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Applied Sciences
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Sustainable Building Design: Challenges and Opportunities
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Sustainable Building Design: Challenges and Opportunities

A special issue of Applied Sciences (ISSN 2076-3417). This special issue belongs to the section "Green Sustainable Science and Technology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 November 2024) | Viewed by 6108

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Vincent Y. Blouin

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Architecture and Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29630, USA
Interests: sustainability; systems integration in buildings; energy systems; life cycle analysis; smart materials and systems; design methods and optimization

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The building design and construction sector plays a significant role in addressing climate change, with a growing number of buildings around the world being recognized as sustainable, green, or environmentally conscious. These buildings typically incorporate technologies that significantly minimize their environmental footprint while maintaining a high standard of architectural aesthetics, community relevance, health, comfort, and affordability. However, constructing high-performance buildings requires an unwavering commitment to a shared global vision, collaboration across multiple disciplines, and technical expertise. This Special Issue offers a platform for individuals committed to sustainable building design to share their experiences, research endeavors, and technological advancements. Our goal for this Special Issue is to facilitate the rapid deployment of the next generation of sustainable buildings by providing readers with critical insights into current challenges and opportunities.

Some of the topics of interest for this Special Issue are energy efficiency, material selection, life cycle analysis, space efficiency, policies and regulations, community involvement and acceptance, cost and affordability, measures of sustainability, education and training, and holistic approaches. We invite submissions exploring cutting-edge research and recent advances in sustainable building design across many fields. Both theoretical and experimental studies, case studies, and comprehensive literature reviews are welcome for submission.

Kind Regards,

Dr. Vincent Y. Blouin
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Applied Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • high-performance buildings
  • environmental impact
  • carbon neutral
  • net-zero
  • carbon footprint
  • energy efficiency
  • codes and regulations
  • material selection
  • smart systems and controls
  • life cycle analysis
  • embodied energy
  • space efficiency
  • measures of sustainability
  • modeling and simulation

