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Despite the recognized advantages of the use of BIM in the field of architecture and engineering, the extension of this procedure to the architectural heritage is neither immediate nor critical. The uniqueness and irregularity of historical architecture, on the one hand, and the great quantity of information necessary for the knowledge of architectural heritage, on the other, require appropriate reflections. The aim of this paper is to define a general framework for the use of BIM procedures for architectural heritage. The proposed methodology consists of three different Level of Development (LoD), depending on the characteristics of the building and the objectives of the study: a simplified model with a low geometric accuracy and a minimum quantity of information (LoD 200); a model nearer to the reality but, however, with a high deviation between virtual and real model (LoD 300); a detailed BIM model that reproduce as much as possible the geometric irregularities of the building and is enriched by the maximum quantity of information available (LoD 400).

A generally recognized factor that has a direct impact on the formation and development of the digital economy is the level of development of infocommunications, which actualizes the issue of its measurement as an indicator of the degree of readiness of Ukraine to implement its digital strategies. To this end, in the article, based on statistical data of the information society and the digital economy, with the use of appropriate assessment indicators (technological, economic, social ones) for Ukraine, Europe, and the CIS, there measured: level of ICT infrastructure development; level of using ICT by citizens, business and government; level of development of the ICT sector (economic, social aspects). According to the results of the study, relevant conclusions are made. In particular, the low level of infocommunications development of Ukraine relative to the countries of geographically close regions reduces the possibility of achieving the key objectives of its digital strategies, bringing to the fore the need to address the following specific tasks: development of ICT infrastructure through increasing the availability and innovativeness of communication networks; further provision of access of the population, households, business and government structures to ICT; preservation of niches in regional ICT services markets and sustainable development of the production segment of the ICT sector, enhancing its ability to meet the demand for communication equipment and new jobs.

The construction sector plays an important role in moving towards a low-carbon economy. Life cycle assessment (LCA) is considered one of the most effective methods of analytically evaluating environmental profiles and an efficient tool for calculating the environmental impacts in building design-oriented methodologies, such as building information modelling (BIM). At early design stages, generic LCA databases are used to conduct the life cycle inventory (LCI), while detailed stages require more detailed data, such as environmental product declarations (EPDs), namely documents that provide accurate results and precise analyses based on LCA. Limitations are recognized when using EPDs in BIM elements at different levels of development (LOD) in the design stages, especially related to the data consistency and system boundaries of the LCA. This paper presents a method of achieving accurate LCA results, that helps with decision-making and provides support in the selection of building products and materials. The method is validated by its application in the structural concrete of an office building located in Germany. The method defines a safety factor adopted for embodied impacts (“cradle-to-gate”), based on EPD results to predict the environmental impact of BIM elements at different LODs. The results obtained show that by integrating the method to conduct the LCA, the range of errors and possible inconsistencies in the LCA results can be reduced.

The advent of digital economy has had a significant impact on the scale and quality of employment. This study employs a regional characteristic analysis to investigate the impact of DE development on employment quantity and quality. Additionally, the effect of DE advancement on employment levels is examined, with emphasis on the associated changes in quality. The results demonstrate that the progression of the DE exerts a dual influence on the overall employment landscape, encompassing both a “creation effect” and a “substitution effect.” However, the “creation effect” is identified as the predominant influence. The advancement of the DE has the potential to markedly enhance the quality of regional employment opportunities. The impact of digital economic development on regional employment income and security is contingent upon the level of development. The DE has a beneficial effect on the stability of employment in the eastern and central regions. Nevertheless, in the western region, the impact is less significant, with the level of employment security exhibiting a lagging phenomenon. Therefore, this study proposes a series of policy recommendations, including the acceleration of digital economic development, the expansion of new employment opportunities, enhancement of digital skills among the labor force, and the improvement of the social welfare system for workers.

The building sector has a significant potential to reduce the material resource demand needed for construction and therefore, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Digitalization can help to make use of this potential and improve sustainability throughout the entire building’s life cycle. One way to address this potential is through the integration of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) into the building process by employing Building Information Modeling (BIM). BIM can reduce the effort needed to carry out an LCA, and therefore, facilitate the integration into the building process. A review of current industry practice and scientific literature shows that companies are lacking the incentive to apply LCA. If applied, there are two main approaches. Either the LCA is performed in a simplified way at the beginning of the building process using imprecise techniques, or it is done at the very end when all the needed information is available, but it is too late for decision-making. One reason for this is the lack of methods, workflows and tools to implement BIM-LCA integration over the whole building development. Therefore, the main objective of this study is to develop an integrated BIM-LCA method for the entire building process by relating it to an established workflow. To avoid an additional effort for practitioners, an existing structure for cost estimation in the Swiss context is used. The established method is implemented in a tool and used in a case study in Switzerland to test the approach. The results of this study show that LCA can be performed continuously in each building phase over the entire building process using existing Building Information Modeling (BIM) techniques for cost estimation. The main benefit of this approach is that it simplifies the application of LCA in the building process and therefore gives incentives for companies to apply it. Moreover, the re-work caused by the need for re-entering data and the usage of many different software tools that characterize most of the current LCA practices is minimized. Furthermore, decision-making, both at the element and building levels, is supported.

A critical analysis of the research discourse on the development of organic farming is imperative if it is to contribute to the spread of sustainable consumption patterns, as indicated in the European Green Deal (EGD). However, there is a notable dearth of research from a macroeconomic perspective. What and how much we consume affects human health and the environment. Therefore, there is a need to increase consumer awareness of the consequences of food choices, as organic animal products can contribute to sustainable consumption and production. The study aims to determine the level of development of the production of organic animal products in European Union (EU) countries. Synthetic indicators of the development level of EU countries in 2016 and 2020 were constructed based on the Principal Components Approach (PCA) using Eurostat data. A survey and literature review shows that countries at the top of the ranking, such as Denmark, Sweden, Finland and Austria, have active policies to support the development of organic agriculture on both the supply and demand sides. On the other hand, a divergence in the factors that influence the development of organic agriculture was also observed in the top-ranked countries. Therefore, the development of organic agricultural production, including organic animal products, requires the diffusion of experiences across the EU to support the multifaceted OAFR (organic agriculture and food research) paradigm and the Sustainable Development Goals. Istnieje potrzeba krytycznej analizy dyskursu badań nad rozwojem rolnictwa ekologicznego, jeśli – tak jak wskazano w Europejskim Zielonym Ładzie (EZŁ) – ma ono przyczynić się do upowszechniania zrównoważonych wzorców konsumpcji. Widoczny jest niedosyt badań w ujęciu makroekonomicznym. Ekologiczne produkty pochodzenia zwierzęcego mogą przyczynić się do realizacji zrównoważonej konsumpcji i produkcji. To, co konsumujemy i w jakich ilościach, wpływa na nasze zdrowie i środowisko naturalne. Niezbędne jest poszerzanie świadomości konsumentów w kontekście konsekwencji, jakie wynikają z podjętych decyzji zakupowych dotyczących produktów żywnościowych. Celem artykułu jest określenie poziomu rozwoju produkcji ekologicznych produktów pochodzenia zwierzęcego w krajach UE. Syntetyczne wskaźniki poziomu rozwoju krajów UE w latach 2016 i 2020 zbudowano na podstawie metody głównych składowych (PCA). Wykorzystano dane pochodzące z Eurostatu. Na podstawie przeprowadzonego badania, jak również studiów literatury można stwierdzić, że państwa będące w czołówce rankingowej, takie jak Dania, Szwecja, Finlandia, Austria, prowadziły aktywną politykę wspierającą rozwój rolnictwa ekologicznego zarówno od strony podażowej, jak i popytowej. Z drugiej zaś strony w krajach sklasyfikowanych w czołówce rankingowej zauważono również rozbieżność co do czynników wpływających na rozwój rolnictwa ekologicznego. Dlatego rozwój ekologicznej produkcji rolnej, a w tym ekologicznych produktów pochodzenia zwierzęcego, wymaga dyfuzji doświadczeń w krajach UE w celu wsparcia wieloaspektowego paradygmatu OAFR (organic agriculture and food research) i celów zrównoważonego rozwoju.

An increasing degree of digitalization in construction planning offers significant potential for building life cycle assessment (LCA) to reduce access barriers, as well as the assessment effort itself. To realize the widespread application of LCA tools and their potential to effectively minimize life cycle impacts, an open approach is required that allows for flexible application of comprehensive LCA studies and early integration in planning processes. The authors present an approach for LCA integration in all phases of digital planning which aims at a DGNB (Deutsche Gesellschaft für nachhaltiges Bauen) certification based on the open Building Information Modeling (BIM) standard Industry Foundation Classes (IFC). The approach takes into account varying levels of development and resulting data availability during integral planning phases, as well as resulting LCA application contexts. It goes beyond existing strategies and allows one to consider both BIM and LCA software through a workflow based on a single data format. The assessment framework is operationalized through standardized interface development and technical realization following the information delivery manual (IDM) process standardized for IFC interfaces. The Extensible Markup Language (XML) schema, as a specific implementation for certification, provides the target system for LCA data requirements and is generalized to a planning phase specific IDM base table. The technical realization based on respective model view definitions and distributed data suggests a pathway to the standardization of LCA-IFC integration based on an open approach. The overall approach exemplarily applies to the “LERNZENTRUM” at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) campus. We conclude that an open BIM approach for LCA integration in model-based planning is feasible, but requires several adjustments in IFC, LCA, and planning practice. Adding a lifecycle element to the IFC to connect BIM and LCA provides comprehensive feedback for informed decision making based on environmental impact.

This study examines scuba divers as a vital segment of the marine tourism market. To better understand scuba divers, motivation, expectations, and expectation outcomes were measured. A survey including 28 motivation statements adapted from the recreation experience preference scales was administered to 300 divers diving with different dive operators in the Florida Keys in summer 2002. Eighteen expectation variables with outcome statements were measured in a pre- and posttest format (expectations before the trip and outcomes after the dive trip). Nonparametric tests revealed differences between divers of different levels of development (i.e., beginning, intermediate, advanced, expert, postexpert). Beginners dove for the challenge and excitement while advanced divers dove to be with similar people, use equipment, and see shipwrecks. Findings show differences between Boy Scouts in a youth adventure program and divers (domestic and international) diving with a regular dive shop. Scouts dove for adventure and excitement. Scouts showed the highest scores in postevent expectation variables. Implications for dive operations to improve diver preparations are given.

Heritage Building Information Modeling (HBIM) is increasingly utilized to develop accurate and semantic-rich databases for the representation, preservation, and renovation of cultural heritage. A critical factor in successful HBIM delivery is the intended uses of the model, which need to be established by stakeholders at the onset of the program. Despite the greater application of Building Information Modeling (BIM) technologies to HBIM workflows, the discipline continues to lack clarity regarding information requirements from a tenant perspective. The first stage of this research was a review of 26 published HBIM case studies to extract information including HBIM workflows, level of development (LOD) models in the field, and the stakeholders’ participation in the HBIM program. The findings from the case studies conclude that most HBIM methodologies did not seek to understand the needs of assumptive stakeholders and lacked a clearly defined objective. Ten interviews with proprietors of ten different historic courthouses in the southeastern United States were also included in the study, which were used to identify the priorities of HBIM programs from a built heritage stakeholder’s standpoint. These priorities were used in conjunction with reviewed field standards to develop LOD supplement guidelines applicable for HBIM, which were then validated through a case study. The findings of this research conclude that the creation of LOD guidelines for HBIM application is both achievable and advisable, as they allow stakeholders to identify their priorities for HBIM projects. Such guidelines would assist in standardizing the HBIM discipline and disseminating its usefulness to historic building managers. This research also provides standards that allow cultural heritage stakeholders to make informed decisions about potential HBIM programs and maximize the use of resources to implement such programs. Moreover, the methodology implemented in this research offers a valuable example for future studies on HBIM guidelines and regulations.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to present a review of the implications building information modelling (BIM) is having on the building energy modelling (BEM) and design of buildings. It addresses the issues surrounding exchange of information throughout the design process, and where BIM may be useful in contributing to effective design progression and information availability. Design/methodology/approach Through review of current design procedures and examination of the concurrency between architectural and thermophysical design modelling, a procedure for information generation relevant to design stakeholders is created, and applied to a high-performance building project currently under development. Findings The extents of information key to the successful design of a buildings energy performance in relation to its architectural objectives are given, with indication of the level of development required at each stage of the design process. Practical implications BIM offers an extensible medium for parametric information storage, and its implementation in design development offers the capability to include BEM parameter-integrated construction information. The extent of information required for accurate BEM at stages of a building’s design is key to understanding how best to record performance information in a BIM environment. Originality/value This paper contributes to the discussion around the integration of concurrent design procedures and a common data environment. It presents a framework for the creation and dissemination of information during design, exemplifies this on a real building project and evaluates the barriers experienced in successful implementation.