Design Council

Historic objects made of cellulose acetate are potential sources of indoor pollution in heritage collections. As these objects degrade, volatile organic compounds, including acetic acid, are produced and emitted. High concentrations of acetic acid can increase the degradation rate of both organic and inorganic objects stored nearby. In this study, micro-invasive sampling and ion chromatography were used to quantify acetic acid emission rates from objects made of cellulose acetate, including 3D objects and photographic negatives. It was observed that some degrading objects emit acetic acid at high rates, even under standard environmental conditions (20 °C and 30% RH) that are prescribed for storage of objects made of cellulose acetate. The emission rate was found to be governed by the internal diffusion for thicker cellulose acetate objects and by the surface evaporation for thinner objects. In the diffusion-controlled mode of emission, the airflow did not accelerate acetic acid emissions. To compare the storage options for cellulose acetate objects, the emission rates of acetic acid were used as the inputs for models predicting the equilibrium acetic acid concentrations in various enclosures (archival box, surface-coated archival box, metal can, and display case). It was observed that surface-coated boxes contained higher concentrations of acetic acid than other enclosures, mainly due to their low air exchange rates and deposition velocities.

Choosing a location for a data centre requires being sensitive to the business and the surrounding community's needs for a long-term investment. Site selection in the data centre industry is complex and encompasses multiple competing criteria layers. Those weather conditions prevailing in a potential site area over a long period are vital considerations. However, it is not only the avoidance of the data centre site becoming flooded; the access roads must be accessible so that staff and specialists may have the ingress/egress to the build phase and, ultimately, the operational data centre. Outdoor air used for ventilation, pressurisation, and cooling remains the primary source of airborne contaminants to data centres. Geopolitical risks identify the socio-political environment considering where a data centre may be located. A functional data centre may not be possible without the appropriate available power from a network supply.

Many countries around the world strive for universal health coverage, and an essential packages of health services (EPHS) is a central policy instrument for countries to achieve this. It defines the coverage of services that are made available, as well as the proportion of the costs that are covered from different financial schemes and who can receive these services. This paper reports on the development of an analytical framework on the decision-making process of EPHS revision, and the review of practices of six countries (Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Pakistan, Somalia, Sudan and Zanzibar-Tanzania).The analytical framework distinguishes the practical organisation, fairness and institutionalisation of decision-making processes. The review shows that countries: (1) largely follow a similar practical stepwise process but differ in their implementation of some steps, such as the choice of decision criteria; (2) promote fairness in their EPHS process by involving a range of stakeholders, which in the case of Zanzibar included patients and community members; (3) are transparent in terms of at least some of the steps of their decision-making process and (4) in terms of institutionalisation, express a high degree of political will for ongoing EPHS revision with almost all countries having a designated governing institute for EPHS revision.We advise countries to organise meaningful stakeholder involvement and foster the transparency of the decision-making process, as these are key to fairness in decision-making. We also recommend countries to take steps towards the institutionalisation of their EPHS revision process.

PurposeFive-footways are an important feature in historical urban centres of tropical South East Asian cities. These colonnades along the rows of commercial shop houses provide comfortable pedestrian walkways. In spite of the decline of the liveability in many historical urban centres, the “kaki-lima” or five-footways in Klang Valley Malaysia are bustling and alive. Many studies have been done on kaki-lima, however it focuses mostly on historical and cultural context. There is lack of understanding on how the physical attributes of kaki-lima facilitate the liveliness of urban life. The paper aims to investigate the five-footway as the generator of public realm and to analyse the physical attributes of the five-footways that contribute to the “stickiness” of the public space.Design/methodology/approachThe study utilized behaviour mapping to identify the sticky activity, then subsequently used Roger Barker's theory of Behaviour Settings to observe different stationary activities along the five-footways of the historical centres of Kuala Lumpur and Klang.FindingsThe findings show that all the identified behaviour settings along the five-footways are strongly characterised by tropical climate and local diverse culture. Additionally, the small architectural detail provides an important physical setting for informal activities to take a place in the five-footways.Research limitations/implicationsThe study is limited only to two urban heritage districts in Malaysia, namely Kuala Lumpur and Klang.Practical implicationsThe findings have the implication for the public space policy of the local municipalities, specifically for urban design policy of the five-footways. Firstly, the inclusion of five-footways should be encouraged in any new shophouse development and secondly, the policy maker should consider to retain certain physical features of the five-footways that support not only the informal economy activities but also the creation of third places in the neighbourhoods.Originality/valueThis study will contribute to the discourse of urbanism, especially in understanding the public realm in South East Asian cities. Additionally, the outcomes will assist the local municipality in developing urban design policy of the five-footways.

BackgroundThe NHS is facing substantial pressures to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. Optimising workforce modelling is a fundamental component of the recovery plan. The Clinically Lead workforcE and Activity Redesign (CLEAR) programme is a unique methodology that trains clinicians to redesign services, building intrinsic capacity and capability, optimising patient care and minimising the need for costly external consultancy. This paper describes the CLEAR methodology and the evaluation of previous CLEAR projects, including the return on investment.MethodsCLEAR is a work-based learning programme that combines qualitative techniques with data analytics to build innovations and new models of care. It has four unique stages: (1) Clinical engagement- used to gather rich insights from stakeholders and clinicians. (2) Data interrogation- utilising clinical and workforce data for cohort analysis. (3) Innovation- using structured innovation methods to develop new models of care. (4) Recommendations- report writing, impact assessment and presentation of key findings to executive boards. A mixed-methods formative evaluation was carried out on completed projects, which included semi-structured interviews and surveys with CLEAR associates and stakeholders, and a health economic logic model that was developed to link the inputs, processes, outputs and the outcome of CLEAR as well as the potential impacts of the changes identified from the projects.ResultsCLEAR provides a more cost-effective delivery of complex change programmes than the alternatives – resulting in a cost saving of £1.90 for every £1 spent independent of implementation success. Results suggest that CLEAR recommendations are more likely to be implemented compared to other complex healthcare interventions because of the levels of clinical engagement and have a potential return on investment of up to £14 over 5 years for every £1 invested. CLEAR appears to have a positive impact on staff retention and wellbeing, the cost of a CLEAR project is covered if one medical consultant remains in post for a year.ConclusionsThe unique CLEAR methodology is a clinically effective and cost-effective complex healthcare innovation that optimises workforce and activity design, as well as improving staff retention. Embedding CLEAR methodology in the NHS could have substantial impact on patient care, staff well-being and service provision.

The aim of behavioural sciences has been to assist in understanding the aesthetic experience of the built environment. This may be considered from different perspectives: mechanistic, contextualist, organismicist, and formalist. In phenomenological terms, this focuses on insights into the cognitive relation between person and environment. Different theories of perception may be either 'sensation-based' or 'information-based'. Empirical, rational and Gestalt theories are 'sensation-based', whereby environmental stimuli arouse the senses. 'Information-based' perception is more focused on learning from the optical arrays of ambient light and conversion from two dimensions into three-dimensional images. J. Piaget has outlined the process of learning to see, whereby children start to 'schematise' concrete objects and their interrelationships. Subsequently, they recognise topological schemata or transformations, such as proximity, separation, closure and continuity. H. Helmholtz described how visual perception can show 'constancy' effects where a given size is perceived more or less correctly at a distance.

Proportion and symmetry are often intertwined. As a feature, elements of local symmetry can create order and balance, and different axes of symmetry can create interest. This chapter highlights human proportions and the anthropometric system as outlined by Vitruvius as well as room proportions. Le Corbusier started to determine layouts and forms of enclosure, with the unit giving the measure and unity, or the module, and regulation of the basis of the form and construction. There are certain relationships that are inherent in geometric figures, such as squares, rectangles, and triangles. The chapter highlights R. Krier's relationships for the realisation and proportioning of key elements of built form. Robert Vischer outlined certain laws of four internal 'moments of form', which are regularity, symmetry, proportion and harmony.

VI.13.2.1 AntiquityIn antiquity, ornamentation has been found from early hieroglyphics and markings in stones, crosses, zigzags and wavy lines in ceramics, markings in wood and from use of mixed colours in textiles.In particular, repetitive geometric band patterns have been seen to be prevalent with series of crosses and triangles.In Egypt, coloured decoration of building walls and ceilings was undertaken.Assyria introduced polychrome ornamental brickwork, and coloured glazed tiling was introduced in Persia.Figurative representation also was introduced with designs of the head and arms in profile and chest 'en face'.After the Neolithic period, in the early Minoic, black-and-white decoration was used followed by the introduction of reds and yellows in ceramics.Animals and plants started to be represented in a naturalistic manner, and oceanic wave patterns, coral and seaweed were applied.Aegean fresco painting was undertaken on walls and decorative bands were often used to frame the surfaces.Greek temples faced in stucco were painted with polychromous unmixed colours like the Egyptians used, and terracotta tiles and copings were introduced.Vase painting of burnt earthenware was developed, and figurative and animal sculptures were developed by the Greeks.Etruscan and Roman wall fresco painting continued with the introduction of mosaics of coloured stones from the Orient.These were often bordered by oriental frames with geometric or naturalistic patterns.Such examples of both frescoes and mosaics are found in Pompeii.