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Circular economy (CE) is a concept actively advocated by the European Union (EU), China, Japan, and the United Kingdom. At present, CE is considered to grant the most traction for companies to achieve sustainable development. However, CE is still rarely adopted by enterprises. As the backbone of the fourth industrial revolution, the digital economy (DE) is considered to have a disruptive effect. Studies have shown that digital technology has great potential in promoting the development of CE. Especially during the COVID-19 epidemic that has severely negatively affected the global economy, environment, and society, CE and DE are receiving high attention from policy makers, practitioners, and scholars around the world. However, the integration of CE and digital technology is a small and rapidly developing research field that is still in its infancy. Although there is a large amount of research in the fields of CE and DE, respectively, there are few studies that look into integrating these two fields. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to explore the research progress and trends of the integration of CE and DE, and provide an overview for future research. This paper adopts a bibliometric research method, employs the Web of Science database as its literature source, and uses VOSviewer visual software to carry out keyword co-occurrence analysis, which focuses on publication trends, journal sources, keyword visualization, multidisciplinary areas, life cycle stages, and application fields.
Zhen Liu; Jing Liu; Mohamed Osmani. Integration of Digital Economy and Circular Economy: Current Status and Future Directions. Sustainability 2021, 13, 7217 .
AMA StyleZhen Liu, Jing Liu, Mohamed Osmani. Integration of Digital Economy and Circular Economy: Current Status and Future Directions. Sustainability. 2021; 13 (13):7217.
Chicago/Turabian StyleZhen Liu; Jing Liu; Mohamed Osmani. 2021. "Integration of Digital Economy and Circular Economy: Current Status and Future Directions." Sustainability 13, no. 13: 7217.
Faced with a scarcity of materials, increasing quantities of waste, and low rate of recovery, the electrical and electronic equipment sector has become a key focus in the drive for a transition to the circular economy. An increasing body of work has addressed the integration of the circular economy at a business model level but there is a limited understanding of a sector-wide approach to circular economy business model innovation. Additionally, no studies have been identified that endeavoured to develop a circular economy business model innovation process for electrical and electronic manufacturers. To address this gap, this research adopted a qualitative approach via seven iterative workshops with key stakeholders in the electrical and electronic equipment sector to inform the development and refinement of a Circular Economy Business Model Innovation Process Framework. The resulting Framework, which has five-fold interconnected layers, provides electrical and electronic equipment manufacturers with a comprehensive layered process for developing and implementing a circular economy business model tailored to their business offerings. Using the manufacturer’s business strategy as a starting point, the developed Framework prompts the integration of the circular economy into business practices. Influencing factors affecting the circular economy business model innovation process are addressed by identifying the associated challenges and opportunities and related policy. Finally, the Framework proposes circularity indicators relevant to electrical and electronic equipment, helping to ensure that the proposed circular economy actions are measurable and informed.
Jennifer Pollard; Mohamed Osmani; Christine Cole; Suzana Grubnic; James Colwill. A circular economy business model innovation process for the electrical and electronic equipment sector. Journal of Cleaner Production 2021, 305, 127211 .
AMA StyleJennifer Pollard, Mohamed Osmani, Christine Cole, Suzana Grubnic, James Colwill. A circular economy business model innovation process for the electrical and electronic equipment sector. Journal of Cleaner Production. 2021; 305 ():127211.
Chicago/Turabian StyleJennifer Pollard; Mohamed Osmani; Christine Cole; Suzana Grubnic; James Colwill. 2021. "A circular economy business model innovation process for the electrical and electronic equipment sector." Journal of Cleaner Production 305, no. : 127211.
‘Smart cities’ are a new type of city where stakeholders are jointly responsible for urban management. City Information Management (CIM) is an output tool for smart city planning and management, which assists in achieving the sustainable development of urban infrastructure, and promotes smart cities to achieve the goals of stable global economic development, sustainable environmental development, and improvement of people’s quality of life. Existing research has so far established that blockchain and BIM have great potential to enhance construction project performance. However, there is little research on how blockchain and BIM can support sustainable building design and construction. Therefore, the aim of this paper is to explore the potential impact of the integration of blockchain and BIM in a smart city environment on making buildings more sustainable within the context of CIM/Smart Cities. The paper explores the relationships between blockchain, BIM and sustainable building across the life cycle stage of a construction project. This paper queries the Web of Science (WoS) database with keywords to obtain relevant publication, and then uses the VOSviewer to visually analyze the relationships between blockchain, BIM, and sustainable building within the context of smart cities and CIM, which is conducted in bibliometric analysis followed by micro scheme analysis. The results demonstrate the value of this method in gauging the importance of these three topics, highlighting their interrelationships and identifying trends, giving researchers an objective research direction. Those aspects reported in the paper constitute an original contribution.
