Norsafiah Norazman

The need for Sustainable Facility Management (SFM) in tertiary institutions is crucial in reducing environmental impact and optimizing efficiency in Operation and Maintenance (O&M). This Systematic Literature Review (SLR) analyse and synthesize research on current practices of SFM in tertiary institutions which focusing on innovative approach applied in improving building O&M. The comprehensive understanding, their contributions and challenges faced in implementation are discussed. Researchers analyse, synthesize and report the results from 13 final selected studies whereby the screening, selection, and identification were based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA). The corresponding data extraction and analysis were performed using the Evidence for Policy and Practice Information (EPPI). Result of the study demonstrates that innovative approach applied in building O&M such as Artificial Intelligent (AI), Internet of Things (IoT), Building Information Modeling (BIM), Building Management System (BMS) significantly contributed to SFM.

This review examines the current practices of Operation and Maintenance in Malaysian Higher Education Institutions, emphasizing sustainability and efficiency of facility management. Despite the increasing adoption of technologies such Building Information Modelling, several technical, organizational, financial and environmental barriers hinder their full integration. Using systematic literature reviews (SLR) of recent studies, this research identifies emerging trends in Operation and Maintenance (O&M) practices in Malaysia, alongside challenges and actionable solutions. The findings underscore the transformative potential of integrating advanced technologies including Building Information Modelling (BIM) to revolutionize sustainability in campus operations. Key insights include the strategic importance of energy conservation measures (ECMs), predictive maintenance frameworks and multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) models in optimizing resources and reducing environmental footprints. This study uniquely advocates for a holistic integration, combining these technologies with tailored frameworks for Malaysian HEIs to address their distinct challenges. By advancing these innovative solutions, the research contributes to the broader discourse on sustainable facility management and positions Malaysian HEIs as potential leaders in sustainability and green campus initiatives.

Purpose: This paper addresses the persistent problem of abandoned and unoccupied teacher’s quarters in Malaysia, an issue that has been brought up in both the State Legislature and Parliament without resolution. This study aims to investigate the effectiveness of adaptive reuse practices specifically for government quarters in Malaysia, exploring their potential to breathe life into neglected spaces.Design/methodology/approach: This research explores the management of adaptive reuse building conversions by two distinct organizations: federal and state. It further examines the impact of an election that established the specific demographic granted exclusive jurisdiction over the assets of Malaysia’s Ministry of Education. Initially, the study conducted brief interviews to gather insights on the management of adaptive reuse for state teacher quarters. Subsequently, the research expands to include interviews and surveys targeting those in charge of managing the adaptive reuse of teacher quarters. The collected data from these two phases will undergo analysis through content analysis methods.Findings: The investigation aimed to identify the root cause of the teachers “quarters” low occupancy by assessing the structural condition of the building. It also delves into how adopting an adaptive reuse strategy could repurpose the building for different uses. The discussion will encompass three main challenges to adaptive reuse: sustainability of the building, its present condition and legal implications. Additionally, the discussion aims to highlight the local advantages of such an approach, including maintaining optimal building conditions, ensuring continuous building performance, enabling efficient financial management and reducing asset wastage.Originality/value: This study extends the knowledge of adaptive reuse by exploring Malaysia’s government quarter buildings' potential, with the challenges and benefits of adaptive reuse through current building conditions with localised insights. This is one of the groundbreaking empirical studies that also addresses impacts and recommends some potential areas for future researchers and policymakers in maximising and preserving unoccupied building usage (Value: Provides practical applications for stakeholders and policymakers).

Malaysia has witnessed substantial rapid growth in construction waste management (CWM). However, this expansion has brought with it an obvious dilemma, namely an increasing amount of construction waste. The main aim of this study was to examine the critical issues of CWM in Malaysia, considering its various impacts on the environment, economy and society. Waste from various building materials increases with time, placing a heavy burden on ecosystems, public health and the economy. This study develops a strategic approach to CWM in Malaysia. The study focuses on identifying the common practices of construction waste and its’ relevant future strategies for enhancing sustainability. The method approach for this study was qualitative research, which consists of observation and semi-structured interview techniques. Respondents were from developers, management teams, contractors and site supervisors with expertise in CWM. Open-ended questions were designed and distributed to the respondents during the interview session to achieve information related to the current practice, challenges and solutions for improving CWM practices in Malaysia. The study highlights the importance of incorporating safety, health and environmental factors into CWM to facilitate the transformation of Malaysia's construction industry into a more ecologically conscious and productive sector. This will ultimately lead to a future characterized by enhanced security, improved sanitation and greater sustainability.

