No description available.

No description available.

The fundamental premise of research presented in this thesis is the search for conceptual approaches and practical measures to enhance the practice of building assessment in fostering sustainable construction. Hence, this thesis advances the theory for the practice of building assessment that incorporates the principles of sustainable development. The research findings are communicated via a functional specification for a building sustainability assessment model, suitable to the South African context. The research focuses primarily on process-related aspects of building assessment. Important insights for the development of the model's specification are gained from the review of the practice and experience of Environmental Assessment (EA) in addressing sustainability at a project level. Lessons are also drawn from the Process Protocol (PP), which provides a means of describing the building project process in a way that is transparent and accessible to building stakeholders. The most relevant insights sourced from these two fields of expertise are grouped into three key themes. These include integration (i.e. integration of sustainability principles, stakeholder values and perspectives), transparency and accessibility (i.e. open participation and communication competence) and collaborative learning (i.e. active involvement and transfer of knowledge). It is proposed that these themes form key outcomes of building assessment and be viewed as crucial functionalities of the model. The model is presented as a generic method that can be customised to suit the context of its application. The potential use scenarios of the model, identified in this thesis, include the formulation of a building project proposal, a building project sustainability appraisal and a building performance audit. The use of process maps produced through this research facilitates the identification of interfaces between the model and the building process in terms of decision-points and associated information needs in each use scenario. The model's user personas are also discussed (i.e. building stakeholders) with regard to the potential benefits and challenges of their participation in the building assessment process. The theory for building assessment advanced in this thesis was validated during a workshop with South African academics and built environment practitioners, held at the University of Cape Town. The thesis concludes that building assessment methods can do more than assess the sustainability of a building. More importantly, they provide a means of introducing the principles of sustainable development into the processes that produce the built end-product. This suggests a need to move beyond the terminology of building assessment and instead talk of enhancement models that would facilitate a shift in the practice of building assessment from measuring to one of proactive improvement.

Is the approved educational program in seventeen selected elementary schools in San Joaquin County hindered by buildings and building facilities? This study has been done because of the increased interest in school buildings and school facilities in California. The tremendous growth in population in this state during the last ten years has brought the state to a position from which it can no longer view the school building program, and lack the same, with a detached air. The only effective training for citizenship in a democracy is practice in democratic living. The surroundings in which this living is done are of the utmost importance.

Miljömedvetenheten hos hyresgäster, såväl som hos andra intressenter inom fastighetsbranschen, har ökat markant de senaste åren. Allt fler företag och intresseorganisationer tänker allt mer på vad just de kan göra för att minska de negativa effekterna på miljön och inte minst vilka affärsmöjligheter det finns att hitta. På den internationella fastighetsmarknaden har "green buildings" kommit att bli ett välkänt begrepp, men vad menas egentligen med "green buildings" och vad är orsakerna till den låga utvecklingen på den svenska fastighetsmarknaden? Arbetet syftar till att studera den mer utvecklade internationella marknaden och med kunskap därifrån definiera begreppet "green buildings" samt resonera om vilka faktorer och framförallt vilka intressenter det är som styr utvecklingen. Arbetet syftar även till att från mer utvecklade marknader dra lärdomar av olika intressenter, och framförallt från ett fastighetsägarperspektiv, i syfte att vara vägledande för AP Fastigheter som en av Sveriges största fastighetsägare. Studien är genomförd 2008 med avslutande reflektioner gjorda under 2014. / The environmental awareness among tenants, as well as with other stakeholders in the real estate industry, has increased significantly in recent years. More and more companies and interest groups think more and more about what they can do to reduce the negative effects on the environment and not least what business opportunities there are to find. On the international real estate market Green Buildings have become a familiar concept, but what is meant by Green Buildings and what are the reasons for the low performance of the Swedish real estate market? The thesis aims to study the more developed international market and with the knowledge from there define the concept of Green Buildings. The thesis also discusses the factors and above all which stakeholders drive the market for Green Buildings on the international market. The work is also aimed at from the more developed markets learn lessons from various stakeholders, and especially from a property owner perspective, in order to guide one of Sweden’s largest commercial real estate company AP Real Estate how to be an industry leader in Sweden. The study was conducted in 2008 with concluding reflections made during 2014.

A research report submitted to the School of Geography, Archaeology and Environmental Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science, October 2018 / The study compares the satellite site Selonskraal South with Molokwane, the main site located less than two kilometres to its north. The comparison focuses on spatial layout and distribution using a Remote Sensing method of Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR DEM). The comparison also incorporates the material culture which was obtained through archaeological excavations of a midden at the summit of the hill. The excavated pottery was analysed through multi-dimensional analyses and X-Ray Fluorescence while the faunal material was analysed through the taxonomic method. Dates from excavated charcoal suggest an early 17th century occupation. These preliminary studies at the site revealed that Selonskraal South is predominantly spatially similar to Molokwane as suggested by the organisation of settlement/ cluster units as well as the excavated material culture. However, Selonskraal South has some unique architecture in the form of rectilinear structures located at the summit and the foot of the hill to the east. / XL2019

No description available.

No description available.

No description available.

No description available.