Promoting sustainability as a strategy to mitigate the effects of economic downturn on the construction industry

During the recent years followed by the Global Financial Crisis (GFC), most of business and industries around the globe have been hardly hit to the limit that it still struggling to survive, suffering from the crisis financial consequences. For instance, in the construction industry; many construction projects have been suspended or totally cancelled. Nevertheless, among this dilemma, a call has been raised to use the sustainable practices to mitigate the effects of the GFC on construction industry. For the first look, it seems that there is contradiction since the sustainable solutions are often associated with an increase in the initial cost, undoubtedly, the sustainable practices have many advantages in both economic and environment aspects, however, the question which needs to be addressed here is, to what extent using such sustainable practices can mitigate the negative effects of the economic downturn on construction industry. Therefore, it is a challenging argument for using such sustainable construction from its economic perspective, however, this paper is aiming to present the economical benefits of sustainable practices in construction industry, and trying to clear the doubt of the high initial costs of the sustainable construction through studying the life cycle benefit of green building.

Smart interior design of buildings and its relationship to land use

Architectural design is often associated with aesthetics and style, but it is also very important to building performance and sustainability. There are some studies associating architectural design to the choice for materials from sustainable sources, to indoor air quality, to energy efficiency and productivity. This article takes a step further to analyse how the use of efficient interior design techniques can impact the habitable space in order to improve building sustainability in land use. Smart interior design, a current trend related to the use of efficient and flexible furniture and movable walls in tiny or compact apartments, is analysed. A building with a standard design is used as a case study reference building and compared to a proposed theoretical design alternative using smart interior design techniques. In order to correctly assess sustainability performance, a quantifiable and verified method is used. Results showed that the use of smart interior design techniques can greatly reduce buildingsâ impact on the environment.

Uma análise empírico-descritiva sobre a televisão terrestre digital em Portugal

O presente estudo faz uma análise empírico-descritiva sob implementação da televisão digital terrestre em Portugal sob a ótica das decisões políticas e das relações público-privadas. Neste sentido, a análise busca descrever como se estabelecem as relações de poder que permeiam os interesses de um grupo econômico e de grupos político-partidários perante a luz das novas tecnologias e dentro do contexto da União Europeia, conforme as políticas contemporâneas da comunicação. Esses aspectos apontam para uma reconfiguração do sistema televisivo, sobretudo na questão da produção de conteúdos e na concepção de uma nova linguagem para o meio, o que trará a possibilidade de novas ambiências à audiência local.

João de Guimarães Golias, o homem e o diplomata (1599-1653)

Dissertação de mestrado em História

O processo de legitimação e a gestão de impressões na comunicação organizacional: O caso da EDP – Energias de Portugal, S.A.

Tese de Doutoramento Ciências Empresariais

Eclogae americanae, seu, Descriptiones plantarum praesertim Americae meridionalis, nondum cognitarum /auctore Martino Vahl.

v. 1-3 (pt. 3 Incomplete)

Eclogae americanae, seu, Descriptiones plantarum praesertim Americae meridionalis, nondum cognitarum /auctore Martino Vahl.

Plates

Mexicanas plantas nuper a collectoribus expeditionis scientificae allatas :aut longis ab annis in herbario musei parisiensis depositas /praeside J. Decaisne ; enumerandas curavit Eug. Fournier.

v.1 1872

Mexicanas plantas nuper a collectoribus expeditionis scientificae allatas :aut longis ab annis in herbario musei parisiensis depositas /praeside J. Decaisne ; enumerandas curavit Eug. Fournier.

v.2 1886

Les liliacees /par P.J. Redoute.

vol. 3

Phytanthoza iconographia, sive, Conspectus aliquot millium : tam indigenarum quam exoticarum, ex quatuor mundi partibus longâ annorum serie indefesoque studio /

vol. 1

Phytanthoza iconographia, sive, Conspectus aliquot millium : tam indigenarum quam exoticarum, ex quatuor mundi partibus longâ annorum serie indefesoque studio /

vol. 2

Phytanthoza iconographia, sive, Conspectus aliquot millium : tam indigenarum quam exoticarum, ex quatuor mundi partibus longâ annorum serie indefesoque studio /

vol. 3

Phytanthoza iconographia, sive, Conspectus aliquot millium : tam indigenarum quam exoticarum, ex quatuor mundi partibus longâ annorum serie indefesoque studio /

vol. 4