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Sustainable Built Environment and Future Proof Innovations

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A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Sustainable Urban and Rural Development".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 March 2020) | Viewed by 42251

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Special Issue Editor

Dr. Manuel Duarte Pinheiro

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Guest Editor

CEris—Civil Engineering Research and Innovation for Sustainability, Department of Civil Engineering, Architecture and Georesources, Lisbon University, Av. Rovisco Pais, 1, 1049-001 Lisboa, Portugal
Interests: building energy; sustainable built environment; sustainable construction; life cycle assessment; energy life cycle; rehabilitation and sustainability
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The construction, operation, refurbishment, and end-of-life of the built environment are responsible for a full set of environmental impacts (land use, biodiversity damages, energy consumption, carbon emission, material and water consumption), as well as social and economic impacts.

Considering that the built environment has a large impact, it could also be an opportunity to lower negative impacts and provide an important contribution to sustainable development; namely, better approaches and assessments, materials, buildings, infrastructure, and urban areas.

This Special Issue on “Sustainable Built Environment and Future Proof Innovations” is a response to the growing demand for a sustainable built environment and the urgent need for publishing current thinking, research, and innovation case studies and solutions.

This Special Issue focuses on papers that identify and analyze innovation approaches and solutions that search to be future proof for sustainable built environment, tools, assessment models (environment, social, and economic), solutions and case studies (urban area, infrastructure, buildings, and materials), best practices analyses and their limitations.

Contributors from academia, designers, regulators, industry, software producers, and managers that allow a broad perspective and wide-ranging approaches and discussions on the sustainable built environment are welcomed. Papers submitted to this Special Issue are of interest to all those involved in activities across the sustainable built environment and related sectors.

Prof. Dr. Manuel Duarte Pinheiro
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 built environment;
Sustainable buildings;
Sustainable urban areas;
Green buildings and urban zones;
Biomimicry solutions;
Near zero or positive energy buildings and zones;
Closing the water urban cycle;
Climatic mitigation and adaptation solutions;
Sustainable building materials;
Life cycle assessment;
Life cycle costs;
Social life cycle assessment;
Sustainable assessment system.

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

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19 pages, 3236 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Building Information Modelling Feasibility Study for Building Surveying

by Ki Pyung Kim, Rob Freda and Tan Hai Dang Nguyen

Sustainability 2020, 12(11), 4791; https://doi.org/10.3390/su12114791 - 11 Jun 2020

Cited by 20 | Viewed by 4448

Abstract

Despite the advancements in digital technologies, the current building design examination practice is 2D and paper-based, and a large number of 2D plans and drawings need to be collated and interpreted to examine if the proposed designs comply with building regulations. Subsequently, it is prone to human errors that make sustainable and consistent design difficult. Although Building Information Modelling (BIM) is recognised as a means to transform the current practice into a more sustainable and productive practice, BIM has rarely been adopted in building design examination. This research aims to identify the reasons for the low uptake of BIM and to examine the feasibility of BIM for building design examination through a focus group interview and workshop. A lack of proper BIM training is identified as the most critical barrier to adopting BIM. Building design examiners indicate that BIM adoption requires consistent efforts with empirical errors, since the existing work processes are not flexible enough to embrace BIM instantly without proper BIM training. An average of three days can be saved by using BIM for a building regulations check. This research revealed that BIM is feasible for building regulation checking, and the low uptake is mainly caused by a lack of awareness of the BIM capabilities. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Built Environment and Future Proof Innovations)

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32 pages, 7751 KiB

Open AccessArticle

SDG-Based Sustainability Assessment Methodology for Innovations in the Field of Urban Surfaces

by Kristina Henzler, Stephanie D. Maier, Michael Jäger and Rafael Horn

Sustainability 2020, 12(11), 4466; https://doi.org/10.3390/su12114466 - 01 Jun 2020

Cited by 21 | Viewed by 4518

Abstract

The sustainability of urban surfaces can be enhanced by introducing innovations. An ex-ante assessment of the potential sustainability impacts of innovations in urban areas can provide decision-makers with valuable recommendations for their selection before implementation. This knowledge helps to make the innovation more future-proof. Although a first methodological approach for such an assessment is available, there is no readily applicable set of indicators. Hence, this article proposes a holistic sustainability impact assessment method tailored to the management of urban surfaces and their innovations. For the development of the method, a Sustainable Development Goal (SDG)-based, top-down approach is adopted. The proposed assessment method makes it possible to identify an innovation’s potential contribution to the achievement of the SDGs before its introduction. In this article, the assessment method is tested by evaluating the sustainability impacts of weed-suppressing joint filling sand on a walkway in a municipal cemetery in Southern Germany. The case study shows that a mixed impact of the innovation in the three dimensions of sustainability could be expected within the system boundary. It highlights the need for innovation optimization, mainly in the economic dimension. As a result, the introduced method can support the innovation process of urban surfaces for sustainable municipal development. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Built Environment and Future Proof Innovations)

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18 pages, 275 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Renovation Strategies for Multi-Residential Buildings from the Record Years in Sweden—Profit-Driven or Socioeconomically Responsible?

by Kristina Mjörnell, Paula Femenías and Kerstin Annadotter

Sustainability 2019, 11(24), 6988; https://doi.org/10.3390/su11246988 - 07 Dec 2019

