Thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree Master of Technology: Construction Management, Department of Construction Management and Quantity Surveying In the Faculty of Engineering, At the Cape Peninsula University of Technology / Sustainable buildings are structures produced to meet the present housing needs of a society without compromising the ability of the future generation to meet their future needs. Based on the findings derived from the reviewed literature, the production process and the operational lifecycle of sustainable buildings promote a healthy well-being for the inhabitants and environmental balance through the effective management of energy, water, land and materials resources at every stage of construction. However, ineffective construction materials procurement strategy was found in literature as a major factor that constrains the production of sustainable buildings; leading to project failures or production cost and time overrun. Thus, the production cost of sustainable buildings is influenced by the total cost of construction materials acquisition, which amounts to about 65% of the total cost of building production. This factor on cost has over the years been a significant barrier to the adoption of sustainable building principles in the construction industry. This prompted the need to establish an effective strategy for construction materials procurement towards the enhancement of sustainable building production in Western Cape, South Africa. The research study adopted a mixed methodological approach, which involved the use of semi-structured qualitative interviews and closed-ended quantitative questionnaires administered to construction stakeholders (contractors and consultants) in the Western Cape Province of South Africa. SPSS version 23 software was used to analyse the quantitative data collected and ‘content analysis’ method was used to analyse the information collected through qualitative interview conducted.

To re-purpose an abandoned wine cooperative into a set of workshops and studios with a focus on re-interpreting the role of the ‘crafts apprentice’ in a contemporary setting. The project hopes to upsurge society’s interest in the cultural value that such skills and products hold today, as a way of ceasing the decrasing number of dissapearing crafts and craftmen and women. Simultaneously and above all, the main effect that the interventions to this building and the activities taking place is hoping to have, is to add a transcendental societal, communal and sociological value for our community.

Svobodová, M.: Jewellery and its place in Art Education at elementary school/ graduation thesis / Prague 2011 / Charles University in Prague, faculty of Education - department of Art Education, p. 103 The theoretical background of this diploma thesis describes a brief history and development of the jewellery from the prehistoric times to the present days. It focuses mainly on the new history of production and jewellery design and tries to watch up the origin of author's jewel, mainly the trend of the non-traditional materials creation. In today's production, it presents a few alternative Czech designers and their work. Two creative successions that were realized with elementary school children are presented in didactical part. The last, creative section of the thesis presents author's own piece of work.

The submission of this thesis was preceded by a specialised studio „Brněnské nábřeží a kulturní čtvrť Ponava“. This work focused on a complex urban architectural solution to the area around the former “Jaselská kasárna”, the urban context, transport services, the field configuration etc. The thesis follows this project in a section defined by streets U Červeného mlýna, Staňkova and Střední. The goal of the thesis lies in the creation of an intensive goal – a cultural area, which will offer a high-quality space for intergenerational communication and new social experiences and activities. It newly connects the urban part Ponava with the town center of Brno by a high-quality axis for pedestrian and cycling transport. The project of this cultural area arose after a thorough analysis of surrounding, intercity and global relations as a combination of aims: for children – the elementary art school with graphic and dancing fields, for seniors – leisure time center, and for all together - a multifunctional concert hall and a revitalized area of the former industrial zone of furniture production to a multipurpose intergenerational area with a modern art gallery, offices for young businessmen, architects and artists, and a music club in the basement of the gallery.