The specialty chemical maker's CEO explains how his firm became a leader in managing knowledge.
Mohammad A. Hassanain, Muizz Oladapo Sanni-Anibire and Abubakar Sadiq Mahmoud
This study aims to present the post-occupancy evaluation (POE) of a smart building on a university campus.
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to present the post-occupancy evaluation (POE) of a smart building on a university campus.
Design/methodology/approach
Literature review was conducted to report on the smart building concept and POE. A total of 49 performance indicators, classified according to the technical, functional and behavioral elements, were investigated. A case study of a smart building in a university campus was selected to assess the users’ satisfaction through POE. A total of 90 users from the academic and administrative staff of the building were contacted through a Web-based questionnaire survey, while 35 usable responses were obtained.
Findings
The findings revealed that the occupants were satisfied with several aspects of the building performance indicators; however, issues related to ventilation, control of thermostats, amount of natural lighting through low-E windows and privacy were identified. Ultimately, the study reveals that, although the adoption of smart technologies has the potential to provide an excellent and comfortable work environment, the efficient selection and/or maintenance of the adopted technologies is crucial.
Originality/value
The concept of smart buildings is perceived to be the future of the industry. Despite this growing need for “smartization,” the performance of a building ultimately depends on how it satisfies the needs of those who use them. The value and implication of this study is inherent in its emphasis on the satisfaction of buildings users in futuristic designs of buildings. The study shows that POEs can be used to assess the satisfaction of users of smart buildings to understand what works, as well as what needs redesign or improvement.
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A.H. Buckman, M. Mayfield and Stephen B.M. Beck
Within the building sector a lack of clarity in terminology does not help designers, clients or researchers. Non-domestic buildings have shown rapid increases in the use of…
Abstract
Purpose
Within the building sector a lack of clarity in terminology does not help designers, clients or researchers. Non-domestic buildings have shown rapid increases in the use of advanced technology and control systems with varying drivers, many of which are labelled as intelligent. The term smart has been used interchangeably with intelligent without any clear distinction between the two. If the term Smart Buildings represented a separate, more advanced grouping, it would provide an opportunity to focus the future progress of non-domestic building development. The paper aims to discuss these issues.
Design/methodology/approach
Drawing upon academic and industrial literature and experience, this paper reviews the scope of Intelligent Buildings and the current available definitions of Smart Buildings to form a clear definition of both smart and Intelligent Buildings.
Findings
These definitions define the border between the intelligent and the (more advanced) Smart Building. The upper bound of the Smart Building is defined by (the future development of) the predictive building.
Originality/value
This work provides a clear focus which will allow the progression of the non-domestic building sector by providing guidance and aspiration, as well as providing a platform upon which a large amount of technical work can be based.
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Cyril Chinonso Ejidike, Modupe Cecilia Mewomo and Iruka Chijindu Anugwo
The current movement toward digitisation has promoted the adoption of smart building technology globally. Despite its advantages, its usage in developing countries such as Nigeria…
Abstract
Purpose
The current movement toward digitisation has promoted the adoption of smart building technology globally. Despite its advantages, its usage in developing countries such as Nigeria is still very low. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to investigate construction professionals' awareness of smart building concepts (SBCs) in the Nigerian construction industry and identify the parameters by which SBCs can be measured.
Design/methodology/approach
A quantitative survey was carried out using a questionnaire to gather relevant data in the study area. This paper was conducted on 363 registered construction professionals in the Nigerian construction industry. The collected data were analysed using descriptive statistics and Kruskal–Wallis H test analysis.
Findings
This paper indicated that the majority of Nigerian construction professionals are aware of SBCs. Furthermore, the Kruskal–Wallis H test shows no significant difference between the awareness level of the various construction professionals. This paper further revealed energy management systems, IT network connectivity, safety and security management systems and building automation systems as the most significant parameters in which SBCs can be measured.
Practical implications
This paper identified significant parameters influencing SBCs awareness in the Nigerian construction industry. These parameters can be integrated into the building during the design stage and can be incorporated into the policymaking process of construction firms to promote the awareness of SBCs and encourage practices related to construction sustainability.
