Architectural Design, Urban Science, and Real Estate
A section of Buildings (ISSN 2075-5309).
Section Information
Architecture is more than the art of constructing individual buildings; it is also the creation of an environment. Buildings do not exist in isolation. Indeed, they not only impose their character on their surroundings but also have an incalculable effect on the lives of the human beings who inhabit them. Homes, workplaces, and infrastructure are the principal components of the built environment, serving the basic human needs for shelter, warmth, and communication, while providing water and removing waste. Too often buildings are seen as costly static containers rather than as an investment which, if healthy and sustainable, can add value.
Smart buildings respond to the demands of the human sensory system in terms of physical, psychological, and social needs, becoming havens for work, learning, and life in general. In today’s world, featuring an increasing population, climate change pressures dominate our thinking. As such, smart buildings need to be resilient and interconnected with the web of evolving circumstances, whilst also providing healthy contentment to their occupants. This Section discusses various ways in which this can be achieved by valuing lessons from vernacular architecture and nature. Beyond this, there is a debate on how to use technology wisely to enable smart operations that can be helpful for both humans and the environment.
Editorial Board
Topical Advisory Panel
Special Issues
Following special issues within this section are currently open for submissions:
- Urban Infrastructure and Resilient, Sustainable Buildings—2nd Edition (Deadline: 30 May 2026)
- Renewal Design and Challenge of Urban and Rural Livable Environments in the Age of Population Shrinkage (Deadline: 31 May 2026)
- Flood Risk and Real Estate: Social Science Perspectives on the Built Environment (Deadline: 20 June 2026)
- Architectural Design Innovations for Health and Wellness: Leveraging AI and Digital Technologies (Deadline: 20 June 2026)
- Green Cities: Designs for Health and Sustainability (Deadline: 26 June 2026)
- Resilience of Urban Underground Space: Planning, Design, Assessment and Enhancement (Deadline: 30 June 2026)
- Real Estate, Housing, and Urban Governance—2nd Edition (Deadline: 30 June 2026)
- Multisensory Comfort and Human-Centered Design: The Impact of the Built Environment on Health and Well-Being (Deadline: 30 June 2026)
- Low-Carbon Construction of Indoor Environments and Building Thermal Resilience Under Climate Change (Deadline: 30 June 2026)
- Sustainable Buildings and Cities: Integrated Research on Smart Strategies for Renewal and Resilience (Deadline: 30 June 2026)
- Innovations in Water Management for Climate Resilient Cities and Buildings (Deadline: 10 July 2026)
- Sustainable Urban Development and Real Estate Analysis (Deadline: 20 July 2026)
- Low-Carbon Built Environment (Deadline: 30 July 2026)
- Engineering Problems and Legal Challenges in Urban and Rural Low-Carbon Development (Deadline: 31 July 2026)
- Universal and Age-Friendly Design in Urban and Rural Built Environment Creation (Deadline: 31 July 2026)
- Research on Health, Wellbeing, and Urban Design—2nd Edition (Deadline: 31 July 2026)
- Urban Sustainability: Sustainable Housing and Communities—2nd Edition (Deadline: 31 July 2026)
- Advances of Healthy Environment Design in Urban Development—2nd Edition (Deadline: 31 July 2026)
- A New Framework for Building Light Environments: Multi-Dimensional Perception, Intelligent Response, and a Sustainable Future (Deadline: 31 July 2026)
- Campus of the University: Spatial Evolution, Societal Response, and Design Innovation (Deadline: 31 July 2026)
- Advances in Landscape Management and Urban Planning (Deadline: 31 July 2026)
- Housing Environments and Human Well-Being: A Multidisciplinary Perspective (Deadline: 5 August 2026)
- Nature-Based and Metabolic Strategies for Climate Risk Resilience in Urban and Building Design (Deadline: 20 August 2026)
- Optimal Design of Lighting/Daylighting in Buildings (Deadline: 20 August 2026)
- BioCognitive Architectural Design (Deadline: 31 August 2026)
- Study on Real Estate and Housing Management—2nd Edition (Deadline: 31 August 2026)
- Future Cities and Their Downtowns: Urban Studies and Planning (Deadline: 31 August 2026)
- Urban Regeneration and Resilient City (Deadline: 31 August 2026)
- Urban Housing and Real Estate in Transition (Deadline: 1 September 2026)
- Digital Twins and Performance-Driven Conservation of Historic Built Systems: Buildings, Infrastructures and Industrial Heritage (Deadline: 30 September 2026)
- Circular Strategies for the Built Environment: Innovations in Adaptation, Reuse and Recycling (Deadline: 30 September 2026)
- Engineering and Technological Heritage in the Digital Era: Documentation, Preservation, Interpretation and Futures (Deadline: 30 September 2026)