Zhen Liu; Ziyuan Chi; Mohamed Osmani; Peter Demian. Blockchain and Building Information Management (BIM) for Sustainable Building Development within the Context of Smart Cities. Sustainability 2021, 13, 2090 .
AMA StyleZhen Liu, Ziyuan Chi, Mohamed Osmani, Peter Demian. Blockchain and Building Information Management (BIM) for Sustainable Building Development within the Context of Smart Cities. Sustainability. 2021; 13 (4):2090.
Chicago/Turabian StyleZhen Liu; Ziyuan Chi; Mohamed Osmani; Peter Demian. 2021. "Blockchain and Building Information Management (BIM) for Sustainable Building Development within the Context of Smart Cities." Sustainability 13, no. 4: 2090.
At present, sustainable design is experiencing energy consumption and cost-effectiveness challenges in the building industry. A recent body of literature argues that the development of emerging smart digital technologies, such as Building Information Management (BIM) and blockchain (BC), offer immediate benefits to the industry. However, the current application of BIM and BC in the sustainable design and construction process focuses on smart energy and construction management, with little attention to addressing challenges for applying BIM to sustainable design and proposing strategies in terms of the usability of these technologies in the management of building construction projects. Therefore, this paper sets out to explore the potential roles of an integrated BIM and BC approach for sustainable building design information management. The first attempt is presented to use BC aided BIM for sustainable building design coordination and collaboration in multiple building stages. BC has the potential to address challenges that hinder the industry from using BIM for sustainable design, which has been unearthed. An innovative BC enhanced transaction process in BIM is required for sustainable building development. Roles of a user level driven smart contract system of BC can be used to enhance BIM system in the sustainable buildings process. The role of BC is primarily at user level driven smart contracts and their record value exchange capabilities. A user level (BIM stakeholders) driven BC technology for transaction in BIM process flow is revealed, and the user level (sustainable building design project stakeholders/BIM clients) driven and the smart contract enabled BIM+ BC architecture to address challenges of BIM for sustainable design has been further circulated according to the literature. Subsequently, a conceptual architecture of BIM + BC for Sustainable Building Design Information Management Framework in building project management has been proposed, validated, and refined. The Framework has two level encompassing structures and flow. The high-level framework is focused on strategy, whilst the low-level framework demonstrates technical components in detail. This architecture supporting project stakeholders in managing information, has the potential to achieve and ensure the realization of sustainable design goals through the interactive realization of smart contracts integrated into the user level driven BIM + BC system and its recording value exchange function through three user-driven levels, namely user, system, and transaction.
Zhen Liu; Lijun Jiang; Mohamed Osmani; Peter Demian. Building Information Management (BIM) and Blockchain (BC) for Sustainable Building Design Information Management Framework. Electronics 2019, 8, 724 .
AMA StyleZhen Liu, Lijun Jiang, Mohamed Osmani, Peter Demian. Building Information Management (BIM) and Blockchain (BC) for Sustainable Building Design Information Management Framework. Electronics. 2019; 8 (7):724.
Chicago/Turabian StyleZhen Liu; Lijun Jiang; Mohamed Osmani; Peter Demian. 2019. "Building Information Management (BIM) and Blockchain (BC) for Sustainable Building Design Information Management Framework." Electronics 8, no. 7: 724.
