Thesis and Research Data Repository Leeds Beckett University
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Exploring carbon management implementation for quantity surveying professional practice in South Africa
No full textBuilt environment processes signicantly contribute carbon emissions, worsening the impact on the environment, and all associated professsionals must actively respond to this predicament. Despite literature opining that QSs are well-positioned to integrate carbon reduction techniques into project planning and execution, their role is not concisely defined, especially in South Africa. Facing challenges such as regulatory gaps and financial constraints, this study explores how QSs can navigate these challenges, aligning their role with the construction sector's decarbonisation goals. Hence, this paper sought to reveal carbon management implementation techniques for quantity surveying (QS) professional practice and expose sstrategies to achieve adequate implementation. The study employed a thematic analysis using a qualitative, inductive approach, conducting semi-structured interviews with quantity surveyors from the Association of South African Quantity Surveyors (ASAQS) and the Green Building Council of South Africa (GBCSA). This provided insights into QSs’ experiences and perspectives, highlighting effective carbon management methods. The study found that techniques such as forming sustainability committees and using Life Cycle Costing (LCC) methods to quantify carbon impact are effective, supported by implementation strategies that include stakeholder awareness, training, and regulatory promulgations. Implementing these techniques enables QSs to impact both the financial and sustainability outcomes of construction projects. The recommendations suggest establishing a sustainable construction implementation frameworks that include the use of effective carbon management tools, creating a carbon measurement framework, designing QS curricula on carbon management, and advocating for government incentives for green technologies. The paper provides a structured approach for integrating carbon management into QS practices, justifying the importance of QSs in achieving sustainable construction. However, a limited familiarity with carbon management techniques among some QSs and a reliance on qualitative data makes the findings broadly ungeneralisable.</p
Evaluating the Impact of Building Information Modelling on Sri Lankan Highway Construction Projects
No full textSri Lanka, as a developing nation, has witnessed substantial growth in road infrastructure, with the highway construction sector playing a vital role in the country’s socio-economic development. However, these projects are often affected by significant time and cost overruns. This study explores the potential of Building Information Modelling (BIM) to enhance time and cost efficiency in Sri Lanka’s highway construction projects. It examines the current level of BIM adoption, prevailing project challenges, barriers to implementation, and the impact of 3D, 4D, and 5D BIM dimensions on project outcomes. A quantitative approach was adopted, using structured questionnaires targeting professionals in the highway sector. The findings reveal that BIM adoption remains limited, particularly beyond 3D applications, due to factors such as low awareness, high initial investment, and inadequate policy support. Nonetheless, the perceived impact of BIM particularly in improving design coordination, project scheduling, and cost management is significantly high. The study concludes by offering strategic recommendations, including capacity-building, financial incentives, and the development of national BIM standards, to accelerate adoption and promote more efficient, resilient, and sustainable highway construction practices in Sri Lanka. The study also offers strategic recommendations to address barriers to BIM adoption, fostering more efficient and sustainable highway construction practices in Sri Lanka.</p
Developing A Theoretically Grounded And Practically Orientated Model For Holistic Talent Development In Sport
No full textYouth sport has become increasingly professionalised. As a result, youth athletes are involved in formalised talent development environments (TDEs) designed to facilitate their effective and efficient development towards the elite level. However, it is argued that athlete challenges relating to transition efficacy, developmental sacrifice, and health impacts are not comprehensively addressed in these environments. Consequently, athletes can be left with adverse outcomes, affecting them immediately and in the future in sport and life. Increasingly, research has sought to explore the positive and negative outcomes emerging from TDE involvement. In recognition of these outcomes, holistic talent development (HTD) approaches have been recommended, often associated with promoting personal and whole-person development. Despite this recommendation, there is currently no conceptualised and empirically explored model of HTD that captures this landscape. This state of play is particularly surprising considering the popularised use of the concept ‘holistic’, which has become mired in conceptual ambiguity.
