Façade Constructions

Introduction Faà §ade constructions are parts of a building that provides protection of the people inside against extreme weather and enemies. Buildings either for commercial, institutional or residential purposes must fulfill fundamental needs of human beings.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Faà §ade Constructions specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In most cases, these fundamental needs relates to the dictates of weather and climate for instance adequate sunlight, cold, wind as well as rain. This means that facades are very important structures in buildings. Yin (2008) indicates that due t the importance of facades and the improving technology as well as changing weather patterns, the development of faà §ade constructions is continually evolving. These developments reflect many years of human experience and technology advancements. Generally, there are various technologies applied in the construction of facades . In this case, most faà §ade constructions address the needs of a particular situation, which depicts different architectural styles and materials. In addition to the needs of certain situations or settings, faà §ade constructions might have different designs due to cost of materials and type of building involved. It is evident that technological development has been advancing at a very high speed. For this reason, architects and building engineers have come up with new faà §ade construction technologies and designs following extensive research. Due to contemporary changes in social, political, technological and environmental spheres, today’s faà §ade structures seek to solve contemporary problems and keep pace with advancing technology. In addition, contemporary faà §ade structures as a sign of the expression of architectural and aesthetic quality. This means that the faà §ade serves several other functions besides protection from harsh weather conditions. As a result , there are several designs and types of faà §ade constructions to address these diverse functions.Advertising Looking for essay on architecture? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More There is need for an integrated system of faà §ade construction, which can serve different purposes rather than a system that only serves a single purpose. This integrated faà §ade construction system entails various architectural designs and incorporation of different materials and structures. The integrated faà §ade system is a vital element in construction facades as it will serve multiple purposes and lasts longer than a single-faà §ade system comprising few materials and a single design. In this sense, the major function of the integrated faà §ade system is to offer occupants of different buildings with a unique structure hat solves most of their problems and addresses their needs. Such an integrated faà §ade system aims to respond to the e xternal weather conditions and enhance internal performance of buildings, whether office, residential, commercial or institutional. This integrated faà §ade system is a valuable cladding system for tall buildings. In addition, the system shifts from traditional faà §ade systems, which only had a single layer or several joined layers with no space between them. In the convectional faà §ade system, the primary and the secondary structures remained highly separated. However, the integrated faà §ade system also comprises the joining of the primary and secondary structures for effective protection. For successful implementation of the integrated facade system there is need of extensive research of modern needs of buildings as well as the changing weather conditions. Having adequate data on these aspects is important in the implementation of the project. This is because the main purpose of this form of faà §ade system is to offer multi-purpose protection of the interior of buildings as well as meet the needs of occupants of such buildings in relation to internal performance and productivity. This project offers a viable solution to the contemporary needs of faà §ade constructions. The integration of active facades, day-lighting facades, double facades and interactive facades provides an enhanced form of protection for nearly all types of buildings.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Faà §ade Constructions specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Particularly, this project is very essential for incorporation of faà §ade system on tall buildings, which for a long time lacked a permanent solution. The project will cover the architectural detailing of the integrated faà §ade system, the different forms of facades, and the performance of the system as well as the design of this system. Literature review and available data Faà §ade is a very significant part of any building and serves various purposes. It is an envelope for the building that prevents it from unpredictable weather effects. In addition, most architects and building engineers usually consider the faà §ade as an important expression of the level of architectural advancement and building technology. Moreover, the faà §ade improves the aesthetic quality a building and serves various environmental purposes such as energy saving. Since the last two centuries, architects and engineers have completely altered the appearance and design of buildings from the conventional features of raw stones, bricks, and concrete, to highly technology based double- skin faà §ade system, interactive facades, day-lighting facades as well as active facades (Yin, 2008). This shift from the traditional to modern faà §ade structures occurs due to advancements in technology as well as development of the architectural and building industries. In contemporary world, most architects continually discover new forms of faà §ade structures that sui t the needs of the contemporary generation. This change is inevitable since the needs of occupants and buildings are also changing day after day. In addition to the advancements in technology, the change has also occurred due to the altering and unpredictable weather patterns and climatic conditions. This is because the core function of facades is to control outdoor conditions depicted by changing weather and climatic factors. According to Knaack (2007), the faà §ade detaches the functional interior space from the unusable exterior world. In addition, the faà §ade displays the architectural manifestation of the building and offers views to the exterior and interior of the building. Faà §ade constructions also takes up pull and push forces and it takes up the weight of all the other building segments. The faà §ade also has a double function in relation to sunlight. On the one hand, it allows considerable amount of useful sunlight to penetrate the building.Advertising Looking for essay on architecture? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More On the other hand, the faà §ade offers protection to the interior of a building from direct harmful sunlight. The faà §ade is also useful in preventing the infiltration of rainwater in to a building and controls the humidity inside and outside the building. The faà §ade also offers insulation against excessive cold, heat or noise. Besides serving the above functions facades, especially the double skin facades are useful in environmental control and eventually saving energy. In this regard, a successfully designed double faà §ade can offer visual lightness and transparency to a building. Double facades offer improved productivity to the people occupying such buildings. This is highly because double facades provide a comfortable and healthy working environment (Moon, 2009). In view of the integrated faà §ade system that incorporates double facades with other faà §ade systems, the system would increase comfort as well as offer suitable protection to the occupants. Since the integ rated faà §ade system incorporates different designs, architectural detailing and materials, the end-product offers maximum protection and comfortable environments. In addition, the integrated faà §ade system offers a long-lasting solution to the external conditions affecting a building and its occupants. Contemporary faà §ade systems accrue from technological development and advancements of the convectional materials, methods and designs. In this case, modern architects and building engineers make changes to the already established designs, improving them to fit contemporary needs. From the convectional faà §ade system, there are three major sections of faà §ade construction. These sections include the primary structure or the shell building, the secondary structure or the load bearing structure and the infill elements (Knaack, 2007). Even though these elements reflect the traditional faà §ade system, modern systems improve on these elements to suit contemporary demands. This clearly means that the development of contemporary faà §ade systems borrows the initial plans from the convectional systems. However, architects and builders alter some elements of these traditional systems to meet the needs of contemporary buildings and occupants. In this case, the various levels of structures in the conventional faà §ade systems are also present in the modern faà §ade systems with various alterations. Selkowitz (2001) indicates that efficient faà §ade constructions must be dynamic and adaptable to contain alterations in the eternal environment as well as interior needs. In addition, the faà §ade system should offer the context of the entire building system. In this case, it is evident that there is a wide climatic variability and the weather patterns become increasingly unpredictable. In addition, there are variances in the needs and desires of occupants of modern buildings, which calls for more sophisticated and diverse faà §ade systems. This variation of the needs of occupants might accrue from several aspects including clothing diversity, changing office duties, company needs as well as changes in visual roles. This dynamism and diversity in the needs of occupants as well as changing technology needs calls for integrated faà §ade systems. This is because relying on traditional faà §ade constructions would not serve these functions. Integrating different contemporary faà §ade systems with vital traditional systems produces a highly performing faà §ade system that meets the entire needs of occupants of buildings. For the general design of a faà §ade system, drawn from conventional design, the primary structure, secondary structure and the infill elements all serve different functions. The primary structure handles the load-bearing role of the whole building and conveys the leads from the faà §ade to the foundation of the building. On the other hand, the secondary structure conveys loads in to the primary structure. The infill e lements, which might comprise panels and glazing mounted on the secondary structure, must fulfill several specifications. In this case, such infill elements must be windproof, resist water infiltration and should avoid thermal bridges (Knaack, 2007). Selkowitz (2003) argues that the integrated faà §ade system is a noteworthy means of addressing both the occupants’ interior needs as well as the changing climatic and weather conditions. In addition, the integrated faà §ade system is significant in contemporary world, where tasks and roles of buildings are constantly changing as well as the diverse customer preferences. This system of faà §ade construction also entails enhanced utilization of energy flows linked with day-lighting and noteworthy solar increase. Moreover, this faà §ade system integrates the enhancement of wind and buoyancy driven natural ventilation with construction of assimilated photovoltaic systems. This literature reveals the general functions of facades as well as the importance of facades to people and buildings. In addition, it is evident that due to contemporary changes in technology, occupants’ needs, office and company preferences as well as the unpredictable climatic and weather patterns, there is need for integrated faà §ade system. The integrated faà §ade system, which integrates the various faà §ade designs, architectural detailing as well as traditional and modern systems is useful in a number of ways. This system meets the needs of occupants, accommodates changes accruing from altering weather patterns