Background: Cross-border mobility has become an increasingly important factor shaping regional development in Europe, particularly in metropolitan regions where labor markets and residential systems extend beyond national boundaries. These processes may generate spatially differentiated housing pressure in municipalities located within cross-border metropolitan regions. Aim: This study analyzes housing pressure in Austrian municipalities and examines its spatial patterns in the context of cross-border mobility and metropolitan integration. Methods: The analysis is based on the construction of a composite Residential Pressure Index (IRT) that captures key drivers of local housing demand. The index integrates demographic and functional indicators related to population change, household dynamics, commuting intensity and the presence of foreign residents. Using municipal-level data for Austria, the study combines principal component analysis with spatial analysis techniques, including global Moran’s I and Local Indicators of Spatial Association (LISA), to identify spatial clusters of housing pressure. Results: The results reveal significant spatial autocorrelation and clear regional differentiation in residential dynamics. High levels of housing pressure are particularly concentrated in municipalities located in eastern Austria, especially within the functional hinterland of the Vienna–Bratislava metropolitan region. These patterns reflect the influence of cross-border mobility, commuting flows, and suburbanization, which shape residential development in metropolitan border regions. Contribution: By developing a composite index that captures multidimensional residential processes, the study provides a methodological framework for the spatial analysis of housing pressure and highlights the role of cross-border metropolitan integration in shaping local housing dynamics. Limitations: The analysis is limited by the availability of detailed municipal-level housing market data, such as housing prices, rents, and housing supply, which could provide a more direct measure of housing market pressures.
The demand for medical facilities is increasing due to an aging society. Medical facilities require systematic project management compared to other construction projects. Reflecting this situation, the construction management (CM) contract system is being applied to medical facilities construction projects. Construction management can perform systematic project management as the agent of the owner. In particular, construction management provides a system-based control system during the whole project life cycle period. In addition, the construction management system can optimize the contract management and the design management as well as construction control and maintenance. The design management work is a differentiated function of the construction management system. The design management work can be divided into design review and design value engineering (VE). The design value engineering technique can reduce the project budget as well as increase the performance of the design. In particular, in the case of medical facilities, which are the subject of this study, systematic implementation of design value engineering is required due to the complexity and diversity of projects. However, research on medical facilities design value engineering is insufficient. This study extracted 45 critical management factors based on a case analysis and expert interviews of medical facilities value engineering. Next, AHP analysis, a hierarchical analysis technique, was conducted to analyze the relative importance of the extracted factors. AHP analysis was conducted on 22 VE experts, and the consistency index (CI) of all survey response results was less than 0.1, indicating that consistency was secured. In the basic design VE phase, the results showed that the consider the flexibility with architecture space was the highest at 0.422, followed by the moving-line plan of centering medical personnel and patient at 0.269. In addition, in the execution design VE phase, the checking interference item between every field (Spatial size, alignment location, scale of electric power) was the highest at 0.483, followed by the facility of application the project site at 0.247. The presented results are expected to help apply design value engineering to efficiently perform the continuously increasing design management of medical facilities.
Because typicality is central to categorization, a fundamental in human perception, identifying its determinants is important in exposing underlying patterns in preferences for and evaluation of typicality. The purposes of this research were to identify the determinants of typicality of building design and any differences according to culture and expertise. A cross-cultural study was conducted with 193 American and Korean experts and nonexperts using Nisbett’s theory of cultural difference in cognitive processing as a theoretical framework. Ten formal and 10 subjective attributes were developed and used as determinants of the typicality of three types of public buildings (city hall, library, and museum) located in the US and Korea. The results showed that (a) Americans tended to select more formal attributes than Koreans, who selected more subjective attributes than Americans; (b) participants rated buildings located in their own country as more typical than those located elsewhere without knowing the location of buildings; and (c) the tendency to rate buildings in their own country as more typical was stronger for the museum among Americans and the city hall among Koreans. This study revealed that the perception of typicality in buildings is strongly embedded in culture, but the effect of expertise was minor.