Adopting a pragmatic approach and using multi-methods, this thesis aimed to develop a model of HTD that was theoretically grounded and practically orientated, conceptualising outcome and environmental components. A working theoretical model was developed from current literature, which was subsequently applied and abductively developed throughout the thesis, incorporating data from athletes, parents and practitioners. Three empirical studies were undertaken. Study 1 examined perceptions of TDE effectiveness across a large multi-sport and country sample from the perspective of athletes (n = 571), parents (n = 759) and practitioners (n = 134). Study two explored practitioner (n = 23) understandings of HTD across six environments, using Appreciative Inquiry interviews. Study 3 explored HTD practice in one cricket TDE through an ethnographic approach with observations and interviews/focus groups with athletes (n = 17), parents (n = 9) and practitioners (n = 6). Corresponding with the data, positive athlete outcomes were framed within three domains (Athletic Performance; Health and Wellbeing; Life Readiness) and six sub-domains (Performance Skills and Characteristics; Health for Development; General Health; Varied Life Identity; Instrumental Life Skills; Prosocial Character). A wide range of TDE features were found to influence HTD athlete outcomes, and these were categorised into four theme-families (Community; Lifelong Outlook; Practitioner-Athlete Relationship; Personal Development). Connections between the outcome and environmental components of the model were explored. HTD outcomes were found to be sensitively influenced by numerous interactive environmental features.
Through a rigorous process of conceptual exploration, development, and refinement, this thesis presents a promising model of HTD. This model is grounded in theory, stakeholder-informed and orientated towards practical utility, building upon previous research and providing fresh insight. Those in research and practice may reflexively consider the working model to inform their critical explorations of effective TDEs from a HTD perspective (e.g., programme building and evaluations).</p
Anora, Stripped Down: Critically Reflecting on the Portrayal of Sex Work in Contemporary Media
No full textAnora (2024) is a film about a stripper from Brooklyn whose world collides with that of an immensely rich Oligarch’s son (Ivan). First impressions of the film might describe it as a new age reiteration of ‘Pretty Woman’, as we follow Annie (Anora) through the experience of this new world she is abruptly pulled into. This critical reflection seeks to deconstruct the complex narrative of sex work in Anora by integrating contemporary sociological theory to break down Anora as a “contemporary cultural product” (Gill, 2007: 148). This commentary is henceforth structured around prominent themes relating to contemporary sex work: Stigma of sex work, sex worker identities and practices; Feminist deliberation around sex work and embodied sexual identities; and the Neoliberal sexual subject.</p
Improving and Demonstrating the Accuracy and Precision of the QUB Method
No full textThe performance of building fabric is a critical component in the complex problem of heat decarbonisation. However, a growing body of evidence has shown that there is often a difference between the measured performance of building fabric and its predicted or design performance. This phenomenon is known as the performance gap.
Awareness of the performance gap has popularised the concept of measuring fabric performance. This can be characterised by the U-values of individual fabric elements or the HTC (Heat Transfer Coefficient) that describes the whole house fabric performance. HTC measurements are commonly used to evaluate any performance gap. The current standardised method for HTC measurement, coheating, is extremely disruptive as it is required that a home is empty for 15 days or more for steady state conditions to be maintained within the property. As such, coheating can be considered unsuitable for uses outside of research. The QUB method is a dynamic method of HTC and U-value measurement that is completed within a single night. Owing to its short duration the QUB method could potentially be used in mainstream applications such as new build housing and retrofit where a coheating test would not be feasible. This research aims to improve and demonstrate the accuracy (closeness to true value) and precision (dispersion of repeat measurements) of the QUB method. This will identify where the method can be deployed to give informative measurements and its limitations.
A method consisting of six field-based case studies was deployed in which repeated QUB measurements were completed and compared to reference HTC and U-value values to determine the accuracy and precision of the measurements. This revealed that variations in test conditions were impacting the dispersion of results and negatively affecting accuracy and precision. These included variability of the temperature ratios in unconditioned spaces, transient thermal mass effects introduced by solar radiation and changes in external temperature, and wind conditions impacting heat transfer. Where observed, this impact is linked to select building characteristics. Consequently, houses with minimal areas of indirect heat loss, insulated building fabric and not of a characteristically high thermal mass often resulted in highest levels of accuracy and precision in QUB measurements.
