Doctor of Philosophy (Engineering) student Muhammad Tarique Lakhiar reaped the fruits of his hard work and efforts when he received international recognitions for his research and presentation skills. He was awarded the Best Presenter award at the Construction Digitalisation for Sustainable Development (CDSD) 2023 Conference, held from 20 to 21 March 2023, at Hanoi University of Civil Engineering (HUCE), Hanoi Vietnam, and the Best Paper award at the 13th Annual International Conference on Industrial Engineering and Operations Management in Manila, Philippines, held from 7 to 9 March 2023.
Muhammad enthused, “To be given these recognitions is an honour, and it validates all the hard work I have put in. I have always been passionate about presenting research internationally, and these conferences have provided me the opportunities to realise my dream. I believe my presentation skills have also helped my projects to stand out, and with these awards, I am motivated to continue pursuing my goals in this field.”
He added, “I am also grateful to UTAR for supporting my efforts to achieve my goals. The support it provides, especially in research, has inspired the research, and the university’s culture of innovation has fuelled my exploration of Green BIM’s transformative potential, thus encouraging me beyond conventional design practices. In essence, UTAR’s comprehensive support system – from nurturing my research passion to providing the tools for captivating online communication – played a pivotal role in transforming my project into an award-winning online presentation.”
Best Paper award for Muhammad
The award-winning research of Best Paper is titled “Passive Design Approach to Improve Energy Efficiency for Office Building”, aimed to investigate the impact of passive design techniques on building envelope design.
He explained, “The ever-growing need for sustainable building practices and the significant energy consumption of office buildings motivated us to investigate the potential of passive design approaches in this context. The high rate of energy consumption in office buildings sparked our interest in exploring passive design as a viable solution for improving energy efficiency. The findings presented in this paper can be directly applied by architects, engineers, and building developers to design and construct energy-efficient office buildings. Furthermore, existing office buildings can potentially be retrofitted with some of the passive design strategies outlined in this research, leading to improved energy performance. By promoting energy efficiency in office buildings, this research contributes to a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and overall energy consumption, benefiting society and the environment. The wider adoption of passive design principles can lead to significant cost savings on energy bills for building owners and occupants, while simultaneously contributing to a more sustainable future.”
His research is also related to Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 7: Affordable and Clean Energy, SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities, and SDG 13: Climate Action. He elucidated, “By reducing energy consumption in office buildings, passive design approaches contribute to a cleaner energy future and lower overall energy demand (SDG 7). Energy-efficient office buildings achieved through passive design strategies lessen the strain on city energy grids, promoting more sustainable urban development (SDG 11). Additionally, lower energy consumption directly translates to reduced greenhouse gas emissions, aligning with climate change mitigation efforts. By promoting these sustainable building practices, our research offers solutions that benefit society and the environment (SDG 13).”
The Best Presenter certificate presented to Muhammad
Meanwhile, the Best Presenter was awarded to his research paper titled “Integrating Green BIM in the Construction of Green Buildings: A Review”, and the award grants the privilege of publishing the research in a prestigious, peer-reviewed Malaysian Construction Research Journal (MCRJ).. Muhammad explained that the research aims to explore the use of BIM in supporting various processes involved in designing, constructing, operating, and retrofitting green buildings. The paper highlighted the different functions of BIM that enable green building analyses, including energy, emissions, and ventilation analysis, as well as the challenges associated with Green BIM practices. It also explored the applications of BIM in supporting green building assessments (GBA).
He continued, “There were two main reasons that inspired me to pursue this project on integrating Green BIM in green building construction. Firstly, the growing importance of sustainable building practices. As the construction industry strives to reduce its environmental impact, Green BIM offers a powerful set of tools to optimise designs for energy efficiency and resource conservation. I was fascinated by the potential of this technology to make a real difference. Secondly, I was motivated by a genuine interest in bridging the gap between design and construction, a topic that has always fascinated me. This interest was further fuelled by discussions and guidance from my supervisors, Dr AbdulLateef Olanrewaju and Dr Shalini Sanmargaraja. Their expertise proved invaluable in shaping my research focus on Green BIM as a key tool for achieving design-construction integration in green buildings.”
“Green BIM goes beyond 3D modelling, transforming it into a powerful tool for sustainable construction. By integrating environmental data, Green BIM allows for simulations to optimise energy use and daylighting, while also facilitating the selection of eco-friendly materials. This proactive approach minimises construction waste through clash detection and promotes efficient building processes. Ultimately, Green BIM empowers project teams to deliver greener buildings with a reduced environmental footprint throughout their entire lifecycle. Moreover, Green BIM offers a significant societal and environmental benefit by promoting the construction of greener buildings. Through simulations and life cycle assessments, Green BIM helps optimise designs for energy efficiency and resource conservation. This translates to lower operating costs for building owners, reduced strain on energy grids, and ultimately, a smaller carbon footprint for society. Furthermore, Green BIM minimises construction waste and promotes efficient building processes, leading to a more sustainable construction industry overall. By fostering environmentally responsible practices, Green BIM contributes to a healthier planet and a more sustainable future for all,” said Muhammad.
The “Best Paper” research is related to SDG 7, SDG 11, SDG 12, and SDG 13. The winner elaborated, “Green BIM facilitates simulations to optimise building designs for energy efficiency. This leads to buildings that consume less energy, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and contributing to a cleaner energy future. Meanwhile, Green buildings constructed with Green BIM principles promote sustainable urban development. Reduced energy consumption translates to lower energy demands on city grids, contributing to more sustainable communities. Green BIM also helps minimise construction waste through clash detection and improved material management. This promotes responsible use of resources in the construction industry. By enabling the design and construction of energy-efficient buildings, Green BIM contributes significantly to climate change mitigation efforts. Reduced energy consumption translates to lower greenhouse gas emissions, helping in the fight against climate change. My research directly addresses these SDGs by promoting sustainable building practices that benefit society and the environment.”
CDSD 2023 focused on “Transforming through Innovation” to showcase the potential of digitalisation and evaluate the construction industry’s challenges and preparedness for digital transformations. The IEOM conference aimed to provide a forum for academics, researchers and practitioners to exchange ideas and recent developments in the field of Industrial Engineering and Operations Management. The conference also aimed to foster networking, collaboration and joint effort among the conference participants.
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