis of four case studies located
in the Alps region in Valtellina and Valposchiavo. The primary focus is on evaluating and
comparing microclimatic conditions, encompassing temperature (T◦C), relative humidity
(RH%), mixing ratio (MR), and dew point depression (DPD). The choice of the variables
and statistic metrics depends substantially on the aim to identify the risk factor for the
preservation of the historical materials of historical buildings, and the procedures for
identifying the anomalies in the trends useful to study how to prevent these anomalies in the
future. The paper has the target to support the activities of restorers and building managers
for improving the restoration process. While various moisture detection methodologies
have been studied, no single approach is preferred for analyzing moisture via microclimate
monitoring in built heritage. Therefore, this research delves into the influence of various
factors, including altitude, location, building type, structure, materials, orientation, and
use, on the microclimatic parameters. Altitude and building use significantly influence
indoor microclimates: unoccupied structures exhibit greater stability, whereas seasonal
use increases condensation risks. Key risks included high RH% and critical T-RH zones
(T > 25 ◦C + RH > 65%), exacerbating material stress. Probability density function (PDF)
analysis reveals temperature and RH% distributions, highlighting bimodal T◦C patterns
and prolonged RH% in high-elevation exposed sites. The findings underscore the need
for tailored conservation strategies and targeted interventions to mitigate microclimateinduced
deterioration in Alpine heritage
Knowledge Foundations, Issue 1 - January 2025
Get PDFKnowledge Foundations publication (formerly the UCEM e-library e-bulletin) is a compendium of news, views, research, and resources related to the educational sector and the built environment
It’s not that simple: A strategy as practice journey toward net zero
No full textStakeholders engaging with the built environment primarily for investment are challenged by the contested narratives of how best to transition toward Net Zero. The Net Zero discourse is becoming a core priority for such firms when seeking to futureproof their investments. The research explores how a consultant works with investor-side stakeholders to develop suitable retrofit strategies which target net zero. Attention focusses on both parties working together to strategically enact net zero through collaboration. The research mobilises the strategy literature, with a focus on strategy as practice. Methodologically, primary data is generated around two case projects through semi-structured interviews with key decision makers within a leading global built environment sustainability consultancy. As the empirical research unfolded, the focus became how a commercial six-stage process had emerged through strategic practice between the built environment sustainability consultant and their investor-side clients. Using open coding we explore key moments in the strategic co-creation of this six-stage process, to translate the language of engineering retrofit requirements into terms understood and adopted by investor-side stakeholders. Findings resonate with the strategy as practice themes of practitioners, practices and praxis and are thus tensioned against notions of objective rationale choices and acontextual solutions to meet often ill-conceived targets and KPIs. Tensions arise around the need for rolling cohesive programmes of retrofit and annual budgeting norms. The research illustrates further work is needed to understand the challenge organisations face in navigating the retrofit for net zero agenda and creating appropriate solutions
Sustainable built environments: lessons from history and environmental philosophy
No full textSustainability education associated with the built environment is critical if we are to enact meaningful change for society. Much of the current discourse mobilises what is termed weak sustainability thinking and offers a reductionist stance. The chapter seeks to empower what are termed the ‘students of sustainability’ (in essence all humans), encouraging critical enquiry. Critique is vital because the dominant sustainability discourse is rooted in a value system embedded in and rehearsed for the past 350 years. An alternative stance and potentially more fruitful approach, drawing upon the evolutionary tradition of environmental philosophy, would be more aligned with strong sustainability and an ecocentric sustainability perspective. That would offer the next generation of practitioners and professionals shaping the built environment with a fresh set of capabilities, knowledge and skills. Humans have undoubtedly been the architects of the majority of environmental and sustainability challenges the entire planet now faces (human and non-human). Charting and thus understanding such challenges is important if they are to be truly tackled in a constructive manner. A range of seminal publications are used as touchpoints and critiqued, as a path toward a fresh approach is laid out and opportunities suggested. In essence, the problem of sustainability is not our biggest problem, our biggest problem is our attribute and approach to the problem of sustainability. How we approach sustainability is what needs to change and the chapter aims to lay some key foundations for all interested parties
Towards a Sustainable Construction Industry: A Fuzzy Synthetic Evaluation of Critical Barriers to Entry and the Retention of Women in the South African Construction Industry
No full textOver the past few decades, numerous efforts have been made to increase the proportion of women in the construction industry, coupled with various calls for legislation and rules to prohibit gender discrimination. Despite these efforts, minimal progress has been noticed in the construction industry. While recruitment remains crucial, the current culture in construction reveals a knowledge gap in recruitment and retention in employment—a concept known as a ‘leaky pipeline’. Lack of awareness of career options and the challenges of working in a male-dominated, occasionally discriminatory workplace are some of the significant barriers to attracting and keeping women in the construction industry. Much of the research in South Africa shows that most construction companies employed few women but only in lower secretarial and administrative positions. Therefore, this study investigated the barriers facing women’s entry and retention in construction-related employment in South Africa using fuzzy synthetic evaluation (FSE) to understand and prioritise the barriers. Data were collected through the administration of online and paper-based questionnaires. The results of the analysis show that the barriers in the order of criticality include support and empowerment issues (SEs), educational/academic-related barriers (ABs), barriers from professional conditions and work attributes (BPs), social perception and gender stereotype barriers (SPs), professional perceptions and gender bias (PP), and individual confidence/interest/awareness/circumstance-related barriers (IBs), respectively. Based on the findings of the study, several recommendations, including on-the-job tutoring and flexible work arrangements, amongst others, were provided
GENERATIVE AI: RECONFIGURING SUPERVISION AND DOCTORAL RESEARCH
No full textACADEMIC ABSTRACT
The uptake of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) tools has implications for doctoral research and academic publication practices both within Construction Management and in the wider academic context. Unless these implications are understood, GenAI tools have the potential to disrupt traditional relationships between doctoral researchers and their academic supervisors. Rather than exploring the technical competence and reach of GenAI tools, this study explores the nature of these challenges. We present a rounded look at what GenAI use might mean and how its integration into doctoral research processes might shift relationships and affect practice. Informed by structuration theory, the research uses mixed methods to map shifts in agency and structure resulting from the adoption of GenAI tools. Findings highlight that the often-unacknowledged use of GenAI in doctoral research can confer undue agency on the technology which disrupts traditional relationships in an unacknowledged way. The rapid but often unacknowledged uptake of GenAI within doctoral research comes with lack of consideration of the emotional support ascribed by students to the technology. Using metaphors of ‘a covert third wheel’ and ‘a seat at the table’ we conclude that GenAI tools should be openly incorporated into research and practice in a transparent, integrated approach.