From the results of the case studies, indicative values of accuracy and precision for the QUB HTC measurements were derived based on the building characteristics of the test homes. For homes with characteristics associated with high accuracy and precision the following levels of accuracy and precision are expected: root mean squared error (RMSE) ≤ 15 %, mean bias error (MBE) ≤ |13| %, relative range ≤ 19 % and standard deviation ≤ 7 %. For homes with characteristics associated with low accuracy and precision the equivalent metrics are RMSE ≤ 34 %, MBE ≤ |34| %, relative range ≤ 55 % and standard deviation ≤ 16 %. These values can be used by those conducting QUB HTC measurements to determine the suitability for an application and to provide context on the measurement result. The level of accuracy seen in the QUB U-value measurements was notably lower than that seen in existing work. The reasons for this could not be determined.
A novel approach for adjusting HTC measurements for indirect heat loss through unconditioned spaces was proposed. This was done through use of additional temperature and heat flux density measurements and was shown to improve the accuracy and precision of measurements in all applicable instances. However, this practice may, in turn, affect the suitable use cases for the measurement. Future work should consider how these adjustments are communicated in the most understandable way.
This study has demonstrated the accuracy and precision of the QUB test in a discrete number of real-world case studies. Whilst limitations of the QUB test are highlighted, its potential to give informative evaluations of building fabric performance are evident. Future work should conduct multiple QUB tests over a duration of close to one year to better understand the impact of changing test conditions. Additionally, the measurements completed in this study could be combined with data from other projects to enable an evaluation of accuracy and precision against a wider range of building characteristics. This will further the understanding gained from this study and give findings that can be generalised across the building stock.</p
Beyond HM Treasury's Green Book – From Auxiliary to Core: New Project Governance for Climate-Contested Land Use Projects through the Open- Praxis-Graph Research Methodology
No full textPublic-sector infrastructure projects increasingly unfold amid intersecting crises of climate breakdown, biodiversity loss, and digital dissent. I introduce Climate-Contested Land Use Projects (CCLUPs)—a novel typology defined by ecological risk, democratic contestation, and institutional fragility. These dynamics expose the epistemic limits of the United Kingdom’s (UK’s) HM Treasury’s Green Book and its globally emulated economic rationalism, rooted in utilitarian neoclassic economic abstraction and derived ultimately from Cartesian dualism.In response, I advance the Open-Praxis-Graph (O-P-G) as a Transdisciplinary Research Methodology (TRM), grounded in social ontology. O-P-G conjoins three umbrella concepts as terms of art: Open (public digital data environments), Praxis (social ontologies of situated meaning), and Graph (semantic network analysis informed by modern graph theory). Applied to the National Health Service (NHS) Velindre Cancer Centre—a paradigmatic CCLUP—O-P-G as a TRM reveals how affective dissent, material entanglements, and normative pluralism constitute the front-end phase realities of CCLUPs.Supporting SEEDS 2025’s call to make sustainability foundational, I argue that O-P-G offers a necessary realignment of land-use governance in the front-end phase of CCLUPs. By rethinking such public-sector infrastructure as a site of contested value and temporal struggle, I advocate a pluralist, transdisciplinary methodology rooted in ecological justice and democratic legitimacy.</p
Communicating Sustainability: How Civic Actors, Digital Technology, and Awareness Campaigns Shape Waste Management Behaviours
No full textSustainable waste management is critical to achieving the sustainable urban development goal of most cities. It requires coordinated efforts from policymakers, civic actors, and residents. This study investigates the impact of civic actors, persuasive digital technology, and awareness campaigns on sustainable waste management behaviours in Singapore. Semi-structured interviews with civic organisations (N=11) involved in sustainable waste management reveal their role in translating policy into grassroots action through digital engagement, behaviour change strategies, and sustained community participation in waste reduction initiatives. In addition, a survey of Singaporean residents (N = 508) examines public awareness, attitudes, and responses to sustainability campaigns. Findings indicate that while digital tools enhance awareness and participation in waste management, lasting behavioural shifts remain influenced by civic-led initiatives, resource availability, community-driven efforts, and effective message framing. The study highlights how communication strategies, civic engagement, and technology adoption interact to promote sustainable waste practices and increase awareness. This research contributes to the ongoing discussion on sustainability communication approaches and offers practical insights for advancing urban sustainability efforts through citizen-driven action and supportive policy.</p
Examining Mixed Reality Technology Drivers and Challenges to Promote Environmental Sustainability in Residential Buildings
No full textResidential buildings currently experience strong demands to overcome environmental issues and enhance operational efficiency. Though mixed reality (MR) offers promising solutions, the implementation for enhancing environmental sustainability is not sufficiently researched. This research investigates the factors (i.e., drivers and barriers) that affect the adoption of MR technology for residential buildings, especially regarding environmental sustainability. The study combined literature review with quantitative questionnaire data from professionals in the construction industry. Results show that the main factors which drive construction professionals to adopt MR are design optimization; energy efficiency and patterns modelling indications; life-cycle assessment; communication and visualization; and material variations and sustainability. Conversely, the key barriers to MR adoption are price and availability; skills and training development; technological limitation; complexity of integration with sustainability principles; and user adoption and acceptance. Strategic interventions should be put in place to accelerate MR adoption through cost-benefit evaluations, training programmes, demonstration projects, stakeholder partnerships, supporting policies, and targeted educational campaigns.</p
Integrating Life Cycle Assessment into Prefabricated Building Design: A Review of Data Requirements and Implementation Challenges
No full textLCA is a well-established method for evaluating environmental impacts across a building’s lifecycle, with the greatest benefits realised during the design phase. Prefabricated buildings are increasingly recognised as a sustainable solution to the construction industry's environmental challenges, offering reduced waste, improved resource efficiency, and lower environmental impacts. Prefabrication, with its reliance on precise design data, can facilitate LCA application. While prefabricated buildings are better positioned than conventional construction to achieve sustainability, there are limited applications of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) in this type of system, especially for design purposes. This study investigates the integration of LCA into prefabricated projects, with a focus on data requirements and associated challenges, to understand how these requirements can inform the design phase and support design optimisation. Through a systematic literature review, it examines prefabrication’s characteristics and explores lifecycle data requirements, collection processes and challenges. The findings reveal that most studies concentrate on the construction phase, with limited attention given to end-of-life stages or beyond. A key barrier is the lack of readily available, high-quality, prefabrication-specific data, which can discourage designers from adopting LCA. Contextual challenges also exist, further limiting LCA’s application. Additionally, end-of-life scenarios are often overlooked due to modelling uncertainties and the perceived negligible impact of these stages, despite their relevance for circular design, a sustainable approach. The review concludes that institutional support, methodological adaptation and practice-based examples are essential to overcoming existing barriers, standardising LCA practices in prefabricated construction and enabling its integration at the design stage, encompassing all life cycle phases.</p
Nature’s Impact on Emotions: Shaping Our Connection to Architecture
No full textThis research examines how natural elements in architecture influence human emotions. Purely focusing on biophilic design and adaptive ecology, in connecting people with built environments. Adaptive ecology explores the dynamic relationship between systems, in this case, buildings and nature. Evaluating their evolution and correlated improvements (Holling, 1973). With climate change currently driving the demand for sustainable proposals, biophilic design has gained attention for integrating nature into architecture, creating emotionally supported spaces that enhance productivity and mental well-being. (Kellert, 2008).Adopting the humanism worldview, which prioritizes human experiences and emotional needs, therefore examining how natural elements like light, greenery, and outdoor views contribute to well-being in built environments. Despite growing interest in biophilic design, research on its emotional impact remains limited. Employing a mixed-methods approach, the survey combines qualitative and quantitative data, to asses participants’ psychological responses to elements from biophilic design. As a result, reported feelings of comfort and relaxation stem from spaces enriched with natural elements. Particularly, areas including natural light and having outdoor views, positively impacting emotional well-being. On the other hand, zones that create excessive exposure to natural elements caused some participants the sense of being overwhelmed. The majority expressed signs of discomfort, primarily due to the non-sequential noise disruption, produced by water features.Overall, the findings agree with the statement, that biophilic design can enhance emotional resilience, reduce stress, and create a sense of well-being. However, the results also highlight, that having the correct balance of aesthetics, privacy and functionality, is key in maximising the full potential of nature-inspired design. Valuable for architects and urban planners, these insights emphasize the need to incorporate nature into the built environment, not only for sustainability and practical use, but also for the psychological well-being of its occupants.</p