as well as providing protection in huge buildings. Several contemporary studies reveal that most architects and building engineers are shifting towards more complex faà §ade systems and dong away with the traditional single-purposed facade systems. The major reason for this shift has been the increase in demand for tall commercial and institutional buildings with various modernized specifications. These building s require modern faà §ade systems to meet various indoor and outdoor needs. This is because the new features present in these buildings demand for specialized faà §ade systems that correspond with the features. Aims and objectives of the project In any project, aims and objectives are vital as they give direction of the project, offer a platform for implementation and provide the actual targets that the project aims to accomplish. The major purpose of this project is to provide an analysis of the significance and performance of an integrated faà §ade system, which is multipurpose in contemporary world. This purpose derives from the need for a faà §ade construction system that meets the needs and specifications of modern buildings. Modern buildings require an integrated faà §ade system that meets the needs of the changing weather conditions, the advancing technology as well as the shifting occupants’ needs. In order to realize this major purpose, the project specifies var ious goals or targets. One of the major goals of the project is to offer improved sunlight protection while at the same time reducing adverse effects of extreme sunlight. In addition, the project aims to improve the system of day-lighting in tall commercial and residential buildings. Another goal of the project is improved air quality in buildings by use of natural ventilation. In this case, the integrated faà §ade system will be the active control element of the air movement. The project also aims at improving the aesthetic quality of modern buildings through integrated faà §ade system. The project will also aim at minimizing operating costs through the reduction of heating, lighting and cooling energy use. The project will achieve this by enhancing the day-lighting-thermal tradeoffs. Another goal of the project is offering a net energy balance by use of integrated photovoltaic systems. This goal is very important since it will help in environmental conservation. Another goal of this project is to offer enhanced indoor environments in terms of air quality, adequate lighting and considerable warmth. Eventually, this will lead to improved health of the occupants, comfort and productivity. Generally, this project aims at analyzing the role of integrated faà §ade system that offers solutions to the needs of cotemporary buildings and occupants. The development of the integrated faà §ade system, seeks to respond to adequately to the altering outdoor conditions and the internal productivity of buildings as well as the aesthetic needs depicted by modern technology. In this case the changing outdoor conditions involve the unpredicted weather patterns and climatic conditions. On the other hand, the internal productivity entails improvement of indoor environment quality as per the needs of occupants. To realize the above goals, the project seeks to meet several defined objectives for implementation. These objectives include architectural designs of double-skin facad es, designing of day-lighting facades, design of active facades, and integration of different elements of the faà §ade system and integration of different structures in to the faà §ade system. The project will also target to enhance the performance of the faà §ade system to meet the required indoor performance needs as well as avert the outdoor conditions. Architectural detailing The architectural detailing of the integrated faà §ade system is of great importance for the implementation of the project. According to Yin (2008), there has been an increase in the level of construction technology, which has caused many architects to produce different kinds of shapes with much creativity. As a result, contemporary architects have developed quite diverse shapes and designs of facades for modern buildings. Moreover, most architects feel that the designing of facades with the normal traditional rectangle glass frame is getting out of date. Due to these concerns, the architectural detaili ng of the integrated faà §ade system uses modern technology, which integrates different shapes, styles and materials. The use of these materials and diverse shapes produces a multi-purpose faà §ade system that meets multiple needs. In addition, the use of different architectural styles produces unique structures, which enhances the aesthetic quality to the building. These different shapes and materials also produce different forms of modern facades. For instance, the double-skin facades occur in diverse shapes and integrate different materials. The utilization of different materials of diverse shapes, sizes and colors offers unique architectural designs for cladding tall buildings. Since the integrated faà §ade system utilizes different forms of both convectional and traditional facades, it produces a unique architectural finish that depicts contemporary building technology. Moon (2009) indicates that cladding of tall buildings necessitates the use of different faà §ade systems. These include stressed steel skins, metal or glass curtain walls and precast concrete panes. This kind of integration produces numerous layers that offer much protection from external harsh conditions. For advanced architectural designs, the integrated faà §ade system merges the secondary and the primary structures to form one structure. This enhanced design improves the performance of the integrated faà §ade system. In this regard, the border to the external and the internal becomes one component. However, this kind of structure requires enhanced care it might not tolerate harsh weather conditions during some occasions (Knaack, 2007). The architectural design of the integrated faà §ade system is vital for the performance of the whole system. For this project, the architectural detailing of the integrated faà §ade system forms the core of laying out the foundation of the system. In this regard, the architectural detail of the faà §ade system covers many aspects including the a ims and objectives of the project. This means that for the project to meet and achieve the needs and objectives of the system, architectural details are of great significance. The architectural designs must aim at meeting these objectives since they form the initial plan and design of the faà §ade system. Double facades One of the major components of the integrated faà §ade system is the double-skin faà §ade. The double-skin faà §ade is a modern faà §ade design mostly initially introduced in Europe. The double faà §ade serves multiple purposes due to its unique characteristics and design. This form of faà §ade has an increased demand for use in commercial buildings due to its multi-purpose nature. The double-skin faà §ade uses high-glazed components and is suitable for tall buildings. There is a considerable mounting interest in the use of double-skin facades in commercial and some institutional buildings. Relatively high transmittance glazing systems forms the most part of these facades. In addition, the double-skin faà §ade comprises some form of sun control, which enhances its performance. A detachment of these designs utilizes a second layer generating a double envelope system, which is the double-skin faà §ade. The double-skin faà §ade can hold extra venting and ventilation practices to improve performance of the faà §ade (Lee et al, 2002). Selkowitz 2003) affirms that the double-skin faà §ade system is a unique form of faà §ade that serves various significant functions. This faà §ade offers a protected segment for shading systems, which extracts excess solar increase, from the cavity before it causes excess heating. The double faà §ade also serves as a natural ventilation system, which might permit reduced ventures in the ventilation system that might assist in paying for the more expensive faà §ade. In the case of high-rise buildings, double facades might permit window opening and decrease auditory impacts of open windows relating to st reet noise in urban areas. Due to its unique functions and adaptability to modern buildings, the demand of this form of faà §ade is very high. However, using this faà §ade system alone cannot completely serve contemporary needs. There is therefore the need to integrate the double-skin faà §ade with other faà §ade systems to produce a faà §ade system that is multi-purpose. Although most contemporary architects and building engineers as well as companies are going for the double-skin faà §ade, integration with other forms of facades is of paramount importance. Day lighting facades and active facades Day Lighting faà §ade is another component of the integrated faà §ade system. To change or improve the distribution of light coming in to the buildings, the Light redirecting systems depend on principles of refraction, reflection, diffraction or non-imaging optics. In addition to Day lighting facades, the active facades are another form of integrated faà §ade system. Active facade s occur in the form of smart windows and shading systems, which have visual and thermal properties that are subject to change in response to climatic changes, desires and needs of occupants and requirements of building energy management control system (EMCS). These special requirements include switchable electro-chromic or gaso-chromic window coatings, double-envelope macroscopic window-wall systems and motorized shades (Lee et al, 2002). The integrated faà §ade system utilizes these technologies to offer enhanced performance in the use of energy in large buildings. In this case, the performance of the integrated faà §ade system depends on the ability of the above named technologies to offer reduced impact on energy use. This is because energy efficiency and conservation is one of the major gals that the integrated faà §ade system seeks to accomplish. The integration of the day-lighting facades and the active facades is a superior way of ensuring maximum energy conservation in th e buildings. The successful integration of the double faà §ade, day-lighting faà §ade and the active facades forms the core of the integrated faà §ade system. Every form of faà §ade system has its individual performance levels, unique characteristics, special designs and utilizes special materials. In this case, the integration of these different materials, performance levels and the diverse designs forms a unique multi-purpose faà §ade system. The faà §ade system is unique because it will eventually have several diverse designs, which will serve in diverse settings. This means that the integrated faà §ade system will be useful in all types of buildings and will meet most of the needs of the occupants of such buildings. Design of the integrated faà §ade system The design of the project is the most important part of the project since it reflects part of the project implementation. This involves the assembling of the required materials and use of appropriate tools to design th e faà §ade system. The design of this system require extensive engineering scrutiny with state of the art tools for instance computational fluid dynamics to assess air flow and ray-tracing to estimate day-lighting performance (Selkowitz, 2001). Adequate assessment is necessary to avoid carrying out inappropriate designs that might ruin the whole faà §ade system. This is because the design process dictates the outcome of the overall project. After proper assessment of the design procedure, the next step is to divide the faà §ade system in to achievable elements. According to Yin (2008), the design process entails dividing the integrated faà §ade system in to several elements, which has all the fittings. All these elements will come from a production line and transported to the building site. After transporting all the required elements to the site, the remaining work is that of assembling the faà §ade elements to come up with an integrated faà §ade system. The design process pr ovides the actual plan of implementing the project. This is the stage of the project that lays the foundation for the commencement of the construction work. One