The individual perceptions of BIM practice in Algeria between practitioners and academics: Implementation barriers and strategic solutions
By Mohamed Tehami and Mohammed Seddiki
Numerous studies have highlighted the importance of BIM as a concept and technology in the construction industry. Several developed and developing countries have already initiated the implementation of BIM, which has been possible thanks to significant support by their governments. However, few efforts have been conducted to compare the opinions of academics and practitioners regarding the BIM perceptions. This research was conducted to fill this gap and to explore the different understanding of the BIM implementation between academic people and practitioners in terms of BIM critical barriers, and strategic solutions in Algeria. This paper extends previous research on the BIM implementation in Algeria (Tehami & Seddiki, 2023) by focusing on the individual perceptions of the BIM practice between practitioners and academics.
The research approach is based on literature review and empirical analysis of academics’ and practitioners’ perception. Different from previous BIM implementation studies conducted in developed and developing countries, this study collected a large volume of data from the viewpoints of both practitioners (project managers, project owners, contractors) and academics (university teachers and students), which contributes, scholarly, to the body of knowledge in BIM implementation by extending the BIM adoption research previously limited to practitioners to include academics by proposing multiple factors (e.g. profile type, graduation..).
This research adopted a questionnaire survey followed by statistical analysis. A total of 150 respondents completed the survey. The whole survey sample was divided into subgroups according to the respondent’ profile type, graduation, work type, and CAD and BIM knowledge. A subgroup analysis adopting a statistical approach was conducted in order to investigate the differences in the individual perception of the different groups mentioned above.
The ranking analysis of the BIM implementation barriers revealed that the most important barriers to the BIM implementation were within people and policy factors. People and policy factors included the non-involvement of local authorities in the BIM application, BIM knowledgeable professionals and clients’ BIM knowledge. On the other hand, technology, and process factors such as the high cost of BIM hardware and software, and reluctance to change the working method by project stakeholders were considered less important barriers.
The subgroup analysis revealed that there was a gap in the BIM awareness between the academics and the practitioners. Multivariate Analysis of Variance (MANOVA) revealed that the respondents from academic circles, precisely the students, were more aware of and had a sensitive perception toward certain BIM critical barriers. Compared to the respondents from among practitioners (architects and engineers), students held more confirmatory views, such as for BIM people and technology barriers. However, it is important to point out that these significant differences between groups of respondents did not have a real impact on the ranking of the most important BIM barriers. The findings of the study brought to light that the Algerian construction industry is lagging behind compared to others developing countries in terms of the BIM implementation in construction projects. The ranking of barriers confirms this shift with people and policy factors as the most important barriers while technology and process factors are considered as secondary barriers. This indicates the impact and great role of the local authorities and policymakers in promoting and accelerating the BIM adoption in the country.
The ranking of strategic solutions was in line with the findings of the critical barriers’ analysis. The most important BIM strategic solutions were the launch of the BIM training and certifications, promotion and awareness of stakeholders in the construction industry, and government support and application of BIM. Therefore, first, the government should consider giving incentives to accelerate BIM training courses in private and public schools by promoting Construction Industry-Academics-Partnership, which would enhance large construction companies to start including BIM learning as internal training for their employers, and consequently, implementing BIM in their projects. Secondly, Algerian authorities should impose the BIM implementation for large-size public projects gradually through regulation.
Scholarly, this research will contribute to the body of knowledge in the BIM implementation by extending BIM adoption research, previously limited to practitioners, by proposing multiple factors. Practically, it illustrates the gap between academic and practitioners’ perception in BIM implementation, and provides suggestions for Construction Industry-Academics-Partnership as an influential key for promoting the BIM adoption in Algeria.
Although this research covered the BIM practice perception of both practitioners and academics in Algeria, a limitation of this study is related to the sample size and the multi-influence factors. As part of future studies, it will be interesting to have a more representative population for both the construction industry and the educational institutions in the country. Furthermore, other multi-influence factors could be considered in further research as the compatibility issues at the organisational level of the construction industry in Algeria for facilitating the BIM adoption. Finally, recommended future investigations also include developing an interrelation framework for the BIM implementation among BIM pedagogy and BIM industry practice to address gaps between the educational institutions and the construction industry.
From home to the unhome: An architectural model of a phenomenological inquiry
By Amer Obied
The world has recently been confronted with horrifying images of large-scale domicide—the deliberate destruction of home—whether through California’s wildfires or wars in the Middle East and Ukraine. Compounding this crisis are a global housing shortage, mass migration, and the economic aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. These challenges disrupt the traditionally positive meaning of home, which has long been deeply tied to architecture and the house. At the same time, modern architectural theories and practices have also questioned this notion, prioritising progressive design and modern living. Architects such as Adolf Loos, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, and Le Corbusier envisioned an architecture stripped of homely sentiment, both in theory and practice.
Building on these observations, this paper explores a new philosophical and architectural approach to home, focusing on its disruption and the emergence of the “unhome.” Arising from the phenomenological tension between Martin Heidegger’s existentialism and Emmanuel Levinas’s ethical phenomenology, the unhome is introduced as a conceptual extension of Levinas’s critique of Heidegger. This shift reframes the opposition to home, transitioning from an existential to an ethical question. Through an architectural lens, the unhome is conceptualised as an experience emerging within the home, revealing its inherent vulnerabilities and contradictions. The discussion culminates in a conceptual model that visualises the architectural interplay between home and unhome.
To establish the meaning of the unhome, the paper first examines the concept of home and its antithesis in Heidegger’s philosophy. For Heidegger, home is deeply existential, enrooted in place and soil. Drawing on Mircea Eliade’s theological phenomenology, home serves as an ontologically sacred place against the homogeneity of space. Moreover, his concept of Dasein (Being-here), Gelassenheit (serenity or releasement), and Dwelling emphasises a binary opposition between Being-at-home and Being-in-the-world, or home and not-home. This suggests the metaphor of a homely sphere, where architecture encapsulates and protects the interior through a clear demarcation between inside and outside, established by tectonic, visible, and defensible boundaries.
Conversely, Levinas challenges Heidegger’s enrooted notion of home, arguing it promotes exclusivity and a kind of paganism. Instead, he posits that home is not tied to roots but rather to the freedom of detachment and wandering. In this sense, the unhome emerges as a Levinasian antithesis of home—not merely its absence, but a paradoxical coexistence of attachment and estrangement within the home itself. The unhome is also linked to the experience of the Freudian uncanny, where the familiar becomes unfamiliar and the boundaries between inside and outside dissolve. In other words, the unhome is the emergence of the unfamiliar within the home, disrupting the familiar and known. This disruption stems from an internalised Other, manifesting as a sense of self-division or conflict. However, Levinas’s ethical framework advocates for a response of kindness and responsibility toward the Other.
Based on this philosophical dialogue, the paper proposes a conceptual model of the unhome, both critiquing and complementing Heidegger’s homely sphere. The model explores three key aspects: 1) A Sphereless Home, where dissolved spatial boundaries make home and not-home indistinguishable; 2) The Otherside, where the unhome exists in a liminal state of hybridity, challenging the binary opposition of self/Other and inside/outside; and 3) An Architectural Nexus, where the unhome remains architecturally linked to the home as its metaphorical shadow, embodying the duality of heteronomous and autonomous experiences.
The architecture of the unhome is further explored through four dimensions: 1) Scale: the unhome predominantly exists on the domestic scale but also manifests within the urban landscape of the city; 2) Place: the destruction of home (domicide and topocide) disrupts and challenges Heideggerian ideas of belonging. Levinas’s uprootedness, in contrast, presents the unhome as a liberation from geographical determinism; and 3) Materiality: architectural elements such as darkness and transparency heighten the experience of the unhome, reflecting the destruction of home and its symbolic ties to the human body, mortality, and fragility; and 4) Porosity: openings like windows and doors mediate the home’s vulnerability to external forces, regulating its relationship with the world.
The concept of the unhome challenges traditional, idealised notions of home, offering a more complex and ethically nuanced understanding of dwelling. By juxtaposing Heidegger’s emphasis on rootedness with Levinas’s ethical openness to the Other, the paper reveals the unhome as a site of existential and ethical tension, where the boundaries between home and not-home are continually negotiated. The unhome is not merely a negative experience but a potential catalyst for ethical transformation, redefining home as a space of freedom rather than dogma. Ultimately, the unhome invites us to reconsider inherited meanings of home in a world marked by loss, displacement, and uncertainty.
Case study of Ahsan Manzil and Gol Talab: Assessment of public opinion to access the possibilities of heritage trail in Old Dhaka, Bangladesh
By Sayed Ahmed and Rajon Das
This paper examines the edifice of Ahsan Manzil from colonial Old Dhaka, Bangladesh, as a case study. Being the first successful conservation project of the country, this project might open lots of criticism to guide future heritage trail development in the historic city of Dhaka, where public awareness is absent and government policies are obsolete or ignorant. Methodologically, extensive literature reviews were given priority to understand the state of the art and were evaluated under thematic analysis for heritage study, ideal authenticity according to world heritage standards. Then, an extensive field survey followed to grasp the public behaviour. The research findings will primarily focus on the preservation and safeguarding of the surrounding of other dilapidated heritage sites, which are considered elements of valuable cultural and historical significance of the Dhaka city’s kernel, especially when the city is suffering from rapid urbanization and other threatening forces for heritage demolition. The fundamental goal of this research is to depict attempts to investigate and evaluate many competing hypotheses from an unbiased platform concerning the comprehensive conservation process. The study will analyse the survey thoroughly to gain a well-desired ‘heritage trail’ for Old Dhaka. The findings of this research will try to restate public opinion through socially equitable and investigable empirical analysis of opinions from respondents and scholars’ opinions. Heritage conservation is a prerequisite to ensure proper management of culture, tradition, and history from generation to generation, where Dhaka city is rich with various forms of cultural, natural, and religious forms of heritage. Promoting heritage conservation, especially in urban areas, is a challenging task in a third-world context like Bangladesh. Because it does not only mean preserving heritage structures but also promoting awareness, raising the sense of ownership, spontaneous participation, and maintaining traditions and the heritage for the future generation(s), coordination and integrated decision-making are essential. And above all, involve urban ecology to regain its natural and local context. Engagement of government and institutions can enhance community awareness and participation. Stockholders of government, like the ministry of culture, the department of archaeology, NGOs, policymakers from different sectors, and civil society, should work hand in hand. Furthermore, in tourism-based heritage conservation, the establishment of heritage archives can contribute to heritage promotion and conservation. Both environments and structures having historical significance can be used for community inclusion, drawing tourists, and as such they need better upkeep. On the other hand, the revised master plan for Dhaka prioritizing heritage and community-based monitoring cells may help protect heritage structures and areas from illegal embezzlement, while the percentage of greenery can easily fit the question of ‘local and natural context’ for ecological purification. To overcome the knowledge gap and help the upcoming generation learn about their inherent heritage, universities should offer more courses on heritage, and secondary school curriculum should include heritage chapters. For the public to emotionally engage with heritage and comprehend its significance and worth, heritage interpretation is crucial. It takes more than awareness, upkeep, and prevention to attain sustainability.