Originality/value
This paper provides empirical evidence on the awareness of SBCs among construction professionals and significant parameters influencing awareness in the Nigerian construction industry.
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Simon van Heck, Bart Valks and Alexandra Den Heijer
The objective of stadium owners is to attract visitors to their stadiums and by this optimally use their business potential. Stadiums face increasing competition from home-viewing…
Abstract
Purpose
The objective of stadium owners is to attract visitors to their stadiums and by this optimally use their business potential. Stadiums face increasing competition from home-viewing options, with which especially aging stadiums have trouble competing. This paper aims to study the concept of smart stadiums as a solution to this problem, adding the corona age as an additional challenge.
Design/methodology/approach
First, (smart) stadium literature and theories are reviewed. Then, a case study is conducted, consisting of document review, observations and semi-structured interviews with specialists. The case that is studied is the Johan Cruijff Arena in Amsterdam – the stadium has the ambition to be the most innovative stadium in 2020.
Findings
Nine different smart tools were identified in the case study, which supports the optimization of various processes in the stadium such as ticketing and crowd control. The findings from this case study showed the potential of the smart stadium concept and how it can add value for the stadium’s stakeholders. The use of smart tools can improve the effectiveness and efficiency of stadium operations, and it can be used to improve the visitors’ experience. However, concrete numbers of progress were difficult to obtain because the smart tools were only recently implemented.
Originality/value
As seen in the past few years, more and more stadiums are branding themselves as a smart stadium. However, research on this subject is still scarce: existing research focused on other types of real estate. By exploring the work done in theory and practice, the authors hope to increase research on the subject of smart stadiums.
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Frank Ato Ghansah, De-Graft Owusu-Manu, Joshua Ayarkwa, Amos Darko and David J. Edwards
This study investigates the underlying indicators for measuring the smartness of buildings in the construction industry; where the Smart Building Technology (SBT) concept (which…
Abstract
Purpose
This study investigates the underlying indicators for measuring the smartness of buildings in the construction industry; where the Smart Building Technology (SBT) concept (which incorporates elements of the Zero Energy Building (NZEB) concept) could ensure efficient energy consumption and high performance of buildings.
Design/methodology/approach
An overarching post-positivist and empirical epistemological design was adopted to analyze primary quantitative data collected via a structured questionnaire survey with 227 respondents. The mean ranking analysis and one-sample t-test were employed to analyse data.
Findings
Research findings revealed that the level of knowledge of smart building indicators is averagely high in the Ghanaian construction industry. Future research is required to evaluate the awareness level of Smart Building Technologies (SBTs) by construction professionals and identify barriers to its adoption.
Originality/value
A blueprint guidance model (consisting of significant indicators for measuring building smartness) was developed to help improve building performance and inform policymakers.
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Bart Valks, Monique H. Arkesteijn, Alexandra C. Den Heijer and Herman J.M. Vande Putte
The objective of corporate real estate management is to optimally attune corporate accommodation to organisational performance. At universities, the dynamic process to match…
Abstract
Purpose
The objective of corporate real estate management is to optimally attune corporate accommodation to organisational performance. At universities, the dynamic process to match supply and demand is often hindered by difficulties in the allocation and use of space. This is a challenge for the Dutch universities and perhaps also European universities, which own large and ageing real estate portfolio’s in need of (re)investment: how can universities invest their resources as effectively as possible and not in space that will be poorly used? The purpose of this paper is to explore the use of smart campus tools to improve space use on campus.
Design/methodology/approach
First, a survey at 13 Dutch universities is conducted, consisting of a questionnaire and semi-structured interviews with Dutch campus managers. Then, semi-structured interviews are held with a number of parties in other industries to explore the use of smart tools in other contexts.
Findings
The universities’ demand for smart tools is mainly directed at the automatic and continuous collection of real-time space use data for education spaces and giving students insight into the availability of study places on campus. The tools at the Dutch universities focus largely on effectiveness: helping their users in their search to find a space that supports their activities. In other industry sectors, the results suggest that the use of smart tools is more directed towards efficiency: maximizing the use of existing space or optimising the operations of the organisation.
Originality/value
Although the use of smart tools in practice has gained significant momentum in the past few years, research on the subject is still sparse. By providing a framework for smart tools, as well as exploring the work done in theory and in practice, the authors hope to increase discussion and research on the subject from the perspective of corporate real estate.
