The Synthetic Biology engineering based approach to living systems intersects with the new interdisciplinary field of unconventional computing and suggests a new method for design in architectural practice. Living systems possess unique properties that are not present in digital/mechanical systems their sensors and effectors are intrinsically coupled, perform parallel forms of computation, are ...

In a lecture hosted by the National Research Council’s Center for Education, Shulman (2005) contrasted the different roles and responsibilities of faculty staff teaching students within subject areas or disciplines and those teaching students intending to practise within a professional area. Given the practice-oriented fields in which many built environment students go on to be employed such a ...

BACKGROUND The built environment, a key component of environmental health, may be an important contributor to health disparities, particularly for reproductive health outcomes. OBJECTIVE In this study we investigated the relationship between seven indices of residential built environment quality and adverse reproductive outcomes for the City of Durham, North Carolina (USA). METHODS We surve...

INTRODUCTION The past decade has seen a dramatic increase in empirical investigation into the relations between built environment and physical activity. To create places that facilitate and encourage walking, practitioners need an understanding of the specific characteristics of the built environment that correlate most strongly with walking. This article reviews evidence on the built environme...

Using n-Dimensional (nD) modelling techniques in the European Union funded IntelCities project (6.8 Million Euros, Framework 6 Integrated Project) the “Built environment Data Integration System” (BDIS) has been produced. BDIS combines building scale and urban scale data to give a holistic view of the built environment, and thus support the purchase and refurbishment of buildings. This paper wil...

As built environment is of major importance to all societies and economies, it is essential that the discipline advances as rapidly and rigorously as possible. Only by use of appropriate methodologies and methods of research, the body of knowledge for construction can be established and advanced with confidence. Research is always executed in context and it is vital to give careful consideratio...

BACKGROUND Studies assessing the association between health-related quality of life (HR-QOL) with physical activity (PA) and built environment (BE) characteristics are limited. METHODS A cross-sectional study was conducted among 1,334 adults from Bogotá, to assess the associations between HR-QOL with PA and BE characteristics. HR-QOL was measured using the World Health Organization and the Ce...

The quality of the built environment can impact the quality of life and the sense of home of nursing home residents. This study investigated (1) which factors in the physical and social environment correlate with the sense of home of the residents and (2) which environmental factors are most meaningful. Twelve participants engaged in a qualitative study, in which photography was as a supportive...

September 2003 can be considered the public launch of the study of built environment and physical activity. In that month both the American Journal of Public Health and American Journal of Health Promotion published special issues on built environment, physical activity, and health. A notable characteristic of the journals was the unusual diversity of academic disciplines represented, including...

Advanced digital mapping tools and technologies are enablers for effective e-planning in the built and human environment. The regeneration and transformation of cities from the industrial age to the knowledge age is essentially a ‘whole life cycle’ process consisting of; planning, development, operation, reuse and renewal. The use of the 3D laser scanner enables digital documentation of buildin...