Determinants of household water demand: a cross-sectional study in South West Nigeria

Estimating residential water demand in developing countries is complicated by the unique nature of water supply, characterised by unequal access and multiple water sources. Using cross-sectional data obtained from a survey of 1,300 households, the determinants of residential water demand were predicted using a multiple linear regression model. The determinants include access to water, household size, trip number, monthly income, payment for water, educational qualification, trip time and house type. The determinants predicted daily water consumption with an F(9, 1,014) = 81.063, P < 0.05, R2 = 0.450. Daily water consumption was found to be 2.8 times more per household and 4.4 times more per capita for those with on-site access, compared to those with off-site access. Moreover, consumption was influenced by the various water source categories.

Transitional House: mediating between the temporary and the permanent

<p>The position of architecture in humanitarian relief is limited if it does not adequately meet the needs of people in an appropriate timeframe. Traditionally in the aftermath of a disaster, displaced people are immediately sheltered in community centres or tents, remaining in this state of uncertainty for extended periods of time. Three years after the 2010 Haiti earthquake, over 300,000 people were still living in displacement camps, most of which had no on-site access to water. As the disaster-stricken region sits in a state of disrepair, prefabricated temporary houses emerge months later and continue to be in use for years. Three years on from the 2011 East Japan earthquake and tsunami, over 90,000 people were still living in temporary accommodation. This state of hiatus is typically detrimental to the length of the recovery process – when temporary housing exists for too long, the longevity of the reformation of the city increases. Taking this system failure as a provocation, this research discusses the role of architecture in the immediate reformation of a city. It proposes a transitional house, constructed on site within 24 hours, which can be adapted into a permanent condition within 12 months, as an answer to reforming housing in post-disaster situations. It questions how a change from the traditional response to transitional disaster relief housing can become a feasible option in the aftermath of a disaster, and how such housing can become adaptable for the individual. These ideas are explored through design as research: the problem analysed and revealed through design. The first section reveals the design problem through a literature review, identifying the previous attempts and failures of disaster relief housing. The second section speculates responses for post disaster housing, exploring solutions to the ideas identified in section one. The third section tests the design outcome, refining the design ideas and positioning them within architectural discourse. This thesis explores a departure from conventional New Zealand housing, and the facilitation of a new typology in disaster relief housing.</p>

Transitional House: mediating between the temporary and the permanent

<p>The position of architecture in humanitarian relief is limited if it does not adequately meet the needs of people in an appropriate timeframe. Traditionally in the aftermath of a disaster, displaced people are immediately sheltered in community centres or tents, remaining in this state of uncertainty for extended periods of time. Three years after the 2010 Haiti earthquake, over 300,000 people were still living in displacement camps, most of which had no on-site access to water. As the disaster-stricken region sits in a state of disrepair, prefabricated temporary houses emerge months later and continue to be in use for years. Three years on from the 2011 East Japan earthquake and tsunami, over 90,000 people were still living in temporary accommodation. This state of hiatus is typically detrimental to the length of the recovery process – when temporary housing exists for too long, the longevity of the reformation of the city increases. Taking this system failure as a provocation, this research discusses the role of architecture in the immediate reformation of a city. It proposes a transitional house, constructed on site within 24 hours, which can be adapted into a permanent condition within 12 months, as an answer to reforming housing in post-disaster situations. It questions how a change from the traditional response to transitional disaster relief housing can become a feasible option in the aftermath of a disaster, and how such housing can become adaptable for the individual. These ideas are explored through design as research: the problem analysed and revealed through design. The first section reveals the design problem through a literature review, identifying the previous attempts and failures of disaster relief housing. The second section speculates responses for post disaster housing, exploring solutions to the ideas identified in section one. The third section tests the design outcome, refining the design ideas and positioning them within architectural discourse. This thesis explores a departure from conventional New Zealand housing, and the facilitation of a new typology in disaster relief housing.</p>

