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Global Inclusion, Diversity, Belonging, Equity, and Access - GIDBEA. The Architecture of A New Different
Full text linkThe article asserts the need for organizations to adopt intentional and transformative Global Inclusion, Diversity, Belonging, Equity, and Access (GIDBEA) practices, to ensure their future readiness. The research developed reaffirms the benefits of GIDBEA strategies in identifying gap areas and navigating crises, by providing insights on how to successfully embed a ‘new different’ GIDBEA strategy into organizational frameworks.
By drawing trends across the 2020-2021 COVID-19 pandemic and other previous health and economic crises, it is indicated what is described as the “normality of disruption” and the need to move away from the idea of a ‘new normal’ to a new different. The new different acknowledges that the ‘normal’ or the status quo was often challenging for many. The impact and importance of the disruptions that individuals, communities, nations, etc., all have and will face together, is also recognized. The new different emphasizes organizational transformation through co-creation, sustainability, adaptivity, resilience, and design thinking. By implementing a design thinking model, GIDBEA proactively engages mistakes while promoting innovation through dissent and disruption. As a result, disruptions are not considered episodic crises but as recurring, expected, and presenting opportunities. Furthermore, it is argued that GIDBEA expertise is essential for remaining agile, innovative, and providing strategic organizational architecture to prepare and innovate for these disruptions. However, it is necessary to consider that GIDBEA practice can be limited due to the failure of organizations and leaders to frame it as an asset and develop strategic plans to leverage it in the same way they do other critical functional business units. Therefore, unless prioritized and conducted intentionally, GIDBEA work will not achieve its promised bonuses and transformative potential.
The article offers readers insights and tools to assess existing GIDBEA within their organization. Using metaphors of “construction” and “architecture,” it illustrates how reimaging organizational architectures and constructing initiatives focused on GIDBEA are fundamental to resiliency, organizational sustainability, and the ability to thrive through shifting landscapes
HIGH-RISE RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS PERCEIVED QUALITY ASSESSMENT IN EX-POLITBURO NEIGHBOURHOOD “BLLOK” IN POST-SOCIALIST TIRANA
Full text linkThis research focuses on the high-rise residential buildings, which emerged during the post-socialist period in an ex-socialist elite neighbourhood of Tirana called Bllok. This neighbourhood that was dwelled exclusively by the communist party leading members and their families, in the post-socialist period has become a major entertainment zone. The aim of this study is to measure the quality of these high-rise apartment blocks based on the perception of their inhabitants. The quality assessment of the dwellings is conducted by analyzing their indoor and outdoor spaces, in both physical and social features. The methodology used in the research includes archival research to obtain the historical drawings, a survey to measure the quality assessment of housing and data processing to interpret the results of the questionnaire. The results of this study show that although the high-rise dwelling general conditions are reported as satisfactory, the outdoor spaces` quality is mostly considered poor in the physical infrastructure and social aspects. The indoor spaces` quality offers a better satisfaction level in physical aspects, but lower social features
MUNICIPAL ARCHITECTS AS POSSIBLE KEY PLAYERS IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF TOWNS AND SMALL CITIES - MUNICIPAL ARCHITECTS IN THE CZECH REPUBLIC AND THEIR WORK, TAKING INTO ACCOUNT DENMARK
No full textThe involvement of experts as advisers and coordinators of municipalities and the public is
suitable for the appropriate and conceptual development of cities in Europe. In European
countries, such involvement is addressed in several ways. In German-speaking countries, an
expert committee is usual. In Ireland and the Netherlands there are state architects. In
Belgium, which is a federation, they use regional chief architects. In the Czech Republic,
Slovakia, but also in Denmark, some cities use a municipal architect. The presentation deals
with a general overview of municipal architects in the Czech Republic, their formal
establishment and examples of their work. An overview of a similar institute in Denmark is
added for comparison
PASSIVE ADAPTATIONS IN THE URBAN SOCIETIES OF BANGLADESH CONSIDERING KITCHEN AREA
Full text linkResidence carries cultural information through its structure and activity. The kitchen, an indispensable part of a residence is used to cook food and food is the presenter of a country’s habit and nature. This study is an attempt to investigate the transformation of the spatial organization of kitchen area considering Dhaka, Bangladesh residences. The study is based on primary data collected from different types of apartments in Dhaka City. Thirty households were surveyed using a structured questionnaire to investigate the kitchen activities, workable space, comfort while working in the kitchen. The study has institute that once upon a time, kitchen was useful for different activities and it was given equal importance while designing the living rooms or bedrooms. But slowly kitchen has become one of the most hazardous space in a residence, in the context of Dhaka and the situation are getting worse. The outcome of the study is expected to raise awareness on setting, design of kitchen area appropriately among architects & planners
