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Sustainability of Smart Building: The Intelligence Application, Industry 4.0, BIM, Environmental Comfort, and Safety Application

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Green Building".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 1 July 2026 | Viewed by 8605

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Andrew Ebekozien

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Construction Management and Quantity Surveying, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, South Africa
Interests: human settlement; construction education; construction economics; construction management; construction digitalisation; construction measurement; green and sustainable buildings; construction safety; sustainable tourism
Dr. Solomon Oisasoje Ayo-Odifiri

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Architecture, Federal University of Technology, Owerri, Nigeria
Interests: architecture; sustainable architecture; built environment; sustainable development; urban planning; urbanism; spatial planning; urban management
Prof. Dr. Clinton Aigbavboa

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Construction Management and Quantity Surveying, Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg 2008, South Africa
Interests: construction digitalization; sustainable construction; urban/rural sociology; construction informatics; sustainable human settlement; green building; engineering education; alternative building technologies
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue titled ‘Sustainability of Smart Building: The Intelligence Application, Industry 4.0, BIM, Environmental Comfort, and Safety Application’, is timely and tailored towards addressing a crucial part of socio-economic development, especially for developing countries’ construction sustainability and digitalisation. This Special Issue will offer a significant platform for researchers to share their solutions to the age-long problems of the construction industry, particularly in developing countries. This is because research shows that when construction organisations transform from a traditional service delivery approach to a more digitalised approach, significant improvements in project delivery and better competitive advantage for these organisations are inevitable. This can be achieved through knowledge sharing via research publications. This Special Issue welcomes research papers in related fields that are tailored towards construction sustainability and digitalisation to improve the transformation quest and deliver a more sustainable environment.

Dr. Andrew Ebekozien
Dr. Solomon Oisasoje Ayo-Odifiri
Prof. Dr. Clinton Aigbavboa
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. Sustainability 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 2400 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

  • sustainability
  • smart building
  • intelligence application, Industry 4.0, BIM, environmental comfort, safety application in construction
  • construction digitalisation

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

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28 pages, 1819 KB  
Article
Promoting Circularity Through Industrial Waste for a Sustainable Built Environment in South Africa
by Nomfundo Dlamini, Douglas Aghimien, John Ogbeleakhu Aliu and Lerato Aghimien
Sustainability 2026, 18(1), 46; https://doi.org/10.3390/su18010046 - 19 Dec 2025
Viewed by 749
Abstract
To promote material circularity and a sustainable built environment, this study investigates the application of industrial waste within South Africa’s built environment, with a focus on civil engineering projects. A post-positivist philosophical stance was adopted, with a quantitative method and a structured questionnaire [...] Read more.
To promote material circularity and a sustainable built environment, this study investigates the application of industrial waste within South Africa’s built environment, with a focus on civil engineering projects. A post-positivist philosophical stance was adopted, with a quantitative method and a structured questionnaire used for data collection. Responses were solicited from built environment professionals involved in the delivery of civil engineering projects, and the data gathered were analysed using appropriate descriptive and inferential statistics, including exploratory factor analysis and partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM). Findings revealed that, despite increased awareness of recycled construction and demolition waste, fly ash, and foundry sand, among others, their use remains limited due to three significant constraints. These are (1) knowledge, skills, and awareness, (2) operational and regulatory, and (3) governance and industry collaboration. PLS-SEM further showed that prioritizing sustainable practices and fostering multidisciplinary collaboration are the most significant strategies for enhancing industrial waste usage in the country. Practically, the study indicates that overcoming regulatory, knowledge, and operational issues through targeted policies, infrastructure investments, and collaborative efforts can significantly promote material circularity and sustainability in the South African built environment. Theoretically, the findings offer valuable insights for future studies on the application of industrial waste in the delivery of built environment projects in developing countries, where such studies have not been explored. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability of Smart Building: The Intelligence Application, Industry 4.0, BIM, Environmental Comfort, and Safety Application)
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Review

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30 pages, 2202 KB  
Review
Integrating IoT and AI for Sustainable Energy-Efficient Smart Building: Potential, Barriers and Strategic Pathways
by Dillip Kumar Das
Sustainability 2025, 17(22), 10313; https://doi.org/10.3390/su172210313 - 18 Nov 2025
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 6913
Abstract
The global drive toward sustainability and energy efficiency has accelerated the development of smart buildings integrating the Internet of Things (IoT) and Artificial Intelligence (AI). These technologies optimise energy use, enhance occupant comfort, and advance building management systems. This study examines the integration [...] Read more.
The global drive toward sustainability and energy efficiency has accelerated the development of smart buildings integrating the Internet of Things (IoT) and Artificial Intelligence (AI). These technologies optimise energy use, enhance occupant comfort, and advance building management systems. This study examines the integration of IoT and AI in energy-efficient smart buildings, emphasising applications and challenges. A qualitative methodology, combining systematic literature review, case study analysis, and systems analysis, underpins the research. Findings indicate that IoT enables smart metering, real-time energy monitoring, automated lighting and HVAC, occupancy-based energy optimisation, and renewable energy integration. AI complements these functions through predictive maintenance, energy forecasting, demand-side management, intelligent climate control, indoor air quality automation, and behaviour-driven analytics. Together, they reduce carbon emissions, lower operational costs, and improve occupant well-being. However, challenges remain, including data security and privacy risks, interoperability gaps, scalability and cost constraints, and retrofitting difficulties. To address these, the paper proposes a systems thinking-enabled conceptual framework structured around three pillars: adopting IoT and AI as enabling technologies, overcoming integration barriers, and identifying application areas that advance sustainability in smart buildings. This framework supports strategic decision-making toward net-zero and resilient building design. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability of Smart Building: The Intelligence Application, Industry 4.0, BIM, Environmental Comfort, and Safety Application)
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