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Sustainability
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Post COVID-19 Pandemic: A Reconsideration for the Built Environment
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Post COVID-19 Pandemic: A Reconsideration for the Built Environment

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 (10 July 2023) | Viewed by 24245

Special Issue Editors

Dr. John Kaiser Calautit

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Architecture and Built Environment, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2RD, UK
Interests: sustainable buildings; passive technologies; computational fluid dynamics modelling; building energy simulation; thermal performance
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Priti Parikh

E-Mail Website
Co-Guest Editor
Faculty of the Built Environment, University College London, London WC1E 7HB, UK
Interests: infrastructure; slums; SDGs; solar energy; WASH

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The aim of this Special Issue is to address the reshaping of our built environment for future resilience and the creation of a healthier living environment in the post COVID-19 pandemic. We brought together interdisciplinary knowledge to address these challenges at three scales: city, neighborhood, and building scale, as well as the interdependence between them. This Special Issue consists of multidisciplinary collaborative research on building services, material science, indoor air quality, and human health and modelling. Research topics such as energy and environment buildings, the outdoor microclimate, and healthy cities and buildings are important areas for the future of our wellbeing and are also scopes within the Sustainable Development Goals.

Finally, the Special Issue will address research work discussed from the #SUJS2021 workshop “Sino-UK Joint Symposium on Post COVID-19 Pandemic: A Reconsideration for the Built Environment”. This workshop was supported by the British Council Newton Fund and NSFC China to discuss both the impact of the pandemic on the built environment and the reconsiderations that must to be made regarding the built environment in a post-pandemic world to reduce the risk of future infectious disease transmission.

Dr. John Kaiser Calautit
Dr. Priti Parikh
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

  • built environment
  • energy
  • health
  • indoor air quality
  • materials
  • modeling
  • sustainability

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Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

