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This paper discussed quantifying architect, engineer and contractor (AEC) professionals' cross-work culture productivity by comparing between Malaysian and United Kingdom (UK) projects during industrialized building project delivery. This study addressed the second part of a mixed method research design study.

This study hypothesized that with understanding of cultural work knowledge between professionals during design phase coupled with competent technological support, productivity can be improved. It utilized Cognitive Organizational Theory (COT) protocols to test conceptual models in SimVision®. Organizational structure, project intensity, and statistical validations parameters were performed to obtain the reliability and generalization of the result.

This study found that with Building Information Modeling (BIM) technology intervention, the handling of exception, coordination and decision-making time could be improved, resulting in better project performances. The result also indicated that in choosing organizational fit, national culture factor needed to be considered; otherwise, organizational change would be unacceptable. By changing the operational process from intensive to reciprocal task intensity with BIM technology intervention, the effect on productivity would be similar to changing hierarchical organizational structure to flatter organizational structure.

Project discrepancies issues are limitedly discussed due to companies' confidentiality. The paper only focuses on understanding the effects of human factors during the integrated project delivery phase.

The findings could support developing countries' professionals to collaborate effectively with developed countries' professionals.

The development of the project's cultural knowledge experimentations will provide guidance to teams involved in international projects from developed and developing countries in pursuing joint ventures in project deliveries in either country successfully.

This study aims to examine the trajectory of the urban growth of Borneo by portraying its resilient settlements in the pre-colonial times, tropical sensitive colonial architecture, the built environment of the post–independence period and finally the contemporary city image. This is followed by a comparative study of its major urban centres and determining how globalisation and neoliberalism impact the traditional urban settlements of this island and poses a threat to its rich biodiversity.

This study uses case study research methodology involving selected cities on the Island of Borneo including Kota Kinabalu, Sandakan, Miri and Kuching (Sabah and Sarawak, Malaysia), Bandar Seri Begawan (Brunei), and major cities of the state of Kalimantan, Indonesia. Data collection includes a literature review, content analysis, field assessment and observations. The major research objectives would address past and current issues in the selected urban environment of Borneo. They address the historical evolution of major cities of Borneo, current urban development trends, the deterioration of the traditional urban fabric as a result of post–independence development and later globalisation.

This study found that the rich cultural tradition and climate-responsive architecture from the past have been discontinued to pave way for fast track and often speculative development. The results contribute in the convergence of existing shortcomings of cities from three nations on Borneo Island in guiding future sustainable urban planning agenda for achieving a resilient city status while reinstating the character and the sense of place. The study expects the recommendations to become prerequisites for future urban planning in sensitive tropical regions.

This research identified a new “Borneo approach” to urban development. The study strongly recommends top priorities for the central, state and local governments of Malaysia, Brunei and Indonesia allowing the planners and decision-makers to establish a new tropical urban planning initiative with the ample design practice for this unique region in Southeast Asia. The results of this study can serve as the guiding principles for other urban environments in fragile and sensitive tropical regions.

This paper aims to investigate the potentials of virtual reality (VR) for residential real estate marketing to influence house purchase intention.

Based on the relevant literature in consumer behaviour, this study hypothesised the relationships between atmosphere with pleasure and arousal emotions and the subsequent influence of emotions towards house purchase intention in a virtual environment. A within-subjects experimental design was conducted with 60 real potential homebuyers to test the hypotheses. Data were analysed using paired samples t-test and partial least squares-structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM).

Results revealed that there is a significant difference in the atmosphere and house purchase intention between real and virtual environments. On the other hand, pleasure and arousal emotions evoked in real and virtual environments showed no significant difference. The results show that the atmosphere significantly affects pleasure and arousal, where pleasure, in turn, has a significant effect on purchase intention, and arousal showed an insignificant effect on purchase intention in the virtual environment.

Due to budget limitation, this study was constrained to the use of HTC Vive as the VR equipment and evaluation of only one type of housing design.

This study contributes to facilitating the revitalisation of real estate marketing with the integration of VR by providing notable empirical results and recommendations based on the research findings.

This study extends the current knowledge from the stimulus-organism-response framework for a smart real estate marketing strategy using VR.

