The study explores the potential use of daylight in the office environment in a hot-humid climate of Malaysia, thus, to reduce the dependency on electric lighting and to create the potential for a more pleasing daylit environment. The thesis has investigated glare, seating orientations, window design, preference of lighting, lighting and visual comfort regulation, visual comfort and visual performance and computer simulation on glare in Malaysian offices. It has developed tools for assessing the visual environment in offices (in the field), focusing on the Malaysian conditions of daylight in office design. Specifically, it has investigated the current window and lighting application in office buildings through office workers' assessment using a questionnaire survey. It has assessed the current window and lighting application in office buildings based on field measurements. It has assessed visual and lighting condition and visual task performance using a Landolt Ring chart under a daylit office environment. Finally, it has analysed glare of a daylit office using computer simulation, Radiance. The major findings of the thesis show that a daylit office can be successfully used to provide an acceptable visual environment and reduce electric lighting within. However, there are some qualifications to this conclusion. Firstly, it has been found that daylight should be controlled either using timed glazing or shading devices. Secondly, the acceptable of a daylit environment depends on a certain extent on seating positions relative to windows. Interestingly, the best rated seating position reported by subjects is the least productive for visual task performance. Finally, it appears that glare calculation used in the advanced computer program is not suitable to calculate glare for Malaysian daylight condition. The western guidelines for visual comfort can be applied as general guidelines, with caution that Malaysian daylit conditions are expected to include a wider range of daylight levels

Good building design can provide a myriad of benefits. There is ample evidence suggesting an association between design attributes and various outcomes for users and other stakeholders of built environments. Despite is importance, design quality is found to be overlooked in building projects in favour of other objectives such as time and cost. Recent initiatives have attempted to highlight the value of design quality, however, their focus have been mainly on post project completion and building evaluation. ‘How’ design quality - with its complex nature –is achieved during the projects has seen little empirical attempt. The research in this thesis, therefore, aimed to improve the understanding of design quality achievement in building projects by exploring the critical success factors (CSFs) and stakeholder attributes. A multi-phase, mixed methods approach was developed to fulfil this aim. In the first phase, the theory and methods offered in ‘project success’ and ‘stakeholder management’ assisted in devising a developmental process to a) identify, validate and evaluate the CSFs, and to b) explore stakeholder attributes using three major analysis models. A preliminary interview study, then, explored the viewpoints of 11 architects on the topic and verified the research aim and directions. A matrix-based model was also used to map the bi-directionality between design quality and its stakeholders. The second phase, consisting of a qualitative study followed by a quantitative one, first identified 36 potential CSFs from the perspective of 10 experts and then validated 28 of them through a questionnaire survey of 129 individuals with architecture and client backgrounds. ‘Brief’, ‘communications’ and ‘leadership’ were revealed as the most important CSFs. Using principal Component Analysis to assess the interrelationships between the CSFs in 126 building projects extracted 7 components that could meaningfully represent the CSFs. Moreover, Regression Analysis was employed to establish the causal relationship between these components and the design quality success criteria of functionality, build quality and impact. It was found that the components collectively contribute to the achievement of design quality in real projects but differently to each of its success criteria. Also, by applying the second stakeholder model, it was found that clients and architects had the highest level of power, proximity and urgency with regard to design quality decisions while users and facility managers were low in these attributes. In phase 3, Social Network Analysis was used to model and visualise the stakeholder relationships with regard to design quality in a case project (third stakeholder model). 21 members of the stakeholder groups were approached and their involvement, influence and communication effectiveness were assessed. Apart from the evolving understanding obtained through the above process, the research contributed by developing conceptual frameworks for a) design quality CSFs, b) design quality related stakeholder relationships, and c) success criteria of building projects. Moreover, for the first time, the dynamism of stakeholder communications in a construction project was visualised for different stages. Based on the knowledge emerged, the research also proposed a holistic evaluation of design quality achievement to enhance the current DQI tool.

