Coming Soon to a Class Near You: Cinematic Insights on Later Life

Cinema can enhance gerontological education by reinforcing a variety of learning styles, connecting course content to current culture, and providing an alternative, tangible view of what students are learning. The presenters discuss their use of film to teach gerontological concepts in the classroom. In an Introduction to Aging course, the films, “Young at Heart” and “Sunset Story” were used to break through ageist stereotypes, examine examples of resilience at the end of life, and convey the impact of residential context on the experience of aging, i.e., within a retirement home for “retired rebels.” In a course on Health and Aging, movies, such as “Red,” “Driving Miss Daisy,” and “Somethings Gotta Give” are used to compare the social and psychological aspects of aging of the characters to learned concepts in the classroom. Students expressed how watching and writing about the films increased their understanding by bringing abstract gerontological concepts to life.

Comfortable and safe environments for people with autism: preliminary analysis of risks and definition of priorities in the design phase

People with autism deserve specific attention as concern environmental comfort, well-being and accessibility of environments, not only because they are a significant and growing share of the total population, but also because they can show special sensitiveness to the variation and value of several environmental parameters. In this work, the main building-related critical issues connected to the special environmental sensitivity in the autism spectrum condition are highlighted and analysed. By means of a questionnaires’ survey among parents and caregivers of people with autism, their sensitivity to different thermal, visual, acoustic and indoor air quality stimuli was evaluated. Then, a list of risk factors was prepared for a residential context, classifying them into environmental risks, leading to discomfort and dangerous response for people with autism; and accidental risks, deriving from unpredictable events, even more dangerous for people with special perceptual disorders. According to the outcomes of the survey and based on literature considerations, probability and severity of environmental and accidental risks were estimated on a scale from 1 to 5 in the different rooms of residential buildings. This permitted to draw up a hypothetical system of possible interventions and solutions to be considered during the design phase, establishing a different priority in the different rooms of a dwelling, in order to increase the occupant’s comfort, safety and autonomy, and improving physical and psychological well-being.

CULTURAL LANDSCAPE AND TYPOLOGY OF THE KHARANAQ VILLAGE IN IRAN

This article intends to analyse the historic village-castle of Kharanaq, which has been inhabited for over a thousand years in various historical periods. Different layers of habitation make Kharanaq’s residential context different from other castles or villages of Iran. This village-castle is fortified by high walls and is located at the edge of the Central Desert of Iran. This article focuses on identifying the interaction of the inhabitants with the desert environment of the village-castle through an analysis of its cultural landscape and the typology of its residential houses, as well as the current situation of its architecture and spaces.

Thermal performance of retrofitted secondary glazed windows in residential buildings – two cases from Australia

PurposeThis study presents the results of empirical measurements of the thermal performance of retrofitted secondary glazed windows, involving installation of an additional windowpane, in a residential context in Australia.Design/methodology/approachIn situ temperature measurements were collected from the surfaces of retrofitted secondary glazed windows in two residential buildings in the Australian Capital Territory. The heat loss savings and subsequently the electricity savings were calculated based on these temperature measurements.FindingsHeat loss reductions of up to 60.8% and electricity savings of up to 9.96% could be achieved by retrofitting single glazed windows with secondary glazing. The findings suggest that the thermal performance of retrofitted secondary glazed windows is comparable to double glazed windows.Practical implicationsMultiple glazed windows provide better energy efficiency, thermal and acoustic performance compared to single glazed windows. It is estimated, however, that 85% Australian buildings still have single glazed windows. Secondary glazing has emerged as a cost-efficient and easier-to-install alternative to double glazed windows. The results of this research can contribute to a wider market uptake of secondary glazed windows in Australia by showing that they have similar thermal performance to double glazed windows.Originality/valueThis research is a first attempt to empirically measure the thermal performance of retrofitted secondary glazed windows with an additional windowpane in a residential setting in Australia. Secondary glazing is the provision of an additional windowpane to the original single glazed window. Previous studies in Australia have focused on performance of double glazed windows.

Review of large-scale fire tests on cross-laminated timber

Concerns about the environmental impact of building construction is leading to timber being more commonly used. However, it often faces scepticism regarding its safety in the event of fire. This article provides a point of reference on the fire performance of cross-laminated timber through a review of large-scale tests. Although adequately protecting CLT can make its contribution to fire insignificant, some of the internal surface of an enclosure can be exposed whilst still achieving adequate fire performance. Natural fire tests show that the charring rate and zero-strength layer thickness are higher than commonly used in guidance documents. The type of adhesive used to bond lamellae influences performance where delamination can lead to secondary flashovers, particularly in smaller enclosures. Structural elements can potentially collapse without self-extinction and/or suppression intervention. Tests to date have focussed on a residential context and knowledge gaps remain regarding larger enclosures, such as office-type buildings.