of the major activities of the design process of this integrated faà §ade system is detailing the integration process. In this regard, the design process lays out the means in which harmonization of the different forms of faà §ade, the different designs and the materials will occur. This harmonization is of paramount importance to avoid over-detailing of particular elements or over use of particular forms of faà §ade. In the case of large and commercial buildings, the computerized design process and operation is essential because of the complexity and magnitude of the faà §ade system. On the other hand, smaller buildings especially most residential homes can utilize manual design and operation. In addition, small buildings might require manual operation of windows or shades. In bigger buildings and commercial buildings h owever, the design strategy might comprise predictive algorithms. The design of smaller buildings can comfortably utilize the integration of faà §ade and lighting systems while larger buildings rely mostly on reliable automated controls (Selkowitz, 2003). The actual design process of this project incorporated several aspects including the architectural detailing, the various forms of faà §ade systems integrated in to the system as well as the utilization of different materials to build various faà §ade structures. The structures of the facade system varied greatly in the design process and ranged from glass curtains to concrete walls. The major aim of the design process was to provide the backbone of the project. This means that through the design process, the project specifications were clear and the procedures required for the realization of the set goals and objectives. Analysis of Performance of the integrated faà §ade construction system Another major specification of the p roject is assessment of the performance of the integrated facade system. Performance is of critical importance since it establishes the usefulness and suitability of the different methods applied in this integrated faà §ade system. The performance of this faà §ade system depends on the suitability of the project for future uses. In addition, the performance of the system relies on the actual implementation of the project. In addition, performance of the project depends on the future changes in climatic conditions as well as the needs of occupants. Selkowitz (2001) argues that to measure the performance of the integrated faà §ade system, there is the requirement of an extensive commissioning program after the completion of the project. In addition, there may be requirements of extra specifications and alterations as the building ages and experiences changes in weather and climate conditions. Another measure of the performance of this integrated facade system lies in the discretion of the occupants. In this case, the occupants should realize the initial goals and objectives of the faà §ade system. This will help to avoid the occupants altering the initial intention and purpose of the design of the faà §ade system. This therefore means that to measure the performance of this integrated faà §ade system, there is need for the implementation of other systems, which helps in tracking the performance of the system over time, completion of the needed maintenance, and timely handling and addressing of the uncertainties. Generally, the performance of the integrated faà §ade system entails the accomplishment of the various tasks are requirements. For this project, the measure of performance depended on the successful reduction in energy use in buildings, the cladding of tall buildings, indoor air quality, meeting of the needs of occupants as well as improvement of aesthetic quality of the buildings. Moreover, performance depends highly on the comfort of occupants, the internal productivity of a building as well as environmental effects of the project. Selkowitz (2003) indicates that the capability of predicting the performance of a faà §ade system is a major requirement for the furtherance of advanced faà §ade systems. He states that performance measurement should extend beyond indoor and outdoor requirements to cover the unseen impacts of a faà §ade system. These impacts might include the aesthetic quality of a building, the durability of the building as well as the reliability of the faà §ade system for future use. The performance of the integrated faà §ade system also highly depends on the individual forms of faà §ade integrated in to the overall system. This is because each of the individual faà §ade systems has their individual performance levels. In this regard, one faà §ade system for instance the double faà §ade might have a higher level of performance in saving energy. On the other hand, the day-lighting faà §ade might have a higher performance level in allowing considerable light in to the building. The integration of these two systems will therefore utilize individual performance levels for the determination of the overall performance of the integrated faà §ade system. Methods of implementation Besides the design process, the methods of implementation of a project are very significant to the overall performance of the project. In actual facts, implementation is the core of project completion. After planning and designing a project, implementation follows, which actually involves the actual performance of the project. Methods of implementation entails the activities carried out for the realization of the goals and objectives of the project. There are various methods of implementation of this project. These methods include documentation of the architectural designs, the actual designing of the faà §ade system, purchasing and assembling the required materials for the construction, hiring the required personnel to complete the project, commencement of the construction work and monitoring the progress of the project. Documentation of the architectural designs is of critical importance to the completion of the project. This is highly because the architectural designs form the major activities to be carried out. The building engineer uses these designs to determine the various activities, division of work and prioritize on the most important parts. In addition, the designs offer the building engineer with a clear picture of the faà §ade requirements of the building. With this picture, work can be much easier and completion of the project would be successful. The designs also demonstrate the manner in which the faà §ade construction will meet the requirements targets and the needs of the building as well as of the occupants. The actual designing of the faà §ade system is the first step towards the construction of the faà §ade system. This involves the actual planning on the grou nd and the laying of the initial foundation. The design process also takes into consideration the required materials for the construction, the number of people required to complete the construction as well as the overall cost of the construction. Designing lays the foundation of the actual construction of the faà §ade system such that the construction goes on well without contradictions of multiple alterations. After successful designing of the project the other implementation procedure is the purchasing and assembling of the required materials for the construction of the faà §ade system. In this case, assembling all the materials is very important as it avoids unnecessary delays in the completion of the project. In addition, assembling of all required materials prior to the commencement of construction helps the project manager to know the available and unavailable materials. Another critical step in the implementation of the project is the hiring of the required personnel for th e project construction. These personnel exclude the building engineer and the architect, who were already in the initial planning of the project. Due to the sensitivity and complexity of this project, the hired personnel are of high competency and professionalism. The completion of the project also requires workers who conduct themselves in an ethical and professional way. After hiring the workers, they are accorded their different responsibilities before the commencement of the construction. After hiring the required personnel the next step in the implementation of the project is commencement of the construction. This is now the major activity in implementation of the integrated faà §ade system. In this case, all the workers carrying out the construction process start working on the project. In addition to the workers directly involved in the construction process, there are other individuals, who supply finished materials useful in the project. Once the construction of the faà §a de system commences, the project is in its core of the implementation process. There is still another step in implementation wile the construction process progresses. This is monitoring the progress of the project. Monitoring is an important part of the implementation process of the project. Proper monitoring helps in discovering mistakes done during the construction process as well as during the designing process. In this regard, there is a chance of making some important changes before the project comes to a completion. In addition, monitoring helps in discovering areas that require improvements as the implementation progresses. This is very important as it ensures meeting the full needs of the occupants as well as of the building. The successful implementation of this project requires that these methods occur in a respective order for a smooth execution of the project. All the above methods and steps of implementing the project are very important and when one is lacking, the impl ementation cannot occur successfully. This means that all these steps in implementation of the project are of paramount importance and their successful execution leads to successful implementation and completion of the project. It is however vital to realize that completion of a project does not mean automatic successful implementation. All the above steps are vital for the implementation process. Strengths and weaknesses of the project Every project has its unique strengths and weaknesses depending on the nature of the project and the purpose of the project. Strengths are the strong points of a project that offers the project speedy implementation and the achievement of the set goals and objectives. On the other hand, weaknesses are the weak points of a project that might hinder or low down the implementation of the project as well as timely completion. These weaknesses might impede the realization of the set goals and objectives while at the same time helps the project management devises plans of averting or accommodating these weaknesses. The analysis of strengths and weaknesses of a project is an essential component of project development as it helps the project management to realize the actions to take. In addition, proper analysis and evaluation of strengths the project is vital for the project management to realize the opportunities available for bettering the project. Knowing the strengths of the project also helps in achieving the set goals and objectives. The evaluation of the strengths and weaknesses of this project are very important to the overall success and implementation of the project. Strengths of the Project One of the major strengths of the project is that creation of an integrated faà §ade system suits contemporary buildings. Unlike their convectional counterpart, modern buildings have specialized needs and demands. In addition, due to advancements in architectural designs, new buildings require specialized facades that suit them. In this case, the integrated faà §ade system is very suitable for modern buildings and meets most of their demands as well as needs. This therefore means that the demand for an integrated faà §ade system has increased for modern buildings whether commercial, institutional or residential. The other strength of the project relates to its multi-function nature. The integrated faà §ade system for modern buildings aims at serving various functions at once. Unlike most convectional facades, which only served a single purpose, this faà §ade system serves multiple purposes. The integrated faà §ade system helps to improve the indoor air quality, offers adequate lighting from the sun, prevents over-heating, enhances