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D1.1 RECONMATIC. Current Practices and Policies (final report)
No full textConstruction and demolition waste (CDW) is a major burden for industry, bringing considerable economic, social and environmental impacts that needs to be addressed. RECONMATIC proposes the development and implementation of automated solutions to enhance CDW recovery rates, promote higher value uses and minimise waste. The approach involves a holistic analysis of circular solutions throughout the life cycle of construction assets, integrating digital and robotic technologies.
The impact of these technologies implementation can only be assessed if any measurement method is established for circular economy that can help understand their performance from a holistic perspective and will support the assessment of future improvements. The aim of this report is to make an assessment about current practices and circular economy implementation in the construction industry for six countries in the EU and the UK, to be used as baselines for improvement with the later implementation of the RECONMATIC demonstrators. These baselines are shown as country profiles.
Based on circular economy assessment methods and recommendations by main national and international organisations, 50 indicators are selected and classified in 6 sections: governance, managerial, technological, economic, environmental, and social. They are designed qualitatively, presenting 5 levels of performance for ease of presentation and comparison. These indicators are calculated for 6 countries (Cyprus, Czech Republic, Greece, Italy, Spain and the UK) creating, this way, six country profiles. The calculation of these indicators is made with the information gathered from literature review and surveys to different stakeholders involved (clients, designers, manufacturers, contractors and waste managers).
In addition to challenges such as difficulties in data comparison between countries, the report identifies other areas of improvement, including the need for improvement of waste recovery statistics and data transparency, as well as standardised circular economy assessment methods. On the other hand, the procedure followed suggests some improvements, such as a ponderation system applied to the country profiles based on relevance/impact of each indicator.
The anticipated outcome for this report is to be a valuable framework for RECONMATIC project and to establish the references for improvement in the different demonstrators to develop. Additionally, it is expected to support the assessment tool in work package 6
Designing for transitions and transformations: resistance, recovery, reflection, and reimagination
Get PDFOur Conversation at DRS2024 involved around 130 participants in-person
and online, exploring Design for Transitions and Transformations through the lenses
of four themes aligned with the DRS2024 themes: Resistance, Recovery, Reflection,
and Reimagination. In this paper, we share some of what emerged from our group
discussions, in terms of emergent questions and ideas. In considering Resistance, we
examined how we (as designers, researchers, educators, and practitioners) can
transition from design that reproduces unsustainability. In Recovery we looked at how
we can transition from unsustainability, but also what has become lost, that we want
to recover. Reflection prompted discussion of how design can be transformed to
enable strategic thinking and practices towards regeneration and flourishing, while
Reimagination gave us the chance to address what new practices and education might
look like — and how we can support new forms of imagination. We end with some
reflections on ways forward
The imaginary patient: honouring the complexity of mental illness in fiction
No full textThis essay reflects on my efforts to write fiction honouring the unyielding complexity
of mental illness. It draws on my experience working in healthcare, considers seminal
works of literature (most notably 'The Catcher in the Rye' and 'The Bell Jar'), and
interrogates relevant mental health theory and practice. It pays specific attention to
my creative decisions when writing 'The Shock of the Fall'. This novel tells the story of a
young man dealing with his grief at the death of his brother and his experience of
mental healthcare services for schizophrenia
“There are no wrong answers.” Empowering children to be diverse thinkers, explorers, and experts of their own worlds
No full textWhat happens when we empower children’s thinking within early childhood? Is there an impact upon children’s
thinking and ideas when we take away the potential to give a ‘wrong answer’, or even ‘fail’ an assessment? As an
experienced teacher, consultant, researcher, and lecturer in Early Childhood I have worked with children who were
free thinkers, problem solvers and creative artists. As a neurodiverse educator, I value the privilege of being invited
to see a child’s world through their eyes and understanding. At times, I was statutorily required to test and assess
learners (Department for Education 2019; 2023). Often, these young meaning-makers, would change, dramatically.
