Conventional centralised sewerage systems are increasingly challenged by climate change, population growth and sustainability goals. Decentralised wastewater treatment systems (DWTS) offer an alternative by reducing hydraulic loads, enabling local reuse and supporting resource recovery. This study analyses …

Cape Town faces a complex and interlinked set of climate-related challenges, including recurring droughts, flooding, intensifying heat stress and biodiversity loss. These impacts are further amplified by rapid urbanization, pollution (often due to poor infrastructure and service delivery), ageing water …

This thesis investigates the structural feasibility of a vertical extension on an existing former industrial building located in Eltville am Rhein, Germany. The case study focuses on a former cocoa factory constructed in the 1960s, which was later partially converted into residential use. Due to the …

Local energy transitions are promoted as means to achieve decarbonization, ensure democratic participation by local communities in energy decision-making, and foster social acceptance of renewable energy projects. However, despite the growing maturity of energy technologies and increased policy support, …

Faults silently degrade HVAC performance, wasting energy and diminishing indoor well-being. How can artificial intelligence help us diagnose them? This paper shares insights into challenges of large-scale practical HVAC diagnostics and presents efforts from the Brains4Buildings project, specifically …

The Developmental Model of Intercultural Sensitivity (DMIS) has been widely used to conceptualise changes in how individuals experience cultural difference, typically described as a progression from ethnocentric toward ethnorelative orientations. While the model’s value is considerable, its common interpretation …

Intercultural literature often treats ethnocentrism and ethnorelativism as opposite ends of a single continuum. This paper challenges that assumption by adapting Herzberg’s two-factor theory to propose a dual-spectrum model: (1) a “hygiene” axis (ethnocentrism ↔ absence of ethnocentrism) that prevents …

This paper presents a conceptual model for creating digital educational games that aim to reduce mathematics anxiety (MA) and promote positive emotional engagement in mathematics education. No empirical data were collected or analyzed; the proposed model is based on a synthesis of theory and empirical …

Background: Obesity is defined as a chronic, relapsing disease, characterised by its persistence and the frequent recurrence of weight gain following weight loss. It is linked to chronic diseases and reduced quality of life. Sustainable weight loss requires long-term dietary and behavioural changes. …

Gaussian Splatting has emerged as a powerful technique for high-fidelity 3D scene representation, yet its computational demands hinder rapid visualization, particularly on CPU-based systems. This paper introduces a lightweight method for efficient thumbnail generation from Gaussian splatting data, leveraging …