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Publications (231)
The COVID-19 (coronavirus disease) pandemic shook the world by storm and affected human living in various ways and at multiple levels, politically, socially, and economically. The changes emerging from workplaces of new working habits could be considered one of the most significant transformations. Although working from home has become the new norm...
Heritage not only concerns old buildings, but also the layered quality of historic places. These are buildings or sites that help create a sense of value, discovery, and mystery that can lead to increased levels of place attachment. The Ōtātara site in Hawke’s Bay is one of the oldest villages in New Zealand with strong historic, cultural, and spir...
In New Zealand most extant dolls' houses from the second half of the twentieth century are home-made. The venture by the Auckland firm Jomax into mass-producing a single-storey dolls' house in the mid-sixties was unusual. This venture may have been spurred on by the traditional two-storey dolls' houses being produced by the New Zealand Tri-ang fact...
Walking is known to be a healthy and sustainable way of moving about the city, particularly in comparison with motorised forms of transport. For these and other reasons, there is a growing interest amongst urban planners and policy makers in enhancing conditions for walkers. Growing the number of people walking makes sense from the perspectives of...
This book includes a review of the use of biomimicry in modern building design; how both the Saharan ant and the zebra have inspired strategies for reducing energy use in Panama City; how the study of biomimetics can contribute to city regeneration; the description of a method to connect the thermal physiology of plants and animals to thermal chall...
One of the few subjects that still enjoys great support from built environment professionals, governments and communities is the importance that green areas have for cities. However, the green space available is only a portion of the entire green infrastructure. Private gardens are also important contributors to green infrastructure. This article e...
The use of reclaimed and recycled building materials is considered a pro-environmental behaviour and studying the factors that influence this is a first step towards establishing such behaviour. It is therefore essential to understand how pro-environmental behaviours develop. This article investigates the relationships between the influential facto...
The modern argument of high density versus low density living is not new. In 1915 Florence Taylor wrote an article for the Australian journal Building, entitled "The Home - or the Flat?'" (Taylor "The Home - or the Flat?" pp 125-126), Before reading on, the reader knew from the article title that a house was a home and a flat was not. Taylor's argu...
Nature has been the source of inspiration for the design and construction of buildings in various ways and at different levels of complexity [...]
This chapter examines the effectiveness of using social media as an aid to primary school students participating in the design of their classroom interior layout. It describes two different attempts to do this that achieved varying degrees of success. Where a blog and Facebook page were set up to provide a virtual space for classroom design to happ...
The literature shows that translating the thermal adaptation mechanisms of biological organisms to building design solutions can improve energy performance. In the context of bio-inspired thermoregulation several worthwhile attempts have been made to develop a framework for finding relevant thermal adaptation mechanisms in nature as inspiration for...
The built environment, urban processes, and experience all work together to create the spatial environment of a city. Many urban spaces, especially those that appear to be ‘leftover’, do not reflect a set concept but are constantly questioned and recreated. Recognizing leftover spaces in an urban environment is an important aspect of the urban rede...
Renovation projects are complex and multi-layered as they often deal with architectural, cultural, and social values, as well as aspects of energy efficiency and finance. This article discusses the impact that engaging in a sustainable retrofit had on the environmental values of those involved. The project was the renovation of an existing log cabi...
Near-zero energy buildings are known to have the potential to reduce energy consumption and consequent emissions. This article uses a life cycle analysis approach to evaluate the effects of using different insulating materials on the lifetime energy consumption of a near zero conditioning energy case study house in Wellington, New Zealand, by asses...
Near-zero energy buildings are known to have the potential to reduce energy consumption and consequent emissions. This article uses a life cycle analysis approach to evaluate the effects of using different insulating materials on the lifetime energy consumption of a near zero conditioning energy case study house in Wellington, New Zealand, by asses...
One of the most common activities among tourists is walking, providing visitors with a range of different experiences of the places they visit. These experiences can vary, depending on the time of the year, weather, and, most importantly, the motivations of the individual. Much attention has gone into understanding the ways in which built and natur...
The appearance of the built environment is an important matter for most people, as it can affect their physical, financial and psychological wellbeing. Many studies have been conducted to understand people’s visual preferences for buildings and streetscapes and the majority have used photographic or video representations to stimulate responses. Few...