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Deniz Tuzcuoğlu, Bauke de Vries, Dujuan Yang and Aslı Sungur
This paper aims to explore the meaning of smart office environments from a user perspective by investigating user preferences and expectations.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to explore the meaning of smart office environments from a user perspective by investigating user preferences and expectations.
Design/methodology/approach
Eleven semi-structured interviews with the users after moving into a smart office building of a Dutch Municipality and an observation as complementary data were conducted. The data were analysed based on the grounded theory and thematic analysis, combining a reflexive approach to the literature review.
Findings
Two main themes were revealed addressing user expectations and preferences for smart office environments: “enhanced interaction” with the social and physical office environment and “sense-making” of the smart concept (or smartness). Within these themes, basic and smart office aspects were identified and classified based on their association with smart office concepts or technology.
Practical implications
The findings reveal the meaning of the smart office concepts from a user perspective by highlighting the importance of user experience on enhanced interaction and sense-making of the smart office concept, equipped with basic and smart aspects.
Originality/value
To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first to qualitatively examine drivers underlying the meaning of smart office concepts from a user point of view. Organisations, environmental psychologists, designers and managers can use the findings of this study to develop guidelines for a successful smart office design.
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Athira Azmi, Rahinah Ibrahim, Maszura Abdul Ghafar and Ali Rashidi
This paper aims to investigate the potentials of virtual reality (VR) for residential real estate marketing to influence house purchase intention.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to investigate the potentials of virtual reality (VR) for residential real estate marketing to influence house purchase intention.
Design/methodology/approach
Based on the relevant literature in consumer behaviour, this study hypothesised the relationships between atmosphere with pleasure and arousal emotions and the subsequent influence of emotions towards house purchase intention in a virtual environment. A within-subjects experimental design was conducted with 60 real potential homebuyers to test the hypotheses. Data were analysed using paired samples t-test and partial least squares-structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM).
Findings
Results revealed that there is a significant difference in the atmosphere and house purchase intention between real and virtual environments. On the other hand, pleasure and arousal emotions evoked in real and virtual environments showed no significant difference. The results show that the atmosphere significantly affects pleasure and arousal, where pleasure, in turn, has a significant effect on purchase intention, and arousal showed an insignificant effect on purchase intention in the virtual environment.
Research limitations/implications
Due to budget limitation, this study was constrained to the use of HTC Vive as the VR equipment and evaluation of only one type of housing design.
Practical implications
This study contributes to facilitating the revitalisation of real estate marketing with the integration of VR by providing notable empirical results and recommendations based on the research findings.
Originality/value
This study extends the current knowledge from the stimulus-organism-response framework for a smart real estate marketing strategy using VR.
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Frank Ato Ghansah, De-Graft Owusu-Manu, Joshua Ayarkwa, David John Edwards and M. Reza Hosseini
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the awareness level of smart building technologies (SBTs) among construction professionals in developing countries such as Ghana, and…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the awareness level of smart building technologies (SBTs) among construction professionals in developing countries such as Ghana, and identify the key factors that have the significant capability of influencing the awareness level significantly.
Design/methodology/approach
Data were collected through questionnaire survey from 227 construction design team and project managers in the Ghanaian construction industry. Descriptive analysis and multivariate analysis using multiple regression were used to analyze the data.
Findings
Averagely low level of SBTs awareness was observed to exist among professionals in the construction industry of Ghana. The study further revealed “training programs” by organizations and “individual knowledge” as the key factors capable of significantly influencing the level of SBTs awareness in the construction industry of developing countries, particularly Ghana.
Practical implications
This paper identified training programs by organizations and individual knowledge as the two key factors having significant capability of influencing the SBTs awareness in the construction industry of developing countries such Ghana. The two factors can be incorporated in policymaking process via considerations to help create SBTs awareness, such as encouragement of continuous professional development toward smart building concept in relation to construction sustainability.
Originality/value
This study conceptualizes from a systematic professional perspective and provides empirical evidence on the key significant factors capable of influencing the awareness of SBTs in the developing countries such as Ghana.