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Sustainable Buildings and Digital Construction
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Sustainable Buildings and Digital Construction

A special issue of Buildings (ISSN 2075-5309). This special issue belongs to the section "Construction Management, and Computers & Digitization".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 September 2026 | Viewed by 1332

Editor

Dr. Taha M. Salih Elhag

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Energy, Geoscience, Infrastructure and Society, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh EH14 4AS, UK
Interests: knowledge management and organizational learning; innovation process and management; project procurement systems; public–private partnership (PPP); cost modeling and tender price estimation; applications of artificial neural networks and fuzzy logic systems; building information modeling (BIM); infrastructure management systems
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The building sector plays a crucial role in the achievement of global sustainability goals, driving innovation in energy efficiency, material optimization, and circular design and construction. At the same time, rapid advancements in digital technologies such as augmented/virtual reality, 3D printing, Building Information Modelling (BIM), digital twins, artificial intelligence, and the Internet of Things (IoT) are transforming how buildings are conceived, constructed, maintained, and managed throughout their life cycle. This Special Issue of Buildings, titled “Sustainable Buildings and Digital Construction”, aims to bring together cutting-edge research and practical applications that integrate sustainability principles with digital innovation.

We welcome contributions that explore sustainable design strategies, smart construction methods, lifecycle assessment, energy management, and the digital transformation of the built environment. Studies addressing construction automation, prefabrication, and data-driven decision-making for reducing carbon footprints, amongst relevant other topics, are particularly encouraged. Theoretical analyses, empirical studies and case-based investigations are also pertinent.

By fostering interdisciplinary perspectives between environmental design, engineering, and digital technology, this Special Issue seeks to advance knowledge on how data-centric and sustainable approaches can jointly enhance the resilience, performance, and livability of future buildings and infrastructure developments. Researchers, practitioners, and policymakers are invited to submit original studies, reviews, and technical papers that contribute to the shaping of a more sustainable and digitally enabled construction industry.

Dr. Taha M. Salih Elhag
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 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-anonymized 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

  • sustainable design strategies
  • smart construction methods
  • lifecycle assessment
  • energy management
  • digital transformation of the built environment
  • construction automation
  • carbon footprints

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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22 pages, 2034 KB  
Article
BIM-Integrated Multi-Objective Optimisation of Prefabricated Construction Configurations: A WBS-Based Generative Decomposition Framework
by Sepehr Abrishami and Mayerlin Ramos Boada
Buildings 2026, 16(12), 2373; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings16122373 - 14 Jun 2026
Viewed by 268
Abstract
Building Information Modelling (BIM) workflows for prefabricated construction lack mechanisms that generate and compare alternative component configurations directly from a design model. Existing approaches define the optimisation search space manually and outside the model, address only one or two criteria, and treat the [...] Read more.
Building Information Modelling (BIM) workflows for prefabricated construction lack mechanisms that generate and compare alternative component configurations directly from a design model. Existing approaches define the optimisation search space manually and outside the model, address only one or two criteria, and treat the Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) as a post-design planning tool. This paper reinterprets the WBS as a generative decomposition mechanism. A WBS Engine decomposes the geometry of an existing BIM model into prefabricated subsystems before design decisions are fixed, producing the search space for optimisation without manual parametrisation. A Scenario Evaluator queries a database of 47 prefabricated components, and NSGA-II evaluates 60 configurations against four objectives. These are total cost, embodied carbon, assembly factor and number of lorry trips. Applied to a residential case study implemented in Dynamo, the prototype identified 16 non-dominated solutions. The best compromise configuration achieved a total cost of £150,444.01, 127,731.00 kgCO2e, an assembly factor of 0.190 and 10 lorry trips. Wall module size accounted for 17.4% of cost variation, while floor module size governed assembly complexity. The findings show that BIM-WBS integration with multi-objective optimisation supports informed early-stage decisions in industrialised construction. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Buildings and Digital Construction)
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21 pages, 2935 KB  
Article
Digital Transformation in Early-Stage MEP Coordination: A Serious Gaming Framework for Sustainable Design and Maintainability at LOD 100–150
by Yu-Pin Ma
Buildings 2026, 16(9), 1760; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings16091760 - 29 Apr 2026
Viewed by 309
Abstract
In the Industry 4.0 era, the Architecture, Engineering, Construction, and Operation (AECO) sector faces a strategic challenge in integrating Mechanical, Electrical, and Plumbing (MEP) systems during early design stages, where a lack of “Design for Maintainability” contributes to building defect rates of up [...] Read more.
In the Industry 4.0 era, the Architecture, Engineering, Construction, and Operation (AECO) sector faces a strategic challenge in integrating Mechanical, Electrical, and Plumbing (MEP) systems during early design stages, where a lack of “Design for Maintainability” contributes to building defect rates of up to 28%. These failures not only incur significant resource waste but also undermine long-term building sustainability. This study evaluates a digital innovation framework synthesizing Serious Games and Cooperative Problem-Based Learning (CPBL) via Minecraft to foster systemic thinking and spatial reservation logic at Level of Development (LOD) 100–150 as a catalyst for digital transformation. Utilizing a mixed-methods design (n = 25), the curriculum employed a “Mirror Mapping” mechanism, translating game physics into real-world electrical and plumbing logic. While results showed 93% management competency, a significant 13% “Symbolic Transformation Gap (STG)” (80% in system analogy) persisted, indicating that symbolic fluency does not automatically yield professional engineering reasoning. These findings validate the framework’s potential for spatial externalization and emphasize the necessity of “bridging activities” and Digital Twin linkages to optimize building lifecycle performance and reduce carbon footprints, ultimately achieving sustainable building goals. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Buildings and Digital Construction)
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Other