This study evaluates the energy benefits of photovoltaic (PV)-integrated rotating residential buildings for a wide range of climatic conditions around the world. The analysis methodology integrates three components: (1) rooftop PV systems using fixed, single-axis, and dual-axis tracking configurations; (2) energy performance of rotating buildings across multiple geometries, window-to-wall ratios, glazing types, and climates; and (3) net energy needs of rotating buildings integrated with rooftop PV systems. Control strategies for rotating buildings include fixed positions as well as monthly, daily, and hourly variations of orientation settings. The analysis results show that dual-axis PV tracking provides significantly higher annual PV yields compared to fixed systems, while building rotation alone can reduce heating and cooling energy demand by up to 30% particularly using hourly rotation strategies. When both rooftop PV systems and rotating buildings operate independently and dynamically, net annual energy surpluses exceeding 5 MWh are achievable, with the strongest synergies observed for mid-latitude regions (30°–40°). For low-latitude climates, dynamic building rotation provides limited additional benefits, whereas for high latitudes, rotating buildings reduce heating demands but may require larger rooftop PV capacities to reach net-zero energy performance.
This study examines school students’ perceptions of their original and newly re-constructed school buildings alongside associated changes in their behaviour, emotions and thoughts. A questionnaire was administered to three age groups across five secondary schools in Scotland, prior to construction of the new buildings, and again at 10 and 46 months following completion of the building programme. The findings showed that there was a strong improvement in students’ rating of the school environment, a strong decrease in concerns about security and small improvements in behaviour and learning goals in the new schools. In summary, the findings suggest a positive and cumulative effect of the improved school environment over time and provides support for the value of investing in school environments.
India’s rapid industrialization and urbanization have intensified demand for sustainable and affordable housing, especially for industrial workers, a critical yet marginalized urban workforce segment. This study evaluates twelve validated sustainability parameters for worker housing in Noida, a major industrial hub in the National Capital Region. Using an explanatory sequential mixed-methods design, it combines a three-round Delphi survey of 35 experts with structured interviews of 109 workers across three industrial phases. Indicators derive from UN-Habitat’s four-dimensional framework and are operationalized as measurable survey constructs. A composite sustainability score of 33.2 out of 100 shows conditions are inadequate across social (34.2), economic (31.6), cultural (28.7), and environmental (38.4) dimensions. Affordability analysis shows rent-to-income ratios of 31.8-42.3 percent, exceeding accepted thresholds for all low-income groups. Employer housing support is nearly absent (94.5 percent), while 87.2 percent depend on single incomes, amplifying insecurity. The study proposes a planning framework linking quantified gaps to four categories of actionable policy recommendations, offering a transferable, replicable assessment tool for industrial cities across the Global South. It strengthens evidence-based policymaking by aligning worker needs with spatial planning priorities, governance mechanisms, and inclusive housing strategies to support durable urban resilience and equity in dynamic metropolitan regions worldwide.
The increasing environmental pressure of the construction industry calls for new ways of thinking about how materials are sourced, used, and reintegrated into design processes. In this context, bio-based materials and circular strategies have gained growing attention, while advances in digital design and fabrication have begun to reshape architectural practice. However, these domains have largely evolved in parallel, and their combined implications for architectural design remain insufficiently explored. This study addresses this gap by examining their intersection through a bibliometric and thematic analysis of 1,375 publications indexed in the Web of Science Core Collection between 2006 and 2025. The analysis traces publication trends, collaboration patterns, and evolving thematic clusters, revealing a marked increase in research activity after 2020 and a growing convergence around additive manufacturing, biocomposites, and circular design approaches. To complement these findings, a focused content analysis of architecture-oriented studies is conducted, allowing a closer reading of how these developments are reflected in design practice. The results point to a shift from performance-driven material research toward approaches in which material behaviour, fabrication logic, and lifecycle considerations actively inform design decisions. Building on this, the study proposes the concept of a Digital Biocircular Design Paradigm, understood as an emerging condition in which digital processes, material systems, and circular strategies are integrated into architectural design. By linking large-scale mapping with architectural interpretation, the study contributes to ongoing discussions on material-oriented and sustainable design, offering a clearer framework for understanding how digital technologies and circular thinking jointly shape contemporary architectural practice.
