Journal of Architecture, Planning and Construction Management (JAPCM)

EVALUATION OF ECOSYSTEM SERVICES CONTRIBUTIONS ON URBAN FORESTS IN KUALA LUMPUR

Iman Athira Abdul Samad — 2024-06-30

This study investigates the benefits of urban forests, focusing on the Kuala Lumpur Forest Eco Park (KLFEP), the world's oldest virgin forest, as a solution to the city's enduring challenges with urban risks and pollution. Through an analysis of ecosystem services, including supporting, regulating, provisioning, and cultural services, the research evaluates the contributions of KLFEP. Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) achieved by urban forests are identified, with contextual insights drawn from document analysis of the Kuala Lumpur Structure Plan 2040 (KLSP2040), SDGs 2030, and related studies. Additionally, semi-structured interviews with professionals provide further perspectives on urban forest benefits and achievable SDGs. Thematic analysis is used to examine qualitative data. The findings reveal that KLFEP offers a healthy habitat, a diverse tree population, and air purification, enhancing regulating and supporting services. Its unique flora and fauna contribute to nutrient cycling, biological control, and provisioning services.

Moreover, Kuala Lumpur benefits significantly from recreation and ecotourism opportunities provided by KLFEP, contributing to cultural services. The study underscores the importance of urban forests, particularly KLFEP, as sustainable solutions to Kuala Lumpur's challenges. It aims to increase awareness about prioritising urban forests in development plans to protect remaining forest patches. Raising awareness among authorities and society about the significance of urban forests is crucial for informing landscape architecture planning and decision-making, ensuring the consideration of all urban forest benefits.

MAPPING FUNCTIONAL ATTACHMENT ALONG TRADITIONAL STREET AT LEBUH ARMENIAN, GEORGE TOWN, PULAU PINANG

Sharifah Mariana Syed Mohamad — 2024-07-03

Rapid development and urbanisation in Malaysia have permanently altered the structure and character of traditional streets. Modern buildings have significantly affected these streets, shifting individuals’ preferences from outdoor to indoor shopping. This study aims to assess users’ functional attachment of traditional street at Lebuh Armenian, George Town by examining the activities and the street physical features. To achieve this, the study adopted systematic observation with behaviour mapping as the primary data collection method. The results show that the contributing factors such as place engagement, street familiarity, dependency, satisfaction, and physical comfort play crucial roles in forming strong emotional connections and reinforcing individuals’ attachment and sense of identity with traditional street. These results highlight the intricate relationship between emotional and functional factors that maintain the vitality and cultural significance of this street. Ultimately, the study provides insights into the factors influencing place attachment to traditional street and offers practical suggestions for enhancing and preserving these urban spaces. It underscores the importance of balancing functional and emotional attachments to create lively and culturally rich urban environments.

JAPCM VOL.14_ISSUE 1_2024 FULL ISSUE

JAPCM — 2024-06-30

JAPCM VOL.14_ISSUE 1_2024

EDITORIAL

Abdul Razak Sapian — 2024-06-30

Assalamu'alaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh

Dear All,

Journal of Architecture, Planning and Construction Management (JAPCM), Kulliyyah of Architecture and Environmental Design is one the official journals of International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM), under IIUM Press. It embarked in 2011 and is dedicated to the publication of original articles on the specialized fields of Architecture, Planning, Landscape Architecture, Quantity Surveying, Building Technology and Engineering, Applied Arts and Design, Construction Management and those related to the Built Environment. JAPCM is also the ardent forum for the reports of research that bridged the Built Environment and the Islamic worldview.

Prof. Ar. Dr. Abdul Razak Sapian

Editor-in-Chief

THE CHALLENGES OF THE INTERNET OF THINGS (IoT) IN THE CONTEXT OF CONSTRUCTION COST MANAGEMENT

Nur Dini Farzana Jamlus — 2024-06-30

The construction industry faces significant challenges related to cost overruns, project delays, and inefficiency. Traditional cost management methods rely on manual processes and limited data sources, but the advent of technology and the Internet of Things (IoT) offers innovative solutions. This research explores the application of IoT in construction cost management, starting with a literature review that highlights the limitations of current methods and areas where IoT can enhance value. The study aims to identify IoT applications and challenges in construction cost management. It employs a mixed-method approach, including a questionnaire survey of 47 respondents and interviews with four construction stakeholders. The research finds that IoT sensors provide real-time data, addressing historical inefficiencies and improving project outcomes. However, it also reveals challenges such as additional budget for acquiring IoT technologies and poor collaboration among construction parties. In summary, IoT promises to transform construction cost management but requires addressing budgetary and collaboration issues to maximize its potential.

ENHANCING DAYLIGHT IN DEEP-PLAN OFFICES FOR NIGERIA'S TROPICAL CLIMATE: A LIGHT PIPE APPROACH

Faruk Ibrahim Mukhtar — 2024-06-30

This research addresses the challenge of maximising daylight provision in deep-plan office buildings in Nigeria's tropical wet and dry climate. It investigates the effectiveness of horizontal light pipes at 5m, 10m, and 15m, employing a mixed-method approach that combines case studies and computer simulations.

