Pub Date : 2026-03-15Epub Date: 2026-01-20DOI: 10.1016/j.buildenv.2026.114264
Mateus Bavaresco , Roberta Jacoby Cureau , Ilaria Pigliautile , Marcel Schweiker , Veronica Martins Gnecco , Giorgia Chinazzo , Edit Barna , Zsofia Deme Belafi , Lorenzo Belussi , Agnese Chiucchiù , Ludovico Danza , Zhipeng Deng , Bing Dong , Natasha Hansen Gapski , Liége Garlet , Xingtong Guo , Peiman Pilehchi Ha , Hamidreza Karimian , Roberto Lamberts , Shichao Liu , Anna Laura Pisello
This multi-site experimental study investigated the Hue-Heat Hypothesis (HHH), which posits that light hues can influence human thermal perception, as well as broader cross-modal interactions between visual and thermal domains. Across 464 experimental sessions in eight test rooms around the world, participants were exposed to varied thermal conditions (∼20 °C, ∼24 °C, ∼26 °C, and ∼28 °C) and typical white-light Correlated Color Temperatures (CCT, warm light: ∼3000 K; neutral: ∼4000 K; cool light: ∼6000 K) from LED sources (horizontal illuminance: ∼500 lx). The study assessed thermal, visual, and overall perceptions. Results revealed that thermal sensation and preference were predominantly influenced by thermal conditions, gender, and the laboratory setting, indicating that no statistically significant effects were found in support of the HHH. Similarly, visual perceptions were influenced by lighting conditions but not by the thermal environment. For instance, cool light was perceived as brighter than warm light, leading participants to prefer brighter light under warm light hues. Ultimately, this research revealed the significant challenges of interlaboratory experiments in this field, as local climate and test-room characteristics complicate both the conduct and the standardization of data analysis. Our findings highlight both the limited role of white-light CCT in shaping thermal sensations and the methodological challenges of multi-site comfort research, underscoring the need for careful data harmonization and context-aware analyses in future international collaborations.
{"title":"Beyond hue and heat: A multi-site experimental study of lighting–thermal interactions in human perceptions","authors":"Mateus Bavaresco , Roberta Jacoby Cureau , Ilaria Pigliautile , Marcel Schweiker , Veronica Martins Gnecco , Giorgia Chinazzo , Edit Barna , Zsofia Deme Belafi , Lorenzo Belussi , Agnese Chiucchiù , Ludovico Danza , Zhipeng Deng , Bing Dong , Natasha Hansen Gapski , Liége Garlet , Xingtong Guo , Peiman Pilehchi Ha , Hamidreza Karimian , Roberto Lamberts , Shichao Liu , Anna Laura Pisello","doi":"10.1016/j.buildenv.2026.114264","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.buildenv.2026.114264","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This multi-site experimental study investigated the Hue-Heat Hypothesis (HHH), which posits that light hues can influence human thermal perception, as well as broader cross-modal interactions between visual and thermal domains. Across 464 experimental sessions in eight test rooms around the world, participants were exposed to varied thermal conditions (∼20 °C, ∼24 °C, ∼26 °C, and ∼28 °C) and typical white-light Correlated Color Temperatures (CCT, warm light: ∼3000 K; neutral: ∼4000 K; cool light: ∼6000 K) from LED sources (horizontal illuminance: ∼500 lx). The study assessed thermal, visual, and overall perceptions. Results revealed that thermal sensation and preference were predominantly influenced by thermal conditions, gender, and the laboratory setting, indicating that no statistically significant effects were found in support of the HHH. Similarly, visual perceptions were influenced by lighting conditions but not by the thermal environment. For instance, cool light was perceived as brighter than warm light, leading participants to prefer brighter light under warm light hues. Ultimately, this research revealed the significant challenges of interlaboratory experiments in this field, as local climate and test-room characteristics complicate both the conduct and the standardization of data analysis. Our findings highlight both the limited role of white-light CCT in shaping thermal sensations and the methodological challenges of multi-site comfort research, underscoring the need for careful data harmonization and context-aware analyses in future international collaborations.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":9273,"journal":{"name":"Building and Environment","volume":"292 ","pages":"Article 114264"},"PeriodicalIF":7.6,"publicationDate":"2026-03-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146076677","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-03-15Epub Date: 2026-01-27DOI: 10.1016/j.buildenv.2026.114290
Eva Mesenhöller, Steffen Jacobs, Peter Vennemann
Efficient ventilation is a critical aspect of modern building design, balancing the need for good indoor air quality and increasing energy efficiency demands. For this reason, the approach of unsteady ventilation techniques was investigated in this study, in which the supply air volume flow is varied on short timescales. This study explores the comparative performance of steady and unsteady operational modes in mechanical ventilation systems under isothermal conditions, utilising 2D Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) and a statistical design of experiments. Time-averaged and instantaneous velocity fields in the longitudinal axis of a Reynolds-scaled model room were analysed to evaluate the influence of dynamic supply flow rates on velocities in the occupied zone, and mixing by looking at spatio-temporal dominant structures and vortices. The results of the unsteady scenarios were compared with steady ventilation scenarios and existing literature in this field, but also in the field of pulsating jets. Some considerable differences in velocities, large and small-scale flow structures were found for selected operating modes, enhancing mixing and a more homogeneous velocity distribution. But effects of the flow rate variations on the investigated area were observed in all unsteady cases, e.g., the varying number of vortices or velocity fluctuations in the occupied zone.
