Assessment of State-Supported Mould Renovations in Finland

Marttila, Tero; Annila, Petri; Kero, Paavo; Suonketo, Jommi

doi:10.1007/978-981-10-0639-5_6

Cited by 3 publications

(2 citation statements)

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“…Even though this study was limited to one public building in Finland, the authors believe that municipalities across multiple countries, whose mission is to improve the management process of a damaged building or building-related symptoms, may find the findings of this study useful. The municipal challenges reported in this study are not limited to this case as other studies present similar problems, such as challenges with maintenance and an urgent need for repairs (Hopland, 2014;Kero, 2011;Lavy and Bilbo, 2009;Lewis et al, 2000;Smith and Stewart, 2007), inadequate information about the building condition (Kero, 2011;Lavy and Bilbo, 2009), a lack of competence in purchasing and interpreting the condition assessments (Kero, 2011;Marttila et al, 2016) and similar technical challenges in school buildings (Lewis et al, 2000).…”

Section: Municipal Challengesmentioning

confidence: 62%

Municipal challenges in managing a building with noted health symptoms

Uotila

Saari

Junnonen

2019

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Purpose This study aims to present property management challenges that municipalities have encountered regarding a public building with noted building-related symptoms. The study goes on to provide reasons for the failure of attempts to manage the symptoms and discusses the current challenges concerning the process. Design/methodology/approach A participatory case study was used as the research methodology to identify the current challenges concerning a municipal approach to managing the building-related symptoms in a case-study building. The researchers scrutinised the history of the health symptom management process and attended the project planning meetings focused on the investigation of the condition of the building. Findings Multiple challenges concerning maintenance and omitted or postponed repair actions, as well as vagueness in the management process were found. In addition to this, it was noted that the complexity of the initial design of the building and vandalism have resulted in challenges for the maintenance and moisture performance of the building structures. According to the study, more orderliness and a more systematic process is needed when managing a municipal property. Practical implications The identified property management challenges may be of practical value for the facility managers and the property owners, especially when managing the building-related symptoms and a damaged building. Originality/value This study highlights the importance of having an in-depth understanding of condition assessments as well as proper maintenance and timely repairs for the successful management of the building-related symptoms in a municipal building. This is a pilot project in a larger project of management of building refurbishment.

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Section: Municipal Challengesmentioning

confidence: 62%

Municipal challenges in managing a building with noted health symptoms

Uotila

Saari

Junnonen

2019

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“…In decision-making concerning a damaged building, the condition of the building plays a major role in the decision from a financial perspective, as well as in terms of the future use of the building, including space demands (Marttila et al , 2016) and environmental and social factors. Often, it is necessary to make a decision concerning future functions of the building in conditions where some uncertainty still prevails (Farsäter and Olander, 2019).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Decision-making when organising facilities for a school: a participatory action research approach

Uotila

Saari

Junnonen

2020

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Purpose Public authorities are required to organise new facilities to respond to changed user demands in terms of a public-owned school. The number of pupils attending the case study school will increase in the following years, as will the number of children attending a day nursery located on the present campus. In addition, the users of the campus have complained of building-related symptoms. This study aims to understand the municipal decision-making process in organising the school’s facilities, in particular, the factors used for decreasing uncertainty around a project. Design/methodology/approach This study is a case study undertaken through an action research approach. The researchers participated in the project planning meetings concerning the future activities to take place in the building. Findings Over a 13-month period, multiple stakeholders participated in the project planning meetings providing a deeper understanding of the space demands posed, current challenges and opportunities offered by the existing building. In addition, the alternative solutions generated were evaluated. The problem identification and information gathering periods lasted over nine months, which was far longer than predicted. Thus, generating alternative solutions and evaluation of the solutions also delayed. As the entire process was delayed substantially, the final decision on organising the facilities was not made during this research. Practical implications This research may be of practical value for a property owner and a project team for decision-making concerning changed facility demands. Originality/value This paper provides information about how public authorities are making decisions on facility organisation during conditions of uncertainty.

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Comprehensive assessment brings out shortcomings in almost every school building

2020

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Consideration of the big picture is needed when evaluating aspects of the building with relevance for reporting of poor indoor air quality or symptoms. Even the most accurate longitudinal measurements do not remove the need for expertise and broad understanding of the different possible sources and causes of indoor air exposures. Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL), in collaboration with Tampere University (TAU), studies the association between school buildings of Helsinki and pupil reported health symptoms. The present paper focuses on introducing the methods and classifications as well as presenting the results about the condition of the buildings. Characteristics of 53 school buildings have been assessed by visiting the buildings and by going through the previous building investigation reports. Visits relied mainly on visual inspections with an extensive checklist and some none intrusive momentary measurements about the dampness, pressure difference, and indoor air quality (IAQ). The major strength of the study is that all the possible school buildings in certain areas were inspected and assessed using the same methods, irrespective if the building had a long history of indoor air problems or not. That makes it possible to evaluate the general prevalence of the problems in school buildings, which has been highlighted as an open question by the National Indoor Air and Health Program 2018-2028, coordinated by THL. The first results indicate that every school building has its shortcomings. However, none of the studied buildings was in a very bad condition either. The results indicate that it is not possible to draw a clear line between the buildings with ‘good’ or ‘poor’ IAQ.

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Assessment of State-Supported Mould Renovations in Finland

Cited by 3 publications

References 1 publication

Municipal challenges in managing a building with noted health symptoms

Municipal challenges in managing a building with noted health symptoms

Decision-making when organising facilities for a school: a participatory action research approach

Comprehensive assessment brings out shortcomings in almost every school building

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