The study utilises Climate Studio for Rhinoceros 3D as the simulation tool to assess light distribution uniformity and illuminance levels in deep-plan offices. Statistical analysis includes applying ANOVA tests to ascertain the significance of differences between various light pipe configurations. Findings reveal that the 10m light pipe configuration consistently outperforms the 5m and 15m options, providing superior uniformity of light distribution and higher illuminance levels, thereby maximising daylight provision.

The study recommends the 10m light pipe configuration as optimal for maximising daylight provision in deep-plan office buildings within Nigeria's tropical wet and dry climate.

EXAMINING THE INFLUENCE OF URBAN FORM ON THE THERMAL COMFORT OF STREET CANYONS IN TEHRAN: A CASE STUDY OF NARMAK NEIGHBOURHOOD

Mohammadhassan Salmanian — 2024-06-30

As urbanization advances, the emphasis on outdoor spaces grows, highlighting poor thermal balance as a detrimental factor in achieving comfort within densely populated urban structures. Consequently, an urgent imperative exists to evaluate and optimize urban morphology to ensure sufficient outdoor thermal comfort. This study assesses the thermal efficiency of residential areas in Narmak, Tehran, Iran, with the primary goal of enhancing thermal comfort, specifically the PET, and discerning optimal urban layouts. Employing computational simulation techniques, this investigation meticulously examines urban design variables that influence outdoor thermal comfort, encompassing street direction, enclosure, building forms’ typology, and tree planting. The research findings unveil that the orientation of street canyons exerts the most significant influence at 39.12%, closely followed by the aspect ratio at 36.78%. Remarkably, within the considered climatic components such as air temperature, wind speed, and humidity, tree planting emerges as the most influential factor impacting outdoor thermal comfort in this case study. These analytical outcomes furnish valuable insights into the contextual design of elements that influence the thermal comfort of outdoor open spaces.

EVALUATION OF MAQASID SHARIAH PRINCIPLES IN INSTITUTIONAL WORK ENVIRONMENT

Nematullah Hussaini Payam — 2024-06-30

This research aim to explore the link between a safe work environment and its Impact on employees’ well-being, focusing on the principles of Maqasid Shariah. Utilizing insights from previous literature, the research objectives are to identify the current criteria of the work environment and assess how the criteria contribute to ensuring the safety and well-being of employees, to analyse how Maqasid Shariah principles are applied in work environment to enhance employees’ privacy and well-being, considering factors such as Visual Comfort and Acoustic Sensory and to provide recommendations for creating a conducive work environment aligned with Maqasid Shariah's principles. This research evaluates employee perceptions of their current work environments and their impact on performance and well-being, aiming to improve work environments to encourage productivity while maintaining Islamic values of safety and privacy. The findings collected successfully provided input on the influence of Visual Comfort and Acoustic Sensory factors towards the overall experience of office space, particularly in addressing privacy concerns. Recommendations derived from the findings aim to create a conducive work environment aligned with Maqasid Shariah's principles.

CATEGORISATION OF ISLAMIC WALL DECORATIONS IN FOUR BUILDINGS: VISUAL ANALYSIS AND COMPARATIVE STUDY FOR STYLISTIC AND HISTORICAL CONTEXTS

Marwa Baydoun — 2024-06-30

Islamic decoration on buildings boasts a rich cultural tradition often characterised by intricate finesse and stunning artistry. This paper delves into categorising Islamic wall decorations, including Muqarnas, tile work, glass work, and other crafts, prevalent within the architectural spaces of four historically significant mosques. The study uses a visual analysis methodology to centre on The Dome of the Rock, Umayyad Mosque, Alhambra Palace, and Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque. The primary objective is to comprehensively analyse these Islamic wall decorations using visual data such as photographs and artistic representations. While Islamic art has been extensively studied, there is a need for rigorous documentation of wall decorations at prominent buildings as it will contribute to a more nuanced understanding of the field. Executing a search strategy across various databases and sources gathers an extensive collection of visual materials. Each mosque receives meticulous scrutiny, unveiling its historical context, architectural intricacies, and the presence of diverse artistic embellishments inherent in Islamic traditions. Through comparative analysis, it is evident that the four majestic buildings exhibit a variety of designs, each showcasing unique intricacies and stylistic variations. While some structures feature muqarnas and tilework predominantly in their dome interiors, others incorporate them extensively along the walls and columns, indicating diverse approaches to architectural embellishment across Islamic heritage sites.

