Journal of Architecture, Planning and Construction Management
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The Implementation of Environmental Management System (EMS) ISO 14001 among Construction Companies in Malaysia
Get PDFToday, with the deteriorating and unpredictable world climate, the need to preserve the environment is crucial in preventing rapid environmental deterioration. Sustainable development requires a balance between economic growth, social expansion and environmental protection. In order to pursue sustainable development, the construction industry itself has to be sustainable and gives emphasis on environmental matters, in addition to economic gains and social obligations. The ISO 14001 is a set of international standards for voluntary environmental management that has the potential to significantly impact the activities in construction to industry. This study aimed to investigate the level of awareness on the EMS 14001 among construction companies and to seek any obstacle or problems that obstruct the implementation of ISO 14001 in construction industry in Malaysia. Questionnaire-based interview was done on selected Grade 7 contractors in Selangor and Wilayah Persekutuan to achieve the objective of this study. Frequency Statistical Analysis and Average Index Analysis were used to measure the questionnaire done. Seven construction companies were successfully interviewed of which three of them are contractors who have not yet implemented the EMS ISO 14001 and the other four are companies that have applied the system. Based on the findings and analysis, it is found that level of awareness of non-certified construction companies about ISO 14001 is still very low compared to the certified companies. Ten barriers also have been identified to be the problems which obstruct the implementation of EMS ISO 14001 in Malaysia Construction Company. Among them are the lack of government pressure, lack of client support and weak environmental culture among other competitors. In conclusion, several strategies including compulsion from government to make EMS ISO 14001 a compulsory requirement and support from the government have been proposed based in interviews and other countries’ action to facilitate the adoption of environmental management system (EMS) ISO 14001 in Malaysia Construction Industry
Sustainability of Malay Traditional Craft and Craftmanship as Cultural Heritage in Kuala Kangsar, Perak, Malaysia
Get PDFThis paper discusses the traditional craftsmanship that have been sustained in the making of traditional arts and crafts by local Malay craftsmen from the various places in the royal town of Kuala Kangsar, located in the state of Perak, Peninsular Malaysia. Series of interviews with the craftsmen and field observation were conducted and found that the Malay craftsmen’s drive for preservation of traditional crafts and craftsmanship had paved the way for sustainability of the Malay cultural heritage in the region through continuity of craft industries with local and fresh inspiration. Cultural themes with visual aesthetic of local motifs are depicted on the pottery, embroidery, metal ware and woodwork craftsmanship which make up the essential part of the heritage. Creative tradition can be seen on these crafts through their craftsmanship style and design, materials and texture, the embellishment technique and construction. Examination on the traditional arts production by the craftsmen exemplifies their distinctive craftsmanship that was sustained as regional identity. It was found that the industry of pottery is the most profound works that dominate the local art and craft especially in the area known as Sayong. The pottery produced by them are inspired and derived from old traditional techniques and aesthetics which signify their strong preferences to maintain and preserve the art tradition from this region. Apparently, the physical and practical nomenclatures of the local crafts extracted from the past traditions are still intact that exemplifies their distinctive attributes and meanings as cultural heritage for Kuala Kangsar. The challenge for the present Malay craftsmen is to continue encouraging and sustaining their interests in the art and craft production while attempting to maintain its perception of authenticity and uniqueness among local residents and visitors to the region. There is a potentiality for further investigation on the tangible and intangible authenticity and technical uniqueness of the art and crafts through scientific documentation and experimental study. This is significant effort to ensure the sustainable development of the traditional arts and crafts in harmony and unity with local environment and its community
Alternatives to Standards: A Study of Open Spaces Planning Guidelines in Peninsular Malaysia
Get PDFThis study builds on to contribute to the realization of the Malaysian government’s target to provide two hectares of open spaces for every 1000 people in its urban populations by 2020. Although numerous studies have examined the importance of open spaces to human life, little attention has been given to the implementation of open spaces provision. The Federal Department of Town and Country Planning of Peninsular Malaysia (FDTCP) has produced a planning standards and guidelines to supervise the implementation of open spaces policy in Peninsular Malaysia
Value Management in Design Planning: A Systems-Based Framework for Multi-Disciplinary Team Involvement
Get PDFValue Management (VM) has proven to provide a structured methodology using specific supporting tools and techniques that facilitates effective decision-making on many types of projects, thus achieving ‘best value’ for clients. It offers an exceptionally strong approach to exploring project needs and functions in line with client’s objectives. The Functional Analysis, and Creativity and Evaluation Phases of VM crucially focus on understanding clients’ objectives for their projects and on finding innovative solutions to deliver those projects accordingly
