Indoor Air Quality and Human Comfort in Modern Working and Living Spaces

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 (31 October 2025) | Viewed by 379

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
CERIS, Departamento de Engenharia Civil, Instituto Politécnico de Lisboa, 1959-007 Lisboa, Portugal
Interests: environmental sustainability; indoor air quality; low embodied energy construction products; biophilic solutions in construction; durability and sustainability of materials

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Guest Editor
CHAM, Faculdade de Ciências Sociais e Humanas, Univesidade Nova de Lisboa, 1069-061 Lisboa, Portugal
Interests: sustainable architecture; vernacular building systems; nZEB strategies; thermal performance; sustainability of materials; architecture and construction history

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Considering that people spend approximately 90% of their time indoors, the indoor built environment has a significant impact on human health, well-being, and productivity. Designing and managing indoor environments is therefore critical to promoting healthy and comfortable environments.

In the workplace context, organisations are increasingly recognising the importance of creating comfortable and motivating spaces. A stimulating work environment can help employees perform better and stay engaged, ultimately leading to higher productivity and greater job satisfaction. The concept of well-being at work is becoming a central concern as companies strive to improve the quality of life for their employees.

In the residential context, comfortable spaces depend on the maintenance of optimal temperatures and indoor air quality, where basic factors such as temperature control, humidity, and air volume, renewal, and ventilation should provide a living environment that is not only comfortable but also healthy.

Research into the development of design guidelines, advanced modelling techniques, and simulation methodologies to improve indoor environmental quality are urgently needed to ensure that modern working and residential places are able to cope with the demands of modern life.

The present Special Issue provides a forum for the discussion and exchange of ideas with regard to the creation of healthy and sustainable indoor environments in modern workspaces. Submissions are welcomed on any subject relating to advances in indoor environmental quality and human comfort.

Topics covered in this Special Issue include, but are not limited to, the following themes:

  1. Indoor air quality (IAQ);
  2. Architecture design;
  3. Ventilation;
  4. Energy-efficient passive design approaches;
  5. Health and well-being related to the built environment;
  6. Sources of indoor pollutants and strategies for contaminant removal and control;
  7. Visual, thermal, and acoustic comfort in built environments;
  8. Sustainable and smart HVAC technologies;
  9. Thermal performance;
  10. Sustainable traditional building techniques.

Dr. Maria Idália Da Gomes
Dr. Mafalda Batista Pacheco
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

  • sustainable design
  • indoor air quality
  • indoor pollutant sources
  • energy efficiency
  • biophilic design
  • occupant well-being
  • sustainable materials
  • vernacular building systems
  • thermal performance
  • NZEB

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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39 pages, 2830 KB  
Systematic Review
Indoor Air Quality Assurance Influencing Factors Overlooked in Tropical Climates: A Systematic Review for Design-Informed Decisions in Residential Buildings
by María Cedeño-Quijada, Miguel Chen Austin, Thasnee Solano and Dafni Mora
Buildings 2025, 15(24), 4512; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings15244512 (registering DOI) - 13 Dec 2025
Abstract
This systematic review assesses indoor air quality (IAQ) in tropical residences (Köppen Af/Am/Aw), explicitly linking IAQ to ventilation from in situ monitoring and, when relevant, occupant surveys (surveys synthesized qualitatively). This focus is warranted by the scarcity of tropical, housing-specific evidence. Searches were [...] Read more.
This systematic review assesses indoor air quality (IAQ) in tropical residences (Köppen Af/Am/Aw), explicitly linking IAQ to ventilation from in situ monitoring and, when relevant, occupant surveys (surveys synthesized qualitatively). This focus is warranted by the scarcity of tropical, housing-specific evidence. Searches were performed exclusively in Google Scholar (25 August 2024–5 August 2025; English/Spanish) under PRISMA, with documented queries/filters; eligible studies reported residential settings, tropical climate, and IAQ–ventilation linkage. Results show a regulatory mosaic with few binding residential limits and heterogeneous protocols that hinder comparison. Robust patterns include cooking-related particle peaks, penetration of traffic dust, humidity-driven VOC/formaldehyde emissions, and mold growth under deficient hygrothermal control. CO2 is a useful operational indicator of ventilation yet insufficient for risk assessment without PM and VOC monitoring. Evidence supports source control, cross-ventilation and/or on-demand extraction/outdoor-air supply, humidity management, and filtration/purification to avoid particle ingress during ventilation. Reporting of sensor performance (calibration, drift, RH/T effects) is inconsistent, and targeted evaluations of TVOC/formaldehyde and window screens (mesh) are scarce. We conclude that tropical residential IAQ management requires multi-parameter, continuous monitoring, standardized reporting, and trials integrating ventilation, dehumidification, and filtration under real occupancy, alongside adaptive regulation and passive tropical design augmented by light mechanical support and informed occupant behavior. Full article
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