The 7th World Construction Symposium 2018 on “Built Asset Sustainability: Rethinking Design, Construction and Operations” was successfully held from 29th June and 01st July 2018 at Galadari Hotel, Colombo, Sri Lanka. The Ceylon Institute of Builders (CIOB) and Building Economics and Management Research Unit (BEMRU) of the Department of Building Economics, University of Moratuwa jointly organised the Symposium. The symposium aimed at providing a forum for exchanging ideas between construction researchers in the areas of sustainability with a view to fostering a better link between industry and academia.
The Chief Guest of the event was Hon Malik Samarawickrama, Minister of Development Strategies and International Trade, and the guest of honour was Prof. K.K.C.K. Perera, Vice Chancellor, University of Moratuwa.
Prof. Peter McDermott, Professor of Construction Management in the School of the Built Environment, at the University of Salford, was the keynote speaker for this event. Papers were presented in the Symposium by both local and international scholars pertaining to the main theme. Many researchers, industry practitioners and students from Sri Lanka, India, Australia, New Zealand, United Kingdom, Singapore, China, Oman, Nigeria and United Arab Emirates took part in this symposium sharing ideas in the area of sustainability in built environment. The diversity of participants stimulated a rich debate of the agenda items.
The best papers and highly commended papers of the symposium were acknowledged by Built Environment Project and Asset Management (BEPAM), a journal published by Emerald Group Publishing, and the Ceylon Institute of Builders (CIOB) at the 7th World Construction Symposium 2018. Members of the academic staff of the Department of Building Economics thrived at the event winning two awards.
2018 EMERALD BEPAM BEST PAPER AWARD AT WCS 2018
Dr. (Mrs.) Thanuja Ramachandra, a Senior Lecturer attached to the Department of Building Economics, and Ms. Devindi Geekiyanage, a Lecturer attached to the same Department,won the Emerald BEPAM Best Paper Award for their joint paper titled "Significant Factors influencing Operational and Maintenance (O & M) Costs of Commercial Buildings" at the 7th World Construction Symposium 2018.
CIOB BEST PAPER AWARD
Dr. (Ms.) Sachie Gunathilake, a Senior Lecturer attached to the Department of Building Economics and Ms. Fasna Fasly, a Research Assistant of the same Department, won the CIOB Best Paper Award for the paper titled “Factors Affecting the Successful Adoption and Implementation of Energy Retrofits in Existing Hotel Buildings”, at the 7th World Construction Symposium 2018.
The 7th World Construction Symposium 2018 can be seen as another highly successful event co-organized by Building Economics and Management Research Unit (BEMRU) of the Department of Building Economics, University of Moratuwa, with a good participation by both local and international academics and industry experts presenting papers addressing a range of sustainability issues within the construction industry.