the aesthetic quality of the building, saves energy, prevents penetration of rainfall in to a building and blocks heavy and destructive wind. This also increases the demand and usability of an integrated faà §ade system over a single-based faà §ade system. The other strength of th e integrated faà §ade system is its flexibility and capability to adapt to different situations. For instance, the system is able to withstand the changing weather conditions and adapt to climatic changes. In this case, the faà §ade system provides indoor ample protection despite the altering weather patterns. This is because the integrated faà §ade system comprises of diverse materials, shapes and forms that integrates to form a unique faà §ade system. In addition to adaptability to changing weather conditions, the integrated faà §ade system is very flexible, which makes it suit different types of buildings including tall buildings. The integrated faà §ade system also presents unique performance of contemporary facades. In this case, the integrated faà §ade system incorporates various faà §ade systems, which eventually improves its performance. All these faà §ade forms integrated in to this system have their own unique characteristics. Eventually, mixing these various uniq ue characteristics and performance levels produces a successful overall performance of the integrated faà §ade system. Weaknesses The integrated faà §ade system does not have many weaknesses since it is a modern faà §ade system that serves multiple purposes. In this case, one of the major weaknesses of the system is increased cost of construction. This faà §ade system uses various modern materials that are quite expensive compared to traditional locally available materials for convectional facades. In addition, the architectural designs of this faà §ade system require the input of highly competent and professional architects, who are expensive to hire. Moreover, the successful completion of this faà §ade system may take a couple of days, and require increased labor thereby increasing the overall cost. Due to costly nature of this system, not all people and companies might afford to put up this faà §ade system. The other weakness of the system is possible conflicts with the in terests and demands of the occupants. Often, the occupants might have preferences that do not coincide with the standard plan and design of the faà §ade system. For instance, occupants might have interests in having the blinds open on the west direction to watch the afternoon sun. This may be in conflict with the project manager who might be trying to reduce peak building cooling loads. Selkowitz (2003) argues that occupant predilections for light levels, temperature, and view are often consistent for a single person but more diverse between different people, which present some probable integration challenges. Another possible weakness of the integrated faà §ade construction system is the likelihood of overlapping functions of the system. This might occur because this faà §ade system utilizes many different elements of various types of facades. In this regard, there may be overlapping of the core functions of the system and in addressing the needs of the occupants. It might be ev en more confusing in case of use of incompatible materials. Some materials are more strong and durable than others while some are cannot tolerate harsh weather conditions. In such a case, outdoor conditions may render some materials inactive, therefore not serving their purpose. Benefits of implementation of the project The completion and implementation of this project brings about many benefits to the building technology, the occupants of the building as well as workers in the case of commercial buildings. The successful implementation of the integrated faà §ade system is of great benefit to the future of faà §ade constructions. In this case, the integrated faà §ade system solves many problems encountered in the interior of many commercial as well as residential buildings. The project helps to meet specific needs of different buildings as well as occupants of various buildings. The integrated faà §ade system offers a unique solution to the adverse effects of changing weather an d climatic patterns on various buildings. Of particular importance is the needs of the occupants of various buildings including commercial, residential and institutional. In most cases, occupants of buildings require fresh air, adequate lighting, and comfortable indoor environments. In addition, such occupants need shelter from adverse effects of outdoor weather conditions. The implementation of the integrated faà §ade system helps solve these problems. In addition to occupants needs, successful implementation of this project ensures environmental protection and reduction of operating costs in terms of saving energy use. In this case, buildings with faà §ade structures that allow considerable amount of warmth and sunlight do not require spending on lighting the day or providing warmth as well as proving cooling effect. This is a significant benefit to both the residential and commercial buildings. In general, the implementation of the project will offer both direct and indirect be nefits to the occupants of buildings and the building and architectural industries. This is a unique and a multi-purpose faà §ade system that serves the needs of contemporary generations while still not compromising the ability of future generations in solving their own faà §ade constructions needs. Its implementation is a great opportunity for the building industry to portray its unique technological development. Conclusion Faà §ade constructions are very vital structures of buildings ranging from commercial, residential as well as institutional buildings. The faà §ade of a building acts as shelter or protection of the building and its occupants from harmful outdoor conditions. In addition, the faà §ade improves the aesthetic quality of a building as well as the surrounding environment. Facades are also vital in enhancing the quality of indoor environments. With regard to these functions of facades, there has been a growing demand of faà §ade structures that meets most of the se requirements. The convectional faà §ade structures are single-purposed and they can only meet one requirement at a time. However, the advancements in technology coupled with changing needs of occupants and the altering weather conditions calls for modern faà §ade structures that address many of these problems. In this regard, an integrated faà §ade system, which incorporates different faà §ade forms, different materials and architectural designs, is of paramount important. Such an integrated faà §ade system serves various purposes and meets the needs of modern building requirements. The successful implementation of such an integrated faà §ade system marks a great advancement in the architectural and construction industries. It is a unique faà §ade system that is multi-purpose and corresponds with the modern building and architecture. This faà §ade system integrates various modern faà §ade forms including the double-skin faà §ade, day-lighting facades as well as active f acades. This integration produces a unique faà §ade system that meets contemporary demands. This project analyzed the various specifications required for successful implementation of this unique faà §ade system. These specifications include the design process, architectural detailing, the different forms of faà §ade structures, analysis of performance, strengths and weaknesses as well as the implementation of the system. The design of the system entails the detailed planning of the means of executing the project. The architectural detailing involves defining the shape, scope and design of the system. It is evident that the successful completion and implementation of this unique faà §ade system is of great importance to all commercial, residential and institutional buildings. References Knaack, U. (2007). Faà §ades: principles of construction. New York: Springer. Lee, E. et al. (2002). High-Performance Commercial Building Faà §ades. Web. Moon, K. S. (2009). Sustainable Design o f Tall Building Structures and Facades. Web. Selkowitz, S. E. (2001). Integrating advanced facades into high performance buildings. Web. Selkowitz, S. E. (2003). Advanced Interactive Facades: Critical Elements for Future Green Buildings. Web. Yin, Y. (2008). Prefabrication of Faà §ade Elements in Scandinavia. Web. This essay on Faà §ade Constructions was written and submitted by user Chad D. to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Danny Masterson Loved on Television, Hated in Real Life Professor Ramos Blog

Danny Masterson Loved on Television, Hated in Real Life Growing up, I was obsessed with â€Å"That 70’s Show.† I was so obsessed that I remember wanting to leave school early everyday, so I could get home and watch it. My favorite character in the show was Steven Hyde, I thought everything he said on the show was hysterical. â€Å"Hyde† played the role as a funny, sarcastic teenager and seemed like a fun and loving guy in real life. He was the farthest thing from a fun, loving guy. Daniel Peter Masterson or â€Å"Danny† Masterson, is an American actor, Scientologist and Disc Jockey (a person who introduces and plays recorded popular music). Masterson landed his first role in the movie Beethoven’s Second, but we all know him as Steven Hyde on the television comedy, â€Å"That 70’s Show.† Danny also has a long history in the Church of Scientology, but most recently Masterson played a major role in the netflix show: ‘The Ranch’, playing Colt Bennett’s (Ashton Kutcherâ€℠¢s) brother Rooster Bennett. Danny was fired from the Netflix series after being accused of raping five women in the early 2000’s.   In December of last year, one of Mastersons alleged victims confronted Netflix’s executive producer, Andy Yeatman. Masterson denied any association with the woman and told her that Netflix wouldn’t believe her rape claims. The next day, Masterson was fired from Netflix. Masterson then hired lawyer Thomas Mesereau, the same lawyer Bill Cosby hired for a retrial of sexual assault charges in Pennsylvania. The news of the alleged incidents surfaced publicly in March 2017, when the Los Angeles Police Department started looking into reports of women claiming they were sexually assaulted by Masterson in the early 2000’s. Soon after he was fired, another one of his victims, Chrissie Carnell Bixler, told The Daily Beast that she believes â€Å"Netflix ought to be ashamed of their actions, We get it, You don’t believe us† and â€Å"You knew you had to fire him, but you did a bunch of reshoots so you can finish our rapist’s storyline up and give him a respectable send off† (Bixler). United Talent Agency (UTA), announced they will also no longer be working with Danny Masterson, the management company made the decision not to represent the star because of the accusations brought against him. Danny has also since been replaced on his latest hit show â€Å"The Ranch.† After being fired from â€Å"The Ranch,† Masterson released a statement saying â€Å"I am obviously very disappointed in Netflix’s decision†¦ I have never been charged with a crime, let alone convicted of one. In this Country, you are presumed innocent until proven guilty. However, in the current climate, it seems as if you are presumed guilty the moment you are accused. I understand and look forward to clearing my name once and for all.