The consequences of the pandemic. Possible strategies for the revitalization of urban space. Case study in Posillipo, Naples: the Pilot Settlement in Torre Ranieri

This contribution underlines the conditions in which we are living, as a consequence of the pandemic events that have impacted the whole world. It is also intended to discuss possible strategies to be adopted for territorial, economic and social revitalization. Many companies have developed research and examples useful to the revaluation of the spaces of the city and that suggest the areas in which to invest to achieve this goal. It is also addressed the issue of the resilient periphery, a topic that has become extremely current if you try to consider the virus positively as a catalyst for opportunities. Speaking of the periphery, the example of a residential complex in Posillipo, Italy, is examined. An avant-garde project in a residential context in which, to this day, despite the many qualities of the neighborhood, its shortcomings are strongly felt: services not easily accessible, absent transportation, etc. In conclusion, having suggested the possible strategies and approaches to be adopted, it is hoped that with the funds made available, the idea of territorial recovery and enhancement can really become a reality.

Personal Heating in Dwellings as an Innovative, Energy-Sufficient Heating Practice: A Case Study Research

Despite the efforts to improve the energy efficiency of buildings, the actual energy consumption decreased much less than expected in recent years. Therefore, energy sufficiency is gaining attention as a complementary approach to energy efficiency. It aims to reduce the actual energy consumption of buildings by providing thermal comfort to residents in a sufficient way. This demands for alternative heating practices, such as the application of personal heating systems. Although a review of past studies shows that, in office buildings, thermal comfort can be provided with less energy by using personal heating systems, the application in a residential context is much less explored. Our hypothesis is that an innovative, energy-sufficient personal heating practice also has potential to reduce the overall energy consumption in dwellings. Therefore, this paper presents the results of a one-week case study on personal heating as an energy-sufficient heating practice in three dwellings. During the case study, the ambient temperature was reduced to 18 °C, and residents were allowed to use active and passive personal heating systems to make themselves as comfortable as possible. They were also asked to evaluate their thermal sensation and thermal comfort. The results show that, despite a lower indoor temperature, residents are able to achieve thermal comfort by using personal heating at the locations where they effectively reside. Additionally, a significant energy saving potential was found. The case study proved our hypothesis, leading to the conclusion that an innovative, sufficient personal heating practice in dwellings can be a supplementary step to reduce the energy consumption to meet the global challenges.

The contingency of neighbourhood diversity: Variation of social context using mobile phone application data

This research uses high-density anonymised mobile phone application (MPA) global-positioning system (GPS) data to describe exposure to racial diversity in different social contexts with an aim to clarify the mechanism linking residential diversity to opportunities for diverse social interactions. In particular, it explores the hypothesis that a diverse residential context does not lead to diverse social contact by comparing three exposure measures – residential, observed and interaction – on the census block group level in Chicago. In doing so, it also explores the contribution of activity spaces to opportunities for diverse social contact. The findings show that the exposure to opportunities for diverse social contact measured by MPA data is generally higher than what is implied by residential census data, especially in areas of high residential segregation in the city. Further, measures using MPA data reveal more spatiotemporal heterogeneity of exposure than that implied by the residential context.

Childhood cross-ethnic exposure predicts political behavior seven decades later: Evidence from linked administrative data

Does contact across social groups influence sociopolitical behavior? This question is among the most studied in the social sciences with deep implications for the harmony of diverse societies. Yet, despite a voluminous body of scholarship, evidence around this question is limited to cross-sectional surveys that only measure short-term consequences of contact or to panel surveys with small samples covering short time periods. Using advances in machine learning that enable large-scale linkages across datasets, we examine the long-term determinants of sociopolitical behavior through an unprecedented individual-level analysis linking contemporary political records to the 1940 U.S. Census. These linked data allow us to measure the exact residential context of nearly every person in the United States in 1940 and, for men, connect this with the political behavior of those still alive over 70 years later. We find that, among white Americans, early-life exposure to black neighbors predicts Democratic partisanship over 70 years later.

Korttelimaiset asumisen konseptit

This paper analyses holistic urban housing concepts that combine spatial, social and digital solutions. The analysis is based on qualitative empirical case research, utilizing service-dominant logic approach and recent platform and sharing economy studies in residential context. The research focuses on 1) chosen service concepts to meet the diverse needs of residents, 2) related opportunities of platform and sharing economy, and 3) alternative network models considering life cycle perspective. The results indicate that value creation of housing expands from an apartment to a block providing sustainable base for all local ecosystem actors. While implementation models and applications of platform economy are still emergent, the conceptual frame is proposed for guiding further studies.