USER’S DAYLIGHT PERCEPTION IN THE RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS: DAYLIGHT ASSESSMENT IN THE RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS OF DURRES WATERFRONT
No full textThis research emphasizes the presence of daylight in architecture as an essential element
of experiencing it. Spatial experience and its perception can be reached by the existence of light and its distribution. We treated daylight in this research not only as a factor affecting building design but also as a factor that effects the user’s satisfaction. Light is very important as it can influence human being’s perception, lifestyle, and behavior the same way it influences space shape and size. So, the study focuses on the contribution that daylight has on the interior and exterior design of the building to understand the relation of light with the building and the dweller. Moreover, thinking the impact that it has on dweller’s life and the way they grasp the interior, the research investigates the way that light penetrates inside a closed space and how an opening/ window can give meaning to a certain area. Through onsite investigations, interviews with the dwellers and software analysis the aim of this research is to bring once more into attention the “Light” as a tool for experience the “Space”, the way how it affects visual perception and to give openings a wider meaning than just being a window. It quantifies daylight parameters in the dwellings and overlooks its quantitative aspects on dwellers. The outcomes give answer to the important question on how can facilitate in space-dweller relationship. Motivated by the results, the study relates both architecture and daylight to a decision-making process
WE ARE TAUGHT TO BUILD, BUT DO WE KNOW HOW TO TEAR CITIES DOWN? EUROPEAN URBAN SOCIETIES ADAPTATIONS TO THE SHRINKING CITIES PHENOMENON
No full textWhile much attention is paid to urban development and to what is being built in general,
much lesser notice has been given to the opposite phenomenon. While some cities are
growing rapidly, many others are experiencing a population decline for various reasons.
These include economic, environmental, and social changes to which urban societies and
structures have to adapt. Significant outflow of population and decreasing population
density are symptoms of these cities’ structural crisis. As a result, local urban centers are
reorganized and parts of residential districts are demolished. The paper analyzes the
neighborhoods of selected European cities in which a significant demolition of residential
structures has taken place over the last 30 years and seeks to find the parameters that
characterize the affected areas and embody the nature of „what and why“ we demolish in
our cities today. On the other hand, it is looking for characteristics that make these places
different from one another. It also compares resulting quality of the respective areas after
their adaptation to the new situation. The paper focuses mainly (but not only) on the physical
impact of shrinkage on the selected cities structures and seeks for evidence and reasons of
different vigour of studied phenomenon in diverse neighborhoods of cities. We achieve it
through comparing variables related to shrinkage in 3 selected European cities. The selected
variables are demographic (population trends), spatial (demolition rates, distribution within
the city relative to the urban structure) and specific local conditions (urban policies,
ownership). The comparison shows a wide range of conceptualised approaches to
shrinkage, with housing tenure and the openness of urban policies to shrinkage emerging as
key factors, although it should be noted that even these do not always lead to clearly better
results, as the problem of shrinkage is not purely urban based and thus cannot be solved by
purely urban planning methods
EVALUATING THE OCCUPANTS SATISFACTION REGARDING THE THERMAL PERFORMANCE OF COMMON PRACTICES IN APARTMENT BUILDINGS’ ENVELOPES IN HEBRON, PALESTINE
No full textBuilding envelope highly influences the levels of energy required to achieve thermal comfort
and occupants’ satisfaction. A proper envelope design through the selection of the proper
material leads to better indoor air quality, life cycle performance, and energy efficiency. The
thermal performance of a building is a result of the interaction between its construction
features along with the climatic conditions of the site. The envelopes layering, materials
selection, air cavity, and construction methods determine its capability of transmitting,
storing, or emitting heat which is often neglected in the design process in Palestine.
In Hebron, Palestine; due to the continuing increase of population rates and the limited ability
of urban expansion due to geographical limitations referring to political reasons; apartment
buildings are becoming more prominent in the latest building tendency. Currently, residential
buildings are suffering from the lack of thermal comfort measures and other poor indoor
environment quality indicators.
This paper introduces an evaluation study for occupants’ satisfaction regarding the
apartment buildings in Hebron, Palestine through the assessment of the occupants’
satisfaction regarding the indoor environment measures in the Mediterranean climate.
