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Sustainable Building Materials and Environmental Sustainability: Materials, Air Quality, Wall Building, and Biophilic Solutions

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 12 July 2025 | Viewed by 3600

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Maria Idália Gomes

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

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The construction industry is responsible for a substantial portion of global energy consumption, representing approximately 40% of both energy consumption and energy-related carbon dioxide emissions. In the past, traditional materials such as stone, wood, brick and even concrete were used due to their durability and insulation benefits. However, contemporary sustainable practices now favor eco-friendly options, such as bio-based and recycled materials, with a circular economy as its principle. It is evident that the environment of buildings has a significant impact on human health and well-being, given that approximately 90% of our time is spent indoors. A reconnection with the natural environment has been identified as one of the most pressing challenges in contemporary urban architecture. The integration of biophilic design principles emphasizes the importance of establishing a connection between indoor environments and natural elements. This strategy has been demonstrated to promote a range of psychological and physiological benefits, including improvements in indoor air quality. The pursuit of innovative construction materials that are multifaceted and environmentally sustainable is of paramount importance in the present era.

In this context, it is my great privilege to present the Special Issue "Sustainable Building Materials and Environmental Sustainability: Materials, Air Quality, Wall Building, and Biophilic Solutions".

This Special Issue aims to highlight and research the growing emphasis on sustainable practices in the construction industry, with a particular focus on the selection and utilization of sustainable materials. These have a considerable impact on indoor air quality, occupant well-being, and the ecological integrity of our built environments. It is therefore essential to address the advancements in sustainable materials, including their lifecycle assessment, performance characteristics, and environmental benefits. This encompasses materials that not only reduce carbon footprints but also enhance energy efficiency and durability in construction.

Prof. Dr. Maria Idália Gomes
Guest Editor

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. 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

  • sustainable materials
  • lifecycle assessment
  • energy efficiency
  • building wall technologies
  • biophilic design
  • carbon footprint
  • occupant well-being
  • ecological integrity
  • case studies

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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24 pages, 3159 KiB  
Article
Improving Indoor Air Quality in a Higher-Education Institution Through Biophilic Solutions
by Maria Idália Gomes, Ana Maria Barreiros, Iola Pinto and Alexandra Rodrigues
Sustainability 2025, 17(11), 5041; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17115041 - 30 May 2025
Viewed by 463
Abstract
Schools are vital infrastructures where students acquire essential skills and foster social values. Indoor air quality (IAQ) is of paramount importance in schools, given that students spend a considerable amount of time indoors. This study examines the influence of a natural green structure [...] Read more.
Schools are vital infrastructures where students acquire essential skills and foster social values. Indoor air quality (IAQ) is of paramount importance in schools, given that students spend a considerable amount of time indoors. This study examines the influence of a natural green structure (NGS) on IAQ in an Eco-Campus classroom. The IAQ of a classroom with an NGS was compared to that of an adjacent classroom without an NGS. The thermal conditions were monitored, including air temperature (T) and relative humidity (RH), as well as indoor pollutants, including carbon dioxide (CO2), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10). The findings indicated a substantial improvement in indoor air quality in the classroom where the green structure was installed. This study lends support to the incorporation of biophilic solutions as sustainable approaches to fostering healthier learning environments, which in turn can lead to improvements in student performance and well-being. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Building Materials and Environmental Sustainability: Materials, Air Quality, Wall Building, and Biophilic Solutions)
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32 pages, 26154 KiB  
Article
Revealing Black Stains on the Surface of Stone Artifacts from Material Properties to Environmental Sustainability: The Case of Xianling Tomb, China
by Yu Yi, Chengaonan Wang, Kai Li, Xianshi Jia, Cong Wang and Yansong Wang
Sustainability 2025, 17(8), 3422; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17083422 - 11 Apr 2025
Viewed by 463
Abstract
Around the world, a large number of stone artifacts have been exposed to air for long periods of time, showing multiple types of deterioration that have attracted widespread attention. Among them, there is an often overlooked deterioration of stone artifacts, i.e., black stains [...] Read more.
Around the world, a large number of stone artifacts have been exposed to air for long periods of time, showing multiple types of deterioration that have attracted widespread attention. Among them, there is an often overlooked deterioration of stone artifacts, i.e., black stains on the surface of the calcareous stone, which are tightly bonded to the substrate as a result of the long-term deposition of air pollution. However, due to the current lack of a clear understanding of the black stains, people often tend to use the wrong cleaning and conservation methods, which is not conducive to sustainable conservation. Therefore, there is an urgent need to comprehensively recognize the black stains in terms of material properties and environmental sustainability to guide scientific sustainable conservation methods. To this end, in this paper, we take the black stains observed on marble buildings in the Xianling Tomb, China, as an example, and for the first time, we aim to create a comprehensive understanding of black deposition from the aspects of material properties and environmental characteristics. Multi-analytical approaches, including polarized light microscopy, X-ray fluorescence (XRF), and scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry (SEM-EDS), were employed to discern the differences between the substrate and black stains. The results revealed that the formation of black stains was attributed to prolonged exposure to various air pollutants (PM, SO2, NO2, CO, and O3). Subsequently, observational data from 2015 to 2023 were utilized to investigate the temporal evolution of local air pollutants and their coupled resonances. Multi-scale variations (annual, seasonal, monthly, weekly, and daily) of pollutant concentration sequences were identified, which helps us to have a clearer perception and to proactively control air pollutants in the region from different cycles. In addition, wavelet coherence (WTC) demonstrated significant time-scale dependency in correlation with air pollutants, which provides effective data support for the coordinated control of air pollutants. This study reveals the mechanism of black stain deterioration on stone artifact surfaces, provides data support for the control and prediction of air pollutants oriented to the sustainable conservation of stone artifacts, and provides a novel and comprehensive approach to the scientific knowledge and sustainable conservation of stone artifacts. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Building Materials and Environmental Sustainability: Materials, Air Quality, Wall Building, and Biophilic Solutions)
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17 pages, 4337 KiB  
Article
Building Information Modeling (BIM)-Based Building Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) Using Industry Foundation Classes (IFC) File Format
by Ksenia Strelets, Daria Zaborova, David Kokaya, Marina Petrochenko and Egor Melekhin
Sustainability 2025, 17(7), 2848; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17072848 - 24 Mar 2025
Viewed by 1089
Abstract
In the realm of sustainable construction, Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) plays a key role as a tool for quantifying the environmental impacts of building materials and products. The integration of LCA and Building Information Modeling (BIM) makes it possible to evaluate the environmental [...] Read more.
In the realm of sustainable construction, Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) plays a key role as a tool for quantifying the environmental impacts of building materials and products. The integration of LCA and Building Information Modeling (BIM) makes it possible to evaluate the environmental performance of buildings at the design stage. This integration can help to improve the LCA process for buildings thanks to the potential for automation and interoperability. The goal of this study is to establish a BIM-based LCA workflow using the Industry Foundation Classes (IFC) open file format. The interoperability of BIM data exchange is achieved by applying IFC. The steps of the assessment process are described in accordance with the LCA phases outlined in the ISO 14040 standard. The impact assessment and results interpretation phases are automated by means of a program code for IFC file processing. The proposed BIM-based LCA is validated for a case study of a BIM model constructed for a three-story educational building. The GWP of the building materials and products of envelope and load-bearing structures at the A1–A3 life cycle stages are calculated for the purpose of proposed workflow testing. The resulting workflow allows for the calculation of negative environmental impacts to be agile, depending on the goal and scope set. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Building Materials and Environmental Sustainability: Materials, Air Quality, Wall Building, and Biophilic Solutions)
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Review

