A New Framework for Building Light Environments: Multi-Dimensional Perception, Intelligent Response, and a Sustainable Future
A special issue of Buildings (ISSN 2075-5309). This special issue belongs to the section "Architectural Design, Urban Science, and Real Estate".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 July 2026 | Viewed by 32
Special Issue Editors
Interests: daylighting; lighting; lighting and environment; lighting pollution; glare; traffic safety; visual load; non-visual effects
Interests: urban and architectural lighting environment; human habitats in underground spaces; transportation lighting safety and energy efficiency
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
The architectural light environment is undergoing a fundamental redefinition. It is no longer viewed as a static physical field, but as a dynamic system that interacts with occupants and exerts profound influences on their physical health, mental well-being, and cognitive performance. This framework shift is driving research beyond isolated visual parameters toward a multi-dimensional understanding of lighting/daylighting as a medium of visual information, a regulator of biological rhythms, and a shaper of emotional space.
This Special Issue aims to bring together cutting-edge research that advances healthy lighting/daylighting and sustainable building development. We welcome studies addressing core challenges, from the mechanisms of visual and non-visual effects to human-centric, intelligent lighting/daylighting control solutions. Particular emphasis is placed on systemic approaches that integrate daylighting with artificial lighting to ensure superior visual comfort while simultaneously enhancing occupant health, well-being, and cognitive performance, and supporting the transition toward net-zero-energy buildings. In this process, it will be essential to confront real-world challenges such as urban glare and increasingly complex light environments, which critically shape lighting quality, user experience, and building performance.
We welcome contributions across the full research spectrum, from fundamental building lighting/daylighting and human physiological responses to intelligent control technologies and post-occupancy evaluation. Original research (laboratory, field, and cross-sectional studies), theoretical and experimental work, and review articles will be considered for possible publication. Relevant topics include but are not limited to the following:
- Intelligent lighting/daylighting control and occupant behavior;
- Human visual and non-visual effects under different lighting conditions;
- Smart and adaptive daylighting systems;
- Daylight planning and visual comfort at the urban scale;
- Novel methods and indicator systems for daylight evaluation;
- Modeling and assessment of energy efficiency and lighting application performance;
- Glare perception in built environments;
- Intelligent control technologies and design strategies for glare mitigation.
Dr. Ying He
Dr. Xianyun Cai
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 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-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
- glare perception
- visual comfort
- adaptive daylighting system
- photothermal coupling
- non-visual effects
- intelligent control technologies and methods
- occupant behavior
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