{"title":"The potential of unsteady versus steady room ventilation methods – A comparative study","authors":"Eva Mesenhöller, Steffen Jacobs, Peter Vennemann","doi":"10.1016/j.buildenv.2026.114290","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.buildenv.2026.114290","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Efficient ventilation is a critical aspect of modern building design, balancing the need for good indoor air quality and increasing energy efficiency demands. For this reason, the approach of unsteady ventilation techniques was investigated in this study, in which the supply air volume flow is varied on short timescales. This study explores the comparative performance of steady and unsteady operational modes in mechanical ventilation systems under isothermal conditions, utilising 2D Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) and a statistical design of experiments. Time-averaged and instantaneous velocity fields in the longitudinal axis of a Reynolds-scaled model room were analysed to evaluate the influence of dynamic supply flow rates on velocities in the occupied zone, and mixing by looking at spatio-temporal dominant structures and vortices. The results of the unsteady scenarios were compared with steady ventilation scenarios and existing literature in this field, but also in the field of pulsating jets. Some considerable differences in velocities, large and small-scale flow structures were found for selected operating modes, enhancing mixing and a more homogeneous velocity distribution. But effects of the flow rate variations on the investigated area were observed in all unsteady cases, e.g., the varying number of vortices or velocity fluctuations in the occupied zone.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":9273,"journal":{"name":"Building and Environment","volume":"292 ","pages":"Article 114290"},"PeriodicalIF":7.6,"publicationDate":"2026-03-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146185654","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-03-15Epub Date: 2026-01-24DOI: 10.1016/j.buildenv.2026.114274
Jiongye Li , Yingwei Yan , Rudi Stouffs
The cooling capacity of Urban Green Spaces (UGS) has been widely recognized, yet how to distribute UGS to maximize their cooling effect remains a critical issue. Previous studies have revealed the unequal spatial distribution of UGS using diverse methods. However, existing evaluation approaches often fail to adequately account for sufficient temporal coverage and spatial distribution of Urban High-Temperature Hot Spots (UHS), resulting in less accurate and informative outcomes. This study proposes a novel framework to evaluate UGS distribution across multiple years in Miami-Dade County, Florida, thereby reducing the influence of occasional annual fluctuations while incorporating the spatial distribution of UHS. Applying this framework, we find that communities with high and very high socioeconomic status consistently enjoy high accessibility to UGS and low exposure to UHS. By contrast, although low and very low socioeconomic communities have experienced improvements in UGS accessibility and availability, they have also faced increasing exposure to UHS over time. Furthermore, the highest level of inequity in UGS distribution occurs in high and very high socioeconomic communities, due to some areas holding disproportionately high cooling resources while remaining largely shielded from UHS. Our findings also reveal that communities with higher proportions of white populations, higher incomes, and higher housing prices are associated with lower exposure to UHS and greater access to UGS. The proposed framework advances current research by providing an improved method for evaluating equity in UGS distribution and offers practical insights to guide urban planners in identifying inequitable communities.
城市绿地(Urban Green Spaces, UGS)的降温能力已得到广泛认可,但如何合理分配城市绿地以使其降温效果最大化仍是一个关键问题。以往的研究使用不同的方法揭示了UGS的空间分布不均匀。然而,现有的评价方法往往不能充分考虑城市高温热点(UHS)的时间覆盖范围和空间分布,导致结果的准确性和信息量不足。本研究提出了一个新的框架来评估佛罗里达州迈阿密-戴德县UGS的多年分布,从而减少了偶尔的年度波动的影响,同时纳入了UHS的空间分布。应用这一框架,我们发现社会经济地位高和非常高的社区始终享有高的UGS可及性和低的UHS暴露。相比之下,虽然低和非常低的社会经济社区在UGS的可及性和可用性方面有所改善,但随着时间的推移,他们也面临着越来越多的UHS暴露。此外,UGS分布的不平等程度最高发生在高和非常高的社会经济社区,因为一些地区拥有不成比例的高冷却资源,而在很大程度上仍然受到UHS的保护。我们的研究结果还表明,白人人口比例较高、收入较高、房价较高的社区,UHS的暴露率较低,UGS的使用率较高。该框架提供了一种评估UGS分配公平性的改进方法,从而推进了当前的研究,并为指导城市规划者识别不公平社区提供了实际见解。
