Next-Generation Building Materials and Technologies for a Sustainable Built Environment

A special issue of Buildings (ISSN 2075-5309). This special issue belongs to the section "Building Energy, Physics, Environment, and Systems".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 April 2026) | Viewed by 4757

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Wood Materials Science, Institute for Building Materials, ETH Zürich, Laura-Hezner-Weg 7, 8093 Zürich, Switzerland
Interests: CO2 capture and utilization; sustainable and renewable resources; energy-efficient building materials; functional wood materials
Department of Wood Science, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada
Interests: building retrofits for climate change; building performance simulation including energy consumption, thermal comfort, and indoor air quality; building energy efficiency analysis across scales; surrogate modelling; whole building life cycle assessment; data analysis
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Energy-efficient buildings have attracted increasing attention due to their potential to significantly reduce energy consumption and contribute to climate change mitigation. Novel building materials, construction methods, and smart technologies are playing critical roles in advancing the design and performance of such buildings. However, a substantial knowledge gap remains between the development of energy-efficient building solutions and the comprehensive assessment of their environmental impacts.

To address this gap, this Special Issue aims to bring together cutting-edge research that advances our understanding and implementation of sustainable, energy-efficient building solutions. We invite authors to submit original research articles, case studies, and reviews focusing on recent developments in the following areas:

  • Passive building design and strategies;
  • Smart building technologies and integrated systems;
  • High-performance and renewable building materials;
  • Renewable energy systems for buildings;
  • Holistic approaches to environmental and life cycle assessments in building design.

We particularly encourage contributions that emphasize interdisciplinary approaches, practical applications, and innovations that support the development of a more sustainable built environment.

We look forward to receiving your contributions and working together to promote advancements in this critical field.

Dr. Yong Ding
Dr. Danlin Hou
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 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

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

  • smart building technologies
  • passive building design
  • high-performance building materials
  • renewable energy systems
  • building information modeling (BIM)
  • building energy modeling (BEM)
  • life cycle assessment (LCA)
  • energy efficiency
  • sustainability
  • insulation
  • ventilation

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Review

20 pages, 1339 KB  
Review
Blockchain for Safety Compliance in Construction: A Comprehensive Literature Review
by Ratan Lal, Ahmed Osama Daoud, Ahmed Gouda Mohamed and Mohamed Nabawy
Buildings 2026, 16(1), 143; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings16010143 - 28 Dec 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1478
Abstract
The construction industry continues to grapple with persistently high accident rates and fragmented workforce management systems, where manual record-keeping and siloed data impede effective safety compliance. While digital interventions exist, they often rely on centralized databases that are vulnerable to manipulation and opaque. [...] Read more.
The construction industry continues to grapple with persistently high accident rates and fragmented workforce management systems, where manual record-keeping and siloed data impede effective safety compliance. While digital interventions exist, they often rely on centralized databases that are vulnerable to manipulation and opaque. This systematic literature review critically examines the application of blockchain technology as a decentralized infrastructure for enhancing safety compliance in construction. Adhering to the PRISMA 2020 guidelines, this study synthesizes findings from 115 peer-reviewed articles (2020–2025) retrieved from Scopus, Web of Science, IEEE Xplore, and Google Scholar. The analysis focuses on three core mechanisms: (1) the creation of immutable, timestamped safety logs to prevent retroactive data tampering; (2) the integration of IoT sensors for real-time, trustless hazard monitoring; and (3) the deployment of smart contracts to automate compliance verification and incentive distribution. The review juxtaposes theoretical frameworks with empirical evidence from global case studies, including pilot projects in North America and the Asia-Pacific, to quantify benefits such as reduced reporting latency and improved data integrity. Despite promising results, the analysis reveals significant barriers to widespread adoption, notably the “oracle problem,” scalability limitations of consensus protocols, and the lack of legal recognition for blockchain records. This paper concludes that while blockchain is not a panacea, it offers a necessary layer of trust and accountability absent in traditional Common Data Environments (CDEs). Future research directions are proposed to address interoperability with BIM standards (ISO 19650) and to develop energy-efficient consensus mechanisms suitable for resource-constrained construction sites. Full article
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24 pages, 2107 KB  
Review
Life Cycle Assessment of Engineered Wood Products in the Building Sector: A Review
by Ciyuan Jin, Shiyao Zhu and Haibo Feng
Buildings 2025, 15(22), 4193; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings15224193 - 20 Nov 2025
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2769
Abstract
Engineered wood products have become key sustainable alternatives to conventional building materials, offering strong potential for reducing climate impacts in the construction sector. This review systematically assesses recent life cycle assessment studies on engineered wood products to compare their environmental performance and support [...] Read more.
Engineered wood products have become key sustainable alternatives to conventional building materials, offering strong potential for reducing climate impacts in the construction sector. This review systematically assesses recent life cycle assessment studies on engineered wood products to compare their environmental performance and support low-carbon building practices. The peer-reviewed literature published over the past decade was analyzed for publication trends, geographic focus, and methodological approaches, including goal and scope definition, life cycle inventory, and life cycle impact assessment. Comparative analyses examined climate change impact and key parameters influencing environmental outcomes. Results indicate a steady growth of research in this field, led by China, the United States, and Europe. Volume-based functional units (e.g., 1 m3) are predominant in structural wood studies, while mass-based units are more common for composites. Cradle-to-gate boundaries are most frequently used, and data are primarily drawn from Ecoinvent, Environmental Product Declarations, and regional databases such as GaBi and CLCD. Common impact assessment methods include CML-IA, ReCiPe, and TRACI, with climate change identified as the core impact category. Cross-laminated timber and glue-laminated timber consistently show lower and more stable climate change impacts, while fiberboards exhibit higher and more variable results due to adhesive content and energy-intensive manufacturing. Key factors influencing environmental outcomes include service life, wood species, and material sourcing. The review highlights the need for standardized methodologies and further exploration of emerging products, such as nail-laminated and dowel-laminated timber and laminated bamboo, to improve comparability and inform sustainable design practices. Full article
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