With rapid urbanization, cities are facing various ecological and environmental problems. Living in harmony with nature is more important than ever. This paper aims to evaluate the ecosystem and ecological features of Azheke village, a key component of the Hani Rice Terraces World Cultural Heritage in China. The focus is on exploring effective ways to improve the relationship between humans and the natural environment through urban design in order to create a livable and sustainable city that can promote the development of sustainable smart urban ecology design.

This study conducted a systematic literature review to answer the following research questions: (1) How does Azheke design achieve harmony between humans and nature? (2) What are the effective approaches to improve the relationship between humans and nature within urban ecosystems? (3) How can urban design learn and integrate from Azheke’s ecological features to improve the relationship between humans and nature?

Azheke sustains long-term human-nature harmony through traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) and efficient natural resource use. By incorporating biophilic design and nature-based solutions from Azheke, along with biodiversity-friendly urban planning, we can boost urban ecosystem health and create unique Azheke-inspired urban designs.

This research primarily focuses on the human-nature relationship, exploring design strategies based on biodiversity without delving into the interactions between other components of urban ecosystems, such as social-cultural and economic components.

This paper provides a new perspective and strategies for developing sustainable and smart urban ecology design. These findings can provide theoretical references for urban planners, designers and decision-makers.

The purpose of the paper was twofold: to review established literature to define and classify BIM; and to identify gaps in current BIM literature with respect to stakeholder competency. Construction projects adopt innovation to address client requirements. Building information modelling (BIM) has been cited as one such innovation. However there is concern that the industry lacks the mechanisms to effectively implement BIM. It is proposed that the problem lies in that BIM is currently being delivered as a project rather than an innovation; and the failure to address stakeholder competency as the key delivery agent of BIM.

A qualitative study using literature and gap analysis techniques was undertaken to establish the “state of the art”. Using an established Competency Framework 31, studies on BIM were assessed. A matrix was developed aligning the BIM studies with the Competency Framework and the findings systematically evaluated to identify gaps in the current literature.

BIM was defined as a technical innovation and classified as a “System” of multiple innovations. Aligning the literature identified that BIM literature has largely focussed on strategic competence with some evidence of technical competence. However, there was scant investigation of information and communication competence which ranks as the most critical competency for BIM implementation. The study identified that whilst the competency-related literature on BIM was not yet rich enough to provide a sound conceptual foundation for investigation, it was evident that BIM implementation aligns closely with the innovation process.

The findings highlighted the imperative of developing a competency-based approach for BIM implementation.

It was anticipated that a competency-based approach will provide insights to benefit construction industry clients and inform the targeted training of project stakeholders.

BIM must be implemented as an innovation using a competency-based management approach as the key delivery mechanism.

This paper aims to investigate the relationship between building information modelling (BIM) adoption from the perspectives of people, process and technology to strategic information technology (IT) in construction mediated by collaborative processes for new BIM entrants. The demand pull for more effective project delivery in the construction industry across the globe has continued to transform design techniques from two-dimensional, three-dimensional (3D) and, currently, BIM. Leverage on IT is pivotal for construction industry development as earmarked by the Malaysian construction industry master plan. BIM uptake by stakeholders in Malaysia construction industry is on a gradual increase. BIM generates and manages building data during its life cycle via 3D, real-time, dynamic building modelling.

BIM model is dependent on collaborative contribution by project teams’ input at various stages. However, challenges such as people, process and technology impede an effective adoption rate in Malaysia. This paper presents a continuation of an ongoing theoretical framework developed, to further investigate the relationship between BIM adoption from perspectives of people, process and technology to strategic IT in construction and collaborative process. To develop the framework, an extensive literature review on factors affecting BIM adoption was carried out. The underlining gap stems from a positivist standpoint in examining human – IT interaction. The model builds on conceptual technology acceptance models incorporating strategic IT implementation and collaborative processes in the industry.

The paper examined factors affecting BIM adoption in Malaysia. The factors are further affected by the environment where BIM is utilised. The paper also presents the mediating effect of collaboration for new BIM entrants. Overall, the theorised hypotheses delineate the strength and significance of the examined relationship within the model. Subsequently, the data will be collected from construction industry professionals (architects, quantity surveyors, engineers and contractors) through the developed survey instrument. The hypotheses will undergo structural equation modelling to analyse the desired statistical power, test for close versus exact fit and complexity of the model.

The findings will delineate the variables with predominant impact on BIM adoption and serves as a guide to future policymaking on BIM implementation in Malaysia.