{"title":"Reevaluating the equity of urban green space distribution: a proposed method integrating urban high-temperature hot spots and temporal dimensions","authors":"Jiongye Li , Yingwei Yan , Rudi Stouffs","doi":"10.1016/j.buildenv.2026.114274","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.buildenv.2026.114274","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The cooling capacity of Urban Green Spaces (UGS) has been widely recognized, yet how to distribute UGS to maximize their cooling effect remains a critical issue. Previous studies have revealed the unequal spatial distribution of UGS using diverse methods. However, existing evaluation approaches often fail to adequately account for sufficient temporal coverage and spatial distribution of Urban High-Temperature Hot Spots (UHS), resulting in less accurate and informative outcomes. This study proposes a novel framework to evaluate UGS distribution across multiple years in Miami-Dade County, Florida, thereby reducing the influence of occasional annual fluctuations while incorporating the spatial distribution of UHS. Applying this framework, we find that communities with high and very high socioeconomic status consistently enjoy high accessibility to UGS and low exposure to UHS. By contrast, although low and very low socioeconomic communities have experienced improvements in UGS accessibility and availability, they have also faced increasing exposure to UHS over time. Furthermore, the highest level of inequity in UGS distribution occurs in high and very high socioeconomic communities, due to some areas holding disproportionately high cooling resources while remaining largely shielded from UHS. Our findings also reveal that communities with higher proportions of white populations, higher incomes, and higher housing prices are associated with lower exposure to UHS and greater access to UGS. The proposed framework advances current research by providing an improved method for evaluating equity in UGS distribution and offers practical insights to guide urban planners in identifying inequitable communities.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":9273,"journal":{"name":"Building and Environment","volume":"292 ","pages":"Article 114274"},"PeriodicalIF":7.6,"publicationDate":"2026-03-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146076660","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-03-15Epub Date: 2026-01-25DOI: 10.1016/j.buildenv.2026.114294
Yueping Luo , Victor Nee Shin Bong , Jibril Adewale Bamgbade , Morshed Alam , San Chuin Liew
As a significant source of global carbon emissions, the construction industry’s full life cycle carbon emission assessment is crucial for addressing climate change. Although a substantial body of relevant research has been accumulated in academia, significant differences still exist among countries and regions in terms of research depth, system coverage, and tool application. Therefore, systematically reviewing the status, trends, and challenges of carbon emissions in the building sector holds important significance for achieving carbon neutrality goals. This study analyzed 80 peer‑reviewed papers using quantitative and qualitative methods to compare China’s research progress with that of other countries from the perspectives of research focus, methodological approach, and software tools. The results indicate that life‑cycle assessment (LCA) has become the mainstream analytical method worldwide; however, methodological subjectivity in defining system boundaries continues to limit result comparability. Chinese studies tend to emphasize emissions in the construction phase, while international research concentrates on operational and maintenance stages, revealing different developmental priorities between emerging and mature construction markets. In terms of technical tools, China still relies heavily on domestic platforms such as Glodon and less on advanced simulation tools like SimaPro or EnergyPlus, suggesting opportunities for deeper integration with international standards and digital technologies. Overall, these patterns highlight a global convergence toward comprehensive, tool‑assisted life‑cycle carbon assessment, yet also expose the uneven pace of methodological and technological advancements across regions. By quantifying these gaps, this study provides empirical and strategic insights to support the green and low‑carbon transformation of the global construction industry.
{"title":"A comparative review of whole-life-cycle carbon emission assessment in the building sector: progress, challenges, and trends in China and globally","authors":"Yueping Luo , Victor Nee Shin Bong , Jibril Adewale Bamgbade , Morshed Alam , San Chuin Liew","doi":"10.1016/j.buildenv.2026.114294","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.buildenv.2026.114294","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>As a significant source of global carbon emissions, the construction industry’s full life cycle carbon emission assessment is crucial for addressing climate change. Although a substantial body of relevant research has been accumulated in academia, significant differences still exist among countries and regions in terms of research depth, system coverage, and tool application. Therefore, systematically reviewing the status, trends, and challenges of carbon emissions in the building sector holds important significance for achieving carbon neutrality goals. This study analyzed 80 peer‑reviewed papers using quantitative and qualitative methods to compare China’s research progress with that of other countries from the perspectives of research focus, methodological approach, and software tools. The results indicate that life‑cycle assessment (LCA) has become the mainstream analytical method