The ‘Contextual sensitivity’ is a widely used yet ambiguously interpreted term within architectural and design discourse, often employed interchangeably with related terms such as context, contextualism, contextuality, contextualisation, critical regionalism, genius loci, and sense of place. This semantic overlap has led to conceptual diffusion, limiting the clarity and operational usefulness of contextual sensitivity in design practice and research. This study aims to clarify and consolidate the theoretical framework of contextual sensitivity within architectural discourse and identifying its key determinants. It was utilized a three-layered analytical framework that combines etymological study, interpretation and extraction of definition, and conceptual organization for the comaparative semantic analysis. Second, it identifies the key determinants and associated parameters that constitute contextual sensitivity in architecture, establishing a structured understanding of the concept. Third, it incorporates expert insights derived from Focus Group Discussions to validate, refine, and strengthen its conceptual and operational framework. This study emphasises the importance of contextual sensitivity and adjacent terms on architectural design, and the outcome provides architects and designers with a framework for creating contextually responsive architecture that resonates with its setting.
Urban identity is the multifaceted reflection of a nation's social, cultural, and historical phenomena. In this study, the memory-space relationship was investigated in Erzurum city center in Tu & uml;rkiye. The aim of the study is to observe the relationship between the concepts of collective, social, popular, and cultural memory, and Yakutiye Madrasa and its surroundings, one of the symbolic and historical buildings. City dwellers were asked statistical questions that evoke city-memory, and psychological and physical feelings were also included in the evaluation process. As a result, it was seen that the concepts of memory made associations in the building and its surroundings and took place in the memories of the participants. Based on the survey study, it was observed that there was not enough association regarding collective memory. According to the responses, social and popular memory was highlighted by 56%, and cultural memory by 39%.
This paper presents studies on the current trends and technology in architectural visualisation and explores the possibility of utilization of up-to-date computer technology in three-dimensional graphics in the development of software tools for the crafting of architectural forms. The applied method is analytical and practical due a general overview of the international state of the art and the methodology of using 3d modelling and animation design in 3ds Max. The strategy is to analyze existing visualisation technology and to demonstrate the technical feasibility through case studies. This study also revealed that new trends to architectural visualisation are interactive design, animation design and 3D animation along with virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR), in which each one of these trends have certain influence in the architectural design objects. Thus animation design in 3ds Max software environment is a strong candidate for creating architectural visualisation providing a way to automate the chore of recapturing a 3D scene from multiple viewpoints.
High-rise buildings, which have significantly shaped the city’s silhouette and density, have become essential parts of the city’s identity. The fact that the height, size, and human density of tall buildings are higher than those of other buildings requires a thorough investigation of factors such as the city’s functioning, silhouette, image, density, and economy in the design process. For designers, the most fundamental resources for addressing these problems are design guidelines. The starting point of this research is the identification of common issues in design guidelines that offer guidance on establishing relationships between high-rise buildings and the elements around them. Within the scope of the content analysis method, 40 design guides belonging to 5 continents were examined. Since the ground-floor/base designs are of great importance in shaping people’s perception of the building, the contents of the guides were researched in detail. 41 criteria were obtained using the keywords, and the guidelines were compared. By highlighting the elements outlined in the guidelines, it is emphasized that, although prepared in different geographies, the guidelines propose similar solutions to the problems high-rise buildings can pose to cities.
This paper reflects on the author’s mental journey of translating the historical Chinese text, Huangdi Zhaijing, or the Yellow Emperor’s Classic of Residential Architecture, into English. It begins with an introduction outlining translation theory and defining the aim and contribution, then it follows a short background on Huangdi Zhaijing and its place in Chinese architectural history. Subsequently, it presents a section on textual sources and translation method, and then it offers a focused discussion of key concepts and passages from the book, while providing minor comparisons with Greco-Roman architectural history and theory. Finally, a conclusion explains the relevance of the translation for contemporary architectural scholarship, theoretical discourse, cultural heritage, and human-environment studies.
