Sustainable Acoustics and Noise Control in Buildings

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: 30 September 2026 | Viewed by 465

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Department of Mechanical Engineering, National Taipei University of Technology, Taipei 10608, Taiwan
Interests: building environment; building acoustics; data science; environmental perception; mechanical noise and vibration control; sustainable acoustics; sustainable built environments; soundscape; noise and health

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Sustainable acoustics and noise control in buildings are increasingly vital aspects of modern building design, influencing indoor environmental quality, occupant well-being, and energy performance. Sustainable acoustics emphasizes the need to harmonize acoustic performance with environmental responsibility, economic demands, and social equity, ensuring accessible and affordable acoustic well-being that promotes healthy and productive environments for diverse user groups.

In sustainable building design, acoustic strategies must not only mitigate unwanted noise but also align with the broader goals of energy conservation, resource-efficient materials, and life-cycle sustainability. Integrated noise control in buildings can enhance indoor comfort while reducing reliance on energy-intensive systems and non-renewable materials, encompassing both innovative sustainable solutions and conventional noise control practices in outdoor and indoor environments.

This Special Issue presents a curated collection of peer-reviewed studies offering theoretical, experimental, and computational advancements in sustainable acoustics and noise control in buildings. Topics include, but are not limited to, the following: (i) noise and vibration control in buildings; (ii) architectural acoustics; (iii) noise impact assessments; (iv) noise and health; (v) sustainable acoustic materials and building envelopes; (vi) advancing acoustic sensing technology; (vii) AI-enhanced and big data-driven applications; (viii) acoustic regulations and standards; (ix) sound transmission control; and (x) integrated acoustic strategies for sustainable design.

Dr. Kuen Wai Ma
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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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

  • architectural acoustics
  • acoustic sensing
  • acoustic strategies
  • building acoustics
  • health impact
  • noise and vibration control
  • noise prediction
  • noise standards and regulation
  • room acoustics
  • sustainable acoustics

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

13 pages, 3448 KB  
Article
Investigation of Optimal Installation Positions for Two Coherent Motors to Minimize Structure-Borne Sound Transmission to a Floor in Buildings
by Zhen Wang and Cheuk Ming Mak
Buildings 2026, 16(6), 1176; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings16061176 - 17 Mar 2026
Viewed by 223
Abstract
This paper investigates the optimal installation positions of two coherent motors by analyzing the structure-borne sound power transmission to a simply supported rectangular concrete floor. The free velocity and source mobility of the motors were measured experimentally, while the receiver mobility of the [...] Read more.
This paper investigates the optimal installation positions of two coherent motors by analyzing the structure-borne sound power transmission to a simply supported rectangular concrete floor. The free velocity and source mobility of the motors were measured experimentally, while the receiver mobility of the floor was obtained via the modal summation method. Based on these parameters, the study examined how installation positions and inter-point interactions influence the transmitted sound power. The results showed that the difference in structure-borne sound power level between the optimal and worst-case installations was 20.44 dB in the 1/3-octave band centered at 50 Hz. Crucially, the optimal positions remained unchanged even when inter-point interactions were neglected in the power calculations, providing actionable guidance for practical vibration isolation design in building applications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Acoustics and Noise Control in Buildings)
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