worldwide; however, methodological subjectivity in defining system boundaries continues to limit result comparability. Chinese studies tend to emphasize emissions in the construction phase, while international research concentrates on operational and maintenance stages, revealing different developmental priorities between emerging and mature construction markets. In terms of technical tools, China still relies heavily on domestic platforms such as Glodon and less on advanced simulation tools like SimaPro or EnergyPlus, suggesting opportunities for deeper integration with international standards and digital technologies. Overall, these patterns highlight a global convergence toward comprehensive, tool‑assisted life‑cycle carbon assessment, yet also expose the uneven pace of methodological and technological advancements across regions. By quantifying these gaps, this study provides empirical and strategic insights to support the green and low‑carbon transformation of the global construction industry.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":9273,"journal":{"name":"Building and Environment","volume":"292 ","pages":"Article 114294"},"PeriodicalIF":7.6,"publicationDate":"2026-03-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146076658","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-03-15Epub Date: 2026-01-02DOI: 10.1016/j.buildenv.2026.114196
Huan Tong , Fan Xia , Andrew Mitchell , Francesco Aletta , Tin Oberman , Jian Kang
<div><div>Urban environments are used by a large number of diverse people, but existing soundscape prediction models are focused on perceptual outcomes of an idealised average individual. With respect to developing group-level soundscape prediction models, it remains unclear which factors are important for predicting soundscapes and which types of models perform better for that task. Therefore, by relying on the International Soundscape Database, this study aims at determining which factors can be used to predict soundscape and which model performs better at the group level. In this study, methods, such as correlation analysis, are used to select demographic, acoustic, visual, and geographic information factors that are significantly correlated with soundscapes. Subsequently, this study compares the performances of four models—linear regression, random forest, XGBoost, and gaussian process regression (GPR)—in soundscape prediction tasks conducted at the individual and group levels. The results show that the equivalent sound pressure level (<span><math><mrow><mo>|</mo><mi>r</mi><mo>|</mo><mo>></mo><mn>0.31</mn></mrow></math></span>), roughness (<span><math><mrow><mo>|</mo><mi>r</mi><mo>|</mo><mo>></mo><mn>0.34</mn></mrow></math></span>), total harmonic distortion (<span><math><mrow><mo>|</mo><mi>r</mi><mo>|</mo><mo>></mo><mn>0.31</mn></mrow></math></span>), relative approach (<span><math><mrow><mo>|</mo><mi>r</mi><mo>|</mo><mo>></mo><mn>0.30</mn></mrow></math></span>) and vegetation (<span><math><mrow><mo>|</mo><mi>r</mi><mo>|</mo><mo>></mo><mn>0.48</mn></mrow></math></span>) are important to the soundscape prediction. The performance of the GPR model is better than the other three models at the individual level <span><math><mrow><mo>(</mo><msubsup><mi>R</mi><mrow><mi>ISOPleasant</mi></mrow><mn>2</mn></msubsup><mo>=</mo><mn>0.36</mn></mrow></math></span>, <span><math><mrow><msub><mi>MAE</mi><mi>ISOPleasant</mi></msub><mo>=</mo><mn>0.26</mn></mrow></math></span>, <span><math><mrow><msub><mi>RMSE</mi><mi>ISOPleasant</mi></msub><mo>=</mo><mn>0.33</mn></mrow></math></span>, <span><math><mrow><msubsup><mi>R</mi><mrow><mi>ISOEventful</mi></mrow><mn>2</mn></msubsup><mo>=</mo><mn>0.18</mn></mrow></math></span>, <span><math><mrow><msub><mi>MAE</mi><mi>ISOEventful</mi></msub><mo>=</mo><mn>0.23</mn></mrow></math></span>, <span><math><mrow><msub><mi>RMSE</mi><mi>ISOEventful</mi></msub><mrow><mo>=</mo><mn>0.29</mn><mo>)</mo></mrow></mrow></math></span>. At the group level, the performance of the GPR model is also relatively high (<span><math><mrow><mi>K</mi><msub><mi>L</mi><mrow><mi>I</mi><mi>S</mi><mi>O</mi><mi>P</mi><mi>l</mi><mi>e</mi><mi>a</mi><mi>s</mi><mi>a</mi><mi>n</mi><mi>t</mi></mrow></msub><mo>=</mo><mn>0.81</mn><mo>,</mo><mi>D</mi><mi>M</mi><msub><mi>E</mi><mrow><mi>I</mi><mi>S</mi><mi>O</mi><mi>P</mi><mi>l</mi><mi>e</mi><mi>a</mi><mi>s</mi><mi>a</mi><mi>n</mi><mi>t</mi></mrow></msub><mo>=</mo><mn>0.26</mn><mo>,</mo><mi>D</mi><mi>M</