City streets are the most extensive and potentially congested public spaces that provide opportunities for meetings and activities for groups of people of various ages and backgrounds. Amongst the wide range of activities, one of the most common for tourists is to walk around, experiencing the diverse streetscape that cities have to offer. An empir...
City streets are the most extensive and potentially congested public spaces that provide opportunities for meetings and activities for groups of people of various ages and backgrounds. Amongst the wide range of activities, one of the most common for tourists is to walk around, experiencing the diverse streetscape that cities have to offer. An empir...
This book describes the detailed process behind the development of a comprehensive thermo-bio-architectural framework (the ThBA). This framework systematically connects the thermal performance requirements of a building to relevant solutions found in the natural world. This is the first time that architecture has been connected to biology in this m...
Buildings consume a considerable share of global energy, mostly from non-renewable sources, and emit a substantial amount of CO2. As this is not aligned with sustainable development goals one of the main changes needed is to make buildings more energy efficient by insulating them from the ambient environment. This article discusses the factors affe...
The United Nations Refugee Agency website (UNHCR, 2020) details stories of people from Syria whose lives were turned upside down by the war. Many fled as refugees. For these people life, as they had known it, no longer existed. A way of life had collapsed and new lives had to be formed from the remnants. In contrast, for many people, and especially...
Since a link has been made between physical growth and the collapse of early empires, this chapter examines the issue of growth and its link with collapse through increasing complexity. Definitions of growth are examined noting that in the natural world, unchecked growth is problematic. There is a focus on economic growth and the need to rethink mo...
One current societal pressure is increasing inequality both between nations and inside nations, noting that some form of inequality is as old as human society. Part 1 looks into how inequality has been involved in the collapse of societies in the past. It shows how inequality developed alongside societal development, and how this can be traced in t...
As noted earlier, wealth is a way of measuring environmental impact, and this chapter expands on this by looking at the link between wealth and complexity. It investigates how wealth is expressed in the built environment and how this relates to developing inequalities in societies. It looks at how investment in buildings was involved in the 2008 gl...
This chapter examines a series of projects that typify some current trends in the design of the built environment that address the social and economic crisis described in Chap. 1. In all the cases discussed there is a common theme that climate change issues can be dealt with through economic growth and technological development, of which the design...
The link between collapse and the built environment is examined under three main headings. These are the perception of collapse, the reciprocity between culture and habitat, and the limits imposed by ecosystems. In the built environment collapse is normally linked to physical failure but can also involve the failure of a system within the built env...
Many societies have come and gone, often leaving behind them parts of their built environment. This chapter looks at the theories of why these societies have collapsed, first drawing on literature in the fields of archaeology and anthropology. By understanding why earlier societies have collapsed, the hope is it will be possible to avoid the same a...
Given the problem of COVID-19 when this book was being written in 2020, this chapter explores the relationship between previous epidemics, pandemics like the Black Death and societal collapse. Comparing previous pandemics to COVID-19 reveals that how we use the built environment through isolation, quarantine and contact tracing together remain the...
Given the predicted increase in the human population housed in cities, this chapter considers further what type of built environment should be constructed now, and how this relates to both resources and the natural environment using the measure of the ecological footprint (EF). The problem is that urbanisation comes with an increase in the use of n...
A physical collapse in the built environment is often linked to a failure in technology and yet technology is similarly viewed as a means of solving the current environmental problems. Part 1 of this chapter reviews the nature of technology and concludes technological development has a social impact that goes beyond its immediate purpose. Because o...
The previous chapters have suggested that some form of collapse is more than likely. Chapter 11 provides some suggestions for ways to approach the likelihood of collapse and to reduce its effects. The chapter starts optimistically by showing that it would be quite affordable to avoid collapse due to climate change if society wished to do that. Stop...
The study of energy and its relationship to the environment is now critical due to its effect on the quality of present and future life. The need to reduce greenhouse gases to combat climate change implies an increasing use of non-renewable sources of energy. This article aims to evaluate the possibility of replacing fossil fuels by renewable sourc...
As a way of mitigating adverse environmental effects, sustainable construction practices require the cooperation of all stakeholders. Assessing people’s underlying ecological worldviews could be a first step in changing behaviours towards more sustainable approaches. Affecting behavioural change requires a better understanding of people’s beliefs a...