- Planning Resilient and Inclusive Cities: From Spatial Policy and Territorial Governance to Housing Policy (Deadline: 30 September 2026)
- Low-Carbon Urban Planning: Sustainable Strategies and Smart Cities (Deadline: 30 September 2026)
- From Theory to Practice: Artificial Intelligence Applications in the Built Environment (Deadline: 30 September 2026)
- New Challenges in Digital City Planning (Deadline: 30 September 2026)
- Urban Mobility and Transport Systems: Challenges and Innovations for Sustainable Cities (Deadline: 30 September 2026)
- Sustainable Housing and Urban Planning: Enhancing Well-Being Through Environmental Design (Deadline: 30 September 2026)
- Advances in Urban and Construction Management Under the Sustainable Development Goals: Interdisciplinary Perspectives and Evidence (Deadline: 30 September 2026)
- Innovative Approaches to Sustainable Architecture (Deadline: 1 October 2026)
- Optimizing Colour Design and Daylight Performance in Buildings (Deadline: 10 October 2026)
- Art and Design for Healing and Wellness in the Built Environment: 2nd Edition (Deadline: 15 October 2026)
- Architectural History, Modern Built Heritage, Conservation Repair and Renovation (Deadline: 20 October 2026)
- Contemporary Applications of Wood in Architecture and Construction (Deadline: 31 October 2026)
- Urban Heritage and Spatial Regeneration in the Age of Intelligence (Deadline: 31 October 2026)
- Sustainable Urban–Rural Transitions: Integrating Smart Technologies and Inclusive Development from a Socio-Technical Perspective (Deadline: 31 October 2026)
- Multi-Dimensional Organic Conservation of Historical Neighborhood Buildings in the Context of Sustainable Urban Renewal—2nd Edition (Deadline: 31 October 2026)
- Urban Landscape Management and Planning (Deadline: 31 October 2026)
- Integrated Design Synergizing Sustainability, Well-Being, and Smart Technologies for Healthy and Climate-Adaptive Built Environments (Deadline: 31 October 2026)
- People-Centered Livability: Reconciling Subjective Well-Being with Urban and Rural Spatial Structures (Deadline: 31 October 2026)
- Advances in the Implementation of Circular Economy in Buildings (Deadline: 31 October 2026)
- The Building Skin: Daylight, Flourishing Environments, and Performance (Deadline: 31 October 2026)
- Research on Promoting the Social Sustainability of Urban Neighbourhoods—2nd Edition (Deadline: 31 October 2026)
- Advances in Urban Heat Island and Outdoor Thermal Comfort (Deadline: 15 November 2026)
- Age-Friendly Built Environment and Sustainable Architectural Design (Deadline: 20 November 2026)
- Neuroarchitecture and Biophilic Design for Human Well-Being (Deadline: 30 November 2026)
- Planning, Housing, Urban Governance and the Making of Resilient Urban Futures (Deadline: 30 November 2026)
- Innovative Approaches to Resilient and Sustainable Urban and Built Environment Design (Deadline: 30 November 2026)
- Advancements in Adaptive, Inclusive and Responsive Urban Environments (Deadline: 30 November 2026)
- Health-Promoting Design for Ageing and Long-Term Care Environments (Deadline: 30 November 2026)
- Green and Energy-Efficient Buildings, Construction Futures, Housing for Smart Sustainable Cities, and Advancing the SDGs (Deadline: 30 November 2026)
- Designing Healthy and Restorative Urban Environments (Deadline: 30 November 2026)
- Community Resilience and Urban Sustainability: A Global Perspective (Deadline: 30 November 2026)
- Urban Heat and Pollution Islands (UHI and UPI): Health Impacts and Mitigation Strategies (Deadline: 25 December 2026)
- Healthy Aging and Built Environment (Deadline: 31 December 2026)
- Emotional Resonance and Evidence-Based Planning for Industrial and Cultural Heritage Revitalization (Deadline: 31 December 2026)
- Business Models for Building Sustainability: Markets, Costs, Constraints, and Challenges (Deadline: 31 December 2026)
- Innovative Approaches for User-Centred Retrofit and Adaptive Reuse of Buildings (Deadline: 31 December 2026)
- Sustainable Urban Form: Spatial Tools for Inclusive and Healthier Communities (Deadline: 31 December 2026)
- Intelligent Future Habitats: Sustainable Building, Planning, and Landscape (Deadline: 31 December 2026)
- Contemporary Architectural Theory and Constructal Law–Based Digital Design Practices (Deadline: 30 January 2027)
- Towards Innovative Approaches in Urban Science and Architectural Research Using Artificial Intelligence (Deadline: 31 January 2027)
- Urban Climate and Building Environmental Sustainability (Deadline: 31 March 2027)
- Traditional Construction Wisdom in Developing Regions: Sustainable Urbanization and Local-Eco Adaptation—2nd Edition (Deadline: 31 March 2027)
- Sustainable and Resilient Affordable Housing in Architecture Design and Urban Plans (Deadline: 15 April 2027)
Topical Collections
Following topical collections within this section are currently open for submissions: