UNIVERSITI TUNKU ABDUL RAHMAN
Best Paper Awards at iSMART 2023
Faculty of Engineering and Green Technology (FEGT) senior lecturer Ar Tan Seong Yeow was awarded the Best Paper Award at the 5th International Conference of iSMART 2023 (iSMART 2023), which was held from 8 to 12 December 2023 at the University of Kitakyushu Hibikino Campus, Japan.
Ar Tan walked away with a Best Paper Award for his research titled “A Sustainability Framework for Assessing Urban Heritage”. The research was co-authored by FEGT academic Dr Olanrewaju Abdullateef Ashola and Lee Kong Chian Faculty of Engineering Science (LKC FES) academic and Director of UTAR Office of International Affairs Assoc Prof Dr Lai Soon Onn.
Ar Tan presenting his research
Titled “A Sustainability Framework for Assessing Urban Heritage”, the research conducted by Ar Tan addresses the problem faced by heritage conservation for sustainability. The research aims to develop the urban heritage assessment framework to measure heritage sustainability as perceived by the stakeholders.
Ar Tan explained, “The objectives are to determine the weightage to be assigned for the heritage values and criteria according to stakeholders’ perception. This is achieved by utilising the Best-Worst-Method (BWM), a multi-criteria expert-based importance weightage tool. The valorization of heritage helps to determine heritage policies and investments to sustainably use heritage as a social resource to enrich an authentic place-making and livable urban environment.”
He added, “The findings of the research indicate the following weight priorities for Sustainable Heritage Values (HSV); Continuity of Heritage, Liveability, Heritage Led Regeneration, Intergeneration Equity, and Durability and Human Rights basis and how they impact conservation decisions in UNESCO World Heritage Sites of Georgetown and Melaka.”
Ar Tan’s research is also related to Goal 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities. The conservation of the built environment according to the priorities of heritage values would enable policies to be crafted for sustainability so that buildings can be used for a long life cycle, and remain desirable and functional according to their adaptability and relevance to modern society context. Hence the creation of an assessment framework means that societal feedback can be collated to identify heritage loss or fortification trends.
He said, “I was very honoured to be selected for the Best Paper Award as the paper was produced under a very short time frame and the data collection and data analysis were quite recent, so it was a pleasant coincidence and opportunity to publish my research. This research was part of my UTAR research into heritage sustainability assessments of urban-built heritage. Dr Olanrewaju and Dr Lai Soon Onn were great colleagues who gave me guidance in this area of heritage as my interest was in building conversation which I applied in my consultancy works.”