This book conducts a detailed examination of the current form of the Hong Kong residential property regulatory system: the 2013 Residential Properties (Firsthand Sales) Ordinance (Cap 621). The author sheds light on how the new legislation promotes a number of values including information symmetry, consumer protection, the free market and business efficacy. It provides a detailed account of how the regulatory mechanism has evolved over the past three decades to catch unconsscionable sales tactics (such as selective information and/or misrepresentation of location, size, completion date and past transactions) and monitor sales practices in order to protect the interests of stakeholders in this ever-changing first-hand residential property market. This book breaks down this complicated subject matter by focusing a number of chapters each on a specific attribute of the residential property on sale. It then examines the various channels through which the information is communicated to the prospective buyer and discusses misrepresentation of the key information in sales of residential properties as criminal liability.The tension between consumer’s rights on one hand and the pursuit of free market principles on the other is but one example of the conflicting values thoroughly discussed in the book, others include superstition vs. modernization and clarity vs. flexibility. Aimed at those with an interest in consumer protection and transparency-orientated legislation in commercialized real estate transactions, this book seeks to provide an in-depth discussion of the latest trends and directions of travel.

"As physical structures that shape and constrain human interaction, religious buildings play a formative role in human communities across the globe. Yet social science has typically paid them little regard. This book applies a sociological perspective to the way religious buildings are shaped by the communities that conceive of and build them and how the same buildings act back on those human communities. Applying theoretical insights from the sociology of architecture, the sociology of religion, and interaction ritual chain theory, the authors examine religious buildings as profoundly social structures with lasting consequences for the persons and groups who designed, built, or adapted them and for those who gather inside them as well as those who live near them"--

Covers trends in consulting in such fields as marketing, information technology, management, logistics, supply chain, manufacturing and health care. This guide contains contacts for business and industry leaders, industry associations, Internet sites and other resources. It also includes statistical tables, an industry glossary and indexes.

Plunkett's Almanac of Middle Market Companies 2008 is designed to be time-saving business development tool for professionals, marketers, sales directors, consultants and strategists seeking to understand and reach middle market American companies. It will also be of great use to placement, recruiting and human resources professionals, as well as professionals working in economic development, lending and media. It covers competitive intelligence, market research and business analysis--everything you need to identify and develop strategies for middle market corporations. Coverage includes all major business sectors, from InfoTech to health care to telecommunications and much more. (We have intentionally omitted retail companies and banks.) These profiles and details on over 500 middle market firms are pulled from our extensive company and industry databases. We also include a business glossary and a listing of business contacts, such as industry associations and government agencies. Next, we profile hundreds of leading middle market companies. Our company profiles include complete business descriptions and up to 27 executives by name and title. Purchasers of either the book or PDF version can receive a free copy of the company profiles database on CD-ROM, enabling key word search and export of key information, addresses, phone numbers and executive names with titles for every company profiled.

A guide to the trends and leading companies in the engineering, research, design, innovation and development business fields. This book contains most of the data you need on the American Engineering & Research Industry. It includes market analysis, R&D data and several statistical tables and nearly 400 profiles of Engineering and Research firms.

Market research guide to the infotech industry a tool for strategic planning, competitive intelligence, employment searches or financial research. Contains trends, statistical tables, and an industry glossary. Includes one page profiles of infotech industry firms, which provides data such as addresses, phone numbers, and executive names.

Altruism by Design: How to Effect Social Change as an Architect is meant to prepare the individual designer – whether a student or practicing professional – for a career dedicated to serving communities in need through design and construction. It will help you understand the complexities, opportunities, and benefits of creating architecture that promotes social equality and community so that you can make a difference. What you'll learn: -How community-based studios can respond to natural disasters and economic conditions -How to build what you design -How to develop relationships with non-traditional clients -How to structure your career to be dedicated to social change and sustainable design -How to discover funding opportunities for projects in a not-for-profit firm -How to consider moral and financial aspects of your practice -How you can collaborate with other design professions to determine the future of the built environment Featuring detailed case studies, including work by Studio 804 and Pyotak Architects, and more than 100 color images; this book is essential reading for providing you with a viable path to altruistic design.

The newly built Mas d'Enric penitentiary sparks a series of reflections on architecture's role in the problematic subject of prison design. The prison is an uncomfortable institution and its architecture is often subjugated to technocratic criteria. This servility forces the prison out of the socio-cultural realm where it belongs, thus erasing it from public discourse. "Mas d'Enric" is a new penitentiary that overturns preconceptions and posits architecture as a medium to critically rethink contemporary prison buildings. The discussion is enriched by contributions from a number of influential architects and architectural theorists, and is complemented by original work in film, photography, literature, sculpture and visual arts.