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A special issue of Buildings (ISSN 2075-5309). This special issue belongs to the section "Architectural Design, Urban Science, and Real Estate".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2022) | Viewed by 46687

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Prof. Dr. Wei-Ling Hsu

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Guest Editor

School of Civil Engineering, Jiaying University, Meizhou 514015, China
Interests: environmental science; building information modelling; urban and regional planning science; MCDM; construction management
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Prof. Dr. Teen-Hang Meen

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Guest Editor

Department of Electronic Engineering, National Formosa University, Yunlin City 632, Taiwan
Interests: IoT devices; photovoltaic devices; STEM education
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Prof. Dr. Hsi-Chi Yang

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Guest Editor

College of Harbour and Coastal Engineering, Jimei University, Xiamen 361021, China
Interests: precast construction; green building materials; green architecture; sustainable buildings; building energy management; building retrofitting

Prof. Dr. Wen-Der Yu

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Guest Editor

Department of Construction Engineering, Chaoyang University of Technology, Taichung 41349, Taiwan
Interests: project management; artificial intelligence; knowledge management; construction technology innovation

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The circular economy, which has become an international movement that aims to reform our approach to resource management, is intended to address global issues such as climate change, biodiversity loss, waste, and pollution. Today, the construction and use of building accounts for almost half of all raw material consumption and energy consumption. Applying the circular economy in the building construction industry will enable us to maximize the use of renewable materials and to extend the life of non-renewable materials. Thus, new circular building designs and construction methods have been emerging as the most critical and primary force affecting politics, economics, society, and the environment in the 21st century. The importance of sustainable construction, industrial growth and resource efficiency is recognized by the construction industry and has become a major research focus. Many techniques, tools and approaches related to circular construction have been developed and tested around the world. Effective circular construction approaches oriented toward integrated and sustainable development are crucial to the impact of policies and planning in national and international agendas.

In addition, the 3rd IEEE International Conference on Architecture, Construction, Environment and Hydraulics 2021 (IEEE ICACEH 2021, http://www.icaceh.asia) will be held during December 24–26, 2021 in National United University, Miaoli County, Taiwan, and will provide a unified communication platform for researchers in the topics of architecture, construction, environment and hydraulics. This conference will bring together leading researchers, architects, engineers, design professionals, product manufacturers, builders, and developers in various disciplines of construction engineering and built environments around the world. Recently, the fields of architecture, construction, environment and hydraulics are undergoing a discipline-wide transformation thanks to advances in computing, networking technologies, Big Data and artificial intelligence. The conference will highlight a wide range of issues in order to facilitate knowledge exchange, increase practical awareness and explore new ideas and thinking related to construction engineering, management, technology and the environment.

This Special Issue on “Innovative circular building design and construction” is intended to select excellent papers presented in IEEE ICACEH 2021 and other high-quality papers on the topics of buildings. It aims to discuss the roles of traditional and new actors in the supply chain to minimize waste and pollution by improving efficiency and keeping products and materials in use. For building design and construction, this encompasses everything from the design phase through building, usage and eventually deconstruction and recycling. This Special Issue is dedicated to improving current building and construction issues from a scientific perspective. Research proposals should focus on analysing building construction, its design, its implementation, and its effects, particularly investigation into reducing, reusing and recycling in building construction, with different topics of interest.

Potential topics include but are not limited to:

Prefabricated building improvement;
Application of Building Information Modelling and Internet of Things;
Precast construction improvement;
Building retrofitting;
Comprehensive assessment of building sustainability;
Application of green construction technology and building materials;
Building and construction quality improvement;
Building environmental monitoring and modeling;
Innovative building energy management;
Limiting environmental impacts of construction;
Deconstruction and reuse of precast building components
Human–building system coupling and sustainable development;
Industrialization development of ecological resources and environment;
Reduce, reuse and recycle in building construction;
Construction economic development and sustainability;
Reusable building system;
Simulation of innovative building design;
Sustainable construction management;
Theories and methods of innovative building design;
Deconstruction and reuse of precast components;
Building design for deconstruction.