Ergonomic challenges and culturally-adapted aesthetic strategies in Tunisian university libraries: Insights from Daciano da Costa and contemporary design frameworks in the digital era
By Malek Nouri
The article “Ergonomic challenges and aesthetic strategies in Tunisian university libraries: Insights from Daciano da Costa in the digital era” explores the evolving role of university libraries in Tunisia, emphasising the need to adapt to the digital age while addressing ergonomic and aesthetic challenges. Historically, libraries have been central to academic communities, fostering intellectual exchange and collaboration. However, the digital era has transformed their function, requiring them to become dynamic, multifunctional spaces that integrate technology, ergonomic design, and aesthetic coherence to enhance user productivity, inclusivity, and well-being.
Tunisian university libraries face significant challenges, including outdated infrastructure, poor ergonomics, and inadequate digital integration. These issues hinder their ability to meet the diverse needs of students and researchers. For instance, poorly designed furniture, insufficient lighting, and inflexible spatial layouts cause physical discomfort and discourage long-term use. Additionally, the lack of investment in digital resources and infrastructure exacerbates these problems, leaving libraries ill-equipped to balance their roles as cultural heritage preservers and facilitators of modern academic practices.
The study draws on the design philosophy of Portuguese designer Daciano da Costa, who emphasised modularity, functionality, and aesthetic harmony. His principles offer a framework for creating adaptable, user-centred spaces that can accommodate various activities, from individual study to collaborative work and digital research. By adopting da Costa’s ideas, libraries can bridge the gap between tradition and modernity, integrating digital tools while preserving cultural identity.
The research employs a mixed-methods approach, combining qualitative and quantitative data collection techniques. Three Tunisian university libraries were selected as case studies, representing different sizes, geographic locations, and user demographics. Data collection included field observations, user surveys, and focus group discussions to assess ergonomic and aesthetic issues, user satisfaction, and the integration of digital resources.
Key findings reveal significant ergonomic deficiencies, such as inadequate seating, poorly designed workstations, and insufficient accessibility for users with disabilities. Aesthetic issues include mismatched furniture, lack of natural light, and poor spatial organisation, which negatively impact user satisfaction. The integration of digital resources varies across libraries, with some successfully incorporating technology while others struggling due to outdated infrastructure and limited access to digital tools.
The study highlights the importance of ergonomic interventions, such as adjustable furniture, task-specific lighting, and accessible design, to improve user comfort and productivity. Aesthetic improvements, including cohesive design elements and the incorporation of natural features, can enhance the overall user experience. Additionally, the effective integration of digital resources, such as modern workstations, reliable internet access, and collaborative tech hubs, is crucial for meeting the demands of the digital age.
Cultural context plays a significant role in shaping library design in Tunisia. Traditional architectural preferences and social norms, such as the emphasis on communal learning, must be balanced with modern design principles. Libraries should incorporate culturally relevant aesthetics and flexible layouts that support both individual and group activities.
The study concludes with recommendations for improving Tunisian university libraries, emphasising the need for ergonomic furniture, flexible spatial designs, cohesive aesthetics, and enhanced digital infrastructure. By adopting a user-centred approach inspired by Daciano da Costa’s principles, libraries can create inclusive, adaptable spaces that meet the evolving needs of their users. Ongoing user feedback and participatory design processes are essential for ensuring that these spaces remain relevant and effective in the digital era.
In summary, the article underscores the importance of rethinking library design to address ergonomic, aesthetic, and digital challenges. By integrating da Costa’s design philosophy and considering cultural context, Tunisian university libraries can transform into dynamic, inclusive spaces that support academic engagement and innovation in the 21st century.