Zhai, X; Reed, R and Mills, A (2014) Embracing off-site innovation in construction in China to enhance a sustainable built environment in urban housing. International Journal of Construction Management, 14(3), pp. 123-133. ISSN 1562-3599
Abstract
With the rapid rate of urbanization and pressing need for higher levels of sustainable development within the built environment in China, the housing construction industry presently is facing urgency of shaping a sustainable construction process. This paper examines several sustainability challenges from the large-scale urban housing construction, and explores the connection between off-site innovation and sustainability within a context of China's housing construction industry. The study also identifies four pillars of strategy agendas that could enhance an enabling innovation environment for the ultimate goal of sustainability: (1) institutional environment, (2) public housing market, (3) organisational actions and (4) technological capacity. The knowledge and research findings presented in this paper would provide a ground framework that helps evaluate and assess the significances of off-site innovation to assist with a sustainable built environment.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | China; off-site innovation; sustainability; sustainable construction; urban housing |
| Index terms: | sustainable development, China, sustainability challenge, sustainable construction, public housing, strategy, residential construction, built environment, housing, urbanization |
| Subjects: | urban planning, environmental issues, health safety and environment, construction type, infrastructure and transport systems, construction integration, sustainable construction, Geography, management |
| Topics: | Geographical Context, Construction Technology, Business Strategy, Urban Studies, Health and Safety, Governance, Sustainability |
| Descriptive scope: | 2 PC |
N.B. Descriptive scope is a count of how many of the five facets of empirical research are indicated by the words used in title, abstract and keywords. It is not intended as a judgement on the research; merely a count of the kind of word we would expect to indicate Phenomenon, Concepts, Theoretical framing, Empirical techniques, Analytical techniques. If all five are present, then a code of “5 PCTEA” will indicate this. If you feel the coding for this record is questionable, we welcome discussion around the terms we matched or the way we categorized them. The facet you would expect may not be coded, or a facet may be coded inappropriately. This can also bear on a larger question, of which facets should be treated as defining in construction management research. Please get in touch, and we will look at it. More details here