Prof. Dr. Wei-Ling Hsu
Prof. Dr. Teen-Hang Meen
Prof. Dr. Hsi-Chi Yang
Prof. Dr. Wen-Der Yu
Guest Editors

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. Buildings 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 2600 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

circular economy
circular building design
circular construction
building assessment models
building systems
building retrofitting
smart buildings
building energy management system

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Published Papers (11 papers)

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Editorial

Jump to: Research

5 pages, 173 KiB

Open AccessEditorial

Special Issue on Innovative Circular Building Design and Construction

by Wei-Ling Hsu, Teen-Hang Meen, Hsi-Chi Yang and Wen-Der Yu

Buildings 2023, 13(5), 1322; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings13051322 - 18 May 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1713

Abstract

The circular economy, a global movement that seeks an innovative approach to resource management, responds to global challenges such as climate change, decreasing biodiversity, and increasing waste and pollution [...] Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Circular Building Design and Construction)

Research

Jump to: Editorial

18 pages, 4127 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Spatial Heterogeneity and Influence Factors of Traditional Villages in the Wuling Mountain Area, Hunan Province, China Based on Multiscale Geographically Weighted Regression

by Ting Li, Chaokui Li, Rui Zhang, Zheng Cong and Yan Mao

Buildings 2023, 13(2), 294; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings13020294 - 19 Jan 2023

Cited by 27 | Viewed by 2993

Abstract

Traditional villages are the spatial carriers of the excellent traditional culture of the Chinese nation, the concentrated expression of thousands of years of farming civilization, and a nonrenewable precious cultural heritage. However, in recent decades, with the rapid development of urbanization and modernization, traditional villages have rapidly declined or even disappeared. Therefore, exploring the spatial distribution characteristics and influencing factors of traditional villages and clarifying their formation and development laws, can provide a new perspective for the continuity protection of traditional villages on a cross-regional scale. This study takes six batches of 462 traditional villages in the Wuling Mountains, Hunan, China as the research object. On the basis of the analysis of the spatial distribution characteristics of overall and different ethnic minority traditional villages, this research proposes the idea of simulating the spatial distribution mechanism of traditional villages by using the multiscale geographical weighted regression (MGWR) model. Results indicate that (1) the spatial distribution of the traditional villages of the overall and different ethnic minorities shows significant agglomeration characteristics (among them, traditional Miao and Tujia villages have formed the main and sub cores of the space gathering of traditional villages in the Wuling Mountains in Hunan); and (2) compared with the least squares (OLS) method and the classic geographical (GWR) weighted regression model, the MGWR model can reflect the impact scales of different factors, and the simulation effect is better. From the perspective of influence factors, natural factors are the basis of affecting the distribution of traditional villages in the Wuling Mountain area and are generally positively correlated. Socioeconomic factors have a dual influence on the spatial distribution of traditional villages and generally have a negative correlation. Cultural factors are the key to the spatial distribution of traditional villages and are generally positively correlated. Spatial factors have no significant impact on the spatial distribution of traditional villages. On the basis of these conclusions, this study discusses the relevant strategies for the protection and development of traditional villages. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Circular Building Design and Construction)

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25 pages, 8978 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Research on Environmental Suitability Evaluation of the Transfer Spaces in Urban Subway Stations

by Zihan Wu, Xiang Ji, Xi Zhou and Shuai Tong

Buildings 2022, 12(12), 2209; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings12122209 - 13 Dec 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1942

Abstract

The transfer space realizes the connectivity of subway intersections. Passengers generally express that they have a poor experience in the use of this space, so improving the environmental suitability of transfer spaces at subway stations is a top priority. Based on a literature review and field research, this study established an environmental suitability evaluation system for transfer spaces and used the fuzzy comprehensive evaluation method to evaluate the environmental suitability of eight samples in Shanghai. The results showed that the evaluation results of the eight samples were ranked as follows: Hanzhong Road Station > People’s Square Station > East Nanjing Road Station > Century Avenue Station > Xujiahui Station > Laoximen Station > Jiangsu Road Station > Shanghai Railway Station. Through the analysis of the relationship between the indicators, it was found that the environmental suitability of a transfer space is greatly affected by safety and convenience, while practicality, comfort, and aesthetics were found to have a weak influence on the suitability of transfer spaces. These evaluation methods and results provide a reference for the improvement of the environmental quality of subway transfer spaces in other cities. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Circular Building Design and Construction)

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17 pages, 6193 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Sustainable Renewal of Historical Urban Areas: A Demand–Potential–Constraint Model for Identifying the Renewal Type of Residential Buildings

by Min Wang and Jianqiang Yang

Buildings 2022, 12(8), 1210; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings12081210 - 11 Aug 2022

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 3993

Abstract

The assessment of buildings facilitates the exploration of the viability of progressive and organic renewal, prevents the aimless and unorganized demolition of residential buildings in previous urban renewal projects, and facilitates the balancing of the preservation and sustainable development of historical urban areas. Studies have rarely examined the effect of regional factors on building renewal or differentiated the effects of historic preservation and development conditions. The fundamental function of historical urban areas in China is to provide residence. Therefore, this study developed a framework to identify the renewal type of residential buildings. The developed framework was used to construct a demand–potential–constraint model with assessment indicators related to three dimensions, namely renewal demand, development potential, and preservation constraint. Moreover, discriminant matrices were employed to divide the renewal of residential buildings into four modes and subdivide it into six types. The historical urban area of Suzhou was selected as the study site. According to the results of renewal type identification, renewal schedules and models with high referential value can be developed by urban renewal planners, which facilitates the optimization of resource allocation. The developed framework provides novel theoretical and practical insights regarding building renewal assessment in historical urban areas. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Circular Building Design and Construction)

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22 pages, 4909 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Novel Framework for Optimizing Indoor Illuminance and Discovering Association of Involved Variables

by Negar Heidari Matin, Ali Eydgahi, Amin Gharipour and Payam Matin

Buildings 2022, 12(7), 878; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings12070878 - 22 Jun 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1852

Abstract

The associations between various design variables affecting the visual performance of responsive facade systems are investigated in this study. First, we propose a data-driven approach to study practical aspects of illuminance optimization for responsive facades. In this approach, the hourly indoor illuminance data are combined with the location information to generate an objective function. This function is then utilized to evaluate the visual performance of responsive facade systems by matching a variety of facade angle movements to hourly sunshine patterns. Next, statistical tests were deployed to evaluate the role of design variables in different scenarios. The results provide detailed information about the design variables and their effects on visual comfort at 0.05 significant levels. On average, facade angles, facade configurations, facade orientations, and facade locations were significant in 100%, 41%, 87%, and 45% of different possible combinations of scenarios/variables, respectively. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Circular Building Design and Construction)

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16 pages, 4172 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Effect of Smart Colored Windows on Visual Performance of Buildings

by Negar Heidari Matin, Ali Eydgahi and Payam Matin

Buildings 2022, 12(6), 861; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings12060861 - 20 Jun 2022

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 3257

Abstract

The photochromic coating is a promising smart technology that provides different optical properties in response to daylight variations. The application of photochromic coatings with various colors/shades on window glass is one of the current research approaches for finding better energy saving techniques. The aim of this study was to develop a series of photochromic coatings for window glass and measure the impact of such smart technologies on occupants’ visual comfort. This paper examines the visual performance of building facades that utilize windows with different photochromic-coated glass. The visual performance data of three window types coated with nine different photochromic color shades were considered and compared to determine the best photochromic shades and window types that provide optimum visual metrics for the inside of the building. The results show that compared to no-coating glass, both the Daylight Glare Probability and the Useful Daylight Illuminance could be improved by using multi-color coatings that contain equal or different color proportions for photochromic window glass. From an energy-saving point of view, the results indicate that the windows coated with photochromic materials provide a better alternative to the no-coating window products. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Circular Building Design and Construction)

