Topical Collection "Feature Paper Collection on Civil Engineering and Architecture"

Editor

Prof. Dr. Luís Bragança
E-Mail Website1 Website2
Collection Editor
Department of Civil Engineering, University of Minho, 4800-058 Guimarães, Portugal
Interests: sustainability assessment methods and tools; life-cycle analysis; sustainable building technologies; circular economy; BIM; building physics; building acoustics and rational use of energy
Special Issues and Collections in MDPI journals

Topical Collection Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Feature Paper Collection in Applied System Innovation is dedicated to the publication and discussion of research articles on the following aspects of integrated Civil Engineering and Architecture that provide insights and address the challenges of systems and processes:

  1. Strategies, tools, systems and business models to implement circular economy in buildings and cities;
  2. BIM and digitalization applied to sustainable buildings and cities;
  3. Adaptation of cities and buildings to climate change;
  4. Nearly zero and positive energy built environments;
  5. Environmentally friendly renewable energy systems;
  6. Mitigation of impacts in urban areas;
  7. Sustainable management of energy, water, sewage and waste;
  8. Sustainable building technologies;
  9. Technologies for a sustainable built environment;
  10. Sustainability and life-cycle assessment tools;
  11. Training and education to promote the implementation of sustainable approaches;
  12. Governance, strategies and business models for a sustainable built environment.

We welcome reviews and outstanding articles to this Feature Paper Collection in order to improve the current knowledge and the innovation. We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Prof. Dr. Luís Bragança
Collection 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 papers will be peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the collection 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 System Innovation is an international peer-reviewed open access quarterly 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 1000 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.

Published Papers (1 paper)

2021

Article
Implementing Circular Economy Strategies in Buildings—From Theory to Practice
Appl. Syst. Innov. 2021, 4(2), 26; https://doi.org/10.3390/asi4020026 - 07 Apr 2021
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1000
Abstract
Population growth, along with a rapid urban expansion, is imposing a heavy pressure on the planet’s finite resources. It is widely acknowledged that the building industry consumes large amounts of raw materials while generating waste and emissions. To set apart economic growth from [...] Read more.
Population growth, along with a rapid urban expansion, is imposing a heavy pressure on the planet’s finite resources. It is widely acknowledged that the building industry consumes large amounts of raw materials while generating waste and emissions. To set apart economic growth from environmental repercussions, the Circular Economy (CE) arose as an innovative paradigm that can offer a fast-track towards a sustainable built environment. This paper will tackle a research gap that academia and policymakers often highlighted, which is how can we apply CE to assets that are predominantly meant to be demolished and their resources wasted when they reach their end-of-life. Globally, the paradigm aims at erasing the waste concept, relying on renewable and regenerative sources, and keeping the materials, components, and systems in use at their highest value as long as possible. The concept’s implementation would attempt to consider the built environment as a closed-loop system wherein resources are viewed as a scarce commodity. Although the CE seems straightforward, translating the circular thinking to the building level might be a hardship. The following paper will attempt to shed light on how to promote CE in buildings that will ultimately lead to healthier, more efficient, and more sustainable cities on a broader scale. The proposed framework considers CE implementation strategies throughout the building’s lifecycle and mainly deals with three innovative aspects: wise resource management, building design approaches, and digitalization of the building industry. In this sense, this study will explore these game-changing factors that are considered paramount to concretize the concept in practice and provide a smooth pathway for CE uptake in buildings. Full article
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