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The failure to contend with fragmented nature of construction and change has often led to mismatches between the training offered and the workforce training needs in the Malaysian construction industry. Consequently, many training... more
The failure to contend with fragmented nature of construction and change has often led to mismatches between the training offered and the workforce training needs in the Malaysian construction industry. Consequently, many training initiatives have fallen short of its intended objective. On the premise that the way forward to critically rethink the current training approaches by assimilating best practice training concepts, this paper critically investigates the best practices that can be applied in the training offered to the Malaysian construction workforce. This paper will be looking at various possibility of construction training methods. A best practice framework to underpin effective construction training is proposed at the end of the paper.
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Building refurbishments involve improvement, upgrading, renovation, retrofit, and repair of existing buildings. It is an important sector of the construction industry. Building refurbishment projects are characterized by a high level of... more
Building refurbishments involve improvement, upgrading, renovation, retrofit, and repair of existing buildings. It is an important sector of the construction industry. Building refurbishment projects are characterized by a high level of complexity and uncertainty which often involves factors such as change in design, inadequate and unavailable information which may initiate conflicts. The aim of this paper is to investigate how the factors cause conflicts. A comprehensive literature review was carried out as part of on-going Ph.D. research program. The review reveals that building refurbishment projects are more uncertain than new building projects and that the uncertainties tend to increase conflicts. This paper concludes that knowledge relating to complexity and uncertainty in refurbishment projects and the factors that cause conflict has to be managed systematically to enable successful project implementation.
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This paper presents the findings of a study on the relevancy of metaphysics on functional performance of commercial building design. Similarities in principles on building design and planning practices by three major Asian cultures, the... more
This paper presents the findings of a study on the relevancy of metaphysics on functional performance of commercial building design. Similarities in principles on building design and planning practices by three major Asian cultures, the Chinese-Buddhist, IndianHindu, and Malay-Islam, are looked into. The main aim of the study was to gouge whether the selected existing building designs were in compliance with any metaphysic theories and conformance with certain an established standard commercial building design guidelines. There are 13 commercial premises owned by Government agency were selected and of these, six were categorized under “performing”, while seven were “nonperforming”. Two locally well-known commercial premises were used as “benchmark”. A combination technique done previously by others with observational procedure was devised in the analysis process. The findings reveal some evidence that metaphysics had certain influence towards functional performance of the commercial...
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This paper presents the findings of an ongoing study that explores the potential relationship between visitors' sense of direction and spatial ability in the context of navigation experience on a university campus. A structured... more
This paper presents the findings of an ongoing study that explores the potential relationship between visitors' sense of direction and spatial ability in the context of navigation experience on a university campus. A structured questionnaire and tests were administered to 57 visitors who were unfamiliar with the Universiti Teknologi MARA, Puncak Alam, Selangor campus. The findings suggest that visitors' sense of direction and spatial ability are not significantly correlated. Although previous research has demonstrated a positive correlation between spatial visualization ability and a sense of direction, the relationship between these two factors may be more complex. Effective wayfinding systems require the consideration of visitors' spatial ability, as well as other cognitive processes involved in wayfinding, such as attention, memory, and decision-making of visitors' spatial ability as well as other cognitive processes involved in wayfinding, such as attention, memo...
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The number of building refurbishment projects has increased significantly over the past few years in Malaysia. The key features of such projects are that these are unique, with high uncertainties especially when these involve structural... more
The number of building refurbishment projects has increased significantly over the past few years in Malaysia. The key features of such projects are that these are unique, with high uncertainties especially when these involve structural modifications with sensitive, dangerous and difficult operations as well as the high number of building services involved. From many past studies, uncertainty has always been identified as one of the reasons for poor performance in such projects. This seems to be the case because few considerations were given to the human factor compared to the technical issues. This emphasis is however questionable in the real world. This conceptually based paper therefore aims to determine and understand the influence of human factor on the uncertainties of refurbishment projects. The method used for this study is based on a comprehensive review of related journal papers, book chapters and conference papers from 1997 to 2017. The exercise identified 146 articles in...
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This paper reports an assessment on a physical informal learning environment at a public university in Malaysia. The physical aspects investigated were the space conditions and utilisation that support informal learning activities... more
This paper reports an assessment on a physical informal learning environment at a public university in Malaysia. The physical aspects investigated were the space conditions and utilisation that support informal learning activities undertaken by students outside their formal lecture hours. The research was conducted to understand how existing university facilities accommodate informal learning, through the use of observational and field inventory survey techniques. The study shows that an existing traditional university setting could accommodate a range of informal learning activities, for a limited percentage of the university population. The setting for learning could be better improved through the creation of more varied space conditions for varying learning activities and engagement intensity. It also asserts that quality learning environment should go beyond fulfilling functional needs and cater for the learner’s emotional need for inspiration and sense of identity.Keywords: Lea...
