Congruence Mapping of the Activity Flows Allocated in Built Environments: A Pilot Application of Under-Development Software in an Emergency-Care Service

Featured ApplicationThis paper presents the application of a software program that is currently under development that provides feedback for the mapping activities that are carried out in built environments and analyses the congruence in the relationship between the flow of activities and their environments. Exemplary results were obtained in the case study of a healthcare emergency facility, although it is possible to apply this software in other types of complex environments. The obtained data allow facility managers to prioritize and reallocate activities when a change is required. It also shows unmapped relationships. It is important to investigate these data because they can indicate failures in the mapping process and can provide an opportunity to obtain a more complete understanding of the allocation and flow of activities. These data can also help us to identify points of conflict or opportunities for adjustment in the allocation of activities in order to improve the flow of activities.Due to the large number of activities that must be carried out by emergency-care services (ESs), the tasks of facility managers and architects are challenging and complex. Several strategies, guides, and diagnoses have already been developed in order to improve ESs. Part of the solution to this problem depends on obtaining a normative and universal understanding of the problem, and another part depends on conducting a specific and relational analysis between the environment and the flow of activities that are allocated within it. This paper presents the results of a study that was conducted using a software program that is currently under development for mapping the congruence relationship between activities and environments. Here, we present a discussion of the first results that were obtained with the instrument, which was applied to a single case. For this purpose, the fundamentals of the instrument, as well as the environment and the flows of an ES at a university hospital, are described. The forms of analysis, benefits, and limitations of the instrument were investigated, with a view towards its use in supporting the management and the design of large and complex environments, such as emergency departments. In this program, the relationships that are hidden from the managers, the designers, and the researchers due to the aforementioned complexity are revealed through the use of matrices. This mapping can supplement the decision making of the managers and the designers. The application showed advantages in modeling with fewer inputs, mainly in pre-design evaluations.

Emerging technologies in facility management in Brazil

PurposeAn interaction between emerging technologies (ETs) for facility management (FM) activities and stakeholder skills is necessary to promote the optimization of FM performance. Previous studies do not show strategies for the selection of ETs in FM considering the technological competencies of stakeholders. Thus, this study analyzes the interactions between ETs and FM from the perceptions of Brazilian professionals, identifying the most appropriate and effective technological solutions, based on a broad literature review. Design/methodology/approachThe steps of the methodology are as follows: systematic literature review (SLR);detailing the ETs for FM;online questionnaire based on SLR findings;sample of Brazilian FM professionals;statistical treatment;and discussion. FindingsResults indicate wireless sensor network, Internet of Thing, building information modeling and Big Data as ETs in FM with greater potential for optimization in the performance of FM activities, from survey respondents. Research limitations/implicationsThe scope of possible findings may have been biased, considering the small number of research participants and current transformations resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic (e.g. changes to standard operating procedures). Practical implicationsThe results ensure greater security to facility managers in the effective implementation of ETs in FM activities. Originality/valueThe research explores the published studies and the consultation with Brazilian FM professionals in the selection of ETs.

Privacy and housing: research perspectives based on a systematic literature review.

Grounded in psychological and social constructs, the need for privacy is reflected in human socio-spatial behaviour and in our own home. To discuss housing privacy, this article presents a systematic literature review (SLR) that identified theoretical and methodological aspects relevant to the topic. The research was based on consolidated protocols to identify, select and evaluate articles published between 2000 and 2021 in three databases (Web of Science, Google Scholar and Scielo), with 71 eligible articles identified for synthesis. The results showed a concentration of studies in the American, European and Islamic context, and the increase in this production since 2018. This was guided by the inadequacy of architectural and urban planning projects, by new forms of social interaction and, recently, by the COVID-19 pandemic. From a theoretical point of view, the SLR demonstrated the importance of investigating privacy in housing from a comprehensive perspective, observing its different dimensions (physical, social and psychological) and characterizing the issues involved and the context under analysis. Methodologically, the main instruments identified were: (i) to behavioural analysis, questionnaires, interviews and observations; (ii) to built environment evaluation, in addition to the previous ones, space syntax analysis, architectural design and photographs analysis; (iii) for the general characterization of users, the data collection regarding the socio-demographic and cultural context and the meanings attributed to spatial organizations; (iv) to characterize the participants of the investigations, the analysis of personality traits, the ways to personalize the space, user satisfaction/preferences and the influence of social interactions on these perceptions.

Privacy and housing: research perspectives based on a systematic literature review

Grounded in psychological and social constructs, the need for privacy is reflected in human socio-spatial behaviour and in our own home. To discuss housing privacy, this article presents a systematic literature review (SLR) that identified theoretical and methodological aspects relevant to the topic. The research was based on consolidated protocols to identify, select and evaluate articles published between 2000 and 2021 in three databases (Web of Science, Google Scholar and Scielo), with 71 eligible articles identified for synthesis. The results showed a concentration of studies in the American, European and Islamic context, and the increase in this production since 2018. This was guided by the inadequacy of architectural and urban planning projects, by new forms of social interaction and, recently, by the COVID-19 pandemic. From a theoretical point of view, the SLR demonstrated the importance of investigating privacy in housing from a comprehensive perspective, observing its different dimensions (physical, social and psychological) and characterizing the issues involved and the context under analysis. Methodologically, the main instruments identified were: (i) to behavioural analysis, questionnaires, interviews and observations;(ii) to built environment evaluation, in addition to the previous ones, space syntax analysis, architectural design and photographs analysis;(iii) for the general characterization of users, the data collection regarding the socio-demographic and cultural context and the meanings attributed to spatial organizations;(iv) to characterize the participants of the investigations, the analysis of personality traits, the ways to personalize the space, user satisfaction/preferences and the influence of social interactions on these perceptions.