To see built form is to see colour. Alternatively, architecture cannot be colourless. Even glass-clad buildings reflect their surroundings while all-white structures are revealed through various shadows and shades. To what degree, then, should colour be considered an architectural element?James Stirling and Architectural Colour, a PhD thesis by Michael William Farr submitted to the University of Manchester in 2013, explores how, exactly, architect James Stirling (1924-92) used colour and what it might say about the evolution of his design ethos. Going beyond what has been written so far this investigation explores the significance of colour in the eclectic array of strikingly individual buildings Stirling designed throughout his career. But while these structures are presented as often visually arresting and idiosyncratic, their varied colour schemes also reveal significant thematic consistencies across his oeuvre. Initially discussion centres on Stirling’s rather contrary use of relatively muted colours. By simply countering expectations or clashing with established contextual characteristics, Stirling ensured his buildings visually attracted attention, courting comment and controversy. In addition it is proposed that he used colour as a means of enticing and inviting those who saw/used his buildings to explore and investigate the very fabric of his structures. As his palette became bolder, so too did his contextual references. Acquainted with the attention-grabbing benefits of incongruous colours, Stirling also recognized the increasing importance of context. By combining sympathetic forms with ever-brighter colour schemes he paradoxically designed buildings that simultaneously fitted in while standing out. It is also argued that these much brighter colours represent a regard for those using his buildings dating back to his and James Gowan’s Preston Housing Project (1957-61). His exploration of structural candour in some projects left them less than hospitable, but the overt anthropocentricity of his later designs is not presented as entirely new. If his colour schemes, in later years, changed considerably, his motivations did not. Focusing on specific design issues - contrariness, structural explication, contextualism and anthropocentricity – this thesis does not attempt classification. Set against Modernism’s demise and Post-Modernism’s ascendancy, Stirling’s relationship to both is explored; his propensity to draw upon any style he felt appropriate revealing the futility of labelling his work as either one or the other. If his earliest designs contain the eclecticism and metaphoric content normally associated with Post-Modern architecture, his later buildings employed a typically Modernist candour regarding materials and techniques. Throughout his career Stirling consistently sought to design buildings that were visually striking, contextually inspired and inviting to explore. His reliance upon both a multiplicity of styles and the considered use of colour was fundamental to these aims.

En quelques décennies, les outils de conception assistée par ordinateur ont connu un développement d’une ampleur considérable mettant l’intelligence artificielle et ses puissances de calcul de plus en plus à contribution dans l’élaboration même du projet architectural, alors qu’à ses débuts l’ordinateur était requis pour illustrer ce qui avait été conçu indépendamment ou calculer les portées, les résistances, les charges des ouvrages échafaudés. Au centre de ces étonnants progrès se joue la question de l’algorithme et des possibilités d’investigation qu’il génère. Nous proposons d’inventorier les projets les plus significatifs ayant recours à ces recherches et d’interroger le sens et la raison de telles importations. Une des caractéristiques des projets présentés est qu’ils renvoient systématiquement à des systèmes complexes notamment non linéaires laissant la part belle à l’émergence d’événements imprévisibles. Ce qui retient notre intérêt est de comprendre et apprécier la pertinence de ces programmes qui, tout en étant initiés à partir de règles strictes, inscrivent l’émergence de topologies imprévisibles dans leur système de génération. Pour conduire cet examen, nous proposons de confronter ces projets avec les catégories de l’architecture telles qu’elles que définies dans certains traités, manuels, manifestes afin d’évaluer ce qui les sépare, les rapproche, ouvre de nouvelles perspectives. / In the past few decades, computer-aided design tools have experienced a magnificent development, involving artificial intelligence and its computing power into the architectural conception development. While at the first stage, computers were used just for presenting designs or calculating the range, resistance, loads of scaffold structures. The essential of this progress is the algorithm and potential opportunities it generates. We studied some of the most representative projects in order to understand the meaning of the use of algorithm in the architectural invention and the reason for importing algorithm from other disciplines. One of the common characteristics of these projects is that they all return to the complex systems including nonlinear with emergence of unpredictable events. What catches our interest is the relevance of these programs, in which unpredictable topologies generated from strict rules. To conduct this project, we propose to compare these projects with architectural treaties, manuals, manifest to evaluate, categorize and open up new perspectives.