Negotiating the Slope: Prefabricated Hillside Dwellings Meet Nordic Influence

<p>In Wellington we are faced with the difficult task of building on our undulating topography. It does however offer inhabitants stunning vistas and to architects the rare opportunity to explore new ways of building, generating distinctive typologies. However, it is questionable whether a bespoke construction method is the most appropriate means for building houses on hillsides in present times. Prefabrication has been a prevalent housing construction method in Scandinavia and for many years and offers a number of advantages, particularly to difficult sites (Smith 255). It is emerging as an option for housing in New Zealand but faces significant problems when confronted with sloped topography (Rouillard 137). The prefabrication movement has become synonymous with the stylistic outcome of modernist detached dwellings, and while this marriage may be an outgrowth of intention rather than a technical requirement, challenging the rectilinear is relatively unheard of (Smith 251). The stylistic concerns embedded by fanciers of 50’s modernism are inherent to the representation of manufactured housing (Smith 251). For prefabrication to become popular in present day society misconceptions regarding stylistic limitations must be resolved. Residential architecture has the potential to shape our architectural identity more significantly than civic buildings. I propose this because we form a closer relationship to ‘home,’ and as a typology they cover a significant proportion of our landscape. To understand how to form an architectural response in the context of Wellington, I looked to contemporary Norwegian architecture which demonstrates contextualising architecture to the landscape. The stylistic character of Norwegian design, and parallels which made their principles applicable to New Zealand, were additional incentives for this focus. This thesis is broken into four parts; background research, design explorations, design discussions and conclusion. In background research, I establish parameters for constructing houses on hill sites. Technical limitations are presented and a range of hillside typologies are identified. Prefabricated systems internationally offered are documented accompanied by the technologies available specifically in New Zealand. The design exploration section illustrates two designs which explore how a hillside typology can be augmented with a prefabricated system. Each is assessed in relation to response to topography and adaptation of Norwegian ideologies. The design discussion revolves around a hillside development of five residential structures and their interconnectivity. Leading into the discussion is a detailed analysis of the prefabrication system implemented, and the modifications to that system which were tested through design. Here, the construction sequence is mapped. This is followed by an architectural discussion on site, access, planning and materials. The conclusions drawn in the final section tie together all these elements.</p>

Negotiating the Slope: Prefabricated Hillside Dwellings Meet Nordic Influence

<p>In Wellington we are faced with the difficult task of building on our undulating topography. It does however offer inhabitants stunning vistas and to architects the rare opportunity to explore new ways of building, generating distinctive typologies. However, it is questionable whether a bespoke construction method is the most appropriate means for building houses on hillsides in present times. Prefabrication has been a prevalent housing construction method in Scandinavia and for many years and offers a number of advantages, particularly to difficult sites (Smith 255). It is emerging as an option for housing in New Zealand but faces significant problems when confronted with sloped topography (Rouillard 137). The prefabrication movement has become synonymous with the stylistic outcome of modernist detached dwellings, and while this marriage may be an outgrowth of intention rather than a technical requirement, challenging the rectilinear is relatively unheard of (Smith 251). The stylistic concerns embedded by fanciers of 50’s modernism are inherent to the representation of manufactured housing (Smith 251). For prefabrication to become popular in present day society misconceptions regarding stylistic limitations must be resolved. Residential architecture has the potential to shape our architectural identity more significantly than civic buildings. I propose this because we form a closer relationship to ‘home,’ and as a typology they cover a significant proportion of our landscape. To understand how to form an architectural response in the context of Wellington, I looked to contemporary Norwegian architecture which demonstrates contextualising architecture to the landscape. The stylistic character of Norwegian design, and parallels which made their principles applicable to New Zealand, were additional incentives for this focus. This thesis is broken into four parts; background research, design explorations, design discussions and conclusion. In background research, I establish parameters for constructing houses on hill sites. Technical limitations are presented and a range of hillside typologies are identified. Prefabricated systems internationally offered are documented accompanied by the technologies available specifically in New Zealand. The design exploration section illustrates two designs which explore how a hillside typology can be augmented with a prefabricated system. Each is assessed in relation to response to topography and adaptation of Norwegian ideologies. The design discussion revolves around a hillside development of five residential structures and their interconnectivity. Leading into the discussion is a detailed analysis of the prefabrication system implemented, and the modifications to that system which were tested through design. Here, the construction sequence is mapped. This is followed by an architectural discussion on site, access, planning and materials. The conclusions drawn in the final section tie together all these elements.</p>