There is a lack of decision-making tools for water efficiency design and construction to maximize project benefits and water conservation. An increasing number of research studies indicate that building information modelling (BIM) can enhance the cooperation, improve work efficiency, and conduct simulation and analysis of sustainability performance in building projects. However, BIM’s potential to enhance water efficiency is yet to be established, such as water gird design optimization, clash detection, combination of BIM with smart appliances and sensors. The research adopted a mixed method approach to investigate the potential impact of BIM on water efficiency in building projects. It involved 50 practitioners from the Architectural, Engineering and Construction (AEC) industry through a questionnaire survey and the follow-up interviews. The quantitative results of questionnaire data and qualitative results of interviews were used to develop a “BIM-based Water Efficiency (BWe) Framework” which was subsequently validated by five experienced practitioners and researchers in the form of semi-structured interviews. The framework applies BIM to optimize traditional water efficiency measures based on an information database. The geometry, attributes, status information of building components or non-component objects stored in the database greatly improve information integration degree of construction engineering. This study provided a reference for the use of BIM for water conservation in building design and construction.
Zhen Liu; Chao Zhang; Yuanxiang Guo; Mohamed Osmani; Peter Demian. A Building Information Modelling (BIM) based Water Efficiency (BWe) Framework for Sustainable Building Design and Construction Management. Electronics 2019, 8, 599 .
AMA StyleZhen Liu, Chao Zhang, Yuanxiang Guo, Mohamed Osmani, Peter Demian. A Building Information Modelling (BIM) based Water Efficiency (BWe) Framework for Sustainable Building Design and Construction Management. Electronics. 2019; 8 (6):599.
Chicago/Turabian StyleZhen Liu; Chao Zhang; Yuanxiang Guo; Mohamed Osmani; Peter Demian. 2019. "A Building Information Modelling (BIM) based Water Efficiency (BWe) Framework for Sustainable Building Design and Construction Management." Electronics 8, no. 6: 599.
Bousmaha Baiche; Mohamed Osmani; Nicholas Walliman; Raymond Ogden. Earth construction in Algeria between tradition and modernity. Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers - Construction Materials 2017, 170, 16 -28.
AMA StyleBousmaha Baiche, Mohamed Osmani, Nicholas Walliman, Raymond Ogden. Earth construction in Algeria between tradition and modernity. Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers - Construction Materials. 2017; 170 (1):16-28.
Chicago/Turabian StyleBousmaha Baiche; Mohamed Osmani; Nicholas Walliman; Raymond Ogden. 2017. "Earth construction in Algeria between tradition and modernity." Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers - Construction Materials 170, no. 1: 16-28.
Reduction in construction waste is a pressing need in many countries. The design of building elements is considered a pivotal process to achieve waste reduction at source, which enables an informed prediction of their wastage reduction levels. However the lack of quantitative methods linking design strategies to waste reduction hinders designing out waste practice in building projects. Therefore, this paper addresses this knowledge gap through the design and validation of a Building Design Waste Reduction Strategies (Waste ReSt) model that aims to investigate the relationships between design variables and their impact on onsite waste reduction. The Waste ReSt model was validated in a real-world case study involving 20 residential buildings in Spain. The validation process comprises three stages. Firstly, design waste causes were analyzed. Secondly, design strategies were applied leading to several alternative low waste building elements. Finally, their potential source reduction levels were quantified and discussed within the context of the literature. The Waste ReSt model could serve as an instrumental tool to simulate designing out strategies in building projects. The knowledge provided by the model could help project stakeholders to better understand the correlation between the design process and waste sources and subsequently implement design practices for low-waste buildings.
C. Llatas; M. Osmani. Development and validation of a building design waste reduction model. Waste Management 2016, 56, 318 -336.
AMA StyleC. Llatas, M. Osmani. Development and validation of a building design waste reduction model. Waste Management. 2016; 56 ():318-336.
Chicago/Turabian StyleC. Llatas; M. Osmani. 2016. "Development and validation of a building design waste reduction model." Waste Management 56, no. : 318-336.
This paper was accepted for publication in the journal Automation in Construction and the definitive published version is available at http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.autcon.2015.07.020At present, there are insufficient design decision making tools to support effective construction waste minimisation evaluation and implementation throughout all design stages. A limited but growing body of recent literature suggests that building information modelling has the potential to assist architects to minimise design waste on their projects. The research reported in this paper is the first attempt to develop a design decision making framework for improving construction waste minimisation performance through building information modelling. The potential use of building information modelling to drive out construction waste in building design was investigated through a questionnaire survey and follow-up interview with the top 100 architectural practices in the United Kingdom. An industry-reviewed 'building information modelling-aided construction waste minimisation framework' was developed based on the results of the literature review, questionnaire data, and interview data. The Framework is intended to act as an integrated platform for designing out waste decision making, by providing informed building information modelling-driven guidance to address waste causes throughout design stages
Zhen Liu; Mohamed Osmani; Peter Demian; Andrew Baldwin. A BIM-aided construction waste minimisation framework. Automation in Construction 2015, 59, 1 -23.