Global energy consumption is rising and the relative contribution of lighting in buildings to that total is also increasing. In offices, the dominant form of lighting is fluorescent, but this will soon be surpassed in terms of performance by LED lighting, which are already starting to be more widely used. Considering that most buildings and offices are of older building stock, this presents a great opportunity for making energy savings by using more efficient light sources within offices. This thesis investigates the application of LEDs as a retrofitting solution to existing fluorescent lighting systems and assesses their potential to provide an equivalent lighting environment with no adverse effects on performance and investigates their impact on space conditioning load demands and CO2e emissions on a range of case study buildings in the UK. Savings in lighting cannot only be made through reduced electrical consumption, but also through space conditioning loads, by reduced lighting heat gains. Currently used lighting technology is reaching its limit of performance, whereas LEDs offer the potential to meet energy saving targets with their rapidly improving performance. LEDs emit most of the heat generated to the back of a luminaire, rather than directly to the occupied space and this can lead to reduced heat gains and thus savings on space cooling demand loads, in addition to the electrical savings due to higher efficacies, for operating them. In this thesis, simulation software were reviewed that would allow for the lighting specification of custom LED replacement luminaires and assessment of their thermal performance. Methodologies were developed on simulating their light output and designing custom LED replacement luminaires with the use of RADIANCE, thus providing a novel use for this extensively used and validated software. For validation purposes a test room was used where custom LED replacement luminaires were fitted and measured for their performance, where good agreement in predicted and measured results was found. A visual performance study was also conducted using a range of age groups, to ascertain if there is a difference in task based performance on paper and VDU screens between fluorescent lighting and LED lighting, in an office environment. Subjective opinions on preference between the two light sources was also investigated. An assessment of space conditioning load demands was performed on five case study buildings, where custom LED luminaires were specified to retrofit the existing fluorescent lighting. Results showed lighting levels and distribution in each building could be replicated with good agreement, offering a cooling load demand reduction, however with an increase in heating load demand. In terms of CO2e emissions, the use of LED lighting instead of fluorescent also proved to be beneficial, providing reductions in emissions.

In the UK, boom periods of construction combined with typical building styles of the day, have resulted in a large stock of ageing office buildings at risk of structural vacancy and obsolescence. Despite their lack of insulation, high air infiltration, and solar gain, many such buildings from the 1960s-1970s are still in use today. Moreover, with UK buildings replaced at a rate of less than 2% a year, the majority of today's buildings will still be in use in 2050. Due to the impact of the facade on such aspects as thermal performance and aesthetics, façade retrofit is seen as a key solution to the problem of today’s ageing office building stock. Unfortunately, façade retrofit comes with a complex decision-making process. The cost and long-term nature of the investment means that façade decisions are strategic, while the architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) industry is prototypical and multidisciplinary. Decision theory suggests the use of normative decision-making methods to arrive at a well-reasoned course of action; therefore, this thesis aims to discover how decision-making can be improved to support façade selection in non-domestic building retrofit. A state-of-the-art literature review of office building façade retrofit decision-making only returned nine case studies, of which six reported real-life façade retrofit selection. One real-life and one theoretical case demonstrated the use of normative decision-making in the form of the payback period method, while one theoretical case used multi-criteria analysis. Many sources of information were revealed as guiding the façade selection process in general. To examine the actuality of façade selection in practice, an exploratory study was conducted. This study involved (1) semi-structured interviews on the topic of façade selection with thirty UK AEC industry members from twelve professions, and (2) a case study of an over-clad 1970s office building, involving in-depth interviews with two UK AEC industry experts, a documentary evidence review, and post-retrofit thermography. Three semi-structured interviewees revealed the use of normative decision-making, in the form of the payback period method, while information sources were greatly used in general. The exploratory case, however, revealed only a minimal use of information and no normative decision-making. To determine the representativeness of the exploratory case study, an in-depth study of façade retrofit decision-making was conducted. This study involved (1) a specific literature review to set the context of UK university building façade retrofit decision-making and (2) four exemplifying case studies of real-life university building façade retrofit. The university estate features many ageing buildings from the 1960s-1970s that exhibit the same typical building style as the UK’s ageing office stock. The specific literature review found five cases of university façade retrofit decision-making, of which three reported real-life façade retrofit selection. Normative decision-making was revealed in theory, with the two theoretical cases of university façade retrofit using the payback period method. The exemplifying case studies involved eight UK AEC industry experts, a documentary evidence review, and post-retrofit thermography. The case buildings ranged from the late 1950s/early-1960s to the 1970s, with three being over-clad, and one over-clad and re-clad. The exemplifying case study findings support the exploratory case study findings. The key actors in façade retrofit decision-making are the architect, client, and planner. Numerous information sources are used to support the façade selection process, relating chiefly to performance, cost, aesthetics, and collaboration, and the use of normative decision-making is not evident. From the research findings, it appears the process of façade retrofit selection functions naturally within the realm of the architectural profession. Architects appear to be making initial façade design decisions based on ideas resulting from cognition and drawing on past experience, which become more detailed as the project progresses. The façade selection process is supported by the voluntary use of numerous information sources, many of which are quantitative in nature. This thesis did not find evidence of normative decision methods being used in the current practice of façade retrofit selection. Thus, the recommendations proffered are not characteristic of normative theory, but instead opt to support the façade retrofit selection process by reinforcing current process via the following points: (1) use expertise in the form of advisor-led information sources to guide the façade retrofit selection process; (2) maximise communication by encouraging an ongoing dialogue between AEC industry members involved in façade selection, involving specialist external bodies at an early stage, and documenting the façade selection process; and (3) aid the energy efficiency resulting from building retrofit by engaging stakeholders during design, construction, and in-use, especially in regards to proposed new energy efficiency practices. This thesis contributes to the knowledge of non-domestic façade retrofit decision-making in actual building design practice. Having found only limited evidence of normative decision-making being used in the non-domestic façade retrofit selection process, it appears that efforts to develop multi-criteria decision-making tools for use in this area may be misguided.

Increased concerns have been raised regarding the lack of coherence between interior design education and its industry in China. Although this phenomenon persists, there have been limited research studies addressing the issue. The underlying causes of the lack of coherence remains, and the industry's expectations remain unclear. Therefore, the overall aim of this study is to explore the interactive dynamics in client-designer relationships during the design process, in order to define the industry's expectations on essential designer skills that will enable the closure of the gap between education and practice. In-depth interviews were conducted as the data collection method in this study. Twelve participants comprising six clients and six designers were selected under a purposive sampling procedure. Data collection, analysis and limitations of the study were explored. The current industry context was identified from the literature. Five broad themes were identified from the findings: progression in design perceptions; interactive dynamics; power relations; client-designer relationship; and features in design process. The inter-relations between the current industry context and themes were examined and a framework for interior designer training and ‘model' skills for interior designers are proposed, and the industry's expectations and situated influences were identified that addressed the long standing knowledge gap between education and practice. The framework comprises three aspects of client-designer relationships that reflect different designer's roles in the current industry context. The ‘model' skills may serve as sets of criteria to support or examine the conditions. The framework and its ‘model' skills could be adapted into strategic plans and developed into practical client-management techniques; this may help designers or organizations operating proactively, to be prepared to encounter either familiar or challenging situations.

Bâtir de villes face à la surpopulation tout en prenant en compte les changements climatiques, demandera de faire appel à des solutions concrètes pour répondre aux besoins sanitaires, sécuritaires et biophiliques de leurs habitants. Le but de cette thèse est d'évaluer la possibilité d'avoir un système de mur vivant qui soit durable, écologiquement juste, non limité par la localisation et la typologie du bâtiment et plus abordable que les systèmes actuellement disponibles. L'hypothèse de cette thèse est le béton, en raison de sa durabilité, son coût et son ubiquité, a le potential pour être utilisé comme un moyen de croissance pour la vie végétale et qu'il s'agit actuellement du matériau le plus réaliste pour étendre la portée de la nature dans le milieu urbain.La thèse est pluridisciplinaire et il faudra combiner les connaissances des sciences de la botanique et des matériaux, connaissances qui seront appréhendées au travers d'un prisme architectural. Ce point de vue influencera la trajectoire de la conception future du système, par exemple pour déterminer si le système pourrait être structurel et utilisé pour l'intérieur et l'extérieur des bâtiments bas, moyens et hauts, ou encore quelles ambiance architecturales et urbaines il est susceptible de créer. Cette thèse de doctorat déterminera la faisabilité des systèmes de murs vivants en béton et, si elle est validée, fournira la base pour des solutions durables de murs vivants en béton. / Cities facing overpopulation amid shifting climates will require practicable solutions to meet the biophilic, health, and safety needs of city dwellers. The goal of this thesis is to determine the possibility of having a living wall system which is durable, environmentally sustainable, unlimited by location and building typology, and more affordable than currently available systems. The hypothesis of this thesis is that concrete,due to its durability, cost, and ubiquity, is capable of being used as a growing medium for plant life and is currently the most realistic material choice to significantly extend nature’s reach into the urban milieu. The thesis is multi-disciplinary and combines botany and material science, but architecture is the lens throughwhich the inter-disciplinary work is validated. This architectural lens will influence the trajectory of future system design, e.g., in determining if the system would have the potential of being structural and used for the interiors and exteriors of low, mid, and high-rise buildings. This doctoral thesis would determine the feasibility of concrete living wall systems and if validated provide the foundation for sustainable concrete living wall solutions.

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This masters theses deals with standard detection methods of speech/pause - voice activity detectors are based on the principles of short-time energy, real spectrum, short-time intensity and on a combinations of these three detectors. In the next parts, there are mentioned other voice activity detectors based on hidden Markovov‘s models and a detector described in the ITU-T G.729 standard. All the detectors, mentioned above, were implemented in research environment MATLAB. Further there was created an user interface for testing functions of the implemented detectors. Finally, there was done an evaluation by ROC characteristics according to the results of the testing.