The primary objective of this study is to offer a comprehensive overview of biophilic design and its practical applications within the realm of architectural education. To achieve this aim, a workshop experience was employed to underline the significance of biophilic design in fostering a harmonious relationship between built environments and the natural world, as well as to highlight the strong correlation between biophilic design and the attainment of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Furthermore, an exploration of the incorporation of biophilic design principles within local architecture was shared, serving as a means to encourage architectural educators and practitioners to contemplate contemporary global issues through interactive workshops. By engaging in such activities, the intent was to enable architecture students to discern the potentialities within their immediate surroundings and to provide them with a practical framework for implementation. To reveal how biophilia can serve as a catalyst for SDG attainment, an informal educational proposal was formulated as an alternative approach to integrating biophilic design into architectural education.
This paper evaluates the appearance and identifies the preferences for streetscape scenes regarding their appearance and as a place to live by three groups of people and analyzes the relationship between these preferences. Questionnaires in the LimeSurvey software were used to collect data and were filled in by 250 people as follows: 62 architects, 169 non-architects college graduates and 19 non-college graduates. A total of 12 scenes of streetscapes characterized by blind walls, blind walls with vegetation, garage doors and walls with openings were grouped into four sets with three scenes each. Non parametric statistical tests such as Kruskal-Wallis, Kendall W and Spearman's rank correlation coefficient were used to analyze the data. Among the paper's contribution to the field and its practical architectural and planning implications are that architects tend to have a higher preference for scenes including buildings with doors and windows with a direct relationship with the street while non-architects tend to have a higher preference for streetscapes with the presence of vegetation. Nonetheless when the streetscape is characterized by blind walls or garage doors, with no vegetation or no clear visualization of vegetation, it tends to be rejected by the three groups. Moreover, the findings are clearly in line with Gestalt theory regarding the primary importance of direct and immediate sensory experience in explaining the streetscapes evaluations and preferences.
This study aims to reveal the process of knowledge production and visual thinking between visual stimuli and potential discoveries in architectural design education. In the studio environment, the physical model was presented as a visual stimulus and a design task related to the model was given. While the elements that make up the physical model were used as a melting pot of information by the students, the design task revealed the students' method of using design knowledge and their approach to generating ideas. As a result, the study was completed in terms of producing close variants, making reinterpretations and producing designs at the intersection of close variant and reinterpretation, making reinterpretations and producing designs at the intersection of reinterpretation and close variant, producing designs at the intersection of reinterpretation and a completely different idea, and the production of completely different ideas.
Cinema has become a tool that emerged and developed at the end of the 19th century and informs about the cultures, values and lifestyles of societies. In 1895, the first screening was held in Paris, and over time, cinema activities became widespread. Anatolian geography has also become one of the settlements affected by cinema culture. Cinema buildings, of which there are examples in the provinces, especially in Istanbul, Ankara and Izmir became important social and cultural venues of the period. Cinema activities in the province of Kars and its immediate surroundings, which hosted different societies, were carried out during the Russian period and after the Republic of Turkiye. Within the scope of this study, after discussing the development of cinema in Anatolia, a cinema building built during the Russian domination period between 1878-1918 in Kars Karakurt village was examined. In this context, the architectural features of the period when the building was built, its cultural importance, its role in the history of cinema and its contributions to the development of cinema culture in Anatolia were evaluated while contributing to the literature on the first Russian cinema building in Anatolia. As a result, it was concluded that the Karakurt Cinema Building is the first and unique example of an open-air cinema building with Baltic-inspired architecture built in Anatolia, which documents Russian cinema in rural areas.
Space efficiency is one of the most significant planning concerns for creating viable supertall tower projects (>= 300 m). This issue becomes even more important in slender skyscrapers (aspect ratio >= 5). Their small footprint forces service areas and structural elements to be as compact as possible. However, space efficiency in slender supertall towers is a gap in the literature. This critical subject was investigated using data from 68 case study buildings. Findings highlighted the following: (i) Mixed-use, central core, and tapered form were common. (ii) Outriggered frame system and composite had the most widespread use. (iii) Skyscrapers with 71-75% space efficiency and 7-7.9 m aspect ratio were predominant. (iv) Median aspect ratio and median space efficiency of towers were 8.1% and 72%, respectively. (v) Especially in slender buildings with high space efficiency (>= 70%), space efficiency changed in direct proportion to aspect ratio. This article will assist architectural and structural designers in the sustainable development of slender supertall towers.