Commercial building maintenance management constitutes a pertinent issue of global concern for all related stakeholders. In Malaysia, the management of commercial building maintenance plays a crucial role in achieving the goal of providing safety to occupants and the building itself. However, there is a paucity of studies that have comprehensively explored all dimensions of commercial building defects in relation to maintenance management. This research was also conducted to identify and analyze the typical defects that occur in commercial structures, understand their underlying causes, assess their impact on safety, functionality and propose effective remedial actions. The study utilized a qualitative approach for data collection. The findings indicated that cracked floors, floor tile failures, wall tiles failure, damaged ceiling, paint peeling and faulty light bulbs were some of the flaws that degrade commercial building. The study’s outcome revealed that defects not only deface the aesthetic appearance of the commercial buildings but also inhibit the functionality of the buildings and depreciate the overall satisfaction. The research limitations include using commercial buildings (shopping complexes or malls) that have been operating for more than 20 years. This study offers invaluable insights for maintenance organizations and maintenance department staff who are genuinely interested in improving commercial buildings’ maintenance management to optimize staff’s performance and enhance the user satisfaction of the buildings in Malaysia and globally.

The process of modifying or changing an old structure for a new use or purpose is known as "adaptive reuse." Recently, there has been a growing phase of development focused on adaptive reuse, reflecting an increasing recognition of its importance. This approach primarily aims to halt urban decay, promote social reform and preserve architectural and cultural heritage. Many of the shophouses are facing challenges related to preservation, maintenance and modern adaptation, posing a risk to their historical and cultural value. This study identifies the significant factors that encourage the adaptive reuse of heritage shophouses in this region. The research methodology employed was qualitative and utilizing interview techniques. Interviews were conducted with architects and technical assistants who have expertise in the adaptive reuse of heritage shophouses especially in Georgetown, Penang. Open-ended questions were carefully designed and distributed to the respondents during the interview sessions to gather detailed information about the factors promoting adaptive reuse of heritage shophouses in Georgetown, Penang. Through a thorough process of data analysis, the researcher identified the elements that support and encourage the adaptive reuse of heritage shophouses in Georgetown, Penang. The findings of the study showed that the most significant factors that encourage the adaptive reuse of heritage shophouses in Georgetown, Penang was to help to restore and enliven a city.

The teaching and learning process needs to be carried out formally in the classroom, which is the main learning space in the school system. This should be implemented effectively to achieve a level of comfort for students. The capacity of a classroom can affect the way the teacher teaches and the level of student understanding. Classroom capacity needs to be emphasized to encourage and maintain student motivation for continuous learning, especially at the primary school level. This study aims to analyse classroom capacity in order to improve student comfort in the primary school building and thus enhance the effectiveness of learning. The qualitative method used for conducting the study is the method used in this research to measure the predicted findings. The present area of 15 randomly chosen classrooms was measured (Width X Length) using a qualitative method that also included semi-structured interviews. The findings of the study show that 50 percent of classroom capacity in primary school buildings comply with existing guidelines, established design rules and classroom area requirements. The current classroom size is 2.25 m2 per student with a significant increase in student satisfaction during the teaching and learning process. However, the findings from the semi-structured interviews highlight interesting points in relation to the appropriateness of classroom capacity. Teachers think that classroom capacity affects students' level of comfort. Respondents agreed that the capacity of a classroom is effective with a maximum of 26 students. This research paper emphasizes the importance of compliance with classroom physical performance standards in primary school buildings to increase the comfort level of students in the classroom. The research presented here provides current information, knowledge, and findings regarding actual classroom capacity in primary school buildings data that could have an impact on students' comfort. During the formative learning phase, very little meaningful attention is paid to the areas where students spend the majority of their weekdays. As a result, this can support experts in the fields of school building management, building facilities, and other related fields in determining and implementing the right classroom capacity in schools generally.