† Just because Danny has not been officially charged with a crime, there is a sufficient amount of evidence against him. Five women accusing the same person of the same horrible actions does not seem like just a coincidence and should be a very important factor to consider when determining his guiltiness. All of the women involved with accusing Masterson are Scientologists or former Scientologists. The women had reported the incidents to the Church of Scientology which intervened with the women filing police reports. The Church of Scientology wanted to cover up what Danny had done to these women so they submitted over 50 affidavits denying the women’s allegations. Danny has denied all accusations as well, but the Los Angeles Police Department has conducted an on-going investigation on the actor. The events and intriguing evidence against Masterson and the allegations brought against him provide a solid foundation that he should be found guilty. Danny has claimed that the woman who are accusing him of rape, are only making these accusations for â€Å"personal gain† on the AE television series, ‘Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath’. The accusers have reportedly been involved in Scientology and they claim that the Church of Scientology pressured them to not contact authorities regarding Masterson sooner. One of the alleged victims, Bobbette Riales, said that the incidents involving Masterson occured in the middle of their six year relationship and many other times and she claims that at the time of these horrible events she was too afraid to say anything. In Scientology, reporting another Scientologist to law enforcement is considered a â€Å"suppressive act†. The church is known for attacking accusers and demanding that the members of the church take action against accusers. I think this had played a huge role in the girls waiting so long to finally speak up about what Danny had done to them . Some of the Scientology churches Masterson has been involved with have been investigated for human trafficking. All of these victims have had encounters with actress Leah Remini who is involved with the Scientology Celebrity Centre although Leah had nothing to do with the allegations. Remini used to be involved with Scientology and is now an Anti-Scientology Activist. Masterson’s first victim had apparently been drugged at an April 2003 party at Masterson’s house, another victim said Masterson got very violent with her after she had told him no multiple times, she then says she had also been drugged by Masterson. Another victim says â€Å"I said no like 50 times.† Masterson laughed over these allegations. Masterson is facing life in prison if found guilty of these charges, a person can be charged under penal code 667.61 for multiple rape charges and that means life behind bars. I hope Masterson comes to find that this is not a laughing matter and realizes what he has done to these women. Masterson’s accusers were â€Å"handled† by the Church of Scientology a fter trying to come forward about their stories. Remini has interviewed some of the women accusing Masterson on her show but was asked not to air it because of the on-going investigation against him.    You can argue both sides on this matter but with the countless claims and accusations along with the evidence against Masterson, I believe he will be found guilty of all charges he is facing and end up spending his life in prison, which he deserves. Although the Los Angeles DA is reportedly not ready to charge Masterson, there is adequate evidence against him. Masterson has not been charged with any of these crimes yet but once he goes to trial He will more than likely be found guilty. The Church of Scientology has kept these victims quiet for too long, Masterson would have been in prison already if it weren’t for the Church of Scientology trying to save his skin and cover up the horrific things he has done to these women. The truth will come out when Danny goes to trial and I believe he will finally pay for what he has done. Amy Zimmerman, â€Å"Danny Masterson’s Rape Accuesers slam Netflix over ‘The Ranch’ Return†, June 15 2018, Retreived from https://www.thedailybeast.com/danny-mastersons-rape-accusers-slam-netflix-over-the-ranch-return-you-rub-salt-in-our-wounds Stephanie Scholz, â€Å"Scientologists Taking Stand Against Discrimination†, article, Retreieved from https://www.standleague.org/bigotry-and-hate/stop-hate-dont-discriminate.html# Ryan Schwartz, TV Line, June 15 2018, Retreived from https://tvline.com/2018/06/15/danny-masterson-fired-the-ranch-rooster-bennett-leaving-explained-part-5/ Llana Kaplan, â€Å"Independent†, January 5 2018, Article, Retreived from https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/news/danny-masterson-rape-allegations-dropped-management-uta-a8144006.html%3famp â€Å"The Underground Bunker†, Retreived from https://tonyortega.org/2018/02/14/prosecutors-prepare-charges-carrying-life-sentence-for-danny-masterson/ Yashar Ali, â€Å"Despite Overwhelming Evidnece Against Actor Danny Masterson, Case has been Stalled†, News Article November 2 2017, Retreived from https://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/us_59fa8410e4b01b474048242a Danny Masterson Adresses Rape Charges, News article, Retreived from, https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/danny-masterson/credits/146133/

Language and Learning (English) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Language and Learning (English) - Essay Example Multiculturalism is a concept which has in recent years, been embraced by the Australian government. However, a policy of allowing a diverse melting-pot of cultures within our borders has its dangers which are often overlooked as discussions on the topic are considered to be politically incorrect. This essay argues that the Australian governments stance on multiculturalism has lead to national disunity and that our national identity is damaged as a result. The current policies and social issues relating to the subject will be examined in support of this argument as well as public opinions on the issue of multiculturalism. Furthermore the failed policies of multiculturalism in other countries will be examined. Since the Whitlam government implemented radical changes to the policy of multiculturalism in the early 1970's, successive governments have all demonstrated a commitment to perpetuating the policy. However, criticism of this sensitive issue is often overlooked or discarded offhand by many academics as politically incorrect. Politicians tend to advocate multiculturalism based on its positive aspects and yet are quick to turn a blind eye on its undesirable outcomes. After three decades, the policy of multiculturalism has in fact caused deeper divisions in the community, and though originally implemented with good intentions. Through multicultural policies foreign cultures are sustained and encouraged creating bases of foreign culture within Australia, to the direct detriment of the Australian identity. The policy is divisive as it encourages people to identify with their "ethnicity" rather than to adapt to an Australian way of life. Multiculturalism has lead to the creation ethnic enclaves; migrants living within these 'micro-nations' are presented with a situation where they have little incentive to learn English and become socially and economically integrated with those outside their group. Multiculturalism, with its emphasis on community languages and ethnic media, promotes the development of these ethnic identities and impedes the development of a strong Australian national identity. Multicultural policies are also responsible for accepting and promoting all cultural traditions. Many traditional ethnic customs are considered unacceptable by mainstream Australian society, and some do not accord with the rule of law. Deep seeded ethnic hatreds that immigrants may harbour are divisive, these hatreds then have a haven in which to sustain themselves in the ethnic enclaves discussed earlier, and have the potential to be passed onto successive generations. These hatreds, coupled with a sense of cultural identification with ones country of descent rather than with Australia can then lead to the establishment of ethnic gangs, which have grown in many major population centers. The divisiveness that these impacts have on Australia's cultural identity is exemplified by the Cronulla riots in December 2005. Public opinion over the years on the topic of multiculturalism has seen a constant division on attitudes. According to a 1987 survey approximately 42 percent of the respondents believed that immigration should be halted altogether. Two polls, in 1995 and 2003, both found "over 70% support for the view that it is better for society if groups adapt and

Ethics Critique Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Ethics Critique - Essay Example If the drivers are well understood, it is possible to justify the moral judgment using psychological research. However, some people will make moral judgment without being driven by anything but out of other factors such as influence. Sometimes, it may be impossible to differentiate if the decision was made for given motives or out of influence. In such cases, it becomes impossible to use psychological research to justify the moral judgment. This essay argues that the capability of psychological research to justify moral judgment depends on whether the motives and factors leading the judgment are understood. Psychological research which explains how human beings make moral judgments can be used to justify a given judgment or action. Although there is no clear reason, why people make certain choices and not others, people will tend to justify their actions depending on the circumstances. In Greene’s (363) opinion, humans wish to make judgments based on reasoning. However, most o f them end up making their decisions based on emotions. Therefore, if the emotions are well understood, it is possible to understand how humans will justify their actions, or the possible reasons that they will give for their actions. In Greene opinion, (364) â€Å"People tend to have emotional responses to personal moral violations, responses that incline them to judge against performing those actions.† However, it sometimes becomes hard to justify actions since some people make decisions without even thinking. It is only after making a decision that humans try to reason as they seek to justify their action or decide if it was right or wrong. Since it is well understood that people tend to make decisions depending on their intuitions, it only requires the researcher to understand the intuitions of the person making the decision to be able to tell the way they will justify their actions. Since there are no reasons for doing certain actions, it is possible to predict the way p eople will justify their moral judgment. It is possible to justify moral judgment using psychological research since people will justify actions as wrong or right depending on how the society views certain actions. Aristotle (173-174) claims that if a certain action is perceived to be wrong and a person commits it, it is obvious that he or she will try to find any reasons that will make the action appear right. Therefore, it only requires one to understand perceptions of the society regarding certain actions to be able to predict or tell how the doer of any action will justify it. Another reason why psychological research can be used to justify a given judgment is that some actions are performed out of obedience and not reason. It thus requires the researcher to know the motivation behind certain action. If an action of political aggression is performed, the doer will obviously justify the action by giving political reasons. For example, a dictator is likely to justify their dictato rial actions by demonstrating why humans require to be forced to act in a certain way. A person doing charity work will justify their actions by finding reasons on how their actions are helpful to others. Additionally, Milgram (184) posits that some actions are performed out of rebellion. If the researcher understands the nature of person performing a given action, then it is possible to justify the action without understanding the reason behind it. It only requires one to understand the nature of the person doing the action to be able to pre

Small And Medium Enterprises And Larger Scale Businesses Commerce Essay