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16 pages, 490 KiB  
Article
Medical Gas Systems Maintainability Risks in Healthcare Facilities: A Design Optimization Approach
by Hassan Alassafi, Khalid S. Al-Gahtani and Abdulmohsen S. Almohsen
Sustainability 2023, 15(12), 9204; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15129204 - 7 Jun 2023
Viewed by 3855
Abstract
Medical gas pipeline systems (MGPSs) are crucial for operating healthcare facilities as life-saving systems. The sustainability of MGPSs mandates optimum performance by reducing maintenance and repairs. Since faulty design is inventible, healthcare facilities endure several design-caused maintenance issues that endanger the sustainability of [...] Read more.
Medical gas pipeline systems (MGPSs) are crucial for operating healthcare facilities as life-saving systems. The sustainability of MGPSs mandates optimum performance by reducing maintenance and repairs. Since faulty design is inventible, healthcare facilities endure several design-caused maintenance issues that endanger the sustainability of healthcare services and maintenance life cycle costs. These design decisions could have been avoided if proper consideration for maintenance had been applied. Eleven experts participated in semi-structured interviews guided by Staticized Group Techniques to identify and evaluate the maintenance issues. The results included identifying 52 design-related maintenance issues that pose maintainability risks. The findings primarily fall under emergency gas supply availability, future expansion readiness, and accessibility of maintenance. The most critical issue found is the excessive cutting-outs of the pipelines when upgrading the system. For new healthcare facilities, the results of this research provide practical help for designers to avoid MGPS issues. A scarcity of benchmark research and geographical factors are some limitations to this study. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Post COVID-19 Pandemic: A Reconsideration for the Built Environment)
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13 pages, 3890 KiB  
Article
Indoor Air Quality and Smoking Control in Healthcare Environments in Northern China
by Shuya Zhang, Kexin Song, Qichao Ban, Puyue Gong, Ruisi Li and Zhen Peng
Sustainability 2023, 15(5), 4041; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15054041 - 23 Feb 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2045
Abstract
Background: Air pollution has adverse effects on human health, while people experience regular contact with air pollutants in a high concentration via inhalation and ingestion. Nowadays, the average person spends more than 90% of their lifetime inside both private and public buildings, and [...] Read more.
Background: Air pollution has adverse effects on human health, while people experience regular contact with air pollutants in a high concentration via inhalation and ingestion. Nowadays, the average person spends more than 90% of their lifetime inside both private and public buildings, and this figure can reach close to 100% for the sick or elderly who cannot take care of themselves. Attention should be paid to indoor air quality (IAQ), especially for certain groups in specific places. Purpose: This study intends to investigate indoor air quality in a large general hospital in Northern China, where people desire clean air for good nursing, and then propose solutions to any air pollution present. Methods: Some influential factors related to air pollution, including PM2.5 and PM10, were measured in winter. Observations were applied to indicate that the smoking behaviors of medical staff were an important contributor to air pollution. Experimental measurements were designed to test the concentration of airborne nicotine. Questionnaire surveys and follow-up interviews were conducted to understand attitudes towards smoking behaviors and offer design strategies. Results: The scopes of 24 h mean concentrations of PM2.5 (10.2~57.8 µg/m3, 17.5~45.5 µg/m3, and 20.5~91.1 µg/m3) and PM10 (17.7~81.8 µg/m3, 13.0~83.8 µg/m3, and 31.7~188.1 µg/m3) exceeded relevant guideline values, and the airborne nicotine concentrations (1.29 µg/m3 and 1.62 µg/m3) confirmed that smoking behaviors occurred in the consulting room. Conclusions: To control tobacco to ensure good indoor air quality, smoking behaviors should be managed instead of forbidden. This will also provide greater satisfaction to medical staff. Smoking behavior management requires a comprehensive consideration based on ambient conditions and psychological demands. As there is a lack of specific requirements in relevant design regulations that are tailored to ensure the environmental satisfaction of medical staff, the findings from this study can be used as evidence to inform the design of healthcare environments for public health in future. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Post COVID-19 Pandemic: A Reconsideration for the Built Environment)
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21 pages, 4244 KiB  
Article
Developing A Conceptual Passive Contact Tracing System for Commercial Buildings Using WiFi Indoor Positioning
by Sorena Vosoughkhosravi and Amirhosein Jafari
Sustainability 2022, 14(16), 10255; https://doi.org/10.3390/su141610255 - 18 Aug 2022
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2005
Abstract
Contact tracing is one of the critical tools for fighting against pandemic disease outbreaks, such as the fast-growing SARS-CoV-2 virus and its different variants. At present, automated contact tracing systems face two main challenges: (1) requiring application installation on smart devices and (2) [...] Read more.
Contact tracing is one of the critical tools for fighting against pandemic disease outbreaks, such as the fast-growing SARS-CoV-2 virus and its different variants. At present, automated contact tracing systems face two main challenges: (1) requiring application installation on smart devices and (2) protecting the users’ privacy. This study introduces a conceptual passive contact tracing system using indoor WiFi positioning to address these challenges and investigate the role of such a system in commercial buildings. In this regard, this study uses a simulated small-office layout in a case study to demonstrate the applicability of the proposed system. The special use of the proposed contact tracing system could be academic facilities and office buildings, where (1) the WiFi infrastructure already exists and therefore implementing such a system could be cost-effective, and (2) the same users use the facility regularly, enabling the system to notify the users upon a confirmed case once they are back in the building and connected to the WiFi system. Such technology can not only enhance the current automated contact tracing system in commercial buildings by illuminating the need to use smartphone applications while protecting users’ privacy, but could also reduce the risk of infection in indoor environments. The developed system can benefit facility managers, business owners, policy makers, and authorities in assisting to find occupants’ high-risk contacts and control the spread of SARS-CoV-2 or similar infectious diseases in commercial buildings, particularly university campuses and office buildings. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Post COVID-19 Pandemic: A Reconsideration for the Built Environment)
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Review

