Design and Sustainability of Buildings and Civil Engineering Structures
A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Green Building".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 10 May 2026 | Viewed by 78
Special Issue Editors
Interests: sustainability in buildings; condition monitoring of structures
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: construction engineering; environmental engineering; sustainability in construction; concrete technology; structural analysis and non-destructive test; life cycle assessment of buildings and materials
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
The sustainable design and performance of buildings and civil engineering structures are critical to addressing the global challenges of climate change, resource depletion, and urbanization. As the built environment significantly contributes to greenhouse gas emissions, material consumption, and energy demand, innovative strategies in structural design, construction, and lifecycle management are essential to achieving environmental, economic, and social sustainability. Recent advancements in materials science, digital design tools, and performance assessment frameworks offer new opportunities to develop resilient and resource-efficient infrastructure.
(1) The built environment is responsible for a substantial share of global energy consumption, greenhouse gas emissions, and resource use—accounting for nearly 40% of total CO₂ emissions worldwide. As the world experiences rapid urbanization, population growth, and the impacts of climate change, the demand for sustainable solutions in the design and construction of buildings and civil engineering structures has never been more urgent. Scientific research and innovation in this field play a pivotal role in transforming how infrastructure is conceived, built, and operated to meet environmental, economic, and social sustainability goals.
Recent advances in materials science, computational modeling, digital construction technologies (such as Building Information Modeling and digital twins), and performance-based design frameworks are enabling the development of structures that are not only efficient and durable but also aligned with principles of circularity, resilience, and low-carbon performance. Moreover, the integration of lifecycle assessment (LCA), embodied energy analysis, and climate adaptation strategies into the design process is fostering a more holistic understanding of sustainability in the built environment.
This research area is therefore critical for advancing both scientific knowledge and practical methodologies that support sustainable development and climate resilience on a global scale.
(2) This Special Issue aims to present cutting-edge research on sustainable approaches to the design, construction, and operation of buildings and civil engineering structures. Aligned with the scope of Sustainability, the issue fosters interdisciplinary dialogue among engineers, architects, planners, and sustainability scientists to address pressing environmental and infrastructural challenges.
(3) Suggest themes. In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome. Research areas may include (but not limited to) the following:
- Green building certification systems
- Sustainable retrofitting strategies
- Material circularity and reuse
- Energy optimization in buildings
- Climate-responsive structural design
- Digital tools for sustainable infrastructure planning
I look forward to receiving your contributions.
Dr. Milind A. Siddhpura
Dr. Ana Evangelista
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 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 design
- building performance
- civil engineering
- lifecycle assessment
- low-carbon materials
- resilient infrastructure
- green construction
- structural innovation
- adaptive reuse
- smart buildings
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