Small And Medium Enterprises And Larger Scale Businesses Commerce Essay For this assignment I have done a lot of researches on the small and medium enterprise and larger scale businesses and sole trader. The first question on this assignment is distinguish between small and medium enterprise and large scale businesses .Small and medium enterprise and larger scale businesses are precise and varies by their own factors. The U.S government defines the sizes of businesses, such as the number of employees and number of revenues. Furthermore, these enterprises are sized by employee size, features of small scale industries and characteristics are successful small scale and medium scale business. The next question is interview a sole trader, identify the difficulties that he/she is facing and give suggestion on how to overcome the difficulties. A sole-trader or sole-proprietorship is a business that is owned (and usually operated) by one person. It is the smallest form of business ownership and the easiest to start. For this question I learnt more about a sole-trader. A sole trader a simplest form of business structure. It is also easy and inexpensive to maintain. SMALL AND MEDIUM ENTERPRISES ARE PLAYING A SIGNIFICANT ROLE IN OUR ECONOMY. DISTINGUISH BETWEEN SMALL AND MEDIUM ENTERPRISE AND LARGER SCALE BUSINESSES 2.0 Small and Medium Enterprises and Larger scale Businesses 2.1 Definition of Small and Medium Enterprises The Small Business Administration (SBA) of US defines a small business as one which is independently owned and operated for profit and is not dominant in its field (Hughes, 2011). However in Malaysia, there is no common definition of small and medium enterprises (SMEs). Different agencies define SMEs based on their own criteria, usually benchmarking against annual sales turnover, and number of full-time employees or shareholders funds. In addition, present definitions focus mainly on SMEs in the manufacturing sector. The following definitions are issued by National SME Development Council of Malaysia: Primary Agriculture A small and medium enterprise in primary agriculture is an enterprise with full-time employees not exceeding 50 or annual sales turnover not exceeding RM5.0M. Manufacturing (including agro-based) A small and medium enterprise in manufacturing (including agro-based) is an enterprise with full employees not exceeding 150 or with annual sales turnover not exceeding RM25million. Services (including ICT) A small and medium enterprise in services is an enterprise with full-time employees of between 5 and 19 or with annual sales turnover of between RM200,000 and less than RM1.0million. The above definitions are then divided into smaller entities, micro, small and medium. The following table summarizes the approved SME definitions based on number of full-time employees: SECTOR / SIZE PRIMARY AGRICULTURE MANUFACTURING (including agro-based) SERVICES SECTOR (including ICT) MICRO Less than 5 employees Less than 5 employees Less than 5 employees SMALL 5 19 employees 5 50 employees 5 19 employees MEDIUM 20 50 employees 51 150 employees 20 50 employees Source: National SME Development Council of Malaysia The table below summarises the approved SME definitions based on annual sales turnover: SECTOR / SIZE PRIMARY AGRICULTURE MANUFACTURING (including agro-based) SERVICES SECTOR (including ICT) MICRO Less than RM200,000 Less than RM250,000 Less than RM200,000 SMALL RM200,000 RM1.0million RM250,000 RM10.0million RM1.0million RM5.0million MEDIUM RM1.0million RM5.0million RM10.0million RM25million RM1.0million RM5.0million Source: National SME Development Council of Malaysia Bank Negara Malaysia had conducted a number of case studies on successful SMEs in Malaysia to identify the key success factors of these SMEs. SMEs involved in the case study had been in operation for more than 10 years, and had been selected based on their financial performance and track record. The case studies demonstrated that although SMEs were from different industries, all the enterprises shared common critical success factors, namely: Sound management capability and integrity; sound business culture and entrepreneurial spirit; Prudent financial management; High quality products and services; Good programme for human resource development; Strong support from financial institutions in terms of lending and advisory services; and Strong marketing strategies, including good network with suppliers 2.2 Definition of Large scale Businesses Large scale can always be defined as a measurement (Hughes, 2011). Scale means a form of measurement and when it is referred to as large it means that you have a more than average amount on the measurement scale. Thus any industry that is large scale will mean that products are produced at a high volume. This in turn provides a higher capital. Large scale industry requires a huge amount of capital to be invested in the industry first. It will provide many jobs for employees in order to offer a high output. This type of industry is found in places such as the USA, Germany, Japan, Russia, and Australia. All of these countries are big money makers and have large operations producing a variety of products. This is different from a small scale industry that does not require as much capital or as many workers. Given these definitions, a large scale industry can be just about anything from construction to the auto trade. Wal-Mart for example is a company in a large scale industry as they offer plenty of jobs and products to the consumers of the world. Size will matter when it comes to industry. Small companies employ about 60% of the work force in the USA due to the 30 million existing companies. Unfortunately, these companies have a lower survival rate meaning that they usually run for five to ten years and then end. 2.3 Differences between a small and medium enterprise and large entities There are many differences between a small and medium enterprise and large entities, namely: speed of decision-making, attitude towards risk, allocation of resources, understanding of business models and management of business models, and differing definitions of innovation. Decision-Making Process Large enterprises, in view of the different bureaucratic levels, will often require longer time to make decisions. This can be very frustrating especially when a decision needs to made immediately. Delay in decision-making may hinder the progress of the company. In this way, SMEs are better-off as more often than not, decisions can be made at the point of urgency. This helps the SMEs top grow more rapidly compared to a large-scaled enterprise. Attitude Towards Risk Large-scale enterprises can afford to take a bigger risk in running the operations of their businesses. This is mainly due to the fact that their capital is larger and there is buffer to absorb any uncertainties. Large size firm, such as Sime Darby and Petronas can afford to invest in foreign countries and earn much more profits compared to other SMEs. However, SMEs need to be wary of the negative consequences should their investments does not bring back the desired returns which may affect their operations in totality. Allocation of Resources In small businesses, every ringgit counts. Resources can be scarce and are allotted based almost solely on whether they will boost the bottom line. This bottom line focus may not be so distinct in a larger corporation. With more abundant resources at least in comparison to smaller companies people in large enterprises may be relatively free spenders. Understanding of Business Models A large enterprise understands the business models in a wider perspective as compared to SMEs. Large enterprises have the resources to conduct in-house trainings or sent their employees (especially management executives) to overseas countries to attend training programme. Such programmes would provide a bigger horizon to its employees who are then able to strategies their activities towards achieving the companys goals and missions. This normally lacks in SMEs. Innovation Competition in the business environment is getting more violent with more and more business entering the market due to a more relax rules and regulations in setting up business entities. In order for a company to remain competitive and relevant in the industry, huge investments need to be made on the product or services. Consumers have the choice of choosing the goods in the market. Large enterprises have the capacity to investment in such innovations compared to SMEs. For example, recently Malaysian Airlines Systems (MAS) purchased new planes (A380 series) to remain relevant in the airline industries. SMEs will have limitation due its limited financial resources. 2.4 Conclusions Even though SMEs and large-scale enterprises have differing characteristics, both plays a pivotal role in Malaysias gross domestics products (GDP). Both institutions provides employment opportunity, contribution in the form of taxes, corporate social responsibility activities and many more. No business had emerged in large entity automatically. Every business needs to start up from a small and medium entity before moving to a larger enterprise. BIBLIOGRAPHY Danks, S. Business Studies (1st edition), 2009, DP Publications, London, UK Hughes, Pride Kapoor, Business Foundation (3rd edition), 2011, South-Western Cengace Learning, Australia Mubarak Ishak, Structure of Business (2nd edition), 2008, S.S.Mubarak Bros (Pte) Ltd, Singapore Susan H, Business Studies (3rd Edition), 2008), Longman Publication, Australia www.bnm.gov.my/sme assessed on 19/7/2012 www.sme.gov.my assessed on 19/7/2012 APPENDIX 1 Members of the National SME Development Council of Malaysia I. The Prime Minister (Chairman) II. Minister of International Trade and Industry III. Minister of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs IV. Minister of Entrepreneur and Cooperative Development V. Minister of Agriculture and Agro-Based Industries VI. Minister of Human Resource VII. Minister of Finance II VIII. Minister of Energy, Water and Communications IX. Minister of Plantation Industries and Commodities X. Minister of Science, Technology and Innovations XI. Minister of Tourism XII. Minister of Rural and Regional Development XIII. Minister of Education XIV. Minister of Higher Education XV. Minister of Housing and Local Government XVI. Minister in The Prime Ministers Department XVII. Governor of Bank Negara Malaysia APPENDIX 2 CLASSIFICATION OF ECONOMIC ACTIVITIES ACROSS SECTORS I. Primary Agriculture: à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ Agriculture, Hunting and Related Service Activities à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ Forestry, Logging and Related Service Activities à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ Fishing, Operation of Fish Hatcheries and Fish Farms; Service Activities Incidental to Fishing ii. Manufacturing (including Agro-Based): à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ Manufacture of food products and beverages à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ Manufacture of tobacco products à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ Manufacture of textiles à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ Manufacture of wearing apparel; Dressing and dyeing of fur à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ Tanning and dressing of leather; Manufacture of luggage, handbags, saddlery, harness and footwear à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ Manufacture of wood and products of wood and cork, except furniture; Manufacture of articles of straw and plaiting materials à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ Manufacture of paper and paper products à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ Publishing, printing and reproduction of recorded media à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ Manufacture of coke, refined petroleum products and nuclear fuel à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ Manufacture of chemicals and chemical products à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ Manufacture of rubber and plastic products à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ Manufacture of other non-metallic mineral products à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ Manufacture of basic metals à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ Manufacture of fabricated metal products, except machinery and equipment à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ Manufacture of machinery and equipment n.e.c. à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ Manufacture of office, accounting and computing machinery à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ Manufacture of electrical machinery and apparatus n.e.c. à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ Manufacture of radio, television and communication equipment and apparatus à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ Manufacture of medical, precision and optical instruments, watches and clocks à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ Manufacture of motor vehicles, trailers and semi-trailers à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ Manufacture of other transport equipment