Annual energy consumption has surged due to suboptimal energy efficiency, resulting in an electricity supply shortage in Sulaimani, an Iraqi city in a temperate climate zone. This mixed-methods study aims to optimise energy efficiency in Sulaimani’s office buildings using IDA Indoor Climate and Energy (IDA ICE) dynamic simulation software v4.8. First, we collected data and developed 204 scenarios based on three prevalent plan typologies, linear (T₁), concentric (T₂), and courtyard (T₃), utilising common materials such as Alucobond (M₁), cement plaster (M₂), Styropor (M₃), and a curtain wall (M₄). Afterwards, we performed relevant analyses employing External Venetian Blinds (EVBs) to reduce cooling load and/or Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) to reduce heating load. Notably, the results proved that EPS was more effective than EVBs in reducing both heating and cooling loads in the temperate climate zone, achieving reductions of up to 38% for T₁. Meanwhile, EPS contributed to a heating load reduction of up to 52% for T₃, and this adversely impacted overall energy consumption. Both EVBs and EPS could reduce total energy consumption by up to 30% in T₂. In conclusion, the total energy consumption increased in temperate climate zones when EVBs were utilised, but this effect varied based on the various typologies of office buildings.

The adaptive reuse of historic buildings into contemporary office spaces prompts intriguing inquiries regarding its impact on employee satisfaction and workplace culture. This study explores the potential of adaptive reuse to transform historic buildings into functional, sustainable offices, using Erbil Citadel houses as a base for the study. Through this research study, user preferences and perceptions of the integration of historical features into the modern work environment were examined. Quantitative data were extracted from 60 survey respondents and analyzed in terms of medians, modes and the analysis of key themes, such as historical aesthetics, employee creativity, work satisfaction and environmental factors, including natural light and airflow. The findings emphasize the equilibrium between safeguarding the cultural heritage of the historical structure and the requirements of contemporary office environments. The findings underscore the need for sustainable practices and technological integration to enhance workplace functionality and team well-being, particularly in shared spaces. This paper highlights the importance of decision makers’ perspectives on heritage conservation, stressing the necessity for a culturally attuned and sustainable reuse strategy that addresses community requirements. This study offers a methodological framework for reconciling historical narratives with modern office requirements while also addressing broader discussions on adaptive reuse and the potential for enhancing workplace quality.

Emergency Medical Services (EMS) personnel require exceptional spatial awareness and rapid decision-making within the confined environment of an ambulance. While Virtual Reality (VR) offers a safe alternative to traditional training, the lack of high-fidelity, regionally accurate, and VR-optimized 3D ambulance models limits its application. This study presents a scenario-driven methodology for developing a VR-ready 3D ambulance environment prototype tailored for Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) training. Utilizing reality-capture techniques, terrestrial laser scanning was performed to accurately document the interior of a standard Hungarian ambulance simulator. The resulting point cloud underwent systematic processing, manual retopology, PBR shading, and the implementation of a custom dual-rigging animation system to optimize complex mechanical movements—such as stretcher operations—for standalone VR platforms. The workflow successfully reduced the vertex count to 25,373 while maintaining millimeter-level spatial fidelity. Technical evaluation confirmed that geometrical, functional, and material objectives were fulfilled, whereas pedagogical implementation remains incomplete. Structural accuracy and animation readiness were verified through preliminary inspection within Blender’s VR viewport inspector. However, interactive game-engine integration remains future work, and educational effectiveness has not yet been tested with EMT learners. Overall, this workflow delivers a 3D asset foundation that establishes the necessary technical basis for subsequent software implementation and clinical evaluation.