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Wayfinding systems function as a concept intended to assist people in finding their way from a point to a final destination efficiently and as quickly as possible while also making the journey a pleasant experience. Although the concept... more
Wayfinding systems function as a concept intended to assist people in finding their way from a point to a final destination efficiently and as quickly as possible while also making the journey a pleasant experience. Although the concept appears to be simplistic, planning a wayfinding system is a challenging task particularly in complex environments. This paper attempts to explain the prime concept and the function of wayfinding information systems (WIS) focusing on a complex environment based on an extensive review of literature. The purpose of WIS is not only to provide an efficient navigation map but also to create a pleasant and less stressful atmosphere especially to exhausting travelers. Consideration for simplicity and ease of navigation is essentially the prime goal in planning and designing a practical WIS especially in complex environments. Keywords: Wayfinding, Wayfinding Information System (WIS), Complex Environment, Environment Cues eISSN: 2398-4287 © 2020. The Authors. ...
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Designer's job is no longer to produce unalterable solutions; the fact that there is a need to consult the end users in the design process has been discussed in various literatures. Previous works on public participation have given... more
Designer's job is no longer to produce unalterable solutions; the fact that there is a need to consult the end users in the design process has been discussed in various literatures. Previous works on public participation have given the depiction of very low public participation. This study is about establishing the obstacles of public participation in the design process of public parks as perceived by landscape architects. Six main factors that are detrimental to public participation were extracted and assessed by representatives from landscape consulting. Data was descriptively analyzed and the results have shed some light regarding the main obstacles.
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Refurbishment projects vary in scope of work compared to the new projects. The key features are unique, inherent with uncertainty factors, difficult to achieve high performance and filled with existing leadership quality of project... more
Refurbishment projects vary in scope of work compared to the new projects. The key features are unique, inherent with uncertainty factors, difficult to achieve high performance and filled with existing leadership quality of project manager issues. This research aims to establish the relationship between refurbishment project uncertainty factors and refurbishment project performance in relation to the quality of leadership among project managers. The objective of this research is to measure the level of uncertainty factors of building refurbishment projects, to determine the performance of building refurbishment projects, to identify the leadership quality of refurbishment project managers and to analyse the relationship between refurbishment project uncertainty factors and project performance in relation to leadership quality of refurbishment project managers. The quantitative research method was adopted in this research and analysed using descriptive and correlation analysis via IB...
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Hospitals have a complex environment setting which may cause confusion amongst visitors and the tendency of them getting lost is possibly high. This article aims to highlight the wayfinding aids used by visitors in hospitals. However,... more
Hospitals have a complex environment setting which may cause confusion amongst visitors and the tendency of them getting lost is possibly high. This article aims to highlight the wayfinding aids used by visitors in hospitals. However, there are barriers and challenges that may affect the success of wayfinding experience amongst hospital visitors. Three targeted factors, namely poor and unfriendly signage; inconsistent utilisation of the numbering system; and difficulty in navigating the hospital premise have been identified to be improved. Therefore, by incorporating these factors with a constant stimuli method with fixed images in an indoor public hospital environment, this may improve visitors’ experiences when navigating in a hospital.
Research Interests: Psychology and Signage
This paper explains the research design and methodology for a study conducted on alterations made by people lived in urban houses in Malaysia. It begins with a brief review of literature on research approaches and methodology related to... more
This paper explains the research design and methodology for a study conducted on alterations made by people lived in urban houses in Malaysia. It begins with a brief review of literature on research approaches and methodology related to the study of the interaction between people and the environment, highlighting the area known as environment-behaviour (E-B) research. The literature had suggested that techniques of gathering data for studies on behaviour should be non-obtrusive in approach. Therefore, the generic questionnaire technique, for instance is not particularly appropriate. The review also found that many E-B studies have employed observational technique for data collection quite extensively. Some related works recently undertaken are briefly described in this paper. The floor plans analysis technique is another option which had been used to investigate behavioural phenomena. This relatively simple technique, by far, had not seemed to be taken further. The work reported in ...
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Kajian ini adalah sebar.agian daripada kehendak Jabatan Senibina; Kajian Senibina, Perancangan, dan Ukur, Institut Teknologi Mara untuk penganugerahan Diploma in Architecture, la bertujuan untuk memberi analisa am kepada penuntut tentang... more
Kajian ini adalah sebar.agian daripada kehendak Jabatan Senibina; Kajian Senibina, Perancangan, dan Ukur, Institut Teknologi Mara untuk penganugerahan Diploma in Architecture, la bertujuan untuk memberi analisa am kepada penuntut tentang pengetahuan mereka didalam bidang Senibina dan yang berkaitan dengannya. Kajian yang bertajuk 'Pemeliharaan, Pengekalan, Pemulihan dan Pengawitan Bangunar-bangunan Bersejarah di Kuala Lumpur ini merangkumi beberapa aspek pengekalan dan pemeliharaan bangunan-bangunan yang diwartakan dibawah Akta Benda Purba 1976. Ini merangkumi sejarah ringkas perkembangan Kuala Lumpur, tujuan, program dan cadangan pengekalan dan langkah-langkah yang wajar untuk kejayaan program ini.