{"title":"Machine learning for predicting soundscape: From individual-level deterministic models to group-level probabilistic models","authors":"Huan Tong , Fan Xia , Andrew Mitchell , Francesco Aletta , Tin Oberman , Jian Kang","doi":"10.1016/j.buildenv.2026.114196","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.buildenv.2026.114196","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Urban environments are used by a large number of diverse people, but existing soundscape prediction models are focused on perceptual outcomes of an idealised average individual. With respect to developing group-level soundscape prediction models, it remains unclear which factors are important for predicting soundscapes and which types of models perform better for that task. Therefore, by relying on the International Soundscape Database, this study aims at determining which factors can be used to predict soundscape and which model performs better at the group level. In this study, methods, such as correlation analysis, are used to select demographic, acoustic, visual, and geographic information factors that are significantly correlated with soundscapes. Subsequently, this study compares the performances of four models—linear regression, random forest, XGBoost, and gaussian process regression (GPR)—in soundscape prediction tasks conducted at the individual and group levels. The results show that the equivalent sound pressure level (<span><math><mrow><mo>|</mo><mi>r</mi><mo>|</mo><mo>></mo><mn>0.31</mn></mrow></math></span>), roughness (<span><math><mrow><mo>|</mo><mi>r</mi><mo>|</mo><mo>></mo><mn>0.34</mn></mrow></math></span>), total harmonic distortion (<span><math><mrow><mo>|</mo><mi>r</mi><mo>|</mo><mo>></mo><mn>0.31</mn></mrow></math></span>), relative approach (<span><math><mrow><mo>|</mo><mi>r</mi><mo>|</mo><mo>></mo><mn>0.30</mn></mrow></math></span>) and vegetation (<span><math><mrow><mo>|</mo><mi>r</mi><mo>|</mo><mo>></mo><mn>0.48</mn></mrow></math></span>) are important to the soundscape prediction. The performance of the GPR model is better than the other three models at the individual level <span><math><mrow><mo>(</mo><msubsup><mi>R</mi><mrow><mi>ISOPleasant</mi></mrow><mn>2</mn></msubsup><mo>=</mo><mn>0.36</mn></mrow></math></span>, <span><math><mrow><msub><mi>MAE</mi><mi>ISOPleasant</mi></msub><mo>=</mo><mn>0.26</mn></mrow></math></span>, <span><math><mrow><msub><mi>RMSE</mi><mi>ISOPleasant</mi></msub><mo>=</mo><mn>0.33</mn></mrow></math></span>, <span><math><mrow><msubsup><mi>R</mi><mrow><mi>ISOEventful</mi></mrow><mn>2</mn></msubsup><mo>=</mo><mn>0.18</mn></mrow></math></span>, <span><math><mrow><msub><mi>MAE</mi><mi>ISOEventful</mi></msub><mo>=</mo><mn>0.23</mn></mrow></math></span>, <span><math><mrow><msub><mi>RMSE</mi><mi>ISOEventful</mi></msub><mrow><mo>=</mo><mn>0.29</mn><mo>)</mo></mrow></mrow></math></span>. At the group level, the performance of the GPR model is also relatively high (<span><math><mrow><mi>K</mi><msub><mi>L</mi><mrow><mi>I</mi><mi>S</mi><mi>O</mi><mi>P</mi><mi>l</mi><mi>e</mi><mi>a</mi><mi>s</mi><mi>a</mi><mi>n</mi><mi>t</mi></mrow></msub><mo>=</mo><mn>0.81</mn><mo>,</mo><mi>D</mi><mi>M</mi><msub><mi>E</mi><mrow><mi>I</mi><mi>S</mi><mi>O</mi><mi>P</mi><mi>l</mi><mi>e</mi><mi>a</mi><mi>s</mi><mi>a</mi><mi>n</mi><mi>t</mi></mrow></msub><mo>=</mo><mn>0.26</mn><mo>,</mo><mi>D</mi><mi>M</","PeriodicalId":9273,"journal":{"name":"Building and Environment","volume":"292 ","pages":"Article 114196"},"PeriodicalIF":7.6,"publicationDate":"2026-03-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146185646","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-03-15Epub Date: 2026-01-27DOI: 10.1016/j.buildenv.2026.114291
N. Cihan Kayaçetin , Rengin Aslanoğlu , Chiara Piccardo , Yasemin Afacan , Gabriele Masera , Qiuxian Li , Carlo Andrea Biraghi , Francesco Pittau , Dirk Saelens , Veronica Soebarto , Jian Zuo , Ruidong Chang , Hanne Vrebos , Karel Van Acker , Rizal Sebastian , Jeroen Dikken , Loredana Ivan , Luc Alaerts , Duygu Aral , Liliya Terzieva , Joost van Hoof
The rapid urbanisation of our societies calls for an urban renewal movement, including developing new areas to accommodate housing facilities and services and regenerating existing urban areas. Yet, urban renewal projects pose trade-offs impacting both environmental and socio-economic aspects. The renovation and new construction of buildings can escalate the use of energy and material resources as well as increasing greenhouse gas emissions. The European Union plays a leading role in promoting the transition towards sustainable and inclusive cities, whereas other regions such as North America, Australia and Asia follow suit via Circular Economy Action Plans or Frameworks, highlighting the need to enhance resource efficiency in buildings through the use of durable and circular materials. Current research on resource efficiency in buildings follows the Circular Economy concept, which aims to reduce the use of raw materials and the waste of existing materials while retaining their value for as long as possible. However, the role of the circular economy in sustainable transition and the adoption of its principles in urban contexts remain unclear while its practical implementation still faces significant challenges, including the lack of analytical instruments and assessment methods as well as co-creative approaches. This ‘Ten Questions contribution’ provides an overview of the pressing issues concerning circularity in the built environment, the state-of-the-art and best practices, challenges and benefits, policies and regulations, as well as numerous strategies applied on the building and neighbourhood level, assessment methodologies and future trends.
{"title":"Ten questions concerning circularity in the built environment","authors":"N. Cihan Kayaçetin , Rengin Aslanoğlu , Chiara Piccardo , Yasemin Afacan , Gabriele Masera , Qiuxian Li , Carlo Andrea Biraghi , Francesco Pittau , Dirk Saelens , Veronica Soebarto , Jian Zuo , Ruidong Chang , Hanne Vrebos , Karel Van Acker , Rizal Sebastian , Jeroen Dikken , Loredana Ivan , Luc Alaerts , Duygu Aral , Liliya Terzieva , Joost van Hoof","doi":"10.1016/j.buildenv.2026.114291","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.buildenv.2026.114291","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The rapid urbanisation of our societies calls for an urban renewal movement, including developing new areas to accommodate housing facilities and services and regenerating existing urban areas. Yet, urban renewal projects pose trade-offs impacting both environmental and socio-economic aspects. The renovation and new construction of buildings can escalate the use of energy and material resources as well as increasing greenhouse gas emissions. The European Union plays a leading role in promoting the transition towards sustainable and inclusive cities, whereas other regions such as North America, Australia and Asia follow suit via Circular Economy Action Plans or Frameworks, highlighting the need to enhance resource efficiency in buildings through the use of durable and circular materials. Current research on resource efficiency in buildings follows the Circular Economy concept, which aims to reduce the use of raw materials and the waste of existing materials while retaining their value for as long as possible. However, the role of the circular economy in sustainable transition and the adoption of its principles in urban contexts remain unclear while its practical implementation still faces significant challenges, including the lack of analytical instruments and assessment methods as well as co-creative approaches. This ‘Ten Questions contribution’ provides an overview of the pressing issues concerning circularity in the built environment, the state-of-the-art and best practices, challenges and benefits, policies and regulations, as well as numerous strategies applied on the building and neighbourhood level, assessment methodologies and future trends.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":9273,"journal":{"name":"Building and Environment","volume":"292 ","pages":"Article 114291"},"PeriodicalIF":7.6,"publicationDate":"2026-03-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146185648","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-03-15Epub Date: 2026-01-20DOI: 10.1016/j.buildenv.2026.114271
Zhihao Wang, Siti Sarah Herman, Noranita Mansor, Shuaijie Yan
The built environment significantly influences the health and well-being of autistic people. Among its many dimensions, the intensity, density, scale, and spatial configuration of sensory stimuli directly impact autistic people’s sensory perception and environmental adaptability. Despite growing recognition of sensory needs in inclusive design discourse, studies on how built environments can support appropriate sensory conditions for autistic people remain limited. To bridge this gap, this study uses a scoping review to identify, synthesize, and analyze existing studies on autistic people’s sensory experiences and related design considerations, thereby identifying key characteristics that enhance sensory inclusivity in built environments. Following the PRISMA-ScR methodology, 77 studies were included. The findings highlight the need to design sensory-inclusive built environments that holistically support autistic people’s well-being across three interrelated dimensions: physical, psychological, and social. Four primary sensory modalities were identified as central to environmental experiences: visual, auditory, tactile, and olfactory. Across these modalities, eleven key environmental factors were identified: lighting, color, visual complexity, material, thermal, spatial configuration, acoustic parameters, sound source attributes, functional area odors, wayfinding, and natural elements. These factors are operationalized through six design qualities: safety, sensory balance, adjustability, predictability, controllability, and recovery. The outcomes of this review provide architects, designers, policymakers, and stakeholders with guidance for developing more inclusive built environments that promote the well-being of autistic people.
{"title":"Sensory stimuli in the built environment for autistic people: A scoping review","authors":"Zhihao Wang, Siti Sarah Herman, Noranita Mansor, Shuaijie Yan","doi":"10.1016/j.buildenv.2026.114271","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.buildenv.2026.114271","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The built environment significantly influences the health and well-being of autistic people. Among its many dimensions, the intensity, density, scale, and spatial configuration of sensory stimuli directly impact autistic people’s sensory perception and environmental adaptability. Despite growing recognition of sensory needs in inclusive design discourse, studies on how built environments can support appropriate sensory conditions for autistic people remain limited. To bridge this gap, this study uses a scoping review to identify, synthesize, and analyze existing studies on autistic people’s sensory experiences and related design considerations, thereby identifying key characteristics that enhance sensory inclusivity in built environments. Following the PRISMA-ScR methodology, 77 studies were included. The findings highlight the need to design sensory-inclusive built environments that holistically support autistic people’s well-being across three interrelated dimensions: physical, psychological, and social. Four primary sensory modalities were identified as central to environmental experiences: visual, auditory, tactile, and olfactory. Across these modalities, eleven key environmental factors were identified: lighting, color, visual complexity, material, thermal, spatial configuration, acoustic parameters, sound source attributes, functional area odors, wayfinding, and natural elements. These factors are operationalized through six design qualities: safety, sensory balance, adjustability, predictability, controllability, and recovery. The outcomes of this review provide architects, designers, policymakers, and stakeholders with guidance for developing more inclusive built environments that promote the well-being of autistic people.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":9273,"journal":{"name":"Building and Environment","volume":"292 ","pages":"Article 114271"},"PeriodicalIF":7.6,"publicationDate":"2026-03-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146076653","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-03-15Epub Date: 2026-01-24DOI: 10.1016/j.buildenv.2026.114287