AMA StyleZhen Liu, Mohamed Osmani, Peter Demian, Andrew Baldwin. A BIM-aided construction waste minimisation framework. Automation in Construction. 2015; 59 ():1-23.
Chicago/Turabian StyleZhen Liu; Mohamed Osmani; Peter Demian; Andrew Baldwin. 2015. "A BIM-aided construction waste minimisation framework." Automation in Construction 59, no. : 1-23.
The aim of this work was to explore the impact of local cultural dynamics on the conservation of the built heritage of Suakin, an abandoned historic port on the Red Sea coast of Sudan, through a collaborative stakeholder approach. Key representatives of local stakeholder groups attended a two-day workshop and took part in a series of collaborative activities. These encompassed the production of a rank-ordered list of the key local cultural dynamics impacting on the port's conservation, agreement to a number of actions to address obstacles to conservation, identification of local cultural values collectively determined by stakeholder and confirmation of the value of an integrated conservation approach. The workshop enabled a shared understanding and responsibility between stakeholders and established a commitment to further action to address the key local cultural dynamics impacting on the conservation. This collaborative stakeholder participation represented a new step in the port's conservation and invited the development of more formal protocols to enable the equal representation and participation of stakeholders in future conservation activities and initiatives. The aim of this work was to explore the impact of local cultural dynamics on the conservation of the built heritage of Suakin, an abandoned historic port on the Red Sea coast of Sudan, through a collaborative stakeholder approach. Key representatives of local stakeholder groups attended a two-day workshop and took part in a series of collaborative activities. These encompassed the production of a rank-ordered list of the key local cultural dynamics impacting on the port's conservation, agreement to a number of actions to address obstacles to conservation, identification of local cultural values collectively determined by stakeholder and confirmation of the value of an integrated conservation approach. The workshop enabled a shared understanding and responsibility between stakeholders and established a commitment to further action to address the key local cultural dynamics impacting on the conservation. This collaborative stakeholder participation represented a new step in the port's conservation and invited the development of more formal protocols to enable the equal representation and participation of stakeholders in future conservation activities and initiatives.
Katherine Sarah Ashley; Mohamed Osmani; Stephen Emmitt; Michael Mallinson; Helen Mallinson. Impact of cultural dynamics on conservation of Suakin, Sudan. Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers - Engineering Sustainability 2014, 167, 264 -278.
AMA StyleKatherine Sarah Ashley, Mohamed Osmani, Stephen Emmitt, Michael Mallinson, Helen Mallinson. Impact of cultural dynamics on conservation of Suakin, Sudan. Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers - Engineering Sustainability. 2014; 167 (6):264-278.
Chicago/Turabian StyleKatherine Sarah Ashley; Mohamed Osmani; Stephen Emmitt; Michael Mallinson; Helen Mallinson. 2014. "Impact of cultural dynamics on conservation of Suakin, Sudan." Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers - Engineering Sustainability 167, no. 6: 264-278.
The conservation of built heritage is recognized as a vehicle for sustaining local identity and a powerful instrument for urban regeneration. The problem of how to engage local culture in this process, however, has received comparatively little attention, despite the recognition of ‘stakeholders’ and the importance of their involvement. This research examines how collaboration between stakeholders might be established to conserve and thus help regenerate the historic and largely abandoned port town of Suakin. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with representatives of Suakin’s stakeholder groups and supported through archival analysis and observational studies. The intention was to explore the stakeholders’ views of the ‘conservation drivers’, ‘conservation practice’, and ‘conservation challenges and enablers’ affecting Suakin. The stakeholders’ response provides a preliminary status to the various perspectives concerning the conservation of Suakin’s built heritage. The findings identify a number of major issues impacting Suakin’s conservation and reveal a potential for implementing a comprehensive and inclusive conservation approach. The research establishes the case for further research to determine best methods to enable stakeholders to collaboratively address the issues impacting Suakin’s conservation. This approach to stakeholder involvement represents a new step towards the conservation of Suakin and a new contribution towards the conservation process.