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This paper presents an ongoing study of modifications made on private houses. Fifty terraced houses from various neighbourhoods were investigated, with focus on the spatial configuration of the houses, before and after the alterations had... more
This paper presents an ongoing study of modifications made on private houses. Fifty terraced houses from various neighbourhoods were investigated, with focus on the spatial configuration of the houses, before and after the alterations had been carried out. The software “AGRAPH” was used where “space syntax graph” and calculations were produced. Findings show that despite all the modifications which had been done, the original configuration of the houses had not been remarkably changed. The analysis also reveals a pattern of spatial integration where certain spaces in house seemed to be centrally located such as the dining and living room. © 2011 Published by Elsevier Ltd. Selection and peer-review under responsibility of Centre for Environment-Behaviour Studies (cE-Bs), Faculty of Architecture, Planning & Surveying, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Malaysia Keywords: Space syntax graph; alteration; spatial configuration; AGRAPH 1. Introduction The Malaysian contemporary terraced house has...
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This study attempts to discover the alteration trends of house renovations focusing on terrace houses. Thirty renovated houses located in Shah Alam were identified, visually observed and analysed. The houses were photographed and the... more
This study attempts to discover the alteration trends of house renovations focusing on terrace houses. Thirty renovated houses located in Shah Alam were identified, visually observed and analysed. The houses were photographed and the sorting process was carried out for analysis at the studio. The results show the altered houses could be classified into four established styles namely; traditional, modern, post-modern and 'others'. There is no one particular style of the facade that was significantly more popular among them. Something that can be learnt from this study is that people are expressive of their stylistic preferences even under the constraints of the typically narrow-frontage terrace houses.
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This paper presents an on-going progress of a study on landscape elements in the context of culture. The study has sought to discover people’s perception, experience and responses towards their surroundings based on elements that relate... more
This paper presents an on-going progress of a study on landscape elements in the context of culture. The study has sought to discover people’s perception, experience and responses towards their surroundings based on elements that relate to their culture and norms. Eventually, new developments do not seem to recognize and respect the importance of cultural aspects resulting disoriented buildings. An extensive reviewed of the literature was conducted to rediscover the fundamental notions of place, perception and experience. Therefore, the background review to structure the work concluded places that add value contribute to establish the urban setting and place context. eISSN 2514-751X © 2018. The Authors. Published for AMER ABRA cE-Bs by e-International Publishing House, Ltd., UK. This is an open-access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/). Peer–review under responsibility of AMER (Association of Malaysian Environment-Behaviour Rese...
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This paper presents the initial findings of a study on the spatial modifications of fifty houses by homeowners in the Klang Valley area. Using a standardised format, various attributes consisting of altered spaces and features were... more
This paper presents the initial findings of a study on the spatial modifications of fifty houses by homeowners in the Klang Valley area. Using a standardised format, various attributes consisting of altered spaces and features were compiled and examined. It appears that certain features of the houses including the kitchen, bedrooms and bathrooms were desperately altered. People have used their creativity in altering the spaces beyond the original intentions of the architect. To some extent, the findings indicate that the current model for providing houses has shortcomings in addressing the need to satisfy the aspirations of the individual family to live.
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This paper investigates the underlying concepts for education, training, and CPD, and identifies their differences and similarities. Understanding the similarities and differences among these factors is critically important because these... more
This paper investigates the underlying concepts for education, training, and CPD, and identifies their differences and similarities. Understanding the similarities and differences among these factors is critically important because these factors signiÞcantly inßuence the design and ...
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Abstract. Inadequacies in considering the variable backgrounds of site managers during the process of designing their training have been cited as one of the reasons for the small number of adequately trained site managers within the UK... more
Abstract. Inadequacies in considering the variable backgrounds of site managers during the process of designing their training have been cited as one of the reasons for the small number of adequately trained site managers within the UK construction industry. It is argued that ...
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This paper presents the findings of an ongoing study that explores the potential relationship between visitors' sense of direction and spatial ability in the context of navigation experience on a university campus. A structured... more
This paper presents the findings of an ongoing study that explores the potential relationship between visitors' sense of direction and spatial ability in the context of navigation experience on a university campus. A structured questionnaire and tests were administered to 57 visitors who were unfamiliar with the Universiti Teknologi MARA, Puncak Alam, Selangor campus. The findings suggest that visitors' sense of direction and spatial ability are not significantly correlated. Although previous research has demonstrated a positive correlation between spatial visualization ability and a sense of direction, the relationship between these two factors may be more complex. Effective wayfinding systems require the consideration of visitors' spatial ability, as well as other cognitive processes involved in wayfinding, such as attention, memory, and decision-making of visitors' spatial ability as well as other cognitive processes involved in wayfinding, such as attention, memo...