Cited by 27 | Viewed by 4404

Abstract

An important part of the multi-family housing stock in Sweden was built during the record years 1961–1975 and is in need of extensive renovation to be modernized. The stock is also at the center of political discussion of how to sustain ‘good housing for all’, especially in the rental sector. These renovation needs coincide with present energy targets and provides an opportunity to combine renovation with energy efficiency measures. Common for many of these buildings are that neglected maintenance has led to technical shortcomings, such as high energy use and low thermal comfort due to bad insulation, unsatisfactory air tightness and leaky windows, inefficient heating systems and insufficient ventilation, and moisture damage due to leaking building envelope and leaking pipes. However, the people living in these buildings are not willing to or cannot afford to pay the higher rents that extensive renovations would entail. Earlier research has highlighted the broader societal problem of energy renovations, but also that of housing companies’ priority of measures with short payback times, and those that give the possibility to raise rents. However, recent observations indicated a tendency towards more holistic approaches to housing renovation, and this study was initiated to investigate how public and private housing companies deal with renovation levels, rent increases and related social problems. The main conclusions are that sustainability and social responsibility are moving up on agendas in the public sector, but also, apparently, in the renovations strategies among the private companies. What is also seen is a trend moving from extensive total renovations to more tenant-adapted and step-by-step renovations. Renovation options which do not entail such large rent increases are increasingly being seen. Implications are that housing owners favor gentle renovation with reasonable rent increases of 10%–20%, which at the same time, may be a drawback for reaching energy efficiency targets. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Built Environment and Future Proof Innovations)

24 pages, 732 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Green Affordable Housing: Cost-Benefit Analysis for Zoning Incentives

by Armin Jeddi Yeganeh, Andrew Patton McCoy and Steve Hankey

Sustainability 2019, 11(22), 6269; https://doi.org/10.3390/su11226269 - 08 Nov 2019

Cited by 11 | Viewed by 5491

Abstract

In the year 2017, about 89% of the total energy consumed in the US was produced using non-renewable energy sources, and about 43% of tenant households were cost burdened. Local governments are in a unique position to facilitate green affordable housing, that could reduce cost burdens, environmental degradation, and environmental injustice. Nonetheless, limited studies have made progress on the costs and benefits of green affordable housing, to guide decision-making, particularly in small communities. This study investigates density bonus options for green affordable housing by analyzing construction costs, transaction prices, and spillover effects of green certifications and affordable housing units. The authors employ pooled cross-sectional construction cost and price data from 422 Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) projects and 11,016 Multiple Listing Service (MLS) transactions in Virginia. Using hedonic regression analyses controlling for mediating factors, the study finds that the new construction of market-rate green certified houses is associated with small upfront costs, but large and statistically significant price premiums. In addition, the construction of market-rate green certified houses has large and statistically significant spillover effects on existing non-certified houses. Existing non-certified affordable housing units show small and often insignificant negative price impacts on the transaction prices of surrounding properties. The study concludes that the magnitude of social benefits associated with green building justifies the local provision of voluntary programs for green affordable housing, where housing is expensive relative to its basic cost of production. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Built Environment and Future Proof Innovations)

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20 pages, 2191 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Evaluation of the Criteria for Designating Maintenance Districts in Low-Rise Residential Areas: Urban Renewal Projects in Seoul

by Woongkyoo Bae, UnHyo Kim and Jeongwoo Lee

Sustainability 2019, 11(21), 5876; https://doi.org/10.3390/su11215876 - 23 Oct 2019

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 3108

Abstract

Since the 1970s, the South Korean government has been redeveloping blighted residential environments and adopting large-scale redevelopment policies to solve urban housing-related problems. However, it is difficult to designate areas for redevelopment and identify areas where redevelopment is currently unfeasible. This study establishes a framework to support decision-making in a selection of housing renewal districts. The proposed Residential Environment Maintenance Index (REMI) overcomes the limitations of existing indicators, which are often biased toward physical requirements. Using this, we rationalize the designation of maintenance areas by considering both physical and social requirements and outline the renewal district designation procedure. To derive REMI, we used an analytic hierarchy process analysis and estimated the index’s reliability by clarifying the relative importance and priority of the indicators based on surveys of 300 subject matter experts. We analyzed various simulations by applying REMI at sites where maintenance is currently planned or discharged in Seoul. These reveal that the total number of urban renewal projects can be adjusted by adjusting the number of renewal district designations through the proposed REMI according to the economic situation. The results have implications for understanding REMI’s possible application and flexible management at the administrative level to pursue long-term sustainable development. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Built Environment and Future Proof Innovations)

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Review

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28 pages, 1548 KiB

Open AccessReview

COVID-19 Could Leverage a Sustainable Built Environment

by Manuel Duarte Pinheiro and Nuno Cardoso Luís

Sustainability 2020, 12(14), 5863; https://doi.org/10.3390/su12145863 - 21 Jul 2020

Cited by 86 | Viewed by 19446

Abstract

The health system’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic has involved research into diagnoses and vaccines, but primarily it has required specific treatments, facilities and equipment, together with the control of individual behaviour and a period of collective confinement. The aim of this particular research, therefore, is to discover whether COVID-19 is capable of changing the built environment (BE) and leveraging specific solutions for sustainable buildings or urban areas. Some historical reviews of infectious pandemics have highlighted the development of new solutions in the BE as an additional contribution towards preventing the spread of infection. The BE has an important role to play in supporting public health measures and reducing the risk of infections. The review of potential COVID-19 measures shows the existence of well-referenced solutions, ranging from incremental alterations (organisation of spaces, erection of physical barriers) to structural alterations (windows, balconies) with different timeframes and scales (ranging from changes in building materials to the design of urban areas). A critical exploratory assessment makes it possible to identify measures that may help not only to reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission (or even prevent it), but also to increase resilience, improve air quality and lower energy requirements or the use of materials, and thus potentially increase the sustainability of the BE. COVID-19 measures challenge us to rethink buildings and urban areas and potentially leverage sustainable BE solutions with win-win outcomes (minimalist design and other solutions). The specific composition of this set of measures must, however, be further researched. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Built Environment and Future Proof Innovations)

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