scholarly journals Lessons from Sweden: How Australia Can Learn from Swedish Industrialised Building

Author(s):  
Duncan William Maxwell ◽  
Mathew Aitchison

Over the past decade, Australia has witnessed increased interest in industrialised building, particularly in the production of housing. This has happened under many different banners, including: prefabricated, modular, transportable and offsite construction methodologies. This interest has grown from a combination of factors, including: increased rate of housing construction and density; rising property and construction costs; the desire for increased efficiency and productivity; and a concern for the quality and sustainability of building systems. Historically, Australia has played an episodic role in the emergence of prefab and transportable buildings since the colonial era, but it does not have a longstanding industrialised building industry. In this context, an analysis of the experiences of North American, European and Japanese examples, provides valuable insights. This paper focuses on Swedenäó»s approach to industrialised building and the lessons it holds for the emerging Australian sector. Sweden represents a valuable case study because of similarities between the two countries, including: the high standard of living, cost of labour, and design and quality expectations; along with geographic and demographic similarities. Conversely, stark differences between the national situation also co-exist, notably climate, business approaches, political outlook, and cultural factors. In the 1950s, Swedish companies exported prefab houses to Australia to combat the Post-War housing shortage, which also supplies a historical dimension to the comparison. Most importantly, Sweden boasts a longstanding industrialised building industry, both in terms of practice and theory. This paper will survey and compare the Swedish industry, and its potential relevance for Australia. Areas of discussion include: the relationship between industry and academy (practice and theory); the diversity of technique and methodologies and how they may be adapted; platform thinking (technical and operational); the staged industrialisation of conventional practices; and the importance of a socially, environmental and design-led practice of building.

Author(s):  
Joy Damousi

It is in the US that the case study genre is reinvented within a politicised psychiatric-psychoanalytical framework in the work of Viola Bernard. Bernard’s writings pose enduring questions about the relationship between activism and US psychiatry, politics and race relations. This chapter traces Bernard’s efforts to develop a new, authoritative and politically effective narrative through her case notes and advocacy about black subjects. This involved mobilising the case study genre in the public domain at large, for political as well as medical purposes, in the context of a turbulent period in US history.


Heritage ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
pp. 1785-1798
Author(s):  
Bronec

The article includes a sample of testimonies and the results of sociological research on the life stories of Jews born in the aftermath of World War II in two countries, Czechoslovakia and Luxembourg. At that time, Czechoslovak Jews were living through the era of de-Stalinization and their narratives offer new insights into this segment of Jewish post-war history that differ from those of Jews living in liberal, democratic European states. The interviews explore how personal documents, photos, letters and souvenirs can help maintain personal memories in Jewish families and show how this varies from one generation to the next. My paper illustrates the importance of these small artifacts for the transmission of Jewish collective memory in post-war Jewish generations. The case study aims to answer the following research questions: What is the relationship between the Jewish post-war generation and its heirlooms? Who is in charge of maintaining Jewish family heirlooms within the family? Are there any intergenerational differences when it comes to keeping and maintaining family history? The study also aims to find out whether the political regime influences how Jewish objects are kept by Jewish families.


2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (8) ◽  
pp. 2195 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chen-Yi Sun ◽  
Yin-Guang Chen ◽  
Rong-Jing Wang ◽  
Shih-Chi Lo ◽  
Jyh-Tyng Yau ◽  
...  

The green building certification system of Taiwan, EEWH (Ecology, Energy Saving, Waste Reduction and Health), has been in operation for more than 20 years (since 1999). In order to understand the relationship between green building certification and the construction costs of residential buildings, this study obtained 37 green building-certified residential cases and 36 general residential cases available from public information and conducted a comparative analysis. The results of this study showed that the average construction cost of a green building certification residential building was only 1.58% higher than a general residential building, indicating that green building certification does not require a large increase in costs. However, for residential buildings, achieving a high-grade (gold-grade or diamond-grade) green building certification means an increase of 6.7% to 9.3% in construction costs. This shows that the pursuit of higher levels of green building certification does require higher construction costs. In addition, the results of this study can not only provide important references for the government in making green building policies, but also offer a practical strategy for developers for decision-making.


