Abstract: Moisture damage in buildings has conventionally been discussed mainly in relation to winter condensation in cold climates. In hot-humid buildings, however, deterioration develops under different boundary conditions, including persistently warm and humid outdoor air, frequent rainfall, air-conditioning operation, air leakage, and limited drying after wetting. As climate change increases atmospheric moisture loading and weakens nighttime recovery, these conditions are becoming more consequential not only in established hot-humid regions but also in regions shifting toward more persistently humid climates. This review examines moisture damage in hot-humid buildings as a coupled problem linking climate change, building-envelope moisture response, risk assessment, microbial implications, and building adaptation. Representative scenarios include biological contamination on exterior surfaces, summer condensation and moisture accumulation within envelope assemblies, localized dampness at indoor surfaces and behind furniture, and moisture stagnation in semi-enclosed spaces. These phenomena are interpreted not as isolated defects, but as manifestations of drying deficit. The review discusses climatic drivers, building-physics mechanisms, and major moisture and mold risk indices, including the Fungal Index, VTT Mold Index, IBP-type approaches, MRD, and DR-SIM. It also highlights implications for envelope design, retrofit, ventilation, dehumidification, and operation. Overall, moisture damage in hot-humid buildings is best understood as the outcome of climate-driven drying deficit.

Abstract: Construction and demolition waste (CDW) is the largest single waste stream in the European Union by weight (~39% of all EU waste), yet the EU’s circular material use rate stood at only 12.2% in 2024 — less than half its 2030 target. Despite two decades of legislative ambition, the 70% recovery target under Directive 2008/98/EC has not been genuinely achieved: apparent compliance by most Member States conceals widespread downcycling and inconsistent reporting. This review identifies five persistent barrier domains — legal, technical, social, behavioural, and economic — with regulatory fragmentation and secondary material devaluation as the most structurally entrenched. A decisive paradigm shift is observed in recent research, from material characterisation towards systemic circularity, digital demolition frameworks, and governance. Emerging technologies — including AI-powered sorting, Building Information Modelling, Digital Twins, and Digital Product Passports — hold transformative potential, while Design for Deconstruction represents a critical upstream strategy the sector has yet to mainstream. The forthcoming EU Circular Economy Act will introduce legally binding obligations for Member States. The 2026 Strait of Hormuz energy crisis has reframed CDW from an environmental concern into a strategic industrial imperative: as virgin material costs surge, secondary CDW materials offer economic and geopolitical advantage. Future research must prioritise collaborative governance, longitudinal data, and scalable digital solutions.

Abstract: This study examines a cold-press manufacturing method for laminated bamboo and bamboo-timber composites, together with a cradle-to-gate carbon footprint analysis of the produced materials. The proposed material systems are assessed as alternatives to conventional engineered bamboo and to widely used construction materials such as structural steel, concrete, and aluminum. Existing engineered bamboo products are typically manufactured using hot pressing and formaldehyde-based adhesives, both of which contribute to their environmental burden. The present work, therefore, considers a more practical and environmentally responsible route based on lower-energy processing and lower-emission adhesive systems. Following a cradle-to-gate carbon footprint analysis of the produced materials, the embodied carbon values obtained for the four systems are 404.8, 310.8, 264.8, and 197.5 kg CO₂e/m³ for BBE, BPA, CBE, and CPA specimens, respectively. Relative to conventional hot-pressed laminated bamboo, these values, respectively, correspond to embodied-carbon reductions of 32.0%, 47.8%, 55.5%, and 66.8%. When the biogenic carbon stored in the bamboo and pine biomass is included, the net carbon balances become −484.0, −619.0, −646.1, and −631.2 kg CO₂e/m³, respectively. These results show that the proposed engineered bamboo and bamboo-timber composites offer a feasible low-carbon option for construction applications.

Abstract: Building energy conservation and emission reduction have become global priorities. Conventional sports facilities, owing to their substantial spatial dimensions, predominantly depend on mechanical HVAC systems, leading to elevated energy consumption and operational expenses. Consequently, the judicious application of natural ventilation is crucial for attaining a sustainable transformation of these structures. This study focuses on the National Fitness Center in Shenyang, a representative city located in a chilly climate. Utilizing the Ladybug Tools platform alongside computational fluid dynamics (CFD) numerical simulation techniques, multi-scenario simulations are performed for omnidirectional wind conditions and two varieties of window openings. An analysis is conducted on the indoor airflow distribution and wind speed characteristics across several functional regions of the large-space gymnasium under different wind directions. The study developed methodologies for identifying optimal ventilation durations and target wind velocities annually, quantified the influence of incident wind angles on ventilation efficacy, confirmed that appropriate building orientation can enhance ventilation efficiency by roughly 45%, and clarified the mechanisms and selection criteria for window types affecting indoor airflow patterns. The research findings offer a solid theoretical foundation and practical technical assistance for the ventilation design of national fitness centers to accommodate climatic conditions.