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17 pages, 5897 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Decision-Making Model Based on Discriminant Analysis Fuzzy Method for Low-Carbon and Eco-Friendly Residence Design: Case Study of Conghua District, Guangzhou, China

by Sung-Lin Hsueh, Yue Sun, Yihang Zhang, Nan Xiao and Teen-Hang Meen

Buildings 2022, 12(6), 815; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings12060815 - 13 Jun 2022

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2710

Abstract

Many countries aim to promote low-carbon and eco-friendly development and find a route to sustainable development. For such development, a model that helps design and build appropriate constructions is necessary. Thus, this study is carried out to establish such a model by combining the Delphi method, analytical hierarchy process (AHP), and fuzzy logic theory (FLT) (DAFuzzy model). In the Delphi method, the expert’s opinions are reflected in three dimensions (green facilities, ecological facilities, and community participation) and nine factors (green building materials, photovoltaic power generation, energy-saving equipment (green facilities), green roof, planting/vegetation, rainwater collection/water recycling (ecological facilities), subsidies, resident participation, appropriate norms (community participation)). Then, AHP is used to calculate the relative weight of each factor. Finally, by using FLT, the output value of each factor is calculated to find out the best scenarios and influencing factors for the scenario. The result shows that green facilities are the most important dimension, followed by community participation and ecological facilities. Among 45 different scenarios for the model, the best is to consider green facilities and ecological facilities with community participation. The important factors in the best scenario include photovoltaic power generation, planting/vegetation, energy-saving equipment, green building materials, appropriate norms, rainwater collection/water recycling, subsidies, and green roof. The proposed model is validated with residential houses in Conghua District, Guangzhou city, China. Considering the dimensions and factors of the best scenario, the proposed DAFuzzy model proves that a low-carbon and eco-friendly development requires support with appropriate policies and a large investment. The research result suggests that building a low-carbon and eco-friendly house needs the support of the government and people’s understanding and participation in eco-friendly development. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Circular Building Design and Construction)

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16 pages, 2870 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Strategy for Improving the Indoor Environment of Office Spaces in Subtropical Cities

by Wen-Pei Sung, Ting-Yu Chen and Chun-Hao Liu

Buildings 2022, 12(4), 412; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings12040412 - 29 Mar 2022

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2176

Abstract

Taiwan is located in a subtropical region with high temperatures and humidity. Office spaces are located in air-enclosed rooms in buildings, where doors and windows remain closed and only a central air-conditioning system provides temperature adjustment and ventilation. Most offices in this area have office seating areas, document storage areas on both sides of the office, and multi-function devices, which can cause sick office syndrome in the employees. This study applied environmental monitoring technology to analyze the architectural form and indoor and outdoor air quality to propose improvement strategies addressing indoor temperature, relative humidity and air quality. Quality indices were used created to evaluate the improvement efficiency. The analysis results showed that the indoor temperature and relative humidity in staff seating areas can be effectively improved. The statistical analysis results of improved efficiency for PM_2.5, PM₁₀ concentrations and total suspended particulates showed that the average indicator values have been raised from 0.05 to 1.5, 2.45 to 4.02 and 0.91 to 3.54, respectively, for staff seating area and −0.01 to 2.82, 0.15 to 3.91 and 1.25 to 7.25, respectively, for photocopier areas. The ambient air quality of this office space has been significantly improved. This study can serve as an example of air quality improvement in traditional common office spaces. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Circular Building Design and Construction)

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23 pages, 12734 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Contact-Free Operation of Epidemic Prevention Elevator for Buildings

by Shu-Chen Lai, Hsin-Hsou Wu, Wei-Ling Hsu, Rong-Jing Wang, Yan-Chyuan Shiau, Ming-Chin Ho and Hung-Nien Hsieh

Buildings 2022, 12(4), 411; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings12040411 - 29 Mar 2022

