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Designs
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Integrated Sustainable Building Design, Construction and Operation
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Integrated Sustainable Building Design, Construction and Operation

A special issue of Designs (ISSN 2411-9660). This special issue belongs to the section "Civil Engineering Design".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 January 2019) | Viewed by 40161

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Fitsum Tariku

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Building Science Centre of Excellence, British Columbia Institute of Technology, 3700 Willingdon Ave., Burnaby, BC, Canada
Interests: building performance optimization; net-zero energy; smart buildings; passive design; energy efficiency; thermal comfort; high-performance materials; whole-building hygrothermal performance; building integrated renewable systems; life-cycle assessment
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Emishaw Iffa

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Building Science Centre of Excellence, British Columbia Institute of Technology, 3700 Willingdon Ave, Burnaby, BC V5G 3H2, Canada
Interests: high performance building envelope; advanced building materials; ventilation systems; whole-building performances and thermal imaging

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Buildings consume nearly 40% of the world energy according to International Energy Agency (IEA) and the demand is growing continuously. Moreover, buildings are also responsible for the considerable amount of greenhouse gas emissions, raw material and water use, and landfill waste. An integrated sustainable building design approach helps in creating efficient ways of using resources such as energy, raw materials and water.  Sustainable buildings also create an improved indoor environmental quality and sustainable environment. This Special issue on sustainable building design focuses on bringing original research and literature reviews from different areas related to building design, construction, operation, retrofitting and practices of sustainability. Manuscript submissions in the areas mentioned as keywords below are highly encouraged.

Dr. Fitsum Tariku
Dr. Emishaw Iffa
Prof. Dr. Thomas Schroepfer
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. Designs 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 1600 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

  • advanced and sustainable building materials
  • high-performance building envelope
  • whole building performance
  • moisture management
  • indoor environmental quality
  • building operations and control systems
  • intelligent building systems
  • net zero buildings
  • carbon neutral buildings
  • life cycle assessment
  • climate-responsive design optimization and integration
  • advanced and sustainable design methods and building processes

Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

15 pages, 5522 KiB  
Article
Retrofit of Residential Buildings in Europe
by Giuliana Scuderi
Designs 2019, 3(1), 8; https://doi.org/10.3390/designs3010008 - 24 Jan 2019
Cited by 12 | Viewed by 3820
Abstract
Recently, many cities in Europe are encouraging the recovery of the existing residential heritage. To maximize the benefits of these campaigns, a multi-purpose campaign of architectural, functional, and structural retrofit is essential. Additionally, a fast-changing society requires new living criteria; new models need [...] Read more.
Recently, many cities in Europe are encouraging the recovery of the existing residential heritage. To maximize the benefits of these campaigns, a multi-purpose campaign of architectural, functional, and structural retrofit is essential. Additionally, a fast-changing society requires new living criteria; new models need to be developed to respond to the developing requirements of communities and markets. This paper proposes a method of analysis for 49 residential retrofit projects, a range of “best practices” presented through the definition of strategies, and actions and thematic packages, aiming at reassuming, in a systematic way, the complex panorama of the state of the art in Europe. Each project was analyzed using a data sheet, while synoptic views and tables provided key interpretations and a panorama of strategies and approaches. The analysis of the state of the art showed that lightweight interventions achieved using dry stratified construction technologies of structure/cladding/finishing are a widespread approach to renovation and requalification both for superficial/two-dimensional actions and volumetric/spatial actions. The study also highlights the leading role of the envelope within retrofit interventions. The retrofit approaches appear to reach the greatest efficiency when reversible, because only in this way do they ensure environmentally friendly actions with the possibility of dismantling. The intervention should improve the flexibility of the existing construction with a correct balance between planning for the present and planning for the future. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Integrated Sustainable Building Design, Construction and Operation)
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11 pages, 227 KiB  
Article
Designing Flexibility and Adaptability: The Answer to Integrated Residential Building Retrofit
by Giuliana Scuderi
Designs 2019, 3(1), 3; https://doi.org/10.3390/designs3010003 - 11 Jan 2019
Cited by 11 | Viewed by 6397
Abstract
Speaking about building retrofit in Europe, the attention is often focused on the residential building stock built after the Second World War, which represents the 75% of the total number of buildings present on the territory. Recently many cities are encouraging campaigns of [...] Read more.
Speaking about building retrofit in Europe, the attention is often focused on the residential building stock built after the Second World War, which represents the 75% of the total number of buildings present on the territory. Recently many cities are encouraging campaigns of retrofit of the housing heritage built after the Second World War, since, in terms of cost, time, financing, consumption, and sustainability, the practice appears more convenient than building anew. To maximize the benefits of these retrofit campaigns, it is essential to promote multi-purpose and innovative strategies considering contemporarily architectural, functional and structural aspects. In the field of housing, in particular, it is necessary to develop new models able to answer to the new living style of a dynamic society. In fact, today as in the past, one of the downfalls of the housing sector is failing to recognize the human dimension within the designing process. This paper evaluates past architectural practices to achieve adaptability and flexibility in the residential sector and evaluate strategies for integrated retrofit based on two macro-areas: architectural/societal/functional and structural/technological/constructional. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Integrated Sustainable Building Design, Construction and Operation)
13 pages, 67924 KiB  
Article
Design of a New Solar Thermal Collector with Ceramic Materials Integrated into the Building Facades
by Jordi Roviras Miñana and Vicente Sarrablo Moreno
Designs 2018, 2(4), 44; https://doi.org/10.3390/designs2040044 - 01 Nov 2018
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 4803
Abstract
The work presented here aims to demonstrate the technical, architectural, and energy viability of solar thermal collectors made with ceramic materials and their suitability for domestic hot water (DHW) and building heating systems in the Mediterranean climate. The proposal is for the design [...] Read more.
The work presented here aims to demonstrate the technical, architectural, and energy viability of solar thermal collectors made with ceramic materials and their suitability for domestic hot water (DHW) and building heating systems in the Mediterranean climate. The proposal is for the design of a ceramic shell, formed by collector and non-collecting panels, which forms part of the building system itself, and is capable of responding to the basic requirements of a building envelope and harnessing solar energy. Ceramics considerably reduce the final cost of the collector system and offer the new system a variety of compositional and chromatic finishes, occupying the entire building surface and achieving a high degree of architectural integration, although less energy-efficient compared to a conventional metallic collector. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Integrated Sustainable Building Design, Construction and Operation)
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12 pages, 1935 KiB  
Article
Evaluating Design Strategies for Nearly Zero Energy Buildings in the Middle East and North Africa Regions
by Yahya Wisam Al-Saeed and Abdullahi Ahmed
Designs 2018, 2(4), 35; https://doi.org/10.3390/designs2040035 - 29 Sep 2018
Cited by 20 | Viewed by 6039
Abstract
There is international pressure for countries to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, which are blamed as the main cause of climate change. The countries in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region heavily rely on fossil fuel as the main energy source for [...] Read more.
There is international pressure for countries to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, which are blamed as the main cause of climate change. The countries in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region heavily rely on fossil fuel as the main energy source for buildings. The concept of nearly zero energy buildings (nZEB) has been defined and standardized for some developed countries. While most of the developing countries located in the MENA region with hot and tropical climate lack building energy efficiency standards. With pressure to improve energy and environmental performance of buildings, nZEB buildings are expected to grow over the coming years and employing these buildings in the MENA region can reduce building energy consumption and CO2 emissions. Therefore, the paper focuses on: (a) reviewing the current established nZEB standards and definitions for countries in the hot and warm climate of Europe, (b) investigate the primary energy consumption for current existing buildings in the MENA region, and (c) establishing a standard for nZEB and positive energy buildings in kWh/m2/year for the MENA region using a building simulation platform represented using Autodesk Insight 360. The result of the simulation reveals high energy use intensity for existing buildings in the MENA region. By improving building fabric and applying solar photovoltaics (PV) in the base model, significant reductions in primary energy consumption was achieved. Further design improvements, such as increasing the airtightness and using high efficiency solar PV, also contributed to positive energy buildings that produce more energy than they consume. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Integrated Sustainable Building Design, Construction and Operation)
