Building information modeling (BIM) has received considerable recognition in the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) industry because it can potentially reduce costs and delivery time and improve quality. Conscious of the benefits derived by adopting BIM, the Taiwanese government is planning to enact a policy that would incorporate BIM-based e-submission into the Taiwanese building permit review process, revolutionizing the local AEC industry. Nevertheless, the effects of BIM application are unpredictable. The aim of this study was to investigate the current status of BIM adoption in 224 Taiwanese architectural firms, assess how accepting and ready the firms were to implement BIM, and create a predictive model that can be used by decision makers who are considering adopting BIM. The results revealed that approximately one-third of the firms surveyed had already adopted BIM-based tools. More than half of the firms were willing to use BIM-based tools to streamline the building permit review process; however, their willingness was strongly influenced by governmental policies, competitor motivation, financial incentives, and technological support. The challenges, problems, and opportunities related to adopting BIM were discussed. Lessons learned from the experiences of the Taiwanese firms may be useful to firms facing similar situations and challenges in other countries.

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Spatial Hyperlink, a telecommunications art installation, explores an ideal social interaction. The work encourages viewers' awareness of others' psychological states via speaking boxes through which images and sounds can be transmitted over unknown distances. Devices installed in different places become a giant communication network. Users are able to influence remote doors by opening their own. With each opening, the people and the scenes behind the doors become visible to people in other locations around the world.Each door opening creates a unique experience, a personal assemblage made up of sounds and images created by interactions with the piece. In addition, the sounds of knocking and the user voices are anchored in space and attract passersby to come near and respond. Communications across remote distances are precipitated and accelerated when people happen upon the installation in action, creating a Spatial Hyperlink. The linking process itself consists not only of accumulating sounds and images, but also the users' exploratory behavior. Users can talk, smile, transmit a kiss, or just ignore the opportunity. In this way, a new kind of social interactive mode emerges the moment a knock on the door is answered. Spatial Hyperlink, © 2013 Wan-Ying Lai, Ming-Chang Wu, Shen-Guan Shih. Photo © 2013 Ming-Chang Wu.

Humans have occupied most of the land surface of the planet since ancient times. There is no doubt that New Taipei City will continue to expand, but in the coming decades, the increasing pressure of urban pollution and global warming, our living space will make it necessary to redefine the model for expansion. This study is seeking a new vision of urbanization and urbanMutualism for New Taipei City in the future. It will adopt a "nature first" development model to replace the "human first" growth model, and new urban developments will take place under the returning natural land surface of this sustainable symbiotic mutualism system.

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