Multistorey buildings consisting of multiple apartments were included in an intensive field
survey to analyse the thermal properties and capabilities of these buildings’ envelopes in the
common practices in Hebron city
Modelling Profitability and Exposure to Risk in Renewable Energy Industry
Full text linkReputed as living in the era of fossil-fueled economies, due to their low cost, fossil fuels are deemed the main energy source. Fossil fuels emissions are the main causes of global warming and climate change, while the demand and consumption of energy is constantly increasing. On the other hand, there are limited resources to meet the ever-increasing needs. Thus, it is necessary to carry out related studies in this field, in order to find alternative sources in order to provide energy for future generations and to end the age of fossil fuels. Therefore, there is a sparking interest in renewable energy in order to reduce the negative effects on the environment and to create sustainable development. The question raised is how profitable, and what risks renewable energy companies face? The aim of this study is to identify the factors that influence the profitability of renewable energy companies and exposure to risk for the biggest energy companies that operate in European Union countries. For this purpose, three different estimation methods are used. The study uses a sample of 43 Renewable Energy companies in the European Union extracted from DataStream over the period 2004-2020. For the static model, the Ordinary Least Square (OLS) and Random Effects method to define factors that shape Renewable Energy (RE) companies’ performance is employed. In addition, due to the existence of endogeneity in OLS estimator, the results of profitability in terms of ROAA and Tobin’s q are presented by using the two-steps dynamic system GMM (Generalized Method of Moments) that deals with endogeneity issues. The findings show that market capitalization is crucial to enhance profitability.
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Leverage has a significant positive effect on firm’s profitability measured by ROAA, and Tobin’s q. Capital intensity has a negative effect on short-term profitability (ROAA). Moreover, the effect of support schemes shows that firms under the Feed-in Tariffs perform better than Tradeable Green Certificates (TGC) in terms of ROAA, while the opposite is in terms of Tobin’s q. This is the first comprehensive study that sheds light on determinants for this sector by investigating the effect of firms-specific, industry specific, macroeconomic factors and the effect of remuneration that is solely dedicated to Renewable Energy companies. Short-term and long-term profitability of RE companies is important for practitioners related to demand for energy, and to create strategies that becomes those firms profitable. A study on renewable energy companies that produce clean energy improve human development and consequently economic growth is crucial for sustainable development
Between science, science-fiction and COVID19 as a way to interpret the ontological realm of COVID19.
Full text linkThe current article is an attempt by the authors to present a bioethical case, or rather a search being undertaken to develop tools to interpret the novel ontological realm which has been created, and continues to be transformed in real time, by the COVID19 pandemic and its aftermath. The ontological realm is new, but the physical features of the world and the human in it are partially constants and identical to the previous realm parameters, the pre-COVID19 space-time. The question of existence in the new ontological realm is...how can the continuum of Homo sapiens and its existence be sustained in this new realm? The tools being developed use of previous information and knowledge of the members of Homo sapiens as a starting point and source of metaphors as tools to facilitate existence in the new realm. In this way, existing knowledge, which is held by individual members of Homo sapiens, and which exists and continues being created in the continuum of Homo sapiens, can be the foundation for the creation of new knowledge about the post-COVID19 realm and the individual and collective comprehension of humans of it and in it. Conceptual metaphors, the creation of compound metaphor and the prospective dialectic are suggested by authors as a possible epistemic implementation mechanisms in this context. The adaptation of humanity, its imagination and some professions are used to demonstrate the case for the ‘new science of human existence’ in the post-COVID19 world
Locus of control and culture of poverty. An appraisal of Lawrence M. Mead’s ideas in ‘Culture and Poverty’
Full text linkLawrence M. Mead presented an interesting argument as to why poverty exists in the United States. He problematizes the culture of the poor of which ethnic minorities over-represent. By referring to the geographic regions from which these ethnic minorities came from, he globalised the question of poverty in the US. This invites a global policy debate rather than a US-centric policy debate. Indeed, Mead so freely made references to Africa and the African culture severally throughout his commentary. It is against this backdrop that I show that Mead was right to a large extent on the question of inner-driven individualised orientation. However, he overestimates its influence and misreads what culture is. He presented the culture of poverty as the antecedent of poverty. It was concluded that manipulating both internal drive (internal locus of control) and the structure of society is a more effective way to tackle poverty