The urban heat island (UHI) effect is a global issue that can aggravate global warming (GW) and is a major problem in cities in developing countries like Iran. Local adaptation and mitigation strategies based on available data, tools, and resources in parallel with understanding the necessary level of intervention could be a valuable solution for r...
This innovative book investigates the concept of collapse in terms of our built environment, exploring the future transition of modern cities towards scenarios very different from the current promises of progress and development. This is not a book about the end of the world and hopeless apocalyptic scenarios. It is about understanding change in ho...
The initial aim of the research was to develop a framework that would enable architects to look for thermoregulation methods in nature as inspiration for designing energy efficient buildings. The thermo-bio-architectural framework (ThBA) assumes designers will start with a thermal challenge in a building and then look in a systematic way for how th...
Biomimicry has attracted the attention of scholars and architects because of its potential for contributing to the design of energy efficient buildings. Given the importance of energy efficient buildings in reducing global building energy consumption, the aim of this research was to investigate the practical usefulness of a framework developed for...
In most developed cities, leftover spaces in the urban fabric can be seen both as having potential and as threatening. Researchers have pointed out the issues, conditions, and importance of the positive utilisation of leftover spaces. However, there is insufficient information available on how to go about using such spaces. The revitalisation and a...
Residential buildings consume a large share of world energy with comparable CO2 emissions. This article has undertaken a comparative Life Cycle Energy Analysis (LCEA) using a new approach. This involved classifying the LCEA outputs of a case study house as material groups to see the contribution made by polymers used in the building industry, most...
This article explores the relevance of the demonstration project as a strategy for inspiring contemporary building practice in a process towards sustainable building and as a tool for influencing environmental values in the community. The Log Cabin Project in Napier, New Zealand, is a demonstration facility for displaying sustainable building and l...
This paper focuses on providing affordable houses in the form of prefabricated Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) for the
changing demographics of New Zealand. The goal is also to use the existing urban infrastructure. Following global trends, the New Zealand population is growing but at the same time household size is falling with an ageing populatio...
Prefabrication or off-site construction is claimed to be more sustainable than traditional methods when it comes to use materials and environmental impacts. After distinguishing the most important factors that make a construction system sustainable, this paper, which builds on an earlier paper (Moradibistouni et al. in evaluating sustainability of...
Human activities threaten the sustainability of energy and environmental resources. One route to alleviate this is that all buildings need to be zero energy in operation. This paper discusses the results of simulating the energy use of a prefabricated accessory dwelling unit (ADU) for different construction scenarios in Wellington, New Zealand. The...
Place as a theory fails to clearly articulate linkages between meaning and physical settings for chosen activities in public space. In addressing these issues, the meaning of user behaviour in public space is described by affective and cognitive images of the physical setting; a theoretical conceptualisation of individual experiences which include...
The literature on sustainability policies and placemaking strategies reveals the inadequacy of both concepts to address current urban issues suggesting the need for new approaches. Sustainability researchers and policy makers are seeking an integrated approach to sustainability within which placemaking is a powerful tool in achieving sustainability...
Urbanization has been both a cause of global warming and a victim of it through the urban heat island effect. The main reason for global warming is enhanced greenhouse emissions in the atmosphere. At the same time, Iran, as one of main global producers of greenhouse gasses, has witnessed rapid urbanization and a dramatic increase in energy use. The...
The urban heat island effect (UHI) is a product of urbanization and in certain climates can lead to increased use of energy for cooling, and increased emissions of greenhouse gases (GHG). Global warming is also a product of human activities, and the climate change that comes with it poses a threat to both humankind and the planet. There is thus a l...
This paper discusses the characteristics of and relationships between the most common building energy performance tools for simulating and visualising the thermal behaviour of buildings at the early stage of building design. The necessity for the latter and the importance of using relevant tools in practice are discussed. By highlighting existing g...
Urbanization has been both a cause of global warming and a victim of it through the urban heat island effect. The main reason for global warming is enhanced greenhouse emissions in the atmosphere. At the same time, Iran, as one of main global producers of greenhouse gasses, has witnessed rapid urbanization and a dramatic increase in energy use. The...
