ILAM RESEARCH WEBINAR SERIES
Feasibility Study on the Establishment of
ILAM Standard Form of Contract (SFC)
LAr. Dr. Mohd Sallehuddin Mat Noor
Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM)
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"This research examined the feasibility of establishing supplementary condition to existing standard form of contract or a new standard form of contract, which is the ILAM Standard Form of Contract (SFC), and its ecosystem of management. Multilayered thematic analysis was engaged to compare existing major standard form of contract in the Malaysian construction industry and also globally. The finding suggests a need to establish a supplementary condition for existing SFC that caters to environmentally based construction management."
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Abstract
Globally, the construction industry is recognised to consume huge amount of natural resource. Environmental rating tools were developed to mitigate this challenge particularly in designated building unit and project site. However, gap was identified in designing and managing various types of lands, which do not necessarily involve building or urbanised area, particularly natural areas. A supplementary condition to existing SFC or a new standard form of contract (SFC) is deemed to be suitable to become the tool in solving this issue. Qualitative methodologies were applied along the study. Multilayered thematic analysis was engaged using ATLAS.ti version 8 in comparing existing major standard form of contract in the Malaysian construction industry. The same methodology was engaged in dredging the existing landscape standard form of contract globally. At the end, the findings were themed to further discuss the feasibility of establishing supplementary condition or ILAM SFC and its ecosystem of management. The finding suggests a need to establish a supplementary condition for existing SFC that caters to environmentally based construction management. It was found that there are various policies, initiatives and guidelines that are obscured could be link to environmentally construction management. This could complement the existing Environmental Quality Act. However, there is a need to envision the implementation planning of the supplementary condition in the prospect of long term, which could lead to a new SFC. The study is limited on Malaysian construction industry. It also focuses on environmentally based project at the construction management. The study provides a better insight on managing construction project in an environmentally based construction project context, which could provide further possibilities of establishing an interdisciplinary taxonomy in contracts between environmental sustainability and construction management.
Green Certification Criteria Relevant to
Landscape Architecture Projects in Malaysia
Gs. Dr. Abdul Rahim Abdul Hamid, AILA A-IGRSM
Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM)
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This research examines the existing green assessment and certification systems in Malaysia, to analyse their relevance to the landscape architecture profession. The dimensions and criteria that are relevant to landscape architects have been extracted via a structured interview process, with selected experts including professional landscape architects working in the industry. The findings indicated a possible consensus of four key themes for landscape architects in the following order: Conservation and Land Use, Environmental Sustainability, Community, and Innovation and Quality.
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ABSTRACT
The explosion of green certification standards since the last decade worldwide begs the question if they are relevant to the landscape architecture profession, instead of just to buildings alone. The latter is inevitable due to such certifications stemming from the construction industry and agencies, such as the Building Research Establishment based in the United Kingdom who first published the Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM), and the Building Construction Industry (BCA) in Singapore, whose product is the Green Mark Certification. This research examines the existing green assessment and certification systems in Malaysia, in particular the Green Building Index. The dimensions and criteria that are relevant to landscape architects have been extracted via a structured interview process, with selected experts including professional landscape architects working in the industry. Via an Analytica Hierarchy Process, a structured interview with three experts from the industry indicated a possible consensus of four key themes for landscape architects in the following order: Conservation and Land Use, Environmental Sustainability, Community, and Innovation and Quality. Up to six key criteria for each theme were also gleaned from a ranking analysis. However, since only three experts responded to the questionnaire due to the short time frame of the project, further research is needed in order to validate the key criteria and dimensions with more experts being interviewed. This research is significant for both Malaysia and for the landscape architecture profession because most green certification and assessment systems are intended and designed for the building and construction industry. The findings of this research coincide with an exciting era whereby cities and states recognise the need for biodiversity conservation, and climate change mitigation and adaptation, both being key concerns of landscape architects around the globe. This can engender further research to fine tune the criteria, as well as the associated metrics and measurement tools to ensure that the planning, design and management of landscapes are carried out in a sustainable manner.
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Feasibility Study On the Establishment
of Standard Specification for Softscape
1 Jasasikin Ab Sani, 2 Putri Haryati Ibrahim
International Islamic University Malaysia
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This feasibility study examined the potentials to establish the standard specification of softscape works by the Institute of Landscape Architects Malaysia (ILAM). Content analysis was employed through the Mix-Match-Modify method (3M). The findings revealed that only one document out of thirty-five documents collected was developed as a Standard Specification. However, in overall, none of documents studied consists of all topics/areas of softscape works as established by the study through the 3M analysis. The study concludes that there is a need to establish a new Standard Specification for softscape works by ILAM in order to have a sound and reliable quality control document for softscape work in Malaysia.