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

27 pages, 38341 KiB  
Article
Optimizing Daylighting Typology in Religious Buildings: A Case Study of Electrochromic Glazing Integration in the Masjid Al-Shagroud
by Abdelhakim Mesloub, Rim Hafnaoui, Ahmed Osman Ibrahim and Lambros T. Doulos
Appl. Sci. 2024, 14(20), 9340; https://doi.org/10.3390/app14209340 - 14 Oct 2024
Viewed by 657
Abstract
Mosques, revered as sacred spaces, are distinguished by their sustainable architectural designs. A critical aspect of these designs is the implementation of daylighting strategies, essential for ensuring adequate light levels, particularly for reading the Holy Quran. Traditional daylighting typologies in mosques, such as [...] Read more.
Mosques, revered as sacred spaces, are distinguished by their sustainable architectural designs. A critical aspect of these designs is the implementation of daylighting strategies, essential for ensuring adequate light levels, particularly for reading the Holy Quran. Traditional daylighting typologies in mosques, such as multi-lateral lighting, clerestories, skylights, and shading devices, are widely recognized. However, the potential application of electrochromic (EC) switchable glazing within mosque architecture remains underexplored. This study delves into the effectiveness of various daylighting typologies, assessing their performance before and after the integration of EC switchable glazing in the Al-Shagroud Mosque located in Saudi Arabia. Employing comprehensive radiance simulations in accordance with the LEEDv4.1 standards, the study evaluates additional metrics including useful daylight illuminance (UDI300–3000lux), workplane illuminance (WPI), uniformity index (Ui), and daylight glare probability (DGP) under multiple scenarios. The results demonstrate that clerestory lighting effectively meets LEEDv4.1 benchmarks but exhibits limitations in achieving uniform light distribution, particularly in the men’s prayer hall. In contrast, the women’s prayer hall benefits from a combination of clerestory lighting and shading devices, which improves light quality and mitigates glare issues. However, the use of skylights without adequate shading leads to excessive WPI and high DGP levels, compromising visual comfort. Moreover, managing daylight quantity and quality through the integration of different typologies, including hybrid models, presents substantial challenges. The integration of EC switchable glazing, while maintaining optimal WPI and reducing DGP, offers enhanced visual comfort in prayer areas. Nevertheless, this technology faces difficulties in ensuring even light distribution, as evidenced by lower uniformity index values. This research highlights the critical need for optimizing daylighting in mosques to balance sustainability and comfort, without detracting from their sacred ambiance. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Building Design: Challenges and Opportunities)
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15 pages, 7107 KiB  
Article
Sustainable Innovation in Ceiling: Exploring the Environmental Benefits of a New Plaster–Rock Wool Layered Recycled Composite
by Manuel Álvarez, Daniel Ferrández, Patricia Guijarro-Miragaya and Carlos Morón
Appl. Sci. 2024, 14(12), 5055; https://doi.org/10.3390/app14125055 - 10 Jun 2024
Viewed by 833
Abstract
This paper presents a new layered plaster-based material for building purposes. First, a new manufacturing machine was designed to make the elaboration process easier. This manufacturing machine and the way it works are described. In this study, perlite and recycled glass wool (RGW) [...] Read more.
This paper presents a new layered plaster-based material for building purposes. First, a new manufacturing machine was designed to make the elaboration process easier. This manufacturing machine and the way it works are described. In this study, perlite and recycled glass wool (RGW) were added to traditional plaster with the aim of improving the performance of this material. Two series (with and without perlite) and three different layer configurations were developed and assessed. Recycled glass wool layered materials were subjected to both physical and mechanical characterisation to determine their suitability for precast elaboration. The addition of perlite resulted in a significant improvement in flexural strength. Moreover, the addition of RGW also gave rise to extra flexural strength when added. The two-layered samples performed better than the one-layered samples. Mechanical properties increased up to 75% when both the perlite and RGW layers were added. Potential Global Warming Potential (GWP 100) savings were also analysed, reporting up to 49% savings. A complementary cost analysis was performed, aimed at establishing potential savings in production costs; thus, 13–57% potential cost savings were reported. After that, a comparative analysis within the literature was conducted to contextualise the results obtained in this study. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Building Design: Challenges and Opportunities)
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20 pages, 3511 KiB  
Article
Adaptive HVAC System Based on Fuzzy Controller Approach
by Mohammed Awad Abuhussain, Badr Saad Alotaibi, Muhammad Saidu Aliero, Muhammad Asif, Mohammad Abdullah Alshenaifi and Yakubu Aminu Dodo
Appl. Sci. 2023, 13(20), 11354; https://doi.org/10.3390/app132011354 - 16 Oct 2023
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2224
Abstract
Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system performance research has received much attention in recent years. Many researchers suggest a set of appropriate fuzzy inputs that can be used to design fuzzy rules-based smart thermostats or controllers that can respond to demand-controlled ventilation, [...] Read more.
Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system performance research has received much attention in recent years. Many researchers suggest a set of appropriate fuzzy inputs that can be used to design fuzzy rules-based smart thermostats or controllers that can respond to demand-controlled ventilation, which in turn optimizes HVAC energy usage and provides satisfactory indoor temperatures. Previous research has focused on limited input parameters, such as indoor occupancy status, ambient temperature, and humidity constraints, which cannot efficiently and precisely manage thermal comfort. Hence, this study proposes a novel fuzzy controller with additional input parameters to keep indoor thermal comfort consistent with the corresponding number of occupants. The process employs an automatic fuzzy rule generation method to simplify the task of generating rules in the fuzzy inference system (FIS) using Mamdani FIS. A design-builder is used for modeling the HVAC systems. Local weather data were used to conduct simulations via EnergyPlus. The thermal comfort analysis using the Fanger model for three different scenarios shows that the proposed FIS controller can successfully respond to the indoor comfort variation in all possible scenarios and ensure a satisfactory comfort level. The proposed method demonstrates up to 50% energy savings if occupants do not worry about comfort. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Building Design: Challenges and Opportunities)
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13 pages, 2785 KiB  
Article
From Poor Buildings to High Performance Buildings: The Spontaneous Green Evolution of Vernacular Architecture
by Lihua Liang, Baohua Wen, Feng Xu and Qingxin Yang
Appl. Sci. 2023, 13(18), 10162; https://doi.org/10.3390/app131810162 - 9 Sep 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1586
Abstract
The spontaneous evolution of vernacular architecture mainly relies on the inheritance of architectural traditions and the innovative decisions of occupants, rather than the professional guidance of architects and the promotion of government agencies. This study introduces a new and rapidly developing phenomenon of [...] Read more.
The spontaneous evolution of vernacular architecture mainly relies on the inheritance of architectural traditions and the innovative decisions of occupants, rather than the professional guidance of architects and the promotion of government agencies. This study introduces a new and rapidly developing phenomenon of spontaneous green evolution of vernacular architecture into the professional field, and conducts scientific research on its technical characteristics, system effects, and optimization methods. Based on the phenomenon of roofing of courtyards (CBR) in southern Hebei, we intervene from the professional point of view of architects, make the best use of the situation, and moderately intervene in its scientific development. By re-examining the adaptability of the open and closed attributes of courtyard buildings to specific climatic conditions and living patterns, the performance improvement and potential risks brought by CBR to local vernacular buildings are systematically analyzed, and the improvement strategies and promotion paths of CBR are explored. The research aims to form a relay and interaction between the professional intervention of architects and the spontaneous evolution of folk wisdom, and to explore the sustainable development of vernacular architecture. The findings help to improve the health and comfort of existing vernacular buildings, as well as to contribute to the improvement of rural human settlements. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Building Design: Challenges and Opportunities)
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