Katherine Sarah Ashley; Mohamed Osmani; Stephen Emmitt; Michael Mallinson; Helen Mallinson. Assessing stakeholders’ perspectives towards the conservation of the built heritage of Suakin, Sudan. International Journal of Heritage Studies 2014, 21, 674 -697.
AMA StyleKatherine Sarah Ashley, Mohamed Osmani, Stephen Emmitt, Michael Mallinson, Helen Mallinson. Assessing stakeholders’ perspectives towards the conservation of the built heritage of Suakin, Sudan. International Journal of Heritage Studies. 2014; 21 (7):674-697.
Chicago/Turabian StyleKatherine Sarah Ashley; Mohamed Osmani; Stephen Emmitt; Michael Mallinson; Helen Mallinson. 2014. "Assessing stakeholders’ perspectives towards the conservation of the built heritage of Suakin, Sudan." International Journal of Heritage Studies 21, no. 7: 674-697.
This article is closed access, it was published in the journal Resources, Conservation and Recycling [© Elsevier]. The definitive version is available at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.resconrec.2014.05.005Many developed countries are using a challenging Zero Waste concept to change current waste management practices to more sustainable methods of managing waste, including household waste. The concept includes waste prevention; high levels of recycling and recovery of all resources from waste; and behavioural change. This research provides a case study on the development of a Zero Waste Strategy (ZWS) for Charnwood Borough Council (CBC), an English Local Authority (LA), which has an established household waste management system. This paper describes the steps taken by the authors, together with CBC to devise and implement a ZWS. A series of focus groups were held involving elected members of the LA and members of the community. The aim was to identify the core aspects of environmental, operational and social demands in order to prioritise actions to be included in a draft ZWS. The draft underwent wider public consultation, which highlighted areas for revision, and following revision has been adopted by the LA. The ZWS takes into account local issues, local policies, alongside national strategies and legislation. Many of the options identified during this research complement each other and if used in combination may see large steps taken towards Zero Waste. This is difficult to achieve without a holistic approach to waste generation, collection, treatment and disposal. Key findings from this research are to switch the focus from recycling to reuse and waste prevention, alongside increasing education and behaviour change programmes for householders. Additionally, the potential value of separately collecting food waste, with a recognised high potential yield, must be explored to ensure meeting targets set in the ZWS and the requirements of the Landfill Directive. © 2014 Elsevier B.V
Christine Cole; Mohamed Osmani; Mohammed Quddus; Andrew Wheatley; Kath Kay. Towards a Zero Waste Strategy for an English Local Authority. Resources, Conservation and Recycling 2014, 89, 64 -75.
AMA StyleChristine Cole, Mohamed Osmani, Mohammed Quddus, Andrew Wheatley, Kath Kay. Towards a Zero Waste Strategy for an English Local Authority. Resources, Conservation and Recycling. 2014; 89 ():64-75.
Chicago/Turabian StyleChristine Cole; Mohamed Osmani; Mohammed Quddus; Andrew Wheatley; Kath Kay. 2014. "Towards a Zero Waste Strategy for an English Local Authority." Resources, Conservation and Recycling 89, no. : 64-75.
Sarah-Jane Holmes; Mohamed Osmani. Planning for Waste Management. A Handbook for Construction Planning and Scheduling 2014, 216 -227.
AMA StyleSarah-Jane Holmes, Mohamed Osmani. Planning for Waste Management. A Handbook for Construction Planning and Scheduling. 2014; ():216-227.
Chicago/Turabian StyleSarah-Jane Holmes; Mohamed Osmani. 2014. "Planning for Waste Management." A Handbook for Construction Planning and Scheduling , no. : 216-227.
