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Innovative Approaches to Sustainability Management and Digital Integration in the...
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Innovative Approaches to Sustainability Management and Digital Integration in the Built Environment

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 April 2026 | Viewed by 3882

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Stefano Cascone

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Guest Editor
Department of Architecture and Territory, Mediterranea University of Reggio Calabria, 89124 Reggio Calabria, Italy
Interests: sustainable construction practices; digital technologies in built environment; lifecycle management of structures; environmental impact and resource efficiency; preservation and management of built heritage
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Eleonora Laurini

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Civil, Building and Environmental Engineering, University of L’Aquila, 67100 L’Aquila, Italy
Interests: IoT for safe and sustainable construction site; construction site management; construction 4.0; passive cooling; chimney ventilation; comfort indoor in confined workplaces; sustainable site in historical buildings; 3D print
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Silvia Meschini

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Computer Science, University of Turin, 10149 Turin, Italy
Interests: GIS; resources management; policy evaluation; data modelling; data visualization; business intelligence; asset management; university campuses; information management
Dr. Antonio Salzano

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Civil, Architecture and Environmental Engineering, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
Interests: building information modeling; digital technologies; predictive maintenance; construction site risk mitigation

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The construction sector is undergoing a transformative shift, driven by the urgent need for sustainability, quality, and safety throughout the lifecycle of built environments. This Special Issue, titled "Innovative Approaches to Sustainability Management and Digital Integration in the Built Environment", aims to collate cutting-edge research and innovative practices that address these critical areas. The integration of digital technologies and advanced engineering modeling is becoming increasingly essential for managing complex systems and ensuring the sustainability of construction projects. This Special Issue will explore these developments, contributing to the broader literature on sustainable construction and digital integration.

The primary aim of this Special Issue is to gather pioneering research that showcases innovative approaches to sustainable management and digital integration in the built environment. The Special Issue seeks to highlight methodologies that enhance economic, social, and environmental sustainability in the construction sector. It also focuses on the role of digital systems and technologies in the coordination, control, and enhancement of design, construction, transformation, and maintenance processes. The scope aligns with the journal's mission to publish high-quality research that addresses significant challenges in the built environment, promoting interdisciplinary collaboration and knowledge exchange.

We invite original research articles and reviews that cover a broad spectrum of topics within this thematic scope. Potential research areas include, but are not limited to, the following:

  1. Research on new materials, construction techniques, and process improvements that contribute to sustainability in construction.
  2. Studies on advanced modeling techniques for the design, analysis, and optimization of construction projects.
  3. Exploration of digital tools and approaches, such as Building Information Modeling (BIM), for project coordination and management.
  4. Investigations into methodologies that enhance the environmental, economic, and social sustainability of construction activities.
  5. Studies on the development and implementation of smart technologies to create resilient and adaptable built environments.
  6. Analyses of the broader impacts of construction projects on communities and ecosystems.
  7. Research on the influence of regulatory frameworks on sustainable construction practices and digital integration.

In this Special Issue, we welcome both original research articles and comprehensive reviews. We encourage submissions that offer novel insights and practical solutions to the challenges faced in achieving sustainable and digitally integrated built environments.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Stefano Cascone
Dr. Eleonora Laurini
Dr. Silvia Meschini
Dr. Antonio Salzano
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

  • sustainable construction
  • digital integration
  • building information modeling (BIM)
  • engineering modeling
  • lifecycle management
  • construction innovation
  • smart infrastructure
  • environmental sustainability
  • process optimization
  • socioeconomic impacts

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (3 papers)