Yinqiao Zhou , Wei Cao , Jiandong Zhou
Urban heat mitigation has become a key issue for high-density cities. Understanding the impact mechanisms and thresholds of urban land use patterns on the surface thermal environment is crucial for cities to formulate climate response planning and design strategies. Multi-source remote sensing data of Shanghai, China were used to retrieve the land surface temperature (LST) and the 2D/3D morphological indicators. The Random Forest-SHAP method was applied to explore the multi-scale and multi-seasonal impacts and threshold effects of urban morphology on surface thermal effect intensity (STEI). The results showed that: (1) Construction land was the major contributor to urban warming in Shanghai, whereas water bodies were the main cooling factor; vegetation contributed relatively little to STEI and exhibited seasonal variations. (2) The impacts of 2D and 3D morphological indicators on STEI exhibited significant scale effects. At a small scale (300 m), 3D morphological indicators were the most influential in summer (52.57%), whereas at a large scale (2400 m), 2D morphological indicators played the most important role in spring (90.64%). The average importance of 2D morphological indicators (73.01%) was greater than that of 3D morphological indicators (26.99%). (3) The leading morphological indicators influencing STEI varied across seasons. STEI was primarily influenced by the 2D composition index of water bodies in spring, by the 3D building index in summer, and by both the 2D and 3D building indices in autumn and winter. (4) Threshold effects were identified in the influences of 2D and 3D morphological indicators on STEI, with thresholds varying across scales and seasons. These findings reveal the nonlinear impact mechanisms of urban land morphology on STEI, which can provide a reference for urban planning theory and practice aimed at heat mitigation.
{"title":"The multi-scale and multi seasonal effects of 2D/3D morphology on urban thermal environment: Mechanism, importance and thresholds","authors":"Yinqiao Zhou , Wei Cao , Jiandong Zhou","doi":"10.1016/j.buildenv.2026.114287","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.buildenv.2026.114287","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Urban heat mitigation has become a key issue for high-density cities. Understanding the impact mechanisms and thresholds of urban land use patterns on the surface thermal environment is crucial for cities to formulate climate response planning and design strategies. Multi-source remote sensing data of Shanghai, China were used to retrieve the land surface temperature (LST) and the 2D/3D morphological indicators. The Random Forest-SHAP method was applied to explore the multi-scale and multi-seasonal impacts and threshold effects of urban morphology on surface thermal effect intensity (STEI). The results showed that: (1) Construction land was the major contributor to urban warming in Shanghai, whereas water bodies were the main cooling factor; vegetation contributed relatively little to STEI and exhibited seasonal variations. (2) The impacts of 2D and 3D morphological indicators on STEI exhibited significant scale effects. At a small scale (300 m), 3D morphological indicators were the most influential in summer (52.57%), whereas at a large scale (2400 m), 2D morphological indicators played the most important role in spring (90.64%). The average importance of 2D morphological indicators (73.01%) was greater than that of 3D morphological indicators (26.99%). (3) The leading morphological indicators influencing STEI varied across seasons. STEI was primarily influenced by the 2D composition index of water bodies in spring, by the 3D building index in summer, and by both the 2D and 3D building indices in autumn and winter. (4) Threshold effects were identified in the influences of 2D and 3D morphological indicators on STEI, with thresholds varying across scales and seasons. These findings reveal the nonlinear impact mechanisms of urban land morphology on STEI, which can provide a reference for urban planning theory and practice aimed at heat mitigation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":9273,"journal":{"name":"Building and Environment","volume":"292 ","pages":"Article 114287"},"PeriodicalIF":7.6,"publicationDate":"2026-03-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146076657","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-03-15Epub Date: 2026-01-23DOI: 10.1016/j.buildenv.2026.114284
Qingwen Xue , Feng (Eva) Wang , Jihong Wang , Florin Bode , Tengfei (Tim) Zhang
The sleep quality is strongly impacted by the comfort and indoor air quality inside bedroom and thus the ventilation conditions. The simplified mechanical ventilation by adopting an air-conditioner and an outdoor air blower provides an affordable means to condition the bedroom. So far, no systematic studies have optimized such simplified mechanical ventilation design, which involves dual jet sources with different air temperatures. This study optimized the simplified mechanical ventilation in a typical residential bedroom located in two climate zones in China. The design variables included the installation position and supply air jet direction of the air-conditioner, as well as the installation position and opening size of the outdoor air blower. A multi-objective genetic algorithm (MIGA-II) was employed for the optimization, with a Kriging surrogate model to speed up the solution. The design was to ensure the sleeping adult thermally comfortable and the inhaling CO2 concentration as low as possible. Measurements were conducted in lab to obtain data to validate the results. This study found that the air-conditioner should be installed on the long side of the room to form small circulation zones along the short sections of the room, while the outdoor air blower should be installed adjacent to the air-conditioner to make use of the air-conditioning jets to deliver the outdoor air to the breathing zone. As compared with the regular design, the optimal design enhanced thermal comfort by more than 10 % and inhaling air quality by over 60 %.
