Tuesday, January 28, 2020

The Conclusion Recommendations Construction Essay

The Conclusion Recommendations Construction Essay From the unstructured interview it appears that Anthony is somewhat frustrated with the lack of support for timber frame housing. Anthony has successfully constructed two five-storey apartment blocks of timber frame without any problems, yet the public are concerned about two storey timber structures. More needs to be done to market the benefits of timber frame housing and to educate the public. Although Anthony suggests that timber frame construction will become more popular in the future due to new building regulations requiring increased thermal performance and the Code for Sustainable Homes, it cannot be expected to happen overnight. Despite the governments drive for sustainable developments and using renewable construction materials, such as timber, their support to the timber industry is limited. However, the timber industry cannot wait any longer in the hope that the government will help to persuade the public to construct their homes of timber frame. The timber industry need to take the initiative and invest in marketing techniques that are beneficial to the industry. The government, designers, builders and developers all have a major part to play in raising the awareness of timber frame construction. Over three-quarters of Anthonys work is in the public sector. With government funding reducing year on year and limited profits to be made from public housing Anthony is dependent on private houses. He is keen to do more bespoke timber frame houses but until public perception changes he knows bespoke timber frame houses are sparse. 8.0 conclusion Recommendations 8.1 Introduction After carrying out the primary and secondary research, a thorough understanding of timber frame construction has been developed. It is felt that all requirements set out in the aims and objectives have been achieved. The literature review discussed in detail the current state of timber frame construction in the United Kingdom and the important role it has in the future of the construction industry. The various components, design parameters and regulations of timber frame construction were discussed in detail. Timber frame was compared against traditional masonry in many aspects throughout the research. The case studies demonstrated how flexible timber frame design and construction can be. The interview and questionnaires highlighted the many factors that are restraining timber frame construction in Northern Ireland and what can be done to help it progress. 8.2 Conclusion Traditionally, houses in the UK and Ireland are constructed of brick and mortar, and timber frame is seen as an alternative method of construction. There are many barriers preventing timber frame from progressing from an alternative method of construction into a mainstream competitor of traditional masonry. In the housing sector, it appears timber frame construction is suffering due to the publics negative perception. As was shown in the questionnaire, although a large number of the public recognise the benefits of timber frame construction they are still wary of it and the majority would prefer to build their own homes using traditional masonry. The questionnaire also highlighted the problems the public perceived timber frame construction to have, such as structural instability, poor fire resistance, poor value on the property and limited design. Timber frame construction is the most popular form of construction used throughout the world, but here in Northern Ireland it is seen as cheap and fragile and as a result people do not rate it on the same level as traditional masonry. This investigation has proven all the perceived problems to be untrue and established there is a general lack of understanding, knowledge and widespread availability of information, which has led to the public resisting change from traditional forms of construction. The construction industry is traditionally conservative towards new methods of construction hence many developers and contractors believe it to be a substantial risk to incorporate timber frame construction into their private housing schemes. Housing associations are keen to use timber frame as they want to achieve level 3 of the Code for Sustainable Homes with minimal costs while benefitting from the accuracy and minimal waste that prefabrication offers. Private developers will not use timber frame construction until they are certain the public are prepared to purchase a timber frame home as they do not want to devalue their site. A perceived problem within the industry was the unfamiliarity of timber frame from design through to construction. There is some unease within the industry regarding timber frame construction, whilst some are accepting it; others are oblivious to its existence. The construction industry, as a whole, need to start to familiarise themselves with timber frame design, timber frame detailing and timber frame construction. For timber frame construction to develop, its critical that the industry professionals accept timber frame construction and pass the benefits onto clients. Although the case studies demonstrated that timber frame is a versatile method of construction, until public and industry appreciation of the benefits of timber frame increases, masonry construction will remain the dominant form of construction within the UK. It is important that the benefits of timber frame construction are well demonstrated in order to gain acceptance within the industry and the general public. Upon examination of the information collected during the course of this investigation, it appears that timber frame construction has the ability to be used in the construction of complex bespoke homes. Timber frame construction can offer the public and the industry many benefits, however, the research indicates that until timber frame perception changes, it will struggle to impact Northern Ireland in a way that it potentially could. With new building regulations, due to be released in the second half of 2010, a further increase in regulations due in 2013, zero carbon homes in 2016 and the introduction of The Code for Sustainable Homes; it is likely timber frame will grow in popularity due to its thermal ability and environmentally friendly nature. However, public and industry awareness need to increase before the significance of timber frame construction can be fully appreciated. 8.3 Limitations The questionnaires had to be short and concise, and not overly technical to keep the interest of the respondent. This could have resulted in insufficient data being collected. Although a total of sixty questionnaires were distributed in the North West, only forty were returned. To achieve a broader spectrum of results more questionnaires could have been handed out and posted to further regions of the province, such as Belfast. The single interview conducted was very beneficial in getting a timber frame manufacturers view on different aspects of the industry. Although arrangements were in place to interview another two timber frame manufacturers, the interviews never materialised. It would have been beneficial to conduct further interviews to gather a wider range of views. The two case studies provided an insight into two opposing timber frame structures. It would have been constructive to investigate a second bespoke house to gain a further insight into the methods used to construct bespoke timber frame homes. 8.4 Recommendations When carrying out research for this investigation the public, and some professions within the construction industry, appeared to have a negative perception of timber frame construction. A further area that could be investigated is how these negative perceptions can be changed. Further research could be undertaken into marketing campaigns to increase awareness of timber frame construction. Investigate how advertising and promotion could be used to educate people on the benefits of timber frame construction and see if government support is required. Another area of further research could be industrial training. There is a lack of knowledge within the industry about timber frame design and detailing. An investigation into how further timber training is required within the industry. Possibly there are not enough courses and support available, or maybe there is no government funding therefore no incentive for employers to send their workforce. Timber frame design and detailing could also be looked at in university courses. Napier are offering timber engineering degrees, this is possibly the way of the future.

Monday, January 20, 2020

A Deconstructionist Critique of Chopin’s The Awakening Essay -- Chopin

A Deconstructionist Critique of Chopin’s The Awakening The multiplicity of meanings and (re)interpretations informing critical studies of The Awakening reveal a novel ripe for deconstructionist critique. Just as Chopin evokes an image of the sea as symbolic of Edna’s shifting consciousness (â€Å"never ceasing, whispering, clamoring, murmuring, inviting the soul to wander in abysses of solitude,†138), likewise the deconstructionist reading of a text emphasizes fluidity over structure: â€Å"A text consists of words inscribed in and inextricable from the myriad discourses that inform it; from the point of view of deconstruction, the boundaries between any given text and that larger text we call language are always shifting,† (297). From this perspective, the reader/critic opens the doors of interpretation instead of narrowing their focus to any singular, exclusionary reading, and exposes the deconstruction at work within the text itself. Whether defined as feminist martyr, metaphorical lesbian, the triumphant image of social transcendence or a broken bird â€Å"beating the air above . . . circlin...

Saturday, January 11, 2020

Character of “Miss Brill” Essay

In the short story, â€Å"Miss Brill† by Katherine Mansfield, the main character, Miss Brill, is developed with the use to symbols and patterns of metaphors. The story is about Miss Brill’s routine on Sundays, and how she is interpreting the world around her, and her role in it. The main metaphors that are used are her fur coat, the old people, and her seat. All these metaphors help show that Miss Brill doesn’t live life, but only views it. Miss Brill’s fur coat is introduced in the first paragraph of the story. She personifies the fur, and projects some of her own personalities and interests into it. â€Å"She had taken it out of its box that afternoon, shaken out the moth powder, given it a good brush, and rubbed the life back into the dim little eyes†(Mansfield p.357). Later, Miss Brill further characterizes the fur coat and states that is a â€Å"little rogue†, which further laments her personification of the fur. Furthermore, she feels that she is attracted to the personified fur, â€Å"She could have taken it off and laid it on her lap and stroked it† (Mansfield p.357). The fur coat is a metaphor for her, or what she sees attractive in herself. She if old, so is the fur coat â€Å"..shaken out the moth powder..†(Mansfield p.357); she likes to dress up and use makeup, just like what she does to the fur coat â€Å"..a little dab of black sealing-wax..† (Mansfield p.357). She views the world around her as it passes by, but never experiencing it for herself, similar to an inanimate object, such as her fur coat. This point is reinforced further at the end of the story, when she has been ridiculed, and is putting away her coat away; â€Å"But when she put the lid on she thought she heard something crying† (Mansfield p.361). The author tells the reader that the fur is crying, but the metaphor shows that it is Miss Brill that is crying. Similarly, â€Å"the old people sat on the bench, still as statues†, is also a metaphor for Miss Brill. She is one of the old people sitting on the benches, watching everyone else. It is ironic, because she seems to dislike these people, but at the same time, she is one of them; â€Å"They were odd, silent, nearly all old† (Mansfield p.358). Miss Brill, like the other old people, is peculiar, quiet, and old. What she sees in these people, is what  the reader sees in her. This metaphor symbolizes what she is in reality and what other people in the story see her as; â€Å"Because of that stupid old thing at the end there..† (Mansfield p.360) is what a young couple says when they see Miss Brill. The old people symbolize the old pathetic nature of Miss Brill’s routine of viewing everyone else’s experiences, but never experiencing herself. Finally, the symbol of her â€Å"special seat† is the most important and drives home the point of Miss Brill never experiencing life. The seat symbolizes her vantage point of the world. The metaphor of a play is also used, but they both symbolize the same thing; they are both her eyepieces to the rest of the world, and this is how she can experience life, instead of doing it herself. â€Å"How she enjoyed it! How she loved sitting here, watching it all! It was like a play† (Mansfield p.359). Furthermore, she feels that she is living life and experiencing everything, because Miss Brill feels that she is apart of the play â€Å"They weren’t only the audience†¦.they were acting† (Mansfield p.359). The author effectively uses the metaphor of her â€Å"special seat† and of a play to symbolize Miss Brill’s character, and how she feels that she is fully living life, but actually, she is only watching. Throughout the short story â€Å"Miss Brill†, by Katherine Mansfield, three important symbols are used to characterize Miss Brill; they are the fur, the old people, and her â€Å"special seat†. All these show that Miss Brill is a watcher, who experience life through watching.