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17 pages, 6056 KB  
Article
Waste Recovery and Thermal Analysis of Refurbished Buildings’ Walls: The Sustainable Big Bag
by Valentina Vecchi, Gianni Di Giovanni, Stefania De Gregorio, Eleonora Laurini and Tullio de Rubeis
Buildings 2025, 15(3), 417; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings15030417 - 28 Jan 2025
Viewed by 1827
Abstract
The construction sector has a high environmental impact, especially due to C&D waste. At the same time, the increase in the temperature of the Earth’s surface due to pollution requires interventions on the built environment, aimed at improving the performance of the envelope [...] Read more.
The construction sector has a high environmental impact, especially due to C&D waste. At the same time, the increase in the temperature of the Earth’s surface due to pollution requires interventions on the built environment, aimed at improving the performance of the envelope in hot climates. In the literature, there are studies on components to increase thermal efficiency, but they are limited by long or expensive production processes or high environmental impact. This research considers Italy as a reference area. The aim of this research is to design, prototype, and verify a sustainable component to be included in the stratigraphy of light mass vertical closures to increase their heat capacity that allows for the reuse of C&D waste and the optimization of site operations both in the selective demolition phase and in the redevelopment phase of the building. The method follows the following phases: analysis of the type of waste from C&D, analysis of international best practices, analysis of the possibilities of intervention on vertical closures according to the pre-existing structure and choice of cases of greatest scientific interest, design of the sustainable big bag by reusing inert materials from selective demolition and recycled polypropylene fabrics, prototyping and verification by laboratory tests, and software analysis to verify the thermal advantage. The use of the sustainable big bag allows for construction advantages, facilitating site operations both in the construction and waste disposal phases, energy advantages by improving the heat capacity of the envelope, and increases in the sustainability of the intervention through the reuse of waste materials. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Approaches to Sustainability Management and Digital Integration in the Built Environment)
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45 pages, 10484 KB  
Systematic Review
Innovative Procedures and Tools for the Digitalisation of Management Construction Processes in PA: A Systematic Scoping Review
by Giulia D’Alberto, Kavita Raj, Virginia Adele Tiburcio and Ugo Maria Coraglia
Buildings 2025, 15(19), 3457; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings15193457 - 24 Sep 2025
Viewed by 495
Abstract
In recent years, the construction sector has experienced a significant technological transition, driven by the introduction of innovative digital tools and the evolution of the legislative environment. This article presents a Systematic Scoping Review conducted in accordance with the PRISMA-ScR guidelines, aiming to [...] Read more.
In recent years, the construction sector has experienced a significant technological transition, driven by the introduction of innovative digital tools and the evolution of the legislative environment. This article presents a Systematic Scoping Review conducted in accordance with the PRISMA-ScR guidelines, aiming to examine the role of Public Administration (PA) regarding the adoption of innovative technologies, such as Building Information Modelling (BIM) and Digital Twin (DT), to improve the management of construction and public procurement processes. The review analyses the state of the art in the implementation of digitalised procedures for project management in the construction phase, according to PA organisational purposes and national and international standard requirements. The data obtained was used to structure the analysis in order to provide a useful framework for understanding the level of convergence between the academic world and public administration in the use of digital technologies and their combined applications. The review results are organised in a thematic matrix classifying contributions according to key topics, building process phases, and operational aims. This approach highlights adopted strategies and emerging best practices, aiming to support both PAs and professionals in overcoming digitalisation challenges. A specific focus has been dedicated to the need for continuous training and legislative adaptation, which are essential for integrating digital technologies into building processes. The analysis and verification of the results of the systematic scoping review on the digitalisation process in the construction sector, conducted between academia and the public administration, is supported by a comparison with an Italian case study from the Emilia-Romagna region, which illustrates the specific application of the strategies identified in the digital management of public construction processes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Approaches to Sustainability Management and Digital Integration in the Built Environment)
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19 pages, 1712 KB  
Systematic Review
Mapping Cost Intersection Through LCC, BIM, and AI: A Systematic Literature Review for Future Opportunities
by Davide Avogaro, Jacopo Cassandro, Eleonora Dall’Anese, Camilla Dori, Antonio Farina and Eleonora Laurini
Buildings 2025, 15(18), 3345; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings15183345 - 16 Sep 2025
Viewed by 713
Abstract
The increasing integration of digital technologies in the construction sector is transforming the processes of buildings design, management, and evaluation throughout their life cycle. Life Cycle Costing (LCC), Building Information Modeling (BIM), and openBIM standards play a key role in promoting economic and [...] Read more.
The increasing integration of digital technologies in the construction sector is transforming the processes of buildings design, management, and evaluation throughout their life cycle. Life Cycle Costing (LCC), Building Information Modeling (BIM), and openBIM standards play a key role in promoting economic and environmental sustainability. More recently, Artificial Intelligence (AI) has unlocked novel possibilities for data-driven decision-making and cost optimization. However, the integration of LCC, BIM, and AI is insufficiently explored in the current literature. This study presents a systematic literature review (SLR) aimed at analyzing two distinct lines of research, LCC–BIM and LCC–AI, and identifying underexplored opportunities for their future convergence. A dual-stream approach was adopted to analyze scientific contributions based on LCC–BIM and LCC–AI separately, using bibliometric analysis and the systematic screening of peer-reviewed articles from 2015 to 2025. The findings reveal that while LCC–BIM integration shows growing methodological maturity, AI-based applications are still in an early stage, with limited implementation in construction-specific contexts. The review identifies key challenges, including data fragmentation, a lack of interoperability, and limited standardization, as significant impediments to integrated digital workflows. By highlighting these gaps and proposing actionable future directions, the paper outlines future research directions focused on open data models, AI-enhanced cost estimation, and the development of interoperable frameworks to support sustainable and intelligent cost management in the Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) sector. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Approaches to Sustainability Management and Digital Integration in the Built Environment)
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