MONTESSORI PRESCHOOL CURRICULUM ON LEARNING THROUGH PLAY (LTP) APPROACH THROUGH QUALITY LEARNING SPACES DESIGN

Pang Ling Xiang — 2024-06-30

Learning through play (LTP) has emerged as an integral part of the early childhood education system and has profound impacts on children’s learning and holistic skills development. Throughout Montessori history, play has been applied as a learning approach in the Montessori classroom. Quality spatial design is beneficial to support LTP in preschool. However, LTP isn’t integrated effectively into formal preschool in Malaysia as the spatial design of preschool does not support children’s play. Furthermore, there is a dearth of evidence on how LTP can be employed effectively in quality spatial learning environments where the workforce’s training and curriculum development are mainly concerned. The focus of this paper is to evaluate how spatial learning environments in Montessori preschools support LTP as curricula that may emerge across preschools in Malaysian contexts. This paper adopts interpretivism to frame the overall research and implements case studies through explanation building supported by data collection from document analysis and observation on spatial design of two case studies of Montessori preschools which are based upon prominent and established Montessori preschools in a global context. The findings are analyzed with a comparative analysis method based on the determinants of the spatial design features: - articulated space and form; outdoor learning space; social spaces; personalized environment; and anthropometric design, which are supported by Gibson’s Theory of Affordance. Findings indicate that the quality learning space design to support LTP, and open-plan design space is important because of having flexible partitions for creating different areas and integrating with the dynamic external learning environment. Besides, the furniture and facilities all are child-size. Therefore, children are freely moving around and actively involved in either group or individual work. This study is beneficial to designers, educators, and policymakers as it highlights the role of LTP pedagogy in spatial design for developing children’s play behavior patterns in preschool for Malaysia’s future education.

TRANSITIONING FROM TRADITIONAL TO DIGITAL METHODS: INSIGHTS ON DOCUMENTING AND EXHIBITING LANDSCAPE HERITAGE

Khalilah Zakariya — 2024-06-30

Documenting heritage is crucial for understanding the history and significance of a society and its surroundings. This process involves capturing a culture's tangible and intangible values through various mediums, such as written records, drawings, maps, photographs, videos, audio recordings, artefacts, and other forms of documentation. With the increasing use of technology, the methods of documenting and presenting heritage have evolved. This research explores the transition from traditional to digital methods in landscape heritage documentation and exhibition. The objectives are to review the instruments and techniques employed and then compare the documentation and exhibits across the studies. The investigation draws upon seven landscape heritage projects in Malaysia and Indonesia within the landscape architecture undergraduate program at International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM). Each project's documentation and exhibition strategies are classified based on the tools, procedures, and outcomes. The different forms of documentation are subsequently evaluated in terms of their effectiveness and efficiency in recording and showcasing the results of the projects. The study reveals that combining traditional and digital methods offers numerous benefits for heritage documentation. Analysing these projects shows that reflecting, evaluating, exploring, adapting, and refining the documentation process are essential for successful heritage preservation efforts.

MORALISTIC DA'WAH VALUES IN RELIGIOUS INSTITUTIONS FOR SOCIETAL DEVELOPMENT: THE CASE OF TABLIGHI JAMAAT AND BENGALI MOSQUE IN MALAYSIA

Alice Sabrina Ismail — 2024-06-30

Islamic religious institutions like mosques are essential buildings for the Muslim community's needs. However, the usage and construction of current-day mosques are unlike those in the days of the Prophet Muhammad S.A.W. This is due to the influences of patrons who utilized these built forms as a symbol of politics and economic stature, the effect of designers who considered religious institution as an aesthetic symbol, and the misconceptions of the society who perceived the religious institution as a house of God. Based on these issues, this paper aims to elucidate how the architecture of heritage mosques by the Tablighi Jamaat group can translate the moral values of da'wah based on the meaning and method of their da'wah for the development of society. This is because each element of the mosque plays a role as a code to translate and convey a message to the community through its architectural features with its users and environment through its architectural elements. This study applies two research paradigms: Interpretivism (hermeneutics) to translate the patron's ideology and structuralism (semiotic) to understand the meaning behind the physical construction of a building. This study contributes to the study of communication in the architecture of buildings, which was devoted to the influences of Tablighi Jamaat da'wah movement ideology towards heritage Islamic religious architecture in Malaysia as a centre of da'wah for societal development in acclaiming the value of tolerance among the Muslim and non-muslim communal members alike. In addition, it portrays that heritage Islamic religious institutions can function as a sign and symbol for transnational dimensions of cultural da'wah towards unity, equality, and spiritual rejuvenation.

COURTYARD VISUAL COMFORT ISSUES IN COMMERCIAL BUILDING IN TROPICAL CLIMATE MALAYSIA

Nuur Liyana Khairuddin — 2024-07-03

Courtyards, while effective as multifunctional open spaces and passive daylight strategies in buildings, face challenges in tropical climates such as visual discomfort due to intense solar radiation. Visual discomfort impacts outdoor activities, affecting the efficiency of courtyards. To understand this issue, Setia Walk Puchong has been selected as a case study. Observation, fieldwork measurement, and simulation are methods used in investigating visual comfort performance. The main issues identified include uneven light distribution, glare, and insufficient shading, suggesting the need for effective design solutions. Given the context of tropical climates, the study aims to explore architectural strategies that can enhance visual comfort and ensure courtyards remain functional and usable spaces. This involves adapting designs to mitigate issues such as uneven lighting, glare, inadequate shading, and other factors that impact comfort in courtyards. Optimal configurations like small, deep, and decentralised courtyards are among the strategies to provide shade effectively. Choosing elements such as layered greenery and independent structures that can help mitigate glare and manage illuminance levels are other strategies for ensuring courtyards are functional and inviting spaces in tropical climates.