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14 pages, 5691 KiB  
Article
A Modular Timber Construction System for the Sustainable Vertical Extension of Office Buildings
by Aleksis Dind, Sophie Lufkin and Emmanuel Rey
Designs 2018, 2(3), 30; https://doi.org/10.3390/designs2030030 - 08 Aug 2018
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 8465
Abstract
Most European cities are facing urban densification issues. In this context, a solution to create usable spaces without additional pressure on land consists in the vertical extension of existing buildings. Given their abundance in the building stock, tertiary buildings offer an important potential. [...] Read more.
Most European cities are facing urban densification issues. In this context, a solution to create usable spaces without additional pressure on land consists in the vertical extension of existing buildings. Given their abundance in the building stock, tertiary buildings offer an important potential. The paper introduces the Working Space project, which aims to develop an innovative, modular and prefabricated timber construction system adapted to the vertical extension of existing office buildings. The dimensions of the system can be adjusted to a great variety of structural grids and allows for any new typological organisation. Based on the principles of bioclimatic architecture, the extension’s envelope provides high-performance insulation, a smart management of passive solar gains, natural ventilation and free cooling, but also offers large surfaces dedicated to photovoltaic energy production and urban biodiversity. The system is made up of eco-friendly, local materials with very low environmental impact. The project’s outcomes are presented at a variety of scales, from urban design to construction details, as well as the outputs of an extensive life cycle assessment including the induced mobility impacts. Finally, the paper introduces a first application of this innovative architectural concept, which is currently being completed in Lausanne, Switzerland. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Integrated Sustainable Building Design, Construction and Operation)
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13 pages, 2633 KiB  
Article
The Design of Net-Zero-Energy Affordable Housing in Philadelphia
by Gulbin Ozcan-Deniz, Robert Fryer and Ana De Castro Amorim Ferreira
Designs 2018, 2(3), 26; https://doi.org/10.3390/designs2030026 - 23 Jul 2018
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 5106
Abstract
Sustainable buildings are often considered expensive alternatives to conventional designs. However, a decline in costs associated with materials, technology, labor and whole building approaches make green homes realistic to construct even within low-income neighborhoods. This can address the critical shortage of affordable housing [...] Read more.
Sustainable buildings are often considered expensive alternatives to conventional designs. However, a decline in costs associated with materials, technology, labor and whole building approaches make green homes realistic to construct even within low-income neighborhoods. This can address the critical shortage of affordable housing in cities, and the emerging recognition of their impact on healthy communities. This study proposes an affordable and energy-efficient design for a low-income rowhouse in Philadelphia as a city having the highest poverty rate in the U.S. The design can be replicated as an investment in the future where people live with net zero energy and zero emissions. Furthermore, residents have the opportunity to create a more vibrant and healthy neighborhood economy by investing their savings locally. The results showed that the proposed prototype has a payback of approximately just over 16 years. Although this seems long, the building is affordable since the ongoing operating expenses are significantly less than a typical house. This is achieved by the combination of an efficient building design, onsite power generation, water conservation and rainwater harvesting. The payback period may suggest that larger-scale projects than just a single urban residence (two residences and larger) are needed to improve investment paybacks. This is discussed. Considering the added benefits (energy and water) that will continue after the payback period, the design can be a pioneer for low-income neighborhoods. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Integrated Sustainable Building Design, Construction and Operation)
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22 pages, 7925 KiB  
Article
Parametric Study of the Behavior of Longitudinally and Transversally Prestressed Concrete under Pure Torsion
by Luís Bernardo, Jorge Andrade and Mafalda Teixeira
Designs 2018, 2(2), 12; https://doi.org/10.3390/designs2020012 - 24 Apr 2018
Viewed by 3659
Abstract
Among several analytical models to describe the behavior of reinforced concrete (RC) and longitudinally prestressed concrete (LPC) beams under torsion, the Modified Variable Angle Truss Model (MVATM) is particularly efficient to capture the behavioral states of the member until failure and agree well [...] Read more.
Among several analytical models to describe the behavior of reinforced concrete (RC) and longitudinally prestressed concrete (LPC) beams under torsion, the Modified Variable Angle Truss Model (MVATM) is particularly efficient to capture the behavioral states of the member until failure and agree well with experimental results. This article aims to extend the MVATM to cover transversally prestressed concrete (TPC) beams under torsion. The changes in the formulation and calculation procedure of the original VATM, in order to include the influence of transversal prestress, are presented. The extended MAVTM is then used to compute the global response of LPC and TPC beams under torsion with similar total prestress reinforcement ratios, namely the torque–twist curves. The obtained predictions are then compared and discussed. It is shown that for the ultimate loading, transversal prestress constitutes also an effective solution to improve the behavior of the beams under torsion. However, transversal prestress is less effective to delay the cracked state. Finally, it is also shown that when prestress is distributed in both longitudinal and transversal direction, the global response of the beams under torsion is further improved, namely the resistance torque and the torsional stiffness in the cracked state. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Integrated Sustainable Building Design, Construction and Operation)
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