{"title":"Design of a simplified mechanical ventilation system for a bedroom by a multi-objective genetic algorithm","authors":"Qingwen Xue , Feng (Eva) Wang , Jihong Wang , Florin Bode , Tengfei (Tim) Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.buildenv.2026.114284","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.buildenv.2026.114284","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The sleep quality is strongly impacted by the comfort and indoor air quality inside bedroom and thus the ventilation conditions. The simplified mechanical ventilation by adopting an air-conditioner and an outdoor air blower provides an affordable means to condition the bedroom. So far, no systematic studies have optimized such simplified mechanical ventilation design, which involves dual jet sources with different air temperatures. This study optimized the simplified mechanical ventilation in a typical residential bedroom located in two climate zones in China. The design variables included the installation position and supply air jet direction of the air-conditioner, as well as the installation position and opening size of the outdoor air blower. A multi-objective genetic algorithm (MIGA-II) was employed for the optimization, with a Kriging surrogate model to speed up the solution. The design was to ensure the sleeping adult thermally comfortable and the inhaling CO<sub>2</sub> concentration as low as possible. Measurements were conducted in lab to obtain data to validate the results. This study found that the air-conditioner should be installed on the long side of the room to form small circulation zones along the short sections of the room, while the outdoor air blower should be installed adjacent to the air-conditioner to make use of the air-conditioning jets to deliver the outdoor air to the breathing zone. As compared with the regular design, the optimal design enhanced thermal comfort by more than 10 % and inhaling air quality by over 60 %.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":9273,"journal":{"name":"Building and Environment","volume":"292 ","pages":"Article 114284"},"PeriodicalIF":7.6,"publicationDate":"2026-03-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146186030","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-03-15Epub Date: 2026-01-24DOI: 10.1016/j.buildenv.2026.114289
Siqi Huang , Mingxing Zhang , Cuiping Yan , Junzhe Fan , Shu Liu , Xingla Li
In traditional low-velocity supply systems, non-directional exhaust inflow reduces control performance. This study investigates a low-velocity jet-assisted curtain formed along the perimeter of an exhaust hood to enhance capture efficiency. The auxiliary jet formed along the hood edge effectively enhanced the stability of the capture flow and improved the pollutant control performance. Through experimental measurements and CFD simulations, the results show that capture efficiency is significantly improved only when the curtain outlet velocity reaches a critical value, with further increases having little effect on the centerline velocity. Airflow rate, jet outlet angle, outlet width, and hood equivalent diameter significantly influence both critical velocity and centerline velocity: airflow rate and hood diameter positively correlate, while outlet angle and width inversely affect critical velocity and system energy consumption. Box-Behnken response surface analysis confirms that hood average velocity, outlet angle, outlet width, and hood size significantly impact critical velocity, ranked as hood velocity > outlet angle > outlet width > hood size and he model exhibited a high goodness of fit (R²> 0.95). The jet-assisted configuration increased capture efficiency by 9.7%-33.41%, indicating a significant improvement in contaminant control. When the pollutant source intensity was high, effective control required increasing both the supply and exhaust flow rates. Optimal airflow for 48 common industrial sources was identified, offering practical guidance for efficient system operation.
{"title":"Flow dynamics and performance optimization of jet-assisted exhaust hoods under low-velocity ventilation","authors":"Siqi Huang , Mingxing Zhang , Cuiping Yan , Junzhe Fan , Shu Liu , Xingla Li","doi":"10.1016/j.buildenv.2026.114289","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.buildenv.2026.114289","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In traditional low-velocity supply systems, non-directional exhaust inflow reduces control performance. This study investigates a low-velocity jet-assisted curtain formed along the perimeter of an exhaust hood to enhance capture efficiency. The auxiliary jet formed along the hood edge effectively enhanced the stability of the capture flow and improved the pollutant control performance. Through experimental measurements and CFD simulations, the results show that capture efficiency is significantly improved only when the curtain outlet velocity reaches a critical value, with further increases having little effect on the centerline velocity. Airflow rate, jet outlet angle, outlet width, and hood equivalent diameter significantly influence both critical velocity and centerline velocity: airflow rate and hood diameter positively correlate, while outlet angle and width inversely affect critical velocity and system energy consumption. Box-Behnken response surface analysis confirms that hood average velocity, outlet angle, outlet width, and hood size significantly impact critical velocity, ranked as hood velocity > outlet angle > outlet width > hood size and he model exhibited a high goodness of fit (R²> 0.95). The jet-assisted configuration increased capture efficiency by 9.7%-33.41%, indicating a significant improvement in contaminant control. When the pollutant source intensity was high, effective control required increasing both the supply and exhaust flow rates. Optimal airflow for 48 common industrial sources was identified, offering practical guidance for efficient system operation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":9273,"journal":{"name":"Building and Environment","volume":"292 ","pages":"Article 114289"},"PeriodicalIF":7.6,"publicationDate":"2026-03-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146076654","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}