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Abstract
This exercise was carried out to initiate a feasibility study on the potential to establish the standard specification of softscape works by the Institute of Landscape Architects Malaysia (ILAM). The study began with the process of collecting published documents related to landscape development from various agencies in Malaysia. The content analysis was carried out through the Mix-Match-Modify method (3M) where the process began with the establishment of a pool of all topics/areas stipulated in all selected documents. The second stage of the process was matching up the topics/areas that have similar meaning and the third process was modifying the words to represent the groups of topics/areas developed at the second stage. The modified list of topics/areas was established and used as a basis of documents content analysis. The findings of the content analysis were used as a basis of the argument on the feasibility of establishing the standard specification by ILAM. The findings of the analysis revealed the fact that only one document out of thirty-five documents collected was developed as a Standard Specification. All other documents were produced as policies and guidelines which are not been written in the Standard Specification format. The study also found that Garis Panduan Landskap Negara, ed. 2 (2008) is the most comprehensive document related to specification for softscape works. However, in overall, none of documents studied consists of all topics/areas of softscape works as established by the study through the 3M analysis. The findings of the content analysis were used as a basis for the argument on the feasibility and the needs to establish a new Standard Specification by ILAM. Based on the findings of the analysis, the study concludes that there is a need to establish a new Standard Specification for softscape works by ILAM in order to have a sound and reliable quality control document for softscape work in Malaysia.
Gauging The Gap Between Landscape Maintenance Practice And Facility Management Practice For Public Park
Dr. Khairusy Syakirin Has-Yun Hashim
International Islamic University Malaysia
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Quality landscape maintenance management is crucial to the effectiveness of a public park for end users to use. In order for the maintenance team to ensure that the park is well maintained, it has to start from the design stage. The designer has to have a ‘design maintainability’ skills and knowledge.
Lower quality of landscape maintenance management can be due to incompetent maintenance staff (Osman, 2005) and insufficient budget (Nor Azian, 2008).
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Thus, this research aim to find the answers for how to gauge landscape maintenance with the Facilities Management practice.
Evaluation of The Cost Implication
on Public Park Maintenance
Dr. Suriati binti Hj. Ahmad
LAr. Dr. Zulkefle Hj. Ayob
UiTM Seri Iskandar
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Landscape maintenance is an art keeping the landscape healthy, clean, safe and attractive when we speak about parks or gardens. For public open space, the process of maintenance is somewhat more complicated considering the vast landscape areas, the limitations of funds and even the political aspirations of the local authority. The style and intensity of maintenance have a much more significant effect on the cost of upkeep than the organisation or efficiency of carrying it out. In general terms, the detail or complexity of a site’s layout influences its maintenance cost, apart from the type of landscape and its degree of formality. Considering the importance of the public park to the community and how this is a critical link to landscape maintenance, there is a need for a cost-efficiency study that can set forth a strategy that best works to mitigate this issue.
Post-COVID-19 Public Park
Design Considerations:
Public Health And Safety Perspective
Asst. Prof. Dr. Shureen Faris Abd. Shukor
Universiti Putra Malaysia
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The society today is faced with increasing occurrences of various forms of poor health-related issues due to modern lifestyles. Contributing factors include an increasingly sedentary population, increasing levels of psychological stress related to urban living and contemporary work practices. Efforts to promote public health and well-being have become an important agenda in Malaysia. Green settings have been identified as places accessible to everyone in the community without any formal, financial or symbolic restrictions. There are numerous studies about green and nature surroundings that can be related to the enhancement of positive effects of green and nature on human emotions. According to Han (2010), nature interactions have positive effects on human emotions. The natural environments provide opportunities to gain distance from routine activities and thoughts.
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Since the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak in December 2019, there has been more than 4.69 million deaths of COVID-19 worldwide. In total, about 228 million infected cases were reported with 197 million patients recovered (WHO, 2021). As of September 19th 2021, Malaysia has reported a total of 2 million total confirmed cases of Covid-19 and 23,000 deaths (Ministry of Health, Malaysia, 2021). Research on how a global event of great magnitude may be perceived differently in different geographical contexts is not frequent. Given the worldwide health emergency caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, it is of great interest to explore whether citizens’ behavior and perceptions of green spaces in Malaysia may have changed and how.
Estimating Carbon Sequestration and Storage by an Urban Forest in Malaysia:
A Case Study of Hutan Bandar MBJB,
Johor Bahru.
Dr. Dr. Siti Nur Hannah Ismail
UTM Skudai, Johor
Editor: Asst. Prof. LAr. Dr. Jasasikin Ab Sani
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Urban forests play a pivotal role in mitigating the impacts of climate change by serving as vital carbon sinks through storage and sequestration mechanisms. As rapid urbanization continues to encroach upon natural landscapes, preserving and expanding urban forests becomes a crucial component of green infrastructure and urban development strategies. Forests not only offer green space for recreational purposes, but also contribute significantly to carbon dioxide (CO2) removal from the atmosphere, helping to offset the emissions generated by anthropogenic activities. The multifaceted benefits of urban forests as integral elements of sustainable urban development are discussed, focusing particularly on their capacity to store and sequester carbon and fostering resilient and low carbon cities and communities.
The study aimed to investigate the current functions and capacities of urban forests to help reduce atmospheric CO2 by examining various tree-related factors that influence carbon sequestration and storage.