Usha Iyer-Raniga

Daylighting in Atrium Spaces

Atria can be used to serve environmental benefits. This paper studies the effects of daylight in spaces adjacent to an atrium only. The atrium building represents a five storey office building. Light is drawn into the well from the top of the atrium. It is drawn into the side spaces through openings in the wall facades of the atrium well. The relative contributions to the day lighting in the adjacent spaces due to variable opening sizes and surface reflectivity on the wall facades of the atrium, and the surface reflectivity of the atrium floor have been recorded. The respective roles of the atrium walls and floor for enhancing lighting in the well and the side spaces have been studied.

Transformative Learning: Innovating Sustainability Education in Built Environment.

Purpose – This paper aims to evaluate how transformative learning is key to innovating sustainability education in the built environment in the region’s universities, in addition to reporting on the research project undertaken to integrate sustainability thinking and practice into engineering/built environment curricula in Asia-Pacific universities. Design/methodology/approach – The project drew from the experiences of academics in built environment programmes and espoused a collaborative inquiry process wherein the role of the industry was vital. A literature review focusing on sustainability integration into curricula was followed by a workshop which brought together academic and industry participants. Findings – The general direction of education for sustainability is moving increasingly towards integration and innovation. However, the slow progress of integration of sustainability in the built environment curricula may have been due in part to the outcome/practice-led approach of built environment edu...

Aligning goals for sustainable outcomes: Case study of a university building in Australia

The importance of universities goes beyond teaching and undertaking research. Universities can shape cities due to the significant number of buildings they occupy, large amounts of resources they consume and the high number of staff and students attending them. With many universities teaching subjects relating to sustainable planning, design, management, cities and society, they present an opportunity to lead by example and act as urban learning labs for a transition to a low carbon future. This chapter presents analysis from a post-occupancy evaluation of a Green Star rated university building in Melbourne, Australia. In addition to the analysis of building performance data, interviews were undertaken with key stakeholders involved across the design, construction and occupation of the building. A Building User Satisfaction survey was also undertaken for occupants. The analysis identified a number of key successes as well as a number of challenges. Learnings from the research are applicable not just to academic institutions but to the wider built environment industry in shaping the sustainability of the built environment.

A greenhouse gas assessment of a stadium in Australia

A greenhouse gas (GHG) life cycle assessment (LCA) was performed on a stadium used for sporting events in a subtropical region in Australia. Inventories for the construction and operation of a stadium are presented and the GHG emissions from construction, operations and end-of-life waste management are assessed against the attendance of one person at one event. The inclusion of additional economic activities, patron travel, LCA methodology, attendance and stadium life-time assumptions are likely to affect the overall magnitude of the GHG emissions of one persons attendance. The assessment shows that the stadium operation accounted for 72.5% of GHG emissions, with the operation of baseload heating, ventilation and cooling, lighting and refrigeration systems dominating. The best opportunity to reduce GHG emissions is to reduce the need for the continual operation of these systems. Construction impacts account for 24.7% of impacts, while replacement materials, end-of-life management of materials are relatively insignificant, contributing to less than 3% of life cycle GHG emissions.

Sustainability in Universities in the Asia-Pacific Region: An Introduction

In 2014, the Asia and Pacific Region had a population of 4.3 billion, which represented 60% of the world’s total.

A Holistic View for Integrating Sustainability Education for the Built Environment Professions in Indonesia

Emerging economies in Asia and Latin America face rapid urbanization and city building in the next few decades. The existing work force and the next generation of built environment graduates play a significant role in lowering carbon emissions as a result of rapid building and infrastructure now and in the future. A range of disciplines comprises the built environment professions, and these disciplines need to work collaboratively to optimize design, construction and operational impacts. Amongst a range of issues identified in the literature in the move towards low carbon economies for built environment professions include technical know how, appropriateness in applying climate sensitive design, demonstration examples and case studies, silo-mentality amongst the disciplines, lack of support within universities to make change, lack of up to date resources, lack of true “lessons learned” of building operation post occupancy, lack of professional development amongst educators, lack of industry input in the curriculum, and lack of opportunities to make changes to the existing curricula (Iyer-Raniga and Andamon 2012, 2014). In this context, this chapter reports on key challenges facing the architectural education and architecture profession in Indonesia. Using desktop reviews, and semi structured interviews with academics, industry, government and peak industry bodies in Indonesia, this chapter provides an analysis of the architecture profession and architectural education in Indonesia. This analysis was undertaken to understand what are the current barriers preventing the architecture profession in Indonesia towards adopting low carbon principles in its design, construction and operation. Technical know how, supported by resource and case studies alone are not sufficient to embark on a journey of change to meet the needs of a sustainable future. A deeper analysis of the issues facing the architecture profession in Indonesia showed that knowledge alone is not sufficient; engagement and commitment from a range of stakeholders is needed. The chapter demonstrates that to embed lasting and holistic changes to architectural education, there needs to be a critical understanding of not just professional development needs for educators and industry practitioners, but also an awareness and understanding of institutional frameworks and networks that shape the profession. It provides a critical insight in shaping the architecture profession so key drivers may be identified along multiple dimensions, not just on maximizing professional development opportunities for academics and industry practitioners. This chapter provides a pathway for other built environment disciplines in transitioning economies to consider in shaping their own needs, and charting their own directions towards a low carbon future.

Pathways to industry : work practices of undergraduate students in construction programs in Australia

This research reports the impact of work on undergraduate students enrolled in construction programs. Students responded to a questionnaire on the nature of their paid work while enrolled in full-time study in six universities across Australia. The results indicate that students are working on average 19 hours per week during semester time. The results indicate that students in the early years tend to undertake casual work that is not related to their degree. However, this pattern changes in the later years of the program, where students switch to roles in construction that does relate to their coursework. The students start working on average 16 hours in the first year of their degree, and the number rises to 24 hours in their final year. Past research suggests that students may be working to an extent beyond what is considered beneficial to their studies. Past research has shown that working long hours has a negative effect on the study patterns of undergraduate students. The implications of the amount of time working and the type of work are discussed. The paper concludes by suggesting that universities need a greater awareness of the impact of paid employment on student engagement.