Investigating the Application of CFA in the Liveability Assessment of Public Low-income Housing in Nig
Get PDFStudies on the liveability of Nations/Cities or neighbourhoods have been on the increase due to their perceived aftermath significant contributions to the quality of life. In this study, the liveability dimensions and attributes were developed based on the previous studies and experts opinions to assess the level of living conditions in the public low-income housing estates in Minna, Niger State, Nigeria. The focus of this paper is to explore the liveability dimensions and attributes reliability and to validates its usefulness in determining the liveability of the selected housing estates. It is presumed that not all identified liveability dimensions and attributes variables in the extant literature will be effective in measuring liveability in a cultural context like Nigeria. The data used for this study came from survey questionnaire administered to the residents of the selected three housing estates. Prior to the confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), the Cronbach’s Alpha result obtained supported four-factor constructs. The variance explained as obtained from exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was good (67%). The CFA conducted led to the construction of an 18 items measurement. This paper contributed to the empirical study of liveability of housing/residential estates in terms of establishing the reliability and validity of the measurement constructs. Hence, it suggests that CFA analysis even with four-factor constructs can be used in future researches
A Study of Urban-Rural Public Bus Passengers’ Demographic and Trip Characteristics in Peninsular Malaysia
Get PDFThis research highlights the urban-rural bus services gap in the selected settlements in Peninsular Malaysia. Four states are selected as case studies with Johor to represent the southern states, Penang to represent the northern states and for east-coast states, Pahang is selected. Meanwhile Perak is to represent a still developing state, which is yet to reach the advanced level of large conurbations. The main objectives are to evaluate the urban and rural bus service quality through passenger satisfaction survey. A total of 1130 survey questionnaire forms is distributed and collected. The results confirmed that there are gapsin urban and rural bus services based on the level of satisfaction among the passengers from different localities
FEASIBILITY INVESTIGATION ON IMPLEMENTATION OF HISTORICAL AND CULTURAL AXES APPROACH TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF PUBLIC SPACES: CASE STUDY OF LALEHZAR STREET TEHRAN USING SPACE SYNTAX ANALYSIS
Get PDFCultural-historical axes as public spaces can perform well in retrieving the identity of historical urban. But the problem is that in metropolitan areas today, these public spaces have become a place for driving not space for pauses. One way of identifying and reinforcing the positive aspects of historical-cultural axes is to organize and recreate them. Tehran does not have valuable buildings such as Isfahan, Shiraz, and Yazd, however, it has an identity like all other cities inthe world. One of the identity components of this metropolis is Lalehzar Street that firsts cinemas and coffee houses have been built there. Unfortunately, this axis has become a market for electrical appliances nowadays, and if this trend continues, one of the most important elements of Tehran's identity will be lost. In this research, after examining the cultural-historical pavements and exploring the functional potential of the main axis of this region, the feasibility study of Lalehzar street implementation has been investigated by using depth map software. The results of the survey show that Lalehzar Street makes it possible for pedestrians to be pedestrian because of their high interconnected value. This research was based on field observations and the use of library resources. The research method is descriptiveanalytical and Space Syntax software was used to analyse the spatial structure and internal order of an urban system
Role of the State and Market in Low Cost Housing Provision: The Case Study of Open Registration System (ORS) for Low Cost House Buyers in Malaysia
Get PDFThe aim of this research is to examine the role of the state and market in low cost housing allocation in Malaysia in the context of a global trend towards neo-liberalism. This research explores the transformation in low cost housing provision in Malaysia particularly in the allocation process. The research is premised on a qualitative research paradigm using case study research design. The low cost housing allocation system in Malaysia under the Open Registration System (ORS) was selected as a case study to determine the role of the state and market in housing allocation. Meanwhile the State of Selangor was selected to study the implementation of ORS at the state level. The research framework was based on the Structure of Housing Provision (SHP) approach in order to determine the changes in housing provision system in Malaysia since the 1950s and to identify the key players involved in the low cost housing production and allocation process. The method of data collection was based on the analysis of documents, qualitative interviews and a group interview. The key findings include, firstly, the fact that housing provision in Malaysia shows no sign of convergence with the Western neo-liberal model. The state continues to control and regulate the market in low cost housing allocation through ORS. Secondly, although low cost housing production shows trends of commodification since the early 1990s, but the allocation process remains the sole responsibility of the state and is highly decommodified. Thirdly, most low cost house buyers prefer the market to manage the allocation for private low cost housing. Finally, ORS implementation shows the state is dominant in housing provision in Malaysia, which is synonymous with the developmental state approach in the East Asia