Building Defects Causes in Apartment Towers- Optimum City Research is conducting research into the systemic causes of building defects in the high rise multi-apartment tower sector. The research project is called The Defects Dilemma which was started in 2018 by Dr Jonathan Drane.
A dedicated web site is up and running called The Defects Dilemma which focuses on the terrible state of building defects in the multi-apartment sector across Australia and the world. The Defects Dilemma is a research iniative which was started in 2018 when many cases of dangerous defects were coinciding.
Even as this is written, the tragedy of Champlain Tower in Miami is fresh in our memories.
The web site captures the recent history and chronology of this phenomena and also tracks the legislations and guiding studies, research and reports that have arisen relating to building defects.
‘In creating this initiative I was very aware that this was a complex phenomena which was seemingly occuring across the world and that the research should involve firstly an historical understanding of systems and processes but also track the events as case studies to determine the commonalities of causes’. Dr Jonathan Drane
The research also involves methodologies for the ongoing analysis of this space with two current models 1) Delivery Systems Decay and 2) Enablement Factors.
The Delivery Systems Model tracks the decay in the systems of creation and delivery of multi-apartment towers since the post war mid-century era. The model includes a Building Defects Scenario Matrix which illustrates key factors that determine risk levels of defects occuring.
The Enablement Model tracks the actual property development system and mechanisms that form the culture of creation of multi-apartment towers. It starts with the low barriers of entry of land traders, the subsequent zoning abuses, phoenix entities, mezzanine funding, kindred builder selection, strata formation and lack of quality control systems.
‘In understanding the system of creation of a multi-apartment tower it is evident that what clearly should be a top- tier high rise commercial development and construction process has been in fact placed inadvertently in the hands of non-qualified, land traders and poor quality domestic builders who are used to constructing cottage dwellings.’ Dr Jonathan Drane
The research initiative is fully collaborative and calls on researchers, government, industry and strata bodies and their communities to help solve the Building Defects Dilemma.
Research students are also welcome for when we offer internships and work opportunities.
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Thanks for your interest in our research. Please fill in the form below and we will gets back to you soon. Contact Us- Dr Jonathan Drane- The City Whisperer – Smarter Healthy Cities.
Dr Jonathan Drane is an independent researcher and advisor to government, corporate, legal and academic sectors. He applies research methods to solve complex problems through project analysis in the commercial construction and development sector.
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A Decade of Dangerous Defects Youtube video
Decade of Dangerous Building Defects in Apartment Towers Since Bankstown 2012. How far have we come nationally and internationally with solving dangerous defects in apartment towers?
Please take time to review our chronology video starting with Bankstown then Grenfell and ending with Champlain.
A Decade of Dangerous Defects
Decade of Dangerous Building Defects in Apartment Towers Since Bankstown 2012. How far have we come nationally and internationally with solving dangerous defects in apartment towers?
Please take time to review our chronology video starting with Bankstown then Grenfell and ending with Champlain.
A Decade of Dangerous Building Defects in Apartment Towers
How safe is your apartment tower?
Dr Jon Drane has focussed on the fact that our cities are ageing as well as growing and past construction methods and the economic life of buildings is being challenged. Buildings built in the mid twentieth century were the first modernist constructions using steel and concrete in high rise situations. Dr Jon offers a history check of your apartment tower to identify possible risk factors due to age and decay of building structures and elements.
https://www.jondrane.net/how-safe-is-your-apartment-tower/
Read Dr Drane’s Doctorates and supporting articles
Dr Drane’s doctorate studies city and property development processes and was the first worldwide practitioner based doctorate in this field. The doctorate focused on the influence of property development on the growth of cities. It identified the role of public property developers as well as private property developers and how they interacted to proliferate city precincts.
https://unsworks.unsw.edu.au/entities/publication/a7867b81-729e-4f24-8d53-0ac9d04c621e
City development processes, Dr Jon Drane, The Seed in the Cityscape, first practitioner doctorate.
The State of Contemporary Property Development Theory- City Development Processes 2013
Summary: Dr Jon Drane discovers that research into City Development Processes from the point of view of the Property Developer is sadly lacking. He picks up on research done in the 1990s and modernises the theory base from the point of view of a practitioner.
State of Contemporary PD Theory ResearchGate Dr Jon Drane
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/275346472_The_State_of_Contemporary_Development_Theory
Building Defects: How they can be avoided- City Development Processes
Summary: Dr Jon Drane creates a research initiative that investigates dangerous building defects in the apartment tower industry. The industry is suffering from corrupt property developer practices. Dr Drane provides models on how to rectify defects from the top down through better delivery systems and city development processes.
Defects a Builders View, Dr Jon Drane, building defects, city development processes
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/282073797_Building_Defects_How_can_they_be_avoided-_a_builder’s_perspective
Research Sites – Jonathan Drane
Google Scholar Profile Jonathan Drane
Advocating for Professionalisation of Property Development
The property development industry is experiencing the continued entry of untrained, non professional players. There are very low barriers to entry to the world of property development. The result has been the rise of poor quality buidings and the horrors of the past decade of dangerous defects.
Dr Drane is advocating for the creation of a doctorate in ‘city and property development processes’ that supports the improvement of professional recognition and credentialing of property developers. See our youtube video on A Decade of Dangerous Defects which includes the tragedies of the decade.