The purpose of this study was to gain a better understanding of how medium-sized construction companies adapt and how they choose to reorganize their operations in relation to the recession. The study has as its theoretical starting point theories about organizational learning, the impact of the economy on construction companies and strategies for dealing with recessions. The method used to conduct the study was semi-structured interviews with representatives from 15 different construction companies. The results of the study show that they used several strategies to adapt and reorganize the business in accordance with the recession. Some construction companies had to make cost savings as a result of the recession.

This exam report contains studies about how the weather affects the construction site from a planning and productivity perspective. In 1960?s the contractors started to build during the winter, since then the demands to obtain a good construction has been higher on both the contractor and then promoter.In this report you will see how the different actors at the construction site handle the weather problems. By several interviews of the actors at the construction site there have been opinions about the weather situation which has been collected. To get a wide perspective of the problem, field studies from four different construction sites been made.Weather statistics over Halmstad is a mayor part of this report.

The population growth in Europe and with that in Sweden was enormous under 18th century. The results became housing shortage in large part of Europe. Tight residency/ inhabited, poverty and emigration were series of social questions in Sweden. Private house (egnahem) as in the beginning was an idea from England and Germany became a political measure and the answer at those miserable social circumstances in Sweden. The purpose with the private house (egnahem) was to help those new people moved in to towns with place to live and counteract movers to towns and emigration. With the governmental loan and land availability that some municipalities and wealthy people contributed with, could people get a place to live with the small garden. The city garden (trädgårdstaden) with their future idealistic idea/utopia, English gardens, ideas with roots in the old-fashioned gardens (allmogeträdgårdar) and lots of books and periodicals were the source of inspirations. From these the private house gardens (egnahemsträdgårdar) were born. Object for my study is my and my family?s own house in Limhamn, south west of Malmö which was built in 1912 under private house gardens era. The garden and the building have still trace and element from the time of private house. My suggestion is inspired by the private home style with a new thinking design that answers to daily need and the busy life style; a rather easy to maintain for green environment. A more relaxing and peaceful garden with simple design, a garden despite that it is surrounded by neighbours and streets invites in harmony and dreams..

The thesis deals with evaluation of tenders for communal construction procurement. Each year the public procurement equals the value of millions of Swedish kronors, of which construction projects makes up a large proportion. These projects tend to often exceed their budgets. The aim with the thesis is to investigate if there are faults in the tender evaluation process. The theoretical framework for the study partly consists of a review on how the communal evaluation work is described in law and practice.

Syftet med denna studie är att undersöka medlemmars och anställdas uppfattningar om den idéburna organisationen Fountain House Stockholm som aktör inom området psykisk ohälsa över tid. För att kunna uppnå syftet kommer två frågeställning att besvaras; hur medlemmar och anställda vid Fountain House Stockholm på ser organisationens arbete med psykisk ohälsa över tid samt hur medlemmar och anställda på Fountain House Stockholm ser på organisationens arbete i relation till det offentliga arbetet med psykisk ohälsa över tid. Studien har en kvalitativ forskningsdesign med en induktiv ansats och empirin består av fem stycken halvstrukturerade livsvärldsintervjuer med medlemmar/anställda på Fountain House Stockholm genomförda i maj 2013. I materialet kunde återkommande resonemang och begrepp tydliggöras som senare fick utgöra studiens teman. Dessa teman analyserades mot studiens teoretiska utgångspunkter samt tidigare forskning inom området.

AbstractThe aim of this examination paper is to get an overview on the ?no-maintenance? windowsthat exist on the Swedish market, like plastic and aluminium windows.By way of introduction the reader gets knowledge in the background and problemformulatethat this subject has. This introduction explains why it has become so popular to changeyour windows into plastic- and aluminium windows and there is an existing scepticismagainst PVC and aluminium as construction material for windows.The main part of this report is constructed by segments of interviews where bothproducers of windows and stakeholders gets to answer questions about their viewing onno-maintenance windows from a material and construction point of view and where theproduction is headed to in the future. This is followed by an evaluation of a questionnaireon how pleased the house owners that changed their old windows to no-maintenancewindows are, followed by an inspection of windows made up from wood and an aluminiumclothing, windows made from only aluminium and PVC-based windows. It ends with atheory part about the materials PVC and metal based upon facts included in literature.By reading this report you can draw the conclusion that no window can be entirely nonmaintenancebut that the materials PVC and aluminium still are good substitutes for woodto lessen the maintenance..

Who runs the development? A comparative study of the construction of residential buildings in Nacka and Södertälje.The aim of this study is to identify actors involved in the initiation and implementation of residential house construction in two Swedish municipalities. This means who is taking initiative for new residential buildings, who affects the planning process, who finances these new buildings and who builds them. By exploring empiric material from the municipalities of Nacka and Södertälje, the above questions will be answered and by referring to pluralism, growth machine theory and regime theory a link to general theories of political science is made. The results found show that the analysed municipalities have quite different possibilities for acting and that these backgrounds are also important for which actors will take initiative for new residential buildings and which actors will be allowed to state their opinion during the planning process.

This academic essay explores the possibilities to knowledge of God in the thought of Thomas Aquinas. The essay takes its departure from question 12 in the Summa Theologiae, specifically articles 12 and 13 that deal with natural knowledge of God and supernatural knowledge, respectively. It also presents objections made by modern philosophers against these ways of knowledge along with a rebuttal of these objections. Lastly, a conclusion is offered and ends with a reflection on how Aquinas' teaching on human knowledge of God in earthly existence compares with his teaching on the knowledge human beings will have in heaven and what consequences that has for our present knowledge..

The aim of the study has been to explore what participation and hope means for persons with disabilities living in an institution called Horizon House, in Stellenbosch South Africa. The aim has also been to discover the South African approach to disability and how Horizon House fits into this approach. Horizon House is an institution and a protective workplace in Stellenbosch for adults whose main impairment is of an intellectual nature but there are also physical and emotional disabilities. Another aim has been to explore the perspectives of the residents. The research questions of the study are: ? What does participation imply for the residents of Horizon House?? What does Hope represent for the residents of Horizon House?? What importance can hope have for people with disabilities, in their approach towards increased participation? We travelled to South Africa during a two week period in March 2009, where we participated at the protective workplace of Horizon House.

In this paper we have theoretically built a house designed for people with impaired mobility. Theessay begins with an introduction in which the purpose of the work, the methodology and thedepth-research part is presented. Then the layout that explains how we intend to adapt the housefor the demands detailed in the depth-research part is presented. In the same chapter variousstructural components, such as different floors and walls, are specified.In the selection of materials we have taken into account the criteria of our specialization andadaptation to the aesthetic aspects, where we evaluate materials based upon our wishes regardingtechnique and form. There are also other aspects that are important in the selection of materials,including that these are adapted to technical traits of the construction elements and installations.In a later chapter the technical installations such as ventilation systems, heating systems,electricity and sanitation are presented, where both technical and financial aspects are describedin detail.

In the current situation a big part ofthe settlements that exist in Sweden isin need of renovation and energyefficiency in order to survive.Therefore, also many of the older houseswith a wooden structure are in a need ofenergy efficiency, which can be done ina variety of ways, including addinginsulation.This project deals with whether the useof a diffusion barrier or a vaporbarrier affects a wall structure byadding insulation to an older house witha timber frame. The insulation materialswhich are concidered in thisinvestigation are mineral wool and woodfiber insulation. Efforts are focused onthe effects of moisture on theseinsulation materials.To demonstrate the differences thatarise the moisture measurement programWUFI have been used to simulate avariety of wall designs. These designsare developed in consultation with theconstruction carers who are active inthe industry.Using WUFI graphs illustrating themoisture levels of the wall structureswere obtained and from these conclusionsvould be drawn. The work demonstratesthe differences that arise when using adiffusion barrier or vapor barrier inwall construction.

The construction industry accounted for 19 % of all work-related fatalities in Sweden between 2010 and 2013. The exam report has been done to find out what underlying causes there are to the high number of fatalities and to the occupational statistics of the construction industry. Moreover it has been reviewed what improvements can be done to reduce accidents and fatalities in the construction industry. The report consists of a survey of statistics, laws and regulations affecting the work environment and of literature concerning the subject. It has been conducted an interview and a questionnaire survey at the construction company Asplunds Bygg and an interview with an inspector from the Work Environment Authority.

Examensarbetet har gjorts inom temat innovation. Syftet var att utifrån teorin se hur en innovationsprocess kan gå till inom en offentlig sektor och jämföra denna med hur Svenska institutet gick tillväga för att skapa Second House of Sweden. Frågor vi ställde oss var hur processen gick tilll och vilka konsekvenserna blev av den färdiga ambassaden. Efter en kvalitativ undersökning och en analys av det insamlade materialet kom vi fram till att en innovationsprocess inte behöver ha någon konkret början och slut. En innovation kan uppstå i ett samspel av adoptering- och genereringsprocessen.

The higher status homestead called Kullen is located on top of a small hill just outside of Hova in V?stra G?taland. The house stands on a plateau surrounded by a stonewall. Aerial photos from the 1960?s shows what looks like a big parklike garden behind the house, with a gravel walk cutting through on the length of the garden up to the house.

The construction industry is currently receiving much criticism for inefficiency and slow development while demands for reduced built in moisture and efficiency increases. This report examines whether the use of field factories can meet these requirements and what factors that will be critical for future use of field factories. Industrialized construction with field factory is compared with traditional loose timber construction and industrial construction in the fields of execution, logistics and working environment. The aim of this report is to provide a basis for field factories current and future use and development. To achieve the aim of the report, people with experience in the use of the various methods was interviewed and literature studies in the various fields done.