Current research on BIM in Malaysia is limited to readiness and awareness. This paper extends the need for empirical findings from construction professionals’ perception of BIM. The findings also explain reasons for BIM adoption in new BIM entrants and add to current body of knowledge on IT acceptance model formation.

The purpose of this paper is to report the results of a techno-economic feasibility study on the application of Audio Visual Enterprise Resource Planning (AV-ERP). Due to rapid urbanisation and economic growth in developing countries (DCs) like India, there has been tremendous development in infrastructural projects. To maintain the quality and competitive commercial pricing of the projects, stakeholders are working together from different geographic locations. Due to lack of culture in adopting the technological advancements, the on-site construction activities lack coordination among the stakeholders.

In the present case, it is observed that the site and various stakeholders like consultants are physically monitoring and controlling the ongoing construction activity from different geographic locations. To manage the effective communication and information exchanges, an integrated tool for surveillance and AV-ERP is proposed in the present paper. These equipment and technologies play a very vital role in the construction industry, which, in turn, significantly affects the progress, cost and time of the project. The techno-economic feasibility of proposed AV-ERP system was evaluated for the ongoing township project over the study area.

For the considered case study, 75 per cent cost of the project overhead incurred for site monitoring can be saved by implementing the proposed technology of AV-ERP system.

The proposed AV-ERP system is a techno-economically viable solution for the effective project management.

In the DCs like India, to develop the culture for adopting the technological advancements (AV-ERP system) for monitoring the on-site construction activities, the presented case becomes an innovative solution for upcoming medium as well as large-scale construction projects.

This paper aims to investigate the ways that could enhance residents’ social interaction in low-rise residential building neighbourhoods of Basra city in Iraq. The lack of social interaction among residents of Basra city prompted the authors to frame a strategy for this case study.

The spatial design characteristics of low-rise residential building neighbourhoods implicated to support the residents in terms of social interactions in comparison to those exhibited by a single home and traditional neighbourhoods. The statistical data demonstrated that by using this strategy, several unique features of secured, collective, responsive and supportive spaces could enhance the residents’ social interaction.

This study found that all collective space factors have a significant influence on social interaction. “Fostering proper proximity and accessibility” factor was ranked first and the most significant factor with an influence on social interaction. Secured spaces (hierarchical spatial structure, physical security supports and construct) have a significant influence on social interaction. The most interesting finding in this study is that all factors of the supportive spaces construct have a significant influence on social interaction. Finally, this study showed that two factors of the responsive spaces construct, increasing variety and increasing legibility, have an insignificant influence on social interaction.

The design of low-rise residential building neighbourhoods in Basra city may be used to develop social interaction as the contributing factor for maintaining values of traditional neighbourhood communities. This study highlights certain recommendations for architects, especially urban designers, to reinforce residents’ social interaction in low-rise residential building neighbourhoods in Basra city.

The purpose of this paper is to explore the implications of socially inclusive Building Information Modelling (BIM) library components. BIM requires and integrates many sets of predefined blocks or collection of attributes. Any one of the individual blocks can be replicated and/or stored in a block library for later reuse. However, few if any current block libraries contain or have access to the blocks that enable social inclusion.

An action-based research methodology was used to design, develop and deploy three enabling blocks as part of a plan to develop a larger library of tools for BIM practitioners. The Enabling Block Library is an open access library of Australian code-compliant mobility elements published online. This paper discusses the design and development of the library components in detail, explaining how each of the three blocks was selected in our pilot evaluation and how each was identified; fact-checked; planned (designed); deployed (action); and then evaluated.

The process and evaluation highlights that appropriate code-compliant design tools can support greater social inclusion aspects of a built environment project. These are tools that are relevant to the full spectrum of industry users of BIM, including designers, engineers and certifiers.

Because this paper documents the project while in an early launch phase, with a small number of launch blocks, the research results were limited in their ability to thoroughly measure industry or educational impact. However, the results showed how a socially inclusive BIM block library can be developed and why this is important, with literature supporting the potential of its dissemination to the design and construction industry.

The paper applied action-based research methodology in the development, deployment and evaluation of exploratory BIM use to create more socially inclusive environments. It is of value because it facilitates designers creating the optimum of performance-based accessible environments, rather than the minimum “deemed to satisfy” Building Codes.