They would gaze at my face for clues on how to ‘de-code’ potential clues on what answer they were expected to
give, to guess what the right answer was. This presentation discusses an approach to assessment, in a way which
involves children’s thinking and perceptions (Clark, 2011; Pascal and Bertram, 2009). Children’s interactions with
phonemes and phonics, intrigue me as a neurodivergent learner, researcher, and educator. Standardised testing
within the UK, judges children’s ability to de-code phonic relationships with a pass/fail outcome (Department for
Education, 2017). Therefore, I carried out a study which explored individuals’ perceptions of phonics. Children were
able to give me meaningful suggestions of how they build understanding through their experiences and observations
rather than as a product of rote teaching. This approach is something which could be used to inform both the
teaching and the assessment of phonics and early literacy
Head game
No full textThis work is an immersive computer game exploring the intricate relationship between body and mind, and the dissociation of one from the other. Players are tasked with aligning disjointed elements of their virtual selves, navigating the mind-body split
Flytipping digital waste
No full textThis short film is composed of nocturnal fly-tipping sites, sliced with computational intelligence and predictive technology. The film navigates everyday realism and speculative fiction against the backdrop of a prowling black car. Driven by automation, advances in technology and the resulting ethical consequences, the film captures waste, simulates speculative waste, and simultaneously creates digital waste. Remnants of the film footage have been dumped across Youtube, Vimeo and other social media platforms. The vehicle's headlights provide an unnerving act of surveillance. Illuminating quiet cul-de-sacs, dead-end roads and unwatched spaces, it identifies sites for finding or dumping disregarded remnants of life. Stained mattresses, broken appliances, wrecked furniture, building waste and decomposing matter become markers of society. The prowling protagonist car is indicative of industrial change with a complex environmental legacy and impact. Its future form is on the verge of becoming a hybrid/electric machine with its fossil fuel form becoming redundant. As the film progresses, real footage is interspersed with speculative fiction created from edited AI imagery. The generated fly tipping AI imagery is formed from real world documentation used to report such waste via digital platforms. The local council's Fly Tipping App now simultaneously serves as a repository for reporting fly-tipping, and a site for generating AI fly tipping. Each image, an entry in an ever-growing digital archive of neglect. The soundtrack is an increasing mix of AI generated sound taking over real time audio. The film’s structure nods to adverts and contemporary post production processes. AI imagery is regurgitated through editing processes akin to the alluring adverts that would have once promoted the now discarded items. Adverts, created from countless edited iterations for numerous broadcast formats and social media platforms, produce a mass of unused content, unseen versions, and data. All accumulating to create non-visible digital landfill
Promoting safer gambling through social norms and goal setting: a qualitative process analysis of participants' experiences in the EROGamb 2.0 feasibility trial
Get PDFGambling, though a popular social activity, can lead to addiction and cause significant harm. This study aimed to explore the experiences of 36 low-to-moderate risk gamblers (PGSI score 0-7; 31 male, 5 female; 10 per each intervention arm, 6 per control group) in the 'EROGamb 2.0' feasibility trial ( = 168). The trial used social norm messages and goal setting feedback to promote safer gambling behaviour. Participants took part in semi-structured interviews via telephone or audio calls using Zoom or Wire, a secure messaging app. The interviews were analysed using Framework Analysis. Most participants found the interventions interesting and useful, though some reported no change in their gambling behaviour. Motivations for joining the trial included interest in the topic, altruism, and financial incentives. Participants appreciated the study's clear information, efficient processes, and helpful notifications, despite some technical issues. Reactions to social norm messages were mixed, with some expressing scepticism about the statistics. However, the goal setting intervention was well-received, with participants valuing the clarity and usefulness of the information. External factors, such as promotional offers from gambling companies, influenced gambling behaviour. The findings support the feasibility and acceptability of social norm and goal setting interventions to reduce gambling behaviour, highlighting the need for personalised approaches in future research
Ethnicity and race
No full textTo understand and challenge contemporary inequalities and exclusions, human geographers
need an understanding of the ways in which the geographical imagination has shaped our
ideas about ethnicity and race over space and time. This chapter considers definitions of race
and ethnicity and the contested nature of these categories, outlines how ideas about race
developed in science and society, and explores contemporary debates about the
decolonisation of public histories