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 ...

OBJECTIVE Built environment attributes are associated with walking but little is known about how the impact of walking campaigns varies across different environments. The objective of this study was to compare the impact of a campaign on changes in walking between respondents with a high versus low mix of local destinations. METHODS Pre- and post-campaign data from a quasi-experimental study ...

In many robotic exploration missions, robots have to learn specific policies that allow them to: (i) select high level goals (e.g., identify specific destinations), (ii) navigate (reach those destinations), (iii) and adapt to their environment (e.g., modify their behavior based on changing environmental conditions). Furthermore, those policies must be robust to signal noise or unexpected situat...

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...

OBJECTIVE Interventions that address the built environment present an opportunity to affect behaviours such as physical activity. The purpose of this study was to evaluate a community walking map developed for eight neighbourhoods in the City of Edmonton (COE). METHOD A walking map developed in partnership with the COE's Walkable Initiative was distributed to 11,994 households across eight ne...

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...

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...

ANOVA-ANalysis Of VAriance. ANOVA is used to determine if differences found between groups of data are statistically significant. ANOVA compares variation around the mean values of groups of measurements – for example, household VMT at different levels of land use mix near households. BMI – Body Mass Index, a height / weight ratio. A BMI of over 25 is classified as overweight, and 30 is general...