Bridging the Digital Divide in the Built Environment: Integrating Sustainability, Cultural Contexts, and Technological Innovation
A special issue of Buildings (ISSN 2075-5309). This special issue belongs to the section "Construction Management, and Computers & Digitization".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 December 2025 | Viewed by 27
Special Issue Editors
Interests: climate resilient architecture; digital design and construction; immersive realities; digital heritage
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: construction management; BIM technology and processes; net zero industry
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: multiscale mechanics multiphase mechanics biomechanics cardiac mechanics sea and shelf ice dynamics
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
This Special Issue aims to explore the transformative role of digital technologies—such as Augmented Reality (AR), Virtual Reality (VR), Building Information Modeling (BIM), digital twins, and Artificial Intelligence (AI)—in shaping sustainable, resilient, and culturally inclusive built environments.
This issue brings together selected papers from the Inaugural International Conference on Advanced Computer and Communication-Based Building Design and Operation (ACCCBE 2025) and the 25th International Conference on Construction Applications of Virtual Reality (CONVR2025), to be held jointly in Cape Town, South Africa. It will showcase leading-edge research that bridges the digital divide between developed and developing regions, demonstrating how emerging tools can support climate goals, equity, and innovation across the architecture, engineering, and construction sectors.
We welcome high-quality research articles, case studies, and conceptual frameworks that align with this vision.
Dr. Aso Hajirasouli
Prof. Dr. Nashwan Dawood
Prof. Dr. Sebastian Skatulla
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
- net-zero built environment
- climate-resilient design
- digital transformation in AEC
- smart and adaptive construction
- culturally inclusive design
- emerging technologies in the global south
- artificial intelligence in building design
- extended reality (AR/VR) applications
- building information modeling (BIM) integration
- sustainable urban regeneration
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