Creating Capacity and Capability: Embracing Advanced Technologies and Innovations for Sustainable Future in Building Education and Practice

This three-volume book is the proceeding of the 46th Australasian Universities Building Education Association (AUBEA) 2023 Conference which brings together papers on construction and built environment education and practice. This particular conference theme, “Creating Capacity and Capability: Embracing Advanced Technologies and Innovations for Sustainable Future in Building Education and Practice” is closely related to a flagship national research programme funded by the Government of New Zealand, known as the CanConstructNZ research programme, aiming to balance the capacity and capability in the construction industry and the national pipeline of construction projects. The capacity and capability of our construction industry in fulfilling the construction needs of the whole nation are reflected in the national pipeline of construction projects and have long been recognised as one of the main challenges facing the construction sector. The practices and education of building and construction play an important role in determining the capacity and capability of the construction industry. Within the context of achieving sustainable future and embracing advanced technologies to create capacity and capability in the construction sector, various concepts, research, and innovative development have emerged and taken place. This particular conference theme has facilitated more in-depth discourses and discussions on the latest ideas and innovation within the building and construction education and practice, not only from the Australasian region but also from the wider international community, including the USA, the UK, Brazil, South Africa, Nigeria, China, and Sri Lanka. The contents of this book will be of interest to academic researchers, industry professionals and policy makers alike.

Dr. Mostafa Babaeian Jelodar is Academic Lead and Associate Professor in Construction Engineering and Management at the School of Built Environment, Massey University, New Zealand. A civil engineer by training, his research focuses on Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) and automation in the built environment, with expertise in offsite construction, transformative technologies, productivity, and innovation in construction. He is particularly interested in Design for Manufacturing and Assembly (DfMA), Building Information Modelling (BIM), and the integration of digitalization, constructability, and sustainability in construction projects. Dr. Jelodar leads the "Modern Methods of Construction and Automation in Built Environment" research group, driving innovation in construction engineering and management at the School of Built Environment, Massey University.

Dr. Ruggiero Lovreglio is an expert in evacuation dynamics and safety training. His research uses new technologies to enhance our understanding of how people make evacuation decisions and to enhance safety training. He has published over 150 papers, 90 of them peer-reviewed journal articles. He is an associate editor for Safety Science (Elsevier) and Fire Technology (Springer). He was awarded by SFPE with the 5 under 35 awards.

Dr. Zhenan Feng is a senior lecturer in Digital Built Environment at Massey University, New Zealand. His expertise spans digital technologies for the built environment, with a focus on virtual reality and augmented reality. He holds a Ph.D. in Civil Engineering from the University of Auckland, a Master's degree from Nanyang Technological University, and a Bachelor's degree from Hunan University. Currently, he serves on the editorial boards of Safety Science and Journal of Computer Assisted Learning (JCAL).

Dr. Daniel Paes is a senior lecturer in Digital Built Environment and the director of the Digital Built Environment Lab at Massey University, New Zealand. He holds a Ph.D. in Building Construction with a concentration in Cognitive Psychology from Georgia Tech (USA), an M.Sc. in Construction Management, and a B.Sc. (Hons) in Architecture and Urban Planning from UFMG (Brazil). Dr. Paes has established a distinguished academic background in human-computer interaction, focusing on the intersection of advanced digital technology, cognition, and the built environment. His research focuses on advancing XR technology applications in design, construction, and training. His studies have been published in high-impact journals and book chapters and presented at multiple international conferences in the field.

Dr. Vishal Kumar is a lecturer in the School of Built Environment at Massey University. Dr. Vishal has a Ph.D. and Masters (Project Management) from the National University of Singapore (Singapore) and a Bachelor of Architecture from Birla Institute of Technology, Ranchi (India). His research interests include integrated digital delivery using BIM, a digital twin in construction, and smart facilities management. His research focuses on how a more efficient information transfer system for BIM-FM can be developed, addressing the current challenges of the fragmented information-capturing process during the design and construction stages.

Dr. Chandana Siriwardana is a senior lecturer at Massey University's School of Built Environment. He holds a B.Sc. (Hons) in Civil Engineering from the University of Moratuwa, Sri Lanka, an M.Sc. in Coastal Engineering from the University of Tokyo, and a Ph.D. in Project Management from the University of Calgary. His research focuses on disaster and construction management, with extensive experience in international projects funded by Erasmus+, EPSRC, and GCRF. Notably, he collaborated with Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Health to adapt the WHO "Safe Hospitals" initiative and worked with the Disaster Management Centre on emergency stakeholder management.