PRACTICE RELEVANCE ABSTRACT
This research has relevance to the academic community both within the built environment disciplines and more general pedagogical implications. By bringing into the open concerns over the reach and rapidity of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) adoption, the paper exposes potential changes to relationships and practices. Academics will be able to understand the shifts in relationships between stakeholders and the possible ramifications on publication. The research exposes the surprising unacknowledged proliferation of GenAI use in doctoral research and its underlying role in providing surrogate emotional support to doctoral students. By giving voice to stakeholders involved in the process of doctoral research the research lays open the lack of ethical frameworks around the use of GenAI and the need to consider the open and supported use of GenAI, and its impact on developing the technical understandings and communication of doctoral researchers. The research lays open some of the debates, concerns and possibilities that GenAI can bring to doctoral research practice, so that they can be intentionally addressed
Gender Equality and Sustainability in Vietnamese Higher Education: Students' Perspectives
No full textGender equality is one of the focal points in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which face stiff
confrontation in most developing nations because of cultural barriers and stereotypical behaviours towards females.
However, measures must be implemented in most organisations in developing nations to ensure gender equality
and inclusiveness of females in all sectors. This study investigated the measures of sustaining gender equality
momentum through a survey of Vietnamese university students analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics
to understand the efforts in attaining SDG 5. The analysis revealed that male and female students have similar
views of gender equality measures across the curriculum and teaching practice, institutional policies and culture,
and personal experience and perspective. The significant differences found in the respondents' opinions across
their years of study are opined to tilt towards the first-year students. Therefore, it is recommended that the university
management make known their gender equality stand and reiterate it on formal occasions such as open days and
orientation exercises for first-year students. In addition, it is suggested that universities fund training that centres on
gender equality and male staff and students should be in attendance to enable them to understand the global shift
from patriarchal culture. The study's findings contribute practically and theoretically to the global discourse on gender
equality, with implications for increasing the awareness and need for gender equality in academic environments of
developing nation
Gender Equality and Sustainability in Vietnamese Higher Education: Educators’ Perspectives
Get PDFGender inequality remains a critical challenge in Vietnamese higher education, particularly regarding how academic roles and advancement opportunities are distributed. Despite existing policies promoting gender equality, gaps persist in leadership and career development, potentially limiting women’s representation and growth. This study examines Vietnamese educators’ perspectives on gender equality in higher education, focusing on academic rank awareness and attitudes toward gender-related issues. A quantitative research design was employed, using a structured survey distributed among faculty members across different academic ranks, including lecturers, senior lecturers, associate professors, and professors. Data were analysed through statistical measures, including frequencies and percentages, mean scores, standard deviations, the Mann–Whitney U test, the Kruskal–Wallis H-test, and post hoc analysis to assess variations in perspectives on gender equality based on academic positions. The findings reveal significant differences in gender equality awareness across academic ranks. Educators in senior positions reported greater recognition of gender disparities, especially in leadership roles and promotion processes, than those in junior roles, who exhibited less awareness of such issues. This study’s practical implications suggest that Vietnamese higher education institutions should adopt targeted interventions, such as gender awareness programs and transparent promotion processes, to foster a more inclusive environment. Additionally, mentorship programs for female academics could enhance their career advancement opportunities. This research contributes original insights into how the academic hierarchy affects gender equality perceptions within Vietnamese higher education, offering a basis for the development of policies that support equitable career pathways
Knowledge Foundations, Issue 3 - March 2025
Get PDFKnowledge Foundations publication (formerly the UCEM e-library e-bulletin) is a compendium of news, views, research, and resources related to the educational sector and the built environment
Knowledge Foundations, Issue 4 - April 2025
Get PDFKnowledge Foundations publication (formerly the UCEM e-library e-bulletin) is a compendium of news, views, research, and resources related to the educational sector and the built environment