Abstract: The ongoing energy crisis triggered by disruptions around the Strait of Hormuz is reshaping the economics of the global construction sector. Rising energy costs and supply chain disruptions are increasing production costs for conventional building materials such as cement, steel, and plastics, all of which are highly energy-intensive. This context intensifies the strategic relevance of materials capable of sequestering carbon over their life cycle, which offer the dual benefit of reduced energy consumption in manufacture and long-term climate benefit. Against this backdrop, this paper provides an updated overview of the accelerating global warming crisis, incorporating the most recent scientific evidence, and presents a comprehensive account of distinct classes of cementitious construction materials with CO₂ sequestration capacity. This paper also addresses the principal barriers to large-scale deployment and explores the landmark EU Energy Performance of Buildings Directive underscores the persistent lack of robust global regulations requiring real estate investors to disclose embodied carbon emissions.

Abstract: The article presents the results of research on the course of variability of planned and actual cost during the implementation of sustainable construction projects. The correlation of cost-time parameters in implementation in a group of 41 investment tasks, classified into five typologically homogeneous construction sectors in Poland, completed in the years 2006 – 2025, was examined. All of these enterprises have been designed and carried out within sustainable requirements and all fulfilled either platinum or gold LEED certification. The logistic centres have been executed in line with BREEAM certification. The course of cost volatility and the functions of the cost trend during the implementation of sustainable investment tasks were determined. Proven managerial tools were used, well described scientifically – the S-curve and the EVM method. The result of the research achievement is to confirm the correctness of the main thesis of the research: cost and time of implementation are not completely interdependent parameters and show great variability during the implementation of typologically diverse, although uniformly balanced construction projects. Finally – as regard sustainability – there is no correlation between sustainable design with execution and cost course of construction projects. Deep analysis of construction costs variability of sustainable diverse enterprises led to the main conclusion: design and construction of sustainable projects in accordance to LEED or BREEAM certification do not guarantee execution projects in line with their planned cost, no matter what sector the project belongs to.

Abstract: The construction sector plays a central role in global resource depletion and waste generation, with construction and demolition activities accounting for more than one-third of total waste produced in the European Union. Despite growing interest in circular construction, one of the major barriers to large-scale material reuse is the lack of reliable information on the type, quantity, location, and availability of secondary materials in the urban environment. Existing planning tools rarely integrate material stock information into design and policy decision-making processes. Addressing this gap is essential for implementing circular economy strategies and enabling urban mining practices. This study presents the application of a spatially explicit bottom-up Material Stock Analysis (MSA) to quantify and map the embedded materials within an urban district of Milan. The research results in the creation of a secondary material cadaster and the estimation of material stock. The adopted methodology combines municipal GIS datasets, historical cartography, building archetype classification, and literature-derived material intensity coefficients. The final dataset is re-integrated into a geospatial environment to visualize material distributions and generate material-specific spatial analyses and heat maps. The study intends to support architects, urban designers, planners, and policymakers with decision-support information to guide design strategies, demolition planning, and resource governance at the district and metropolitan scales. The outcome aims at bridging architectural design knowledge with urban-scale material information through a replicable GIS-based workflow.

Abstract: The thermo-mechanical behavior of masonry materials is investigated through an in-tegrated experimental testing and numerical modelling approach. The study focuses on the characterization of masonry under fire exposure, where coupled thermal and mechanical effects govern material response and failure mechanisms. A multi-scale framework is proposed to link physico-chemical transformations, material-level prop-erties, and structural-scale behavior. The experimental component includes full-scale fire-resistance tests on load-bearing masonry walls, providing temperature evolution, deformation histories, and observed damage patterns. These results enable the identi-fication of key mechanisms such as stiffness degradation, cracking, and the influence of thermal gradients on structural response. The experimental observations are used to support the development and calibration of numerical models capable of representing temperature-dependent behavior and strain-rate effects. In addition, non-destructive testing techniques are incorporated to relate internal damage to measurable diagnostic signals, enhancing material characterization and structural assessment. Although the present study is limited to structural-scale validation, the proposed approach demon-strates how combined experimental and numerical strategies can be used to develop consistent constitutive descriptions of masonry materials. The results contribute to improved understanding and modelling of engineering materials subjected to coupled thermo-mechanical loading.

Abstract: The construction industry is a key energy consumer and greenhouse gas emitter, and its green low-carbon transformation is critical to achieving China's "dual carbon" strategy. This study focuses on carbon emissions from the construction industry in Hunan Province, central China, using data from 2005 to 2022. An improved STIRPAT extended model combined with ridge regression is applied to identify key driving factors, and a CNN-LSTM-Attention hybrid model is constructed for multