sustainability-logo

Journal Browser

Journal Browser

Special Issue "Inclusive Design and Energy Efficiency in Sustainable Built Environment"

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 September 2023 | Viewed by 1900

Special Issue Editors

School of the Built Environment, Faculty of Arts, Design and Architecture, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
Interests: Interests: architecture; building science; resilient buildings; energy efficiency; environmental comfort; climate change; impacts of the built environment on health; inclusive and accessible design; lighting
Sustainable Building Innovation Lab, School of Property, Construction and Project Management, RMIT University. 124 La Trobe Street, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia
Interests: urban microclimate; urban heat island; mitigation and adaptation; energy performance and benchmarking; indoor environmental quality
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

We are organizing a Special Issue of Sustainability concerning inclusive and energy-efficient building design. The venue is a peer-reviewed open access journal that publishes articles and communications in the interdisciplinary area of sustainability. For detailed information on the journal, we refer you to https://www.mdpi.com/journal/sustainability.

Traditionally, efficiency and inclusivity in the built environment have been considered two distinct research, construction, and policy domains. The climate crisis and increased energy prices force governments to adopt energy efficiency measures and decarbonize the building sector. However, inclusive spaces and buildings are still considered a luxury, available only to citizens of the most developed countries.

The built environment often sets barriers to people who differ from the “standard”. An inclusive design is the human-centered design that is not based on the “standardized person”, but rather attempts to create environments that facilitate the diversity of the human condition. Future sustainable built environments need to be equitable, healthy, and energy-efficient to enable people’s participation in the community and secure their wellbeing.

The Sustainability Special Issue “Inclusive Design and Energy Efficiency in Sustainable Built Environment” aims to showcase research that closes the gap between energy efficiency and inclusivity, and explores the ways an efficient design could benefit the entirety of the human population, especially the most vulnerable groups. We welcome papers on:

  • energy efficiency in the built environment;
  • energy-efficient building systems;
  • climate change;
  • urban environment sustainability;
  • urban climate;
  • mitigation technologies;
  • wellbeing in the building environment;
  • sustainable design;
  • sustainable buildings;
  • enabling environments;
  • social inclusion;
  • user experiences;
  • inclusive design;
  • home modifications and assistive technology;
  • environmental psychology

The listed keywords suggest just a few of many possibilities. If you are uncertain about whether your paper fits into the scope of this Special Issue, please contact the Guest Editors.

Dr. Konstantina Vasilakopoulou
Prof. Dr. Priya Rajagopalan
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 2200 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

  • energy efficiency in the built environment
  • energy-efficient building systems
  • climate change
  • urban environment sustainability
  • urban climate
  • mitigation technologies
  • wellbeing in the building environment
  • sustainable design
  • sustainable buildings
  • enabling environments
  • social inclusion
  • user experiences
  • inclusive design
  • home modifications and assistive technology
  • environmental psychology

Published Papers (3 papers)

Order results
Result details
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

Jump to: Other

Article
Home Indoor Environmental Quality and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
Sustainability 2023, 15(4), 2899; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15042899 - 06 Feb 2023
Viewed by 457
Abstract
Indoor environmental quality (IEQ) has been found to influence children’s health and behaviour, particularly conditions, such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). This research aimed to ascertain whether housing IEQ impacted the symptoms of ADHD and its related behaviours. This study involved 435 [...] Read more.
Indoor environmental quality (IEQ) has been found to influence children’s health and behaviour, particularly conditions, such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). This research aimed to ascertain whether housing IEQ impacted the symptoms of ADHD and its related behaviours. This study involved 435 parents of children and adolescents (aged 5–17) with ADHD residing in Australia. We utilised an online survey tool comprising the home version of the ADHD Rating Scale for Children and Adolescents and the Housing Environmental Quality Assessment Tool. The findings revealed that all the housing IEQ factors were associated with both the diagnosis and the severity of the symptoms. The results indicated that, for over one in ten children with ADHD (13.3%), the diagnosis was impacted by a collective contribution of air quality, acoustic quality, lighting quality, and the thermal comfort within their home. The air quality and the thermal comfort predicted a 4% variance in the severity of inattention. Additionally, air and lighting qualities predicted a 9.7% variance in the severity of hyperactivity-impulsivity, and all the factors of air quality, acoustic quality, lighting quality, and thermal comfort predicted a 10.9% variance in the severity of combined ADHD. In conclusion, this research provided insights into the importance of housing features and suggests that improving the housing indoor environmental quality, mainly thermal comfort, air, and lighting quality, could positively correlate with alleviating ADHD symptoms and severity among children and adolescents. Therefore, ensuring an appropriate indoor environmental quality should be prioritised in housing design, modification, and building, especially for those with ADHD. Full article
Show Figures

Figure A1

Article
Compatibility of Sustainable Facility Management and Building Information Modeling Applications: The Role of Naming Conventions
Sustainability 2023, 15(2), 1482; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15021482 - 12 Jan 2023
Viewed by 556
Abstract
This research focuses on data transfer from Sustainable Facility Management (SFM) to Building Information Modeling (BIM) applications—specifically BUILDER SMS to Autodesk Revit—where the BIM models are created for existing buildings. BIM models were created for ten existing buildings to support initial data transfer [...] Read more.
This research focuses on data transfer from Sustainable Facility Management (SFM) to Building Information Modeling (BIM) applications—specifically BUILDER SMS to Autodesk Revit—where the BIM models are created for existing buildings. BIM models were created for ten existing buildings to support initial data transfer based on different object parameters: (a) alphanumeric identifier (five buildings); and (b) name (five buildings). The identifier is randomly assigned by BUILDER SMS. The name is derived from the cardinal direction for exterior components and room names for interior components. The comparison of the methods was accomplished by observing times to ensure data compatibility, complete Revit models, and transfer data from BUILDER SMS to Revit. The name method was faster regarding data compatibility, but no statistical evaluation could be made. The identifier method resulted in shorter model completion times, but the difference was not statistically significant. It was also faster for first-time data transfer, but, again, no statistical evaluation could be made. The difference in total effort required by the methods was not large. Furthermore, the first data transfer for either method can transfer the other parameter, i.e., a name-based data transfer can add the identifier to the Revit model and an identifier-based transfer can add the name. The name method may be slightly better than the identifier method because object names follow an intuitive and logical standard naming convention (specified in the SFM application). The process of ensuring data compatibility by manually entering object names may be less error-prone compared to manually entering alphanumeric identifiers; however, that was not demonstrated here as all of the resulting models were error-free regarding data transfer. The methods described provide useful insights for other SFM/BIM transfer scenarios, such as other applications and models generated during the design phase. Full article
Show Figures

Figure 1

Other

Jump to: Research

Technical Note
Designing Lightweight Stadium Roofing Structures Based on Advanced Analysis Methods
Sustainability 2023, 15(4), 3612; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15043612 - 16 Feb 2023
Viewed by 557
Abstract
The current structural engineering practical standards are unable to offer an universal structural design standard for long-spanning lightweight stadium roofing structures. As such, the design procedure of a particular stadium roof is not replicable to another. This research aims to present a novel [...] Read more.
The current structural engineering practical standards are unable to offer an universal structural design standard for long-spanning lightweight stadium roofing structures. As such, the design procedure of a particular stadium roof is not replicable to another. This research aims to present a novel design procedure for lightweight stadium roofing structures considering the Lakhwiya stadium the Optus Stadium and the CommBank Stadium as experimental cases. Using the finite element analysis (FEA) software Strand7, the cases will be modelled and analysed. Varying load cases and combinations such as ultimate strength (ULS) and serviceability limit states (SLS) based on the Australian Standard AS1170.0:2002 will be calculated and subsequently applied. Linear static analysis will then be undertaken where critical members will be identified within the model. Based on this, preliminary member sizing and design feasibility checks will be conducted in order to ensure structural stability and compliance to the Australian Steel Structure code AS4100:2020. A linear buckling analysis is also conducted based on the selected sizes from the initial stage to determine critical loads. Advanced analysis including non-linear buckling computation is comprehensively managed. Some of the crucial parameters such as maximum displacement, maximum/minimum principal stresses, critical buckling loads, as well as load factors are examined. The main novelty of this study is to determine a clear road map to design stadium roofing systems subjected to a combination of different types of the loading. Full article
Show Figures

Figure 1

Planned Papers

The below list represents only planned manuscripts. Some of these manuscripts have not been received by the Editorial Office yet. Papers submitted to MDPI journals are subject to peer-review.

Title: Thermal loads map and overall energy analysis depending on low-effort parameters change. A commercial building case study
Authors: Raniero Sannino
Affiliation: Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development (ENEA)
Abstract: Starting from the second half of 2022, the energy market, in particular the European natural gas supply, passed through an eventful period. The sanctions imposed to the Russia because of the Ukrainian war, rearranged the steadiness of the natural gas supplier to the continent. Italy im-ported almost 43% of natural gas from Russia in 2020, and the Ministry of ecologic transition es-tablished specific rules for 2022 heating periods, aimed to reduce the primary energy consumption. This work is aimed to create the map of a commercial building thermal loads as a function of effortlessly changeable boundary conditions, which have been identified for immediately facing unexpected scenarios. Moreover, the proposed method could represent an effective tool for supporting energy managers and policy-makers for complying unpredictable events. Further-more, the final and primary energy consumption has been investigated to provide a compre-hensive picture of the building energy performance. The simulation of the commercial building was carried out with DesignBuilder, an Energyplus-based software, with a dynamic calculation approach, and the effect of ranging considered parameters against the heating and cooling load has been assessed, as well as the final and primary energy estimation.

Back to TopTop