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 3821

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic broke out in early 2020, and the infection rate of COVID-19 variants is considerably higher than that of the original virus. The pandemic is still spreading globally. In June 2021, two families living on different floors of a building in Fongshan, Kaohsiung, were simultaneously infected with COVID-19. Investigation results suggested that an elevator in buildings was the most likely place where the virus transmission occurred. Building elevators are a necessary vertical transportation facility for residents or workers in high-rise buildings, and people touch elevator buttons while operating elevators. When a passenger carrying the virus touches elevator buttons, subsequent passengers may be easily infected if they touch those buttons and then touch their mouth, eyes, or nose by accident before sanitizing or washing their hands. In this study, we developed a contact-free elevator ride system by applying smart speech recognition, contact-free perceptual buttons, gesture recognition sensors, and a web page browser activated by quick response codes to operate an elevator. This system reduces the risk of virus infection caused by contact during an elevator ride, effectively enhancing pandemic prevention and protecting people’s health. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Circular Building Design and Construction)

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15 pages, 13077 KiB

Open AccessArticle

An Analysis of Risk Factors for Emergencies in the Taipei Dome Complex

by Chi-Jan Huang and Ting-Yi Chiang

Buildings 2022, 12(4), 403; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings12040403 - 25 Mar 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 3097

Abstract

(1) Background: The Taipei Dome Complex is a composite park with a baseball dome, a shopping mall, restaurants, cinemas, and an office building. Sustainable cities and communities is one of the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations. Since it constitutes urban infrastructure, the sports park’s disaster risk management must be discussed. (2) Methods: This study focused on equipment safety, traffic, staffing, potential public risks, security management, and disaster events using an analytic hierarchy process (AHP) to determine the emergency risk factors. (3) Results: The top 14 risk factors for the Taipei Dome Complex’s tolerable risk probability account for almost 70% reliability (a moderate safety); they include insufficient fire facilities, fire, terrorist attack, earthquake, unclear escape or fire facilities signage, shortcomings in evacuation guidance, insufficient police resources, insufficient firefighting resources, MRT emergency, shortcomings in a moving line, hypoxia, insufficient medical personnel, a lack of staff training, and insufficient broadcast facilities. (4) Conclusions: Among the top 14 risk factors, security management ranks first, with a ratio of 80% (4/5), disaster events rank second, with a ratio of 75% (3/4), and staffing ranks third, with a ratio of 60% (3/5). Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Circular Building Design and Construction)

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15 pages, 1146 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Analysis of Behavioral Strategies of Construction Safety Subjects Based on the Evolutionary Game Theory

by Fan Wu, Haiying Xu, Kuo-Shun Sun and Wei-Ling Hsu

Buildings 2022, 12(3), 313; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings12030313 - 6 Mar 2022

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 3312

Abstract

In construction safety management practices, identifying key stakeholders and specifying their safety behavior patterns are critical to avoid unsafe practices, which are the major cause of construction accidents. This paper argues that the main contractor and construction workers are key safety stakeholders in the construction safety management in China. The purpose of this paper is to develop an evolutionary game model to explore the safety behavior strategies of the main contractor and construction workers. In this framework, we explored the effects of model parameter changes on the evolution of safety behavior strategies and verify the evolution paths under different initial values by numerical simulations. The findings of this paper are as follows: Firstly, the safety and stability of construction projects are related to the possible losses caused by accidents, the amount of work required by construction workers to comply with safety regulations, the gain of bravado, the probability of accidents, and cost savings from the main contractor’s lax supervision. Secondly, the role of restraining the unsafe behavior of construction workers through the form of fines is limited, and increasing the fines to the main contractor cannot effectively reduce the unsafe behaviors. Thirdly, strengthening safety education, creating a safe atmosphere, and optimizing operating procedures are effective measures to improve the effectiveness of safety behavior. This study further extends the application of evolutionary game theory to construction safety management, and the findings can provide clear guidance for the development of effective incentives and constraints on safety behavior. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Circular Building Design and Construction)

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