2016 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 751-758 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chen Lian-meng ◽  
Deng Hua ◽  
Cui Yu-hong ◽  
Zhou Yi-yi

In a real cable-strut tensile structure, construction errors are inevitable. To explore the optimal construction scheme and control construction errors, this study optimized the construction scheme of a cable-strut tensile structure. First, a mathematical model of the element length error was investigated based on stochastic theory. By combining the balance equation, geometric equation and physical equation, the fundamental relationship between the pre-stress deviation and element length error was derived. Because the pre-stress in the active cable can be controlled exactly and the cable’s pre-stress deviations were zero during construction, the relationship between the pre-stress deviation of a passive cable and the element length error was obtained. Then, the statistical characteristics of the pre-stress deviation were obtained under different construction schemes using statistical theory. Finally, an example was analysed as a case study. The study showed that different elements have different error sensitivities and that different construction schemes have different error effects. Using the method proposed in this paper, the error effect of different construction schemes can be analysed, and the optimal construction scheme, with lower error effects and lower construction costs, can be selected for actual construction projects.


2021 ◽  
Vol 905 (1) ◽  
pp. 012123
Author(s):  
D D Saleh ◽  
A W E Mulyadi ◽  
N P Reressy ◽  
Junaidi ◽  
D W Pujiriyani

Abstract This study explains the dynamics of non-state actors’ involvement in implementing a land redistribution program in Cipari, Cilacap, Indonesia. The urgency of this study is the massive involvement of non-state actors in the implementation of land redistribution programs while lacking analysis found for the dimension of horizontalism in the implementation of public policies, especially related to the land redistribution program as a part of land reform policy programs in Indonesia. This study focuses on the involvement of non-state actors, the role of Street-Level Bureaucrats (SLBs), and the relationship between SLBs and Local Farmers Organizations (LFO). This study implemented a qualitative approach with a case study strategy. The key informants consisted of village heads, village officials, LFO administrators, and administrators of LFO advocate organizations. We performed observation, in-depth interviews, and documentation reviews for data collection and implemented thematic data analysis. Three main findings include the non-state actors’ involvements since the colonial era (pre-independence), the old order, the new order, to post-reformation, the role of SLBs as state actors dominating the implementation of the land redistribution program, and the negotiation relationship between SLBs and LFO showing the SLBs as the winner.


The Building environment and the performance of its systems directly impact the experience and comfort of a building occupant. This POE study examines the relationship between building and human performance. LEED-rated building was selected as a case study to analyze its performance after being in operation. The occupants’ satisfaction was evaluated in terms of the thermal comfort and human use with the application of online questionnaire. The environmental impact was determined through various measurements including room temperature, relative humidity, air velocity, lighting levels and carbon emission. The outcomes of this study identify the building systems efficiencies as well as the systems in need of retrofit. The POE results can help building designers address user needs more effectively and fine-tune the systems to improve sustainability.


2019 ◽  
Vol 63 (3) ◽  
pp. 63-74
Author(s):  
Dominika Byczkowska-Owczarek

This article presents examples of the relationship between culture, dance, and the body in the fields of communication (with oneself, the community, God/deity), the social hierarchy, social values, relations between the individual and the group, and relations between genders, from the perspective of the sociology of the dance. The sociological perspective also indicates the various historical, ritual, control, and regulatory roles that traditional and modern dances play in the communities in which they arise and are performed. The second part of the text contains a case study of the Japanese ankoku butoh dance. The author presents the philosophical roots of the dance (e.g., Japanese mythology, Zen Buddhist philosophy) and the creator’s personal experiences (childhood trauma and post-war social situation) as factors that influenced the dance’s development. The example of ankoku butoh illustrates the interrelation between cultural meanings and dance movements.


Author(s):  
Atina Krajewska

AbstractTaking Poland as a case study, this article examines the sociological and historical-institutional factors that determine the relationship between the process of medical professionalisation and reproductive rights in transitional societies. Focusing on three periods in Polish history, (a) Partition era (1772–1918), (b) the Second Polish Republic (1918–1939), and (c) the post-war period (1945–1989), it identifies ruptures and continuities that have shaped the development of the Polish medical profession and its attitude towards abortion care today. Using insights from feminist historical institutionalism, abortion studies, and the sociology of professions, the article applies the concept of ‘dialectical transformations’ to explain institutional and policy reproduction and change over time. It shows how professional and legal institutions are often transferred from one systemic context to another by individuals or organisations whose positions move from opposition to dominance. Understanding such processes is especially important in light of the retrenchment of reproductive rights across the globe.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document