This study investigates whether perceptions of good governance are associated with perceptions of sustainable development and developmental balance in Sudan. Using a descriptive-analytical design, the study administered a structured questionnaire to 150 targeted respondents from government, the private sector, civil society, and academia; 132 valid responses were retained for analysis. The analysis combines descriptive statistics, one-sample t-tests against the Likert midpoint, and Pearson's correlation coefficient. The findings suggest that respondents perceive governance in Sudan as uneven rather than uniformly weak: some dimensions cluster around the midpoint, while anti-corruption effectiveness, fiscal fairness, transparency in allocation, and institutional responsiveness receive comparatively low ratings. Perceptions of sustainable development and developmental balance are lower overall, particularly with respect to spatial justice, public service quality, and equitable distribution of resources and opportunities. A strong positive correlation is observed between the aggregate governance score and the aggregate development score. The study contributes field-based evidence on the governance-development nexus in Sudan, while interpreting the results with appropriate caution: the data reflect informed stakeholder perceptions and support an association rather than a causal claim. The paper argues that improvements in transparency, accountability, decentralization, and institutional capacity are likely to be important for more balanced and sustainable development, but also notes the need for future research using broader samples and objective indicators.
Plaza scale is a critical determinant of human comfort in urban environments. However, traditional design guidelines often prescribe fixed Length-to-Height (L/H) ratios (e.g., 2:1 or 3:1) without accounting for the dramatic vertical variations in modern high-density cities. This study bridges neuroscience and urban physics to investigate how building height modulates the optimal plaza scale for psychological adaptation. Using Virtual Reality integrated with neurophysiological metrics (Electroencephalography and Galvanic Skin Response), we measured the immediate responses of 42 participants across 26 spatial configurations with building heights ranging from 3 m to 100 m. Contrary to conventional theories, our results reveal that the optimal L/H ratio is nonlinear and strictly height-dependent. Quantitative analysis derived an adaptive scale model, L/H approximate to 1.43 x e(-0.057H) + 1.92 (R-2 = 0.92), demonstrating a decaying requirement for openness as height increases. While low-rise environments (H <= 9m) favor larger ratios (approximately 3.0) for relaxation, high-rise environments (H >= 54m) require significantly tighter enclosures (approximately 1.9) to mitigate spatial stress. Neurophysiological data confirmed this divergence: in high-rise settings with excessive openings, participants exhibited increased Beta wave activity (cognitive load) and elevated physiological arousal. These findings challenge the "one-size-fits-all" approach, providing a geometry-based, data-driven framework for designing resilient public spaces in vertically growing cities.
Universal design (UD) is widely promoted as a strategy for creating environments that can be used and experienced by diverse users without requiring adaptation. Despite the growing availability of UD guidance, its integration into routine architectural practice remains inconsistent. This study investigates how practicing architects in Flanders, Belgium, perceive the key barriers and drivers influencing the decision to adopt UD at the beginning of the design process. A questionnaire survey was administered between January and June 2015 to architects attending five professional seminars organized by the Flemish architects' association (Netwerk Architecten Vlaanderen), including two UD-focused sessions and three non-UD sessions. The instrument combined closed-ended items and open-ended prompts to examine architects' prior experience with inclusive projects, perceived obstacles to initiating UDing, and motivations for adoption (Ielegems, et al., 2019). Of 396 distributed questionnaires, 127 valid responses were analyzed (32% response rate). Nearly half of respondents (48%) reported having worked on at least one inclusive project, with an average involvement of approximately 3.8 projects, suggesting that UD is applied selectively rather than as a standard approach. A majority (57%) reported barriers to adopting UD, with budget constraints and skeptical stakeholder attitudes-especially clients- emerging as the most challenging. Architects with UD experience reported fewer barriers overall, particularly regarding how to start UD processes and how to translate UD knowledge into design decisions, while stakeholder resistance remained persistent. Respondents also emphasized the lack of clear, structured, design-relevant UD information and the perceived complexity of integrating UD alongside multiple regulatory and contextual constraints. Among architects reporting no barriers, adoption was primarily driven by personal values, perceived improvements in architectural quality, and social responsibility. The findings indicate that strengthening client and stakeholder understanding, providing practical and stage-specific UD guidance, and improving coherence across regulatory requirements are critical to advancing UD as a routine architectural design strategy.