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46 pages, 2567 KiB  
Review
Review of Engineering Controls for Indoor Air Quality: A Systems Design Perspective
by Simon Li
Sustainability 2023, 15(19), 14232; https://doi.org/10.3390/su151914232 - 26 Sep 2023
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 5728
Abstract
This paper aims to review the engineering controls for indoor air quality (IAQ) from a systems design perspective. As a result of the review, we classify the literature content into three categories: (1) indoor air treatments, (2) dissemination control strategies, and (3) information [...] Read more.
This paper aims to review the engineering controls for indoor air quality (IAQ) from a systems design perspective. As a result of the review, we classify the literature content into three categories: (1) indoor air treatments, (2) dissemination control strategies, and (3) information technology. Indoor air treatments can be generally interpreted as the “cleaning” aspect, which covers ventilation and contaminant removal techniques. Dissemination control focuses on how contaminants generated in an indoor space can be transmitted, where four types of dissemination are classified. The category of information technology discusses IAQ sensors for monitoring, as well as the applications of the Internet of Things and IAQ data. Then, we further analyze the reviewed engineering controls by performing systems and functional analysis. Along with a discussion of IAQ functions, we suggest some systems design techniques, such as functional decoupling and design for flexibility/resilience, which are expected to promote more systems thinking in designing IAQ solutions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Post COVID-19 Pandemic: A Reconsideration for the Built Environment)
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34 pages, 7002 KiB  
Review
A Comprehensive Review on the Integration of Antimicrobial Technologies onto Various Surfaces of the Built Environment
by Ling Xin Yong and John Kaiser Calautit
Sustainability 2023, 15(4), 3394; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15043394 - 13 Feb 2023
Cited by 12 | Viewed by 5307
Abstract
With the recent surge in interest in microbial prevention, this review paper looks at the different antimicrobial technologies for surfaces in the built environment. Every year, more than 4 million people are at risk of dying due to acquiring a microbial infection. As [...] Read more.
With the recent surge in interest in microbial prevention, this review paper looks at the different antimicrobial technologies for surfaces in the built environment. Every year, more than 4 million people are at risk of dying due to acquiring a microbial infection. As per the recent COVID-19 pandemic, such infections alone increase the cost and burden to the healthcare system. Therefore, mitigating the risk of microbial infection in the built environment is one of the essential considerations in our preparedness for future pandemic situations. This is especially important for a dense population within urban cities and for indoor environments with higher concentrations of indoor contaminants due to poorer ventilation. The review assesses antimicrobial technologies developed in the last two years and their potential and suitability for implementation on surfaces within a building, and it also suggests key considerations when developing these technologies for a built environment. The keywords in the main search include “antimicrobial”, “coating”, and “surfaces”. The work found various studies describing the potential use of antimicrobial technologies for different material surfaces. Still, a more thorough investigation and upscaling of work are required to assess their suitability for built environment applications. The widely diverse types of built environments in public areas with their varying purpose, design, and surfaces also mean that there is no “one-size-fits-all” solution for every space. In order to improve the adoption and consideration of antimicrobial surfaces, the built environment industry and stakeholders could benefit from more in-depth and long-term evaluation of these antimicrobial technologies, which demonstrate their real-time impact on various built environment spaces. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Post COVID-19 Pandemic: A Reconsideration for the Built Environment)
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27 pages, 6487 KiB  
Review
Quantifying the Transmission of Outdoor Pollutants into the Indoor Environment and Vice Versa—Review of Influencing Factors, Methods, Challenges and Future Direction
by Murtaza Mohammadi and John Calautit
Sustainability 2022, 14(17), 10880; https://doi.org/10.3390/su141710880 - 31 Aug 2022
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 3896
Abstract
Epidemiological studies have established a strong relationship between poor air quality and deteriorating human health, demanding urgent remedial measures. Specifically, indoor pollution is more critical, and outdoor pollutants significantly contribute towards indoor pollution, its strength depending on various parameters, including ventilation strategy, meteorological [...] Read more.
Epidemiological studies have established a strong relationship between poor air quality and deteriorating human health, demanding urgent remedial measures. Specifically, indoor pollution is more critical, and outdoor pollutants significantly contribute towards indoor pollution, its strength depending on various parameters, including ventilation strategy, meteorological conditions, building design, outdoor sources, etc. This report analyses the various factors reported influencing the transmission of pollutants between the two environments. The report critically reviews various studies investigating the inter-environment variability and transmission, providing an overview of various factors and their impacts and covering both experimental and modelling studies. The review suggests that while many studies have helped to quantify the long-term personal exposure to pollutants, they have not paid special attention to the mechanism of the transmission of pollutants from the outdoor to the indoor environment and vice versa. The findings demonstrate that the proper indexing of various mechanisms and their relative strength is necessary before an effective intervention strategy can be applied in the built environment to counter the effect of pollution. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Post COVID-19 Pandemic: A Reconsideration for the Built Environment)
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