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38 pages, 12068 KiB  
Review
Preparation of High-Belite Calcium Sulfoaluminate Cement and Calcium Sulfoaluminate Cement from Industrial Solid Waste: A Review
by Huaiqin Liu, Chengjian Liu, Jing Wu, Yanjiao Gao, Jianwen Shao, Chenxia Wang, Tian Su, Fubo Cao, Weishen Zhang, Qifan Yang and Yutong Li
Sustainability 2025, 17(10), 4269; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17104269 - 8 May 2025
Viewed by 778
Abstract
To address the high carbon emissions and resource dependency associated with conventional ordinary Portland cement (OPC) production, this study systematically investigated the preparation processes, hydration mechanisms, and chemical properties of high-belite calcium sulfoaluminate (HBCSA) and calcium sulfoaluminate (CSA) cements based from industrial solid [...] Read more.
To address the high carbon emissions and resource dependency associated with conventional ordinary Portland cement (OPC) production, this study systematically investigated the preparation processes, hydration mechanisms, and chemical properties of high-belite calcium sulfoaluminate (HBCSA) and calcium sulfoaluminate (CSA) cements based from industrial solid wastes. The results demonstrate that substituting natural raw materials (e.g., limestone and gypsum) with industrial solid wastes—including fly ash, phosphogypsum, steel slag, and red mud—not only reduces raw material costs but also mitigates land occupation and pollution caused by waste accumulation. Under optimized calcination regimes, clinkers containing key mineral phases (C4A3S− and C2S) were successfully synthesized. Hydration products, such as ettringite (AFt), aluminum hydroxide (AH3), and C-S-H gel, were identified, where AFt crystals form a three-dimensional framework through disordered growth, whereas AH3 and C-S-H fill the matrix to create a dense interfacial transition zone (ITZ), thereby increasing the mechanical strength. The incorporation of steel slag and granulated blast furnace slag was found to increase the setting time, with low reactivity contributing to reduced strength development in the hardened paste. In contrast, Solid-waste gypsum did not significantly differ from natural gypsum in stabilizing ettringite (AFt). Furthermore, this study clarified key roles of components in HBCSA/CSA systems; Fe2O3 serves as a flux but substitutes some Al2O3, reducing C4A3S− content. CaSO4 retards hydration while stabilizing strength via sustained AFt formation. CaCO3 provides nucleation sites and CaO but risks AFt expansion, degrading strength. These insights enable optimized clinker designs balancing reactivity, stability, and strength. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Building Materials and Environmental Sustainability: Materials, Air Quality, Wall Building, and Biophilic Solutions)
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