Implementing sustainable construction practices in higher educational facilities in Malaysia would enhance the quality of learning activities. Students in higher education predominantly utilize learning areas. The objective of this study is to evaluate indices of indoor environmental quality (IEQ) that prioritise sustainability in educational environments. The major indicators comprised four significant key terms: Indoor Air Quality (IAQ), Thermal Comfort (TC), Visual Comfort (VC), and Acoustic Comfort (AC). The study utilized data from previous studies published between 2021 and 2023 to determine the present issue that emerged inside Malaysian higher educational facilities. This was achieved by a critical assessment of the parameters' findings via fieldwork measurement. This leads to a spectrum that falls within a satisfactory threshold to attain the desired degree of user comfort. The findings demonstrate that students' comfort level is enhanced by their preference for a stable level of IEQ parameters. According to this study, on average standards of IEQ parameters for a sustainable learning environment; temperature (27°C), humidity (40%), air flow (0.30 m/s), illuminate (400lux) and acoustic (40dB). The strategic framework has been recommended to enhance learning environments and act as a reference guideline for future evaluations of indoor environmental quality.

The passion of self-cleaning potential on palm tree species contributing to building envelope design maintenance through biomimetic architecture is the notion of this exploration. The greediness of property investors that are more concerned on building design to strive the sustainability rather than the maintenance strategic on their building. However, the uniqueness on building shapes and patterns of this envelope confronts with main complications on surface maintenance in associates with pollution such as air-bone, water-bone and grease-born pollution that also trap in air moisture. Furthermore, the selection of material is the important fragment in building envelope cleanliness to design the sustainable maintenance. In conjunction, the palm tree foreseen as self-cleaning building envelope that has the potential to develop the resilience maintenance based on its characteristics. Therefore, the exploration on surface and texture of selected specimen of palm tree is main contributor to this research in finding the self-cleaning characteristics on building envelope materials. The selective specimen will be monitored under Light-microscope and Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) based on environmental experiment. The outcome of this exploration will discover the nature mechanism through its nature course and develop the self-cleaning conceptual on building envelop materials to overcome the problems in every building envelope design.

Investment in building maintenance management is an effective strategy to control the quality of building performance and its condition. In most countries, maintenance activities are based on the basic management concept, which includes planning, monitoring, and controlling. Thus, building maintenance management system (BMMS) should be applied to various types of properties to allocate the relevant maintenance procedures to the specific building that requires the implementation of maintenance activities. Ordinarily, residential property is more concerned with the building maintenance management system (BMMS) due to the well-maintained assets and facilities, while also retaining the building aesthetically to provide an opportunity for future property investment. The value of buildings really depends on their quality and current condition, and this also points out that accurate maintenance activities for residential property in Malaysia provide maximum benefit to the building's performance. However, building maintenance management in Malaysia is mostly based on the conventional system (also known as a paper-based report) rather than the modern computerized system, which makes it ideally difficult to determine the root causes. This commonly proposes inaccurate maintenance activities for strata-title residential buildings. The weaknesses of the current procedure may affect the overall building performance, besides, building defects can also become more critical without any remedial actions from the building owners. Thus, this research will aid in identifying the fundamental shortcomings of paper-based conventional systems and investigating how a modern computerized BMMS might cope with these challenges. However, this study will focus on strata title properties in Peninsular Malaysia. The variables were measured and assessed using a mixed-methods approach that included both qualitative and quantitative components. Twelve (12) building experts from public and private entities, including the public works department (PWD), local authority (LA), and Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB), were interviewed using a qualitative technique. The results from semi-structured interviews were analyzed using descriptive and thematic analyses. Then, 125 respondents were given a questionnaire as part of a quantitative approach, and SPSS version 28 was used to examine the results. The findings are expected to highlight the