This article was published in the journal Waste Management [© Elsevier]. The definitive version is available at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.wasman.2013.10.018At a local Government level there have been many interventions and changes made to household waste collection services to meet new regulatory requirements. These changes include separate collection of recyclable and organic materials. This paper has used a time series model to quantify the success of interventions introduced by a LA.The case study was a medium sized UK LA, Charnwood Borough Council (CBC), the research analyses monthly data of quantities of recyclates, garden waste for composting and residual waste for landfill disposal. The time series model was validated with a five year data set and used to measure the impacts of the various changes to identify which intervention was the most successful, while controlling for season and number of working days. The results show the interventions analysed both had abrupt and permanent positive impacts on the yield of recyclable materials, and a corresponding negative impact on the residual waste.The model could be added to the National data base to help LAs to compare interventions and to understand which schemes encourage householder participation and improve recycling performance. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd
Christine Cole; Mohammed Quddus; Andrew Wheatley; Mohamed Osmani; Kath Kay. The impact of Local Authorities’ interventions on household waste collection: A case study approach using time series modelling. Waste Management 2014, 34, 266 -272.
AMA StyleChristine Cole, Mohammed Quddus, Andrew Wheatley, Mohamed Osmani, Kath Kay. The impact of Local Authorities’ interventions on household waste collection: A case study approach using time series modelling. Waste Management. 2014; 34 (2):266-272.
Chicago/Turabian StyleChristine Cole; Mohammed Quddus; Andrew Wheatley; Mohamed Osmani; Kath Kay. 2014. "The impact of Local Authorities’ interventions on household waste collection: A case study approach using time series modelling." Waste Management 34, no. 2: 266-272.
Over the last few years there has been an increasing demand for more efficient ways of procuring materials in terms of reducing their impacts on the environment. The UK Strategy for Sustainable Construction introduced a voluntary target of 25% of all resources in the construction industry to be responsibly sourced by 2012. At the time of writing there has been very limited research on responsible sourcing (RS), particularly in terms of contractors' current practices and implementation at project level. Therefore, an assessment of the current status of RS among the top 100 UK contractors has been captured using a questionnaire survey and follow-up interviews. The results indicate that no clear RS responsibility has been established, and there is no cohesive, top-down strategy from the strategic level (sustainability managers) to the implementation level (procurement mangers) in place in contracting companies. On the other hand, there was agreement that government leadership through the implementation of RS in all public projects could be a significant catalyst to drive RS in construction projects. Over the last few years there has been an increasing demand for more efficient ways of procuring materials in terms of reducing their impacts on the environment. The UK Strategy for Sustainable Construction introduced a voluntary target of 25% of all resources in the construction industry to be responsibly sourced by 2012. At the time of writing there has been very limited research on responsible sourcing (RS), particularly in terms of contractors' current practices and implementation at project level. Therefore, an assessment of the current status of RS among the top 100 UK contractors has been captured using a questionnaire survey and follow-up interviews. The results indicate that no clear RS responsibility has been established, and there is no cohesive, top-down strategy from the strategic level (sustainability managers) to the implementation level (procurement mangers) in place in contracting companies. On the other hand, there was agreement that government leadership through the implementation of RS in all public projects could be a significant catalyst to drive RS in construction projects.
Jamie Young; Mohamed Osmani. Investigation into contractors' responsible sourcing implementation practice. Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers - Engineering Sustainability 2013, 166, 320 -329.
AMA StyleJamie Young, Mohamed Osmani. Investigation into contractors' responsible sourcing implementation practice. Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers - Engineering Sustainability. 2013; 166 (6):320-329.
Chicago/Turabian StyleJamie Young; Mohamed Osmani. 2013. "Investigation into contractors' responsible sourcing implementation practice." Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers - Engineering Sustainability 166, no. 6: 320-329.
The UK housing sector accounts for approximately 30% of total energy demand and accounts for 27% of carbon emissions. The uptake of low energy retrofit (LER) within the existing housing stock is piecemeal and currently not sufficient to achieve the 80% carbon reduction legally binding commitment by 2050 in the UK. Literature reveals that improving thermal insulation is the most preferred LER design approach in housing projects. Furthermore, there are no legislative requirements to drive architects to design in low energy housing retrofit strategies in their current projects. Therefore, this research engaged architects specializing in housing refurbishment through a questionnaire survey to investigate LER design challenges and enablers. Results indicate that high capital costs for micro- generation technologies; disparity in VAT between new build and refurbishment; and the complexity of the UK existing housing stock are the most considerable LER housing design challenges. On the other hand; a tax rebate for LER driven projects; removal of the VAT difference between new build and refurbishment; increased research to produce affordable low energy technologies; and increased government low carbon programs were identified as the key incentives to drive the LER housing agenda.
Mohamed Osmani; Philip Davies. An Assessment of Low Energy Design Practices in Housing Retrofit Projects. Energy Procedia 2013, 42, 193 -200.
AMA StyleMohamed Osmani, Philip Davies. An Assessment of Low Energy Design Practices in Housing Retrofit Projects. Energy Procedia. 2013; 42 ():193-200.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMohamed Osmani; Philip Davies. 2013. "An Assessment of Low Energy Design Practices in Housing Retrofit Projects." Energy Procedia 42, no. : 193-200.
An ever-increasing amount of global research on construction waste has been conducted over the past two decades, ranging from ‘soft’ mapping and management, reduction tools and methodologies to ‘hard’ material and recycling technologies. However, the current state of research is largely dominated by endeavours to manage waste that has already been produced. Hence, there is a need for a shift from ‘end-of pipe’ solutions that focus on on-site waste management to a source-based approach that is aimed at ‘life cycle’ analysis. This research engaged a sample population from the major UK architectural and contracting firms through 24 interviews to investigate the underlying origins, causes and sources of waste across all project life cycle stages. Respondents reported that designing out waste has never been the most glamorous end of sustainable design. Moreover, the results reveal that waste generation is affected by a wide practice of not embedding waste reduction in briefing and contractual documents, no baseline setting, and lack of designers’ understanding of design waste origins, causes and sources. This is hindered by limited know-how and incoherent coordination and communication between project members and impeded by time constraints and disjointed design information. Collectively, these impediments disallow the consideration, engagement and implementation of designing out waste. An ever-increasing amount of global research on construction waste has been conducted over the past two decades, ranging from ‘soft’ mapping and management, reduction tools and methodologies to ‘hard’ material and recycling technologies. However, the current state of research is largely dominated by endeavours to manage waste that has already been produced. Hence, there is a need for a shift from ‘end-of pipe’ solutions that focus on on-site waste management to a source-based approach that is aimed at ‘life cycle’ analysis. This research engaged a sample population from the major UK architectural and contracting firms through 24 interviews to investigate the underlying origins, causes and sources of waste across all project life cycle stages. Respondents reported that designing out waste has never been the most glamorous end of sustainable design. Moreover, the results reveal that waste generation is affected by a wide practice of not embedding waste reduction in briefing and contractual documents, no baseline setting, and lack of designers’ understanding of design waste origins, causes and sources. This is hindered by limited know-how and incoherent coordination and communication between project members and impeded by time constraints and disjointed design information. Collectively, these impediments disallow the consideration, engagement and implementation of designing out waste.
Mohamed Osmani. Design waste mapping: a project life cycle approach. Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers - Waste and Resource Management 2013, 166, 114 -127.
AMA StyleMohamed Osmani. Design waste mapping: a project life cycle approach. Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers - Waste and Resource Management. 2013; 166 (3):114-127.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMohamed Osmani. 2013. "Design waste mapping: a project life cycle approach." Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers - Waste and Resource Management 166, no. 3: 114-127.
S. Al-Otaibi; M. Osmani; A. D. F. Price. A Framework for Improving Project Performance of Standard Design Models in Saudi Arabia. Journal of Engineering, Project, and Production Management 2013, 3, 85 -95.
AMA StyleS. Al-Otaibi, M. Osmani, A. D. F. Price. A Framework for Improving Project Performance of Standard Design Models in Saudi Arabia. Journal of Engineering, Project, and Production Management. 2013; 3 (2):85-95.
Chicago/Turabian StyleS. Al-Otaibi; M. Osmani; A. D. F. Price. 2013. "A Framework for Improving Project Performance of Standard Design Models in Saudi Arabia." Journal of Engineering, Project, and Production Management 3, no. 2: 85-95.
Mohamed Osmani. Innovation in cleaner production through waste recycling in composites. Management of Environmental Quality: An International Journal 2012, 24, 6 -15.
AMA StyleMohamed Osmani. Innovation in cleaner production through waste recycling in composites. Management of Environmental Quality: An International Journal. 2012; 24 (1):6-15.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMohamed Osmani. 2012. "Innovation in cleaner production through waste recycling in composites." Management of Environmental Quality: An International Journal 24, no. 1: 6-15.
It is widely acknowledged that the UK building sector is one of the key contributors to carbon emissions, as it is accountable for around 50% of carbon emissions, 27% of which are a product of domestic building construction and operation. As a result, the UK government announced that all new houses are to be zero carbon by 2016. However, the current recession has left the UK construction industry facing its toughest challenges for a generation with the housing sector among those to have sustained the worst damage. Indeed, recent figures reveal that housing orders in the UK were down 30%, amounting to an overall 18% yearly decrease. Hence, a quantitative methodology, consisting of a questionnaire survey sent to 100 UK architects specializing in residential design, was adopted in this research to investigate the effect of the current recession on zero carbon housing design practices in the UK. Results indicate that certain types of clients have been considerably affected more than others; with particular reference to large house builders, who appear to have suffered the most. Additionally, it appears that for many architectural practices, sustainability is no longer as important as making a profit; and for the majority of participants, the zero carbon housing agenda is not a design priority. However, a number of the problematic sustainable design issues identified during the course of the research were not exclusively as a result of the recession. Considerable difficulties had been experienced by the majority of architects concerning the lack of clarity and interpretation of the legislation surrounding low and zero carbon housing design. It is interesting to note, however, that the associated financial impact of zero carbon housing construction preceded the onset of the current recession; with particular challenges faced as a result of the legislative requirement to use onsite micro renewable energy solutions. The participating architects went further to argue that such strategies are generally considered to be too expensive, ineffective and under-developed to be the primary energy source for new housing developments.
Mohamed Osmani; Naomi Gordon. Is the Recession Jeopardizing the 2016 Zero Carbon Homes Agenda in England? Blockchain Technology and Innovations in Business Processes 2012, 99 -107.
AMA StyleMohamed Osmani, Naomi Gordon. Is the Recession Jeopardizing the 2016 Zero Carbon Homes Agenda in England? Blockchain Technology and Innovations in Business Processes. 2012; ():99-107.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMohamed Osmani; Naomi Gordon. 2012. "Is the Recession Jeopardizing the 2016 Zero Carbon Homes Agenda in England?" Blockchain Technology and Innovations in Business Processes , no. : 99-107.
The UK has a legally binding commitment to reduce CO2 levels by 80% by 2050 relative to the 1990 emissions baseline. The existing housing stock, which accounts for approximately 30% of total UK energy demand, has the potential to provide significant opportunities for this reduction; however, currently there are no legislative measures driving widespread low carbon housing refurbishment (LCHR) design and construction. Architects have a decisive role to move forward the LCHR agenda owing to their leadership and significant involvement in the initial briefing, conceptual and design development phases of a project, regardless of project procurement types and project sizes. Hence, the aim of this research is to investigate the key challenges and incentives for achieving LCHR in England from architects’ perspectives. The research adopted a triangulated methodological approach, consisting of a desk study, postal questionnaires, and follow up semi-structured interviews. The questionnaires and interviews were executed amongst a wide geographical sampling frame of architects in England with previous housing refurbishment experience. The research concluded that high capital costs for micro-generation technologies and energy efficient materials; disparity in VAT between new build and refurbishment; and the complexity of the UK existing housing stock are the most considerable LCHR challenges. In contrast, the research indicated that a tax rebate; removal of the VAT difference between new build and refurbishment; increased research to produce affordable micro-generation technologies; and increased government supplied low carbon programmes were identified by the participants as the key incentives to drive the LCHR agenda.
Philip Davies; Mohamed Osmani. Low carbon housing refurbishment challenges and incentives: Architects’ perspectives. Building and Environment 2011, 46, 1691 -1698.
AMA StylePhilip Davies, Mohamed Osmani. Low carbon housing refurbishment challenges and incentives: Architects’ perspectives. Building and Environment. 2011; 46 (8):1691-1698.
Chicago/Turabian StylePhilip Davies; Mohamed Osmani. 2011. "Low carbon housing refurbishment challenges and incentives: Architects’ perspectives." Building and Environment 46, no. 8: 1691-1698.