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35 pages, 12484 KB  
Systematic Review
Integrating OpenBIM and LCA for Sustainable Construction: A Systematic Review and Proposed Research Framework
by Farnaz Jalaei, Ahmad Jrade, Vafa Rostamiasl, Farzad Jalaei, Saeed Jalilzadeh Eirdmousa, Reza Rostaminikoo and Arash Hosseini Gourabpasi
Buildings 2026, 16(12), 2445; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings16122445 - 19 Jun 2026
Viewed by 407
Abstract
In recent years, an essential approach for promoting and implementing efficient sustainable construction practices has been considered through the integration of Building Information Modeling (BIM) and Life-Cycle Assessment (LCA). The introduction of OpenBIM, which is characterized by its collaborative and interoperable nature, offers [...] Read more.
In recent years, an essential approach for promoting and implementing efficient sustainable construction practices has been considered through the integration of Building Information Modeling (BIM) and Life-Cycle Assessment (LCA). The introduction of OpenBIM, which is characterized by its collaborative and interoperable nature, offers an ideal framework to enhance this integration. This paper conducts a systematic review of the literature concerning the practices applied to integrate BIM and LCA, focusing on the present trends, challenges, and opportunities as well as on how the concept of OpenBIM can be applied to tackle the identified issues and gaps. Based on an intense review of the literature to identify the ways currently used to exchange data, this paper proposes a robust framework to create Information Delivery Specifications (IDS) as a solution to the identified gaps to attain an effective implementation, ultimately contributing to sustainable buildings’ practices and enhancing the integration of OpenBIM and LCA. OpenBIM emphasizes interoperability and collaboration by using open standards like Industry Foundation Classes (IFCs), which, when combined with LCA, offer a powerful method for the practice of sustainable building and provide a transparent evaluation of the environmental impacts of building materials and processes. This paper explores the definitions, key concepts, types of the exchanged data, and methods of integration and therefore provides insights into their potential in addressing the gaps that the construction industry is currently facing. The framework of integrating OpenBIM and LCA will be developed as a tool; therefore, it will combine an automated validation option by using IDS, create an enriched IFC file(s), dynamically map the data to an external LCA repositories, and incorporate feedback and reporting mechanisms. All those will be combined to address the most persistent shortcomings in the reviewed studies related to the integration of BIM and LCA. The framework will promote a holistic approach covering the early design benchmark to the detailed Whole Building LCA (WBLCA), including the operational and end-of-life phases. This next-generation workflow will align closely to the principles of OpenBIM, leading to improvement in the efficiency, accuracy, and deeper understanding of the environmental impacts by stakeholders over the construction lifecycle of buildings. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Buildings and Digital Construction)
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