Coping with the Covid-19 pandemic: an exploration of the strategies adopted by construction firms

Purpose The outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic has tested the resilience of the construction industry, putting the safety of workers and overall businesses at risk. This study aims to explore the different strategies adopted by construction companies to protect the health and well-being of employees, security of the construction sites and projects, and keep the overall business operational amid the Covid-19 pandemic. Design/methodology/approach A preliminary study that involves field study and survey research was used to collect data for the study. The results from the preliminary analysis served as inputs for constructing the questionnaire, which was analyzed using descriptive statistics, exploratory factor analysis and reliability analysis. Findings The results reveal that the key underlying measures put in place by construction businesses include restricted site access, support bubbling of office and site staff, enhanced hygiene and social distancing protocol, contract risk identification and mitigation, self-isolation measures and heightened construction site safety. Along with a further discussion of the underlying measures, the top-rated strategies that were adopted by construction firms are also discussed in the paper. Originality/value As many construction companies remained opened handling essential projects amid the pandemic, the study presents the effective and efficient strategies that were used in plowing through the trying times. This study provides the opportunity for construction companies that escaped the early impacts of Covid-19 due to site closure and policymakers to learn from the strategies adopted by construction companies that were operational amid the pandemic.

COVID-19 guidelines incorporated in the health and safety management policies of construction firms

Purpose COVID-19 pandemic has ushered in a new norm of operation and has further presented new health and safety challenges in all sectors, including the construction sector. Consequently, several guidelines have been developed and instituted by various countries to prevent the spread of the disease among the citizenry. This paper aims to explore the COVID-19 guidelines incorporated in the health and safety management policies of construction firms in South Africa. Design/methodology/approach A qualitative approach was adopted for the study. Data was collected from construction companies by means of an open-ended questionnaire. The open-ended questionnaire was distributed by using the purposive sampling technique. The collected data was analysed with thematic content analysis. Findings The findings show that most construction companies have incorporated aspects of COVID-19 guidelines into the site health and safety policies, whereas the majority of the companies had incorporated guidelines such as site access, handling of COVID-19 cases, induction, screening and social distancing; only a few had incorporated guidelines such as compliance, sanitisation, sick leave, wearing of personal protective equipment, audit and risk assessment, lunchtime rules and grouping of workers into the health and safety policies on site. Research limitations/implications Data was collected from higher grade firms; therefore, the research findings may not be applied to smaller construction firms. A study that focuses on lower grades is recommended. Practical implications Construction companies could use the recommendations provided to improve upon the policies developed/adopted to curb the spread of CVID-19 on-site. Originality/value Research on COVID-19 construction site health and safety measures are still being developed. Thus, this study contributes to advancing the body of knowledge in this evolving field.

A COVID-19 Community Vulnerability Index to drive precision policy in the US

Background: In April 2020 we released the US COVID-19 Community Vulnerability Index (CCVI) to bring to life vulnerability to health, economic, and social impact of COVID-19 at the state, county, and census tract level. Here we describe the methodology, how vulnerability is distributed across the U.S., and assess the impact on vulnerable communities over the first year of the pandemic. Methods: The index combines 40 indicators into seven themes, drawing on both public and proprietary data. We associate timeseries of COVID-19 cases, deaths, test site access, and rental arrears with vulnerability. Results: Although overall COVID-19 vulnerability is concentrated in the South, the seven underlying themes show substantial spatial variability. As of May 13, 2021, the top-third of vulnerable counties have seen 21% more cases and 47% more deaths than the bottom-third of vulnerable counties, despite receiving 27% fewer tests (adjusted for population). Individual vulnerability themes vary over time in their relationship with mortality as the virus swept across the country. Over 20% of households in the top vulnerability tercile have fallen behind on rent. Poorer test site access for rural vulnerable populations early in the pandemic has since been alleviated. Conclusion: The CCVI captures greater risk of health and economic impact. It has enjoyed widespread use in response planning, and we share lessons learned about developing a data-driven tool in the midst of a fast-moving pandemic. The CCVI and an interactive data explorer are available at precisionforcovid.org/ccvi.