à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ Manufacture of furniture; Manufacturing n.e.c. à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ Recycling iii. Manufacturing Related Services (based on 5-digit MSIC 2000 codes): à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ 73101 Research experimental development services on physical sciences à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ 73102 Research experimental development services on chemistry and biology à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ 73103 Research experimental development services on engineering and technology à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ 73104 Research experimental development services on agricultural sciences à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ 73105 Research experimental development services on medical sciences and pharmacy à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ 73109 Research experimental development services on other natural sciences à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ 60212 Factory bus services à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ 60230 Freight transport by road à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ 60300 Transport via pipelines à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ 61102 Freight transportation by sea-going coastal water vessels à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ 61202 Inland water freight transport services à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ 62109 Other scheduled air transport (e.g. helicopter services) n.e.c. à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ 62209 Other non-scheduled air transport n.e.c. à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ 63011 Stevedoring services à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ 63020 Storage and warehousing services à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ 63091 Activities of freight forwarding / forwarding agencies à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ 63099 Activities of other transport agencies n.e.c. à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ 74950 Packaging services on a fee or contract basis à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ 74300 Advertising à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ 74130 Market research and public opinion polling à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ 74142 General management consultancy services à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ 74143 Public relations consultancy services à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ 74149 Other business consultancy and management consultancy services n.e.c. à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ 92201 Printed news supply services à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ 92209 Other news agency services à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ 22190 Other publishing à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ 71230 Rental of office machinery and equipment (including computers) à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ 71302 Rental of furniture à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ 90003 Industrial waste collection and disposal services à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ 37101 Recycling of tin à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ 37109 Recycling of other metal waste and scrap à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ 37201 Recycling of textile fiber à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ 37202 Recycling of rubber à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ 37209 Recycling of non-metal waste and scrap à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ 74212 Engineering consultancy services à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ 27310 Casting of iron steel à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ 27320 Casting of non-ferrous metal à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ 28910 Forging, pressing, stamping and roll-forming metal; powder metallurgy à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ 28920 Treatment and coating of metals, general mechanical engineering on a fee or contract basis à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ 28999 Manufacture of other fabricated metal products n.e.c. à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ 29220 Manufacture of machine tools à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ 74220 Technical testing and analysis iv. Services: à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ Electricity, Gas and Water Supply à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ Wholesale and Retail Trade; Repair of Motor Vehicles, Motorcycles and Personal and Household Goods à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ Hotels and Restaurants à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ Transport, Storage and Communications à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ Financial Intermediation à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ Real Estate, Renting and Business Activities à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ Education à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ Health and Social Work à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ Other Community, Social and Personal Service Activities v. Mining and Quarrying: à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ Mining of Coal and Lignite; Extraction of Peat à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ Extraction of Crude Oil and Natural Gas; Service Activities Incidental to Crude Oil and Natural Gas Extraction Excluding Surveying à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ Mining of Uranium and Thorium Ores à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ Mining of Metal Ores à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ Other Mining Quarrying vi. Construction: à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ Construction Interview a sole trader, identify the difficulties that he/she is facing and give suggestion on how to overcome the difficulties. 3.0 Sole-Trader A sole-trader or sole-proprietorship is a business that is owned (and usually operated) by one person (Hughes, 2011). It is the smallest form of business ownership and the easiest to start. Looking back at the history of business, some of the giant players in todays market, for example Walmart and Procter Gamble, started their operations as a small entity, i.e. sole-traders. This type of business organization is most commonly established in the construction, retailing, hairdressing, car-servicing and catering trades (Stimpson, 2008). 3.1 About a Sole Trader In order to fulfill the requirements of this assignment, I had interviewed Mr Raman, the proprietor of Raman Supermarket in Cheras, Kuala Lumpur. Mr Raman, 48, had started to venture into business in 2000. Initially, he was operating a sundry shop in front of his house at Jalan Loke Yew. However, as business grew, he decided to rent the current shoplot and expanded his business into a supermarket. He sells variety of groceries, which includes fish, vegetables, and other daily consumption goods.He is being assisted by his wife and two Indonesian workers to run the daily chores. His business operation is from 6.30 am to 11.00 pm. 3.2 Problems faced By a Sole-Trader The disadvantages of a sole-trader stem from the fact that these businesses are owned and often managed by one person (Hughes, 2011). Mr Raman had faced similar problems in running his business. Limited capital is the main issue faced by Mr Raman. Banks, suppliers, and other lenders are not willing to finance their business, mainly due to its business entity and low confidence on their repayment capabilities. Working capital is important for daily business operations. Non-granting of credit facilities by suppliers hampers the idea of Mr Raman in running his business in a larger scale. Tight cash flow leads to lower stocks and order-taking. Company is not able to earn a good discount rate from the suppliers. Continuity of the supermarket business or succession plan is another problem faced by Mr Raman. His three children are not interested in continuing his supermarket business. He is worried that the business will cease to exist should he give-up his business when he is old enough to retire. Unlimited liability is perhaps the biggest problems faced by Mr Raman. Due to the nature of the liability, Mr Raman faces the consequences of losing even his private properties should he fails in rejuvenating the business entity. This may lead to him being declared a bankrupt should his properties are insufficient to settle the debts. He can be sued either by the bankers or his suppliers. This is one of the worst disadvantages faced by sole-traders ,such as Mr Raman. Mr Raman also faces difficulties in getting workers for his daily operations. Locals are not willing to accept a low salary as compared to foreigners. However, foreigners have other social and cultural problems. Due to staff shortage, customer service is being compromised. Once he had a bad experience when one of his foreign workers ran off with RM800-00, being the days business proceeds. Currently, he is being assisted by his wife on a part-time basis. This makes it difficult for him to take leave or go for a long vacation as this will jeopardise his business proceeds and may also lead to losing his loyal customers. Mr Raman confessed that the last time his family went for a vacation was five years ago. Competition from bigger retailers is another major problem being faced by Mr Raman. The superstores are able to sell at a lower price due to their bulk purchase and higher discounts offered by the suppliers. Usage of credit / debit cards, which is not viable in Mr Ramans case, is another factor that leads the consumers to larger superstores, for example Jusco, MidValley and Giant, to name a few. Mr Raman is not able to offer similar service due to its limited and tight cash flow. 3.3 Suggestions on how to overcome the difficulties In order to solve Mr Ramans problems, I would therefore propose to him to convert his sole-tradership into a partnership. The US Uniform Partnership Act defines a partnership as a voluntary association of two or more persons to act as co-owners of the business for profit (Hughes, 2011). Regardless of the number of people involved, a partnership often represents a pooling of special managerial skills and talents. In order to mitigate the disadvantage of limited capital, Mr Raman can request his family members or friends to become his partner. This additional capital will assists Mr Raman to scale up his business activities for a better profit. Banks and suppliers will be willing to provide additional financing as they will be more comfortable and confident of Mr Ramans repayment capability. Each partner is responsible for the well-being of the business entity. The pride of managing the supermarket and solving the daily operational problems will enhance the partners motivation to work harder to reap more business proceeds. Customers can be better served and eventually through word of mouth on the excellent services rendered at Ramans Supermarket will help to boost his business. Currently, Mr Raman is the only one actively running the daily operations of his supermarket. Partners often have complementary skills Mr Raman could manipulate of his partners specialization to further enhance its services. Furthermore, should there be any problems or issues, the partners can discuss and arrive at a better decision synergy effect. The sharing of profits would also motivate the partners to work harder. Higher business turnover leads to higher profit-sharing among the partners. However, Mr Raman should document the methods of profit-sharing at the initial stage of the partnership deeds or agreements. At the same time, the liabilities are also shared by each of the partners and not by the sole-trader alone. Losses are borne by each of the partners based on their shares. The legal requirements of setting up a partnership are minimal as compared to corporate entities. As long as the business is registered legally, it is good to go. However, Mr Raman should create his own Partnership Deeds in order to avoid any problems in the future.

Prejudice in Heart of Darkness: Racism is a Relative Term Essay

Heart of Darkness: Racism is a Relative Term Racism is a relative term. While many people argue that Conrad's novel, Heart of Darkness, contains the theme of racism, they tend to ignore the fact that this novel was written around the turn of the century. During this time period it was accepted practice to think of a black man as savage because that was how the popular culture viewed the African American race. If someone called a black man "savage" today, that someone would be considered a racist. Of course, this turn of the century view of blacks is inexcusable but it was the accepted norm of the time. The problem is that modern critics tend to apply modern thinking to all novels, including those written in a specific time period with beliefs different from today. These critics do not incorporate the context of the novel and simply rage forward with a directed, ignorant viewpoint, arguing from a more civilized stance. The definition of a racist has changed a great deal since the early 1900s, and we must consider this when analy zing any piece of literature. The problem arises when modern thinkers assume that we must continue to build on our ever-expanding knowledge instead of looking into the past and trying to relate to the accepted views of the time. To try to see racist tendencies in a text we need to know the definition of racism. The definition we use today is as follows: A racist apprehends that th... ...), Heart of Darkness. London. Penguin Popular Classics (1994). Nationalencyklopedin 15 PAS-ROJ (1994), Engstrà ¶m, Christer (red.). Hà ¶ganà ¤s. Bokfà ¶rlaget Bra Bà ¶cker. Works Consulted Cox, C. B. Conrad: Heart of Darkness, Nostromo, and Under Western Eyes. London: Macmillan Education Ltd., 1987. Guetti, James. 'Heart of Darkness and the Failure of the Imagination', Sewanee Review LXXIII, No. 3 (Summer 1965), pp. 488-502. Ed. C. B. Cox. Watts, Cedric. A Preface to Conrad. Essex: Longman Group UK Limited, 1993. Notes: 1 Nationalencyklopedin 15 PAS-ROJ (1994), p. 431 2 Conrad, Joseph, Heart of Darkness (1902), p. 7 3 Conrad, Joseph, (1902), p.25 4 ibid, p. 73 5 ibid, p. 51

History of Waste Management

History: In ancient cities, wastes were thrown onto unpaved streets and roadways, where they were left to accumulate. It was not until 320 BCE in Athens that the first known law forbidding this practice was established. At that time a system for waste removal began to evolve in Greece and in the Greek-dominated cities of the eastern Mediterranean. In ancient Rome, property owners were responsible for cleaning the streets fronting their property. But organized waste collection was associated only with state-sponsored events such as parades. Disposal methods were very crude, involving open pits located just outside the city walls.As populations increased, efforts were made to transport waste farther out from the cities. After the fall of Rome, waste collection and municipal sanitation began a decline that lasted throughout the Middle Ages. Near the end of the 14th century, scavengers were given the task of carting waste to dumps outside city walls. But this was not the case in smaller towns, where most people still threw waste into the streets. It was not until 1714 that every city in England was required to have an official scavenger. Toward the end of the 18th century in America, municipal collection of garbage was begun in Boston, New York City, and Philadelphia.Waste disposal methods were still very crude, however. Garbage collected in Philadelphia, for example, was simply dumped into the Delaware River downstream from the city. During the industrial revolution, recyclers began to form businesses and later trade associations, dealing in the collection, trade and processing of metals and paper. America's Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI), a trade association with more than 1,400 member companies, traces its roots back to one such organisation founded in 1913. In the 1930s many people survived the Great Depression by peddling scraps of metal, rags and other items.In those days reuse and recycling were often economic necessities As industrial societ ies began to produce ever-growing quantities of garbage, recycling took on a new meaning. Rather than recycling materials for purely economic reasons, communities began to think about how to reduce the waste flow to landfills and incinerators. Current Conditions: Our whole concept of the business plan has on two important phases – ‘WASTE MANAGEMENT + RECYCLING’ Waste Management: Waste management is the collection, transport, processing or disposal, managing and monitoring of waste materials.The term usually relates to materials produced by human activity, and the process is generally undertaken to reduce their effect on health, the environment or aesthetics. Waste management is a distinct practice from resource recovery which focuses on delaying the rate of consumption of natural resources. All wastes materials, whether solid, liquid, gaseous or radioactive fall within the remit of waste management. Recycling: Recycling is a resource recovery practice that refers to the collection and reuse of waste materials. The materials from which the items are made can be reprocessed into new products.Material for recycling are collected by us from general waste using dedicated bins and collection vehicles are sorted directly from mixed waste streams and are known as kerb-side recycling, it requires the owner of the waste to separate it into various different bins (typically wheelie bins) prior to its collection. The most common consumer products recycled include aluminium such as beverage cans, copper such as wire, steel food and aerosol cans, old steel furnishings or equipment, polyethylene and PET bottles, glass bottles and jars, paperboard cartons, newspapers, magazines and light paper, and corrugated fibre board boxes.PVC, LDPE, PP, and PS are also recyclable. These items are usually composed of a single type of material, making them relatively easy to recycle into new products. The recycling of complex products (such as computers and electronic e quipment) is more difficult, due to the additional dismantling and separation required. The type of material accepted for recycling varies by city and country. Each city and country has different recycling programs in place that can handle the various types of recyclable materials. However, certain variation in acceptance is reflected in the resale value of the material once it is reprocessed History of Waste Management History: In ancient cities, wastes were thrown onto unpaved streets and roadways, where they were left to accumulate. It was not until 320 BCE in Athens that the first known law forbidding this practice was established. At that time a system for waste removal began to evolve in Greece and in the Greek-dominated cities of the eastern Mediterranean. In ancient Rome, property owners were responsible for cleaning the streets fronting their property. But organized waste collection was associated only with state-sponsored events such as parades. Disposal methods were very crude, involving open pits located just outside the city walls.As populations increased, efforts were made to transport waste farther out from the cities. After the fall of Rome, waste collection and municipal sanitation began a decline that lasted throughout the Middle Ages. Near the end of the 14th century, scavengers were given the task of carting waste to dumps outside city walls. But this was not the case in smaller towns, where most people still threw waste into the streets. It was not until 1714 that every city in England was required to have an official scavenger. Toward the end of the 18th century in America, municipal collection of garbage was begun in Boston, New York City, and Philadelphia.Waste disposal methods were still very crude, however. Garbage collected in Philadelphia, for example, was simply dumped into the Delaware River downstream from the city. During the industrial revolution, recyclers began to form businesses and later trade associations, dealing in the collection, trade and processing of metals and paper. America's Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI), a trade association with more than 1,400 member companies, traces its roots back to one such organisation founded in 1913. In the 1930s many people survived the Great Depression by peddling scraps of metal, rags and other items.In those days reuse and recycling were often economic necessities As industrial societ ies began to produce ever-growing quantities of garbage, recycling took on a new meaning. Rather than recycling materials for purely economic reasons, communities began to think about how to reduce the waste flow to landfills and incinerators. Current Conditions: Our whole concept of the business plan has on two important phases – ‘WASTE MANAGEMENT + RECYCLING’ Waste Management: Waste management is the collection, transport, processing or disposal, managing and monitoring of waste materials.The term usually relates to materials produced by human activity, and the process is generally undertaken to reduce their effect on health, the environment or aesthetics. Waste management is a distinct practice from resource recovery which focuses on delaying the rate of consumption of natural resources. All wastes materials, whether solid, liquid, gaseous or radioactive fall within the remit of waste management. Recycling: Recycling is a resource recovery practice that refers to the collection and reuse of waste materials. The materials from which the items are made can be reprocessed into new products.Material for recycling are collected by us from general waste using dedicated bins and collection vehicles are sorted directly from mixed waste streams and are known as kerb-side recycling, it requires the owner of the waste to separate it into various different bins (typically wheelie bins) prior to its collection. The most common consumer products recycled include aluminium such as beverage cans, copper such as wire, steel food and aerosol cans, old steel furnishings or equipment, polyethylene and PET bottles, glass bottles and jars, paperboard cartons, newspapers, magazines and light paper, and corrugated fibre board boxes.PVC, LDPE, PP, and PS are also recyclable. These items are usually composed of a single type of material, making them relatively easy to recycle into new products. The recycling of complex products (such as computers and electronic e quipment) is more difficult, due to the additional dismantling and separation required. The type of material accepted for recycling varies by city and country. Each city and country has different recycling programs in place that can handle the various types of recyclable materials. However, certain variation in acceptance is reflected in the resale value of the material once it is reprocessed