![Fig. 1.Framework for sustainable construction Source: [24]](profile/Milad-Moradibistouni/publication/329334644/figure/fig1/AS:708895144161280@1546025181043/Framework-for-sustainable-construction-Source-24_Q320.jpg)
The construction industry is an important economic sector when it comes to using fossil fuels and consequent CO2 emissions and environmental pollution. It also involves considerable investment in resources as buildings and infrastructure last a long time. Considering the importance and influence of the construction industry on any moves toward sust...
The urban heat island effect (UHI) is a product of urbanization and in certain climates can lead to increased use of energy for cooling, and increased emissions of greenhouse gases (GHG). Global warming is also a product of human activities, and the climate change that comes with it poses a threat to both humankind and the planet. There is thus a l...
Humans have been dominating the urban areas with their abilities and unfavourably tend to have affected other living creatures. This paper directed how to acquire a place in the cities for creating opportunities for birds that live in the cities to live together with us. Several methods were applied emphasizing on Urban Rapid Biodiversity Assessmen...
In most developed cities, leftover spaces in the urban fabric can be seen both as having potential and as threatening. Researchers have pointed out the issues, conditions, and importance of the positive utilization of leftover spaces. However, there is insufficient information available on how to go about using such spaces. The revitalization and a...
The world population growth can potentially lead to a shortage of appropriate houses in many countries. It can also increase the cost of land, which will directly affect the price of houses. Given the advantages of prefabrication, this method has the potential to provide numbers of high-quality houses in a short time. However, despite many historic...
The New Zealand population is growing fast. In 2017 it was 4,776,500 and has a 90% probability of increasing to 5.30-7.88 million by 2068. This raises the need for more houses that can be built easily, cheaply and fast and be aligned with the contemporary needs of the growing population. This paper focuses on prefabrication as a method of construct...
The New Zealand population is growing fast. In 2017 it was 4,776,500 and has a 90% probability of increasing to 5.30-7.88 million by 2068. This raises the need for more houses that can be built easily, cheaply and fast and be aligned with the contemporary needs of the growing population. This paper focuses on prefabrication as a method of construct...
The world population growth can potentially lead to a shortage of appropriate houses in many countries. It can also increase the cost of land, which will directly affect the price of houses. Given the advantages of prefabrication, this method has the potential to provide numbers of high-quality houses in a short time. However, despite many historic...
The New Zealand population is growing fast. In 2017 it was 4,776,500 and has a 90% probability of increasing to 5.30-7.88 million by 2068. This raises the need for more houses that can be built easily, cheaply and fast and be aligned with the contemporary needs of the growing population. This paper focuses on prefabrication as a method of construct...
There has been much discussion on how ageing in place for an ageing population can be made viable. As a part of PhD study on a resource assessment of housing alternatives for the ageing population in New Zealand, conversion of two New Zealand housing types was investigated. Selected examples of each were redesigned in accordance with Lifemark stand...
With a global rise in the number of people aged 65-plus, it will be increasingly important to have appropriate housing that allows them to remain in their familiar communities and “age in place” for as long as possible. However, as experience shows in New Zealand and other parts of the world, including Australia and the United Kingdom, housing for...
Claimed as the smallest house in Australia, the Doll's House was a tiny two-roomed dwelling from the 1870s that became the poorest house in the then poorest suburb of Melbourne (Collingwood). It has since earned heritage status being cited by the National Trust in 1985 and later registered as a historic building. The miniature proportions of this t...
This research reports on an investigation of how a demonstration sustainable building might influence the environmental attitudes and values of the people who visit it. The building is the refurbishment of an existing log cabin structure on the campus of the Eastern Institute of Technology, Napier, New Zealand. The refurbishment focused on sustaina...
There has been much discussion in the literature on how ageing in place can be made viable, given the ageing population in many developed societies, such as New Zealand. This paper discusses the potential for the subdivision of existing houses to make them more suitable and cost effective for older and retired people. It also looks at the impact su...
Urban ecology has become a more popular concern as the awareness for mutual sharing between humans and other ecosystem members is increasing. This study aimed at assessing the value of urban farms in the city of Makassar, a fast-developing Indonesian city which according to its city council classification covered significant area of the city. The r...
