The built environment is not constructed in empty space. It refers to human ‐ made spaces they live and work in and which are affected by various micro, meso and macro level factors. For this purpose, renovation decisions must be considered avoiding a narrow approach to the single projects of building renovation. Renovation of the built and human environment must be considered instead and the holistic approach used. From this perspective, decision‐making problems of renovation often involve a complex decision making process in which multiple requirements and conditions have to be taken into consideration simultaneously. This paper describes the concept of the integrated analysis of built and human environment renovation as a whole as well as presents the multiple criteria assessment of alternatives of the Bulgarian cultural heritage renovation projects. The widely known multiple criteria assessment methods SAW, TOPSIS and COPRAS and the newly developed method ARAS were used for this purpose. As a result the best project for granting was selected. Santrauka Gyvenamoji aplinka sukurta žmoniu ir skirta ju poreikiams tenkinti, ja veikia daugybe makro‐, mezo‐ ir mikroaplinkos veiksniu. Kadangi gyvenamoji aplinka yra kompleksiška, jos atnaujinimo sprendimai turi būti priimami vengiant pernelyg siauro požiūrio, nagrinejant tik pavieniu pastatu atnaujinimo projektus. Atnaujinimo sprendimai turetu būti priimami ir projektai igyvendinami taikant holistini požiūri. Šiuo požiūriu atnaujinimo sprendimai yra sudetingi, juos priimant būtina atsižvelgti i daugeli salygu ir reikalavimu. Šiame straipsnyje gyvenamosios aplinkos atnaujinimas nagrinejamas kaip visuma, pateikiamas autoriu sukurtas integruotas gyvenamosios aplinkos atnaujinimo analizes modelis, atliekama Bulgarijos kultūros paveldo atnaujinimo projektu daugiakriterine analize taikant gerai žinomus daugiakriterinio vertinimo metodus SAW, TOPSIS ir COPRAS bei naujai sukurta metoda ARAS. Atlikus tyrima išrenkamas geriausias atnaujinimo projektas, kuriam gali būti suteiktas finansavimas.

Sustainable development principles reaching many spheres of human activities, public buildings refurbishment is not an exemption in this case. Buildings refurbishment supports excellent opportunities to reduce energy consumption in buildings as well as encourages other sustainable refurbishment principles implementation ‐ citizens’ healthcare, environment protection, rational resources use, information about sustainable refurbishment dissemination and stakeholders groups’ awareness. During the pilot refurbishment FP‐6 project Brita in PuBs, authors of this article have developed conceptual sustainable public buildings refurbishment model. Model was created basing on sustainable development principles, their consideration in decision making process and model efficiency influencing factors. In order to demonstrate models’ application possibilities following the healthcare principle, practical case study of Vilnius Gediminas Technical University main building pollution mapping is given at the end of this article. Santrauka Darnios plėtros principai skverbiasi į daugelį veiklos krypčių, neaplenkdami ir visuomeninių pastatų atnaujinimo proceso. Pastatų atnaujinimas – tai puiki galimybė ne tik sumažinti suvartojamos pastate energijos apimtis, bet ir užtikrinti kitus darnios renovacijos principus – rūpinimąsi gyventojų sveikata, aplinkos tausojimą, racionalų išteklių naudojimą, taip pat ir informacijos apie darnią pastatų renovaciją prieinamumą. Vykdant demonstracinį FP-6 projektą Brita in PuBs, straipsnio autoriai sukūrė koncepcinį darnios visuomeninių pastatų renovacijos modelį, kuriame atsižvelgiama į darnios plėtros principus, jų taikymą priimant sprendimus ir modelio efektyvumą veikiančius veiksnius. Siekiant pademonstruoti modelio realizavimo galimybes, paskutiniame straipsnio skyriuje rūpinimosi sveikata principas iliustruojamas renovuojamo VGTU centrinio pastato užterštumo žemėlapio sudarymu.

The main objective of this study was to examine the direct and indirect effects of organizational culture, knowledge management and organizational learning on innovation. The study combined knowledge-based view theory (KBV), competitive value framework to develop a new original theoretical framework for investigation of factors that affect innovation. Data was gathered from a survey of 279 companies supplying automobile parts to Iran Khodro Company, an Iranian leading automobile manufacturer. Study discovered that organizational culture and knowledge management influenced organizational innovation. Besides that, organizational learning played a significant role as a mediator in that relationship. However, knowledge management was not considered as a mediator in the relationship between organizational culture and organizational innovation. As a practical contribution, the findings of the study serve as a guideline for policy makers and managers in the formulation of policies and strategies for sustainable innovation. Knowing the effectiveness of the innovation can help the government to make decisions about the continuation of this policy. Moreover, study contributes to firm management in formulation of policies and strategies for sustainability in innovation context. Innovation assists organizations supplying the product or service in the automotive sector to operate innovatively, competitively and profitably.

The built environment significantly contributes to climate change. There is pressure on the construction industry to find and use alternative sustainable environmentally friendly building materials to reduce the climate impact. Timber is increasingly being considered in the literature and used as a viable alternative for steel and concrete in both residential and non-residential building projects as it is a renewable material and has multiple benefits for reducing carbon (CO₂) emissions and consequently climate change. This study aims to research the benefits of sustainable timber construction in terms of climate change. To achieve this aim, a systematic literature review was performed based on the research conducted between 1998 and 2022. For this purpose, research papers were searched from the Web of Science database and screened by applying a combination of keywords and the criteria for academic publication selection, including climate change, timber or wooden building, renewable material, sustainable material, carbon sink, carbon reduction, embodied energy, lifecycle assessment, and the circular economy. Further, a quantitative analysis of publications was performed using a science mapping approach, and qualitative content analysis was then conducted in three areas of research: timber as a sustainable construction material, the carbon storage of and reduction in GHG/CO₂ emissions, and the circular economy. Research trends, general findings, and knowledge gaps were identified, and future research directions were indicated. The literature review proves that timber construction is a potential solution to reduce climate change.

This study presents a comprehensive review of building materials, construction methods, and building regulations on the U.K. mainland. This provides valuable insights into the historical progression and transformation of the construction industry through a comprehensive analysis of both traditional and modern building construction materials and methods and categorising their evolutionary trajectory. Current building regulations in England, Wales, and Scotland are compared, highlighting differences in fire safety, noise safety, energy conservation, and sustainability. For example, fire safety regulations are analysed in detail, including fire resistance duration, wall cladding combustibility, and limitations on unprotected areas. Advances in knowledge and technology have led to increasingly sophisticated and energy-dependent methods, materials, and regulations. This study showcases the vast array of building construction materials spanning centuries, each possessing unique properties and performances. The selected methods and materials represent those currently employed or widely utilised in the U.K. construction industry, affirming their relevance and applicability in modern construction practices. Limitations in construction practices primarily stem from a lack of knowledge and tools rather than material scarcity. Enhancing knowledge and access to advanced tools is crucial to overcoming these limitations and driving advancements in the field. This study provides insights into the evolution of building materials, construction methods, and building regulations that can inform future developments in sustainable building practices. The findings have significant implications for policymakers, building designers, and constructors, particularly in terms of adopting sustainable materials and construction methods that comply with building regulations while reducing the environmental impact of the built environment.

Sustainable development is inconceivable without healthy real estate market. A housing project can be regarded as sustainable only when all the dimensions of sustainability (environmental, economic, and social) are dealt with. There has been an increased interest in using sustainability indicators for evaluating the impacts of the new development projects. Although international literature is rich in sustainability assessments, there are no tools developed for assessment of new residential projects in the specific context of the Baltic States. Therefore, the aim of this article is to fill this gap and to propose an integrated, hierarchically structured system of sustainability indicators to be used for assessment of the new housing development projects. This aim is achieved through accomplishing three objectives. First, based on a review of literature related to assessing building project performance and sustainable development in construction, the paper proposes an original hierarchically structured system of sustainability indicators suitable for the Baltic context. Second, based on a survey of experts, significances of criteria are estimated by the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) method. Finally, paper proposes recommendations to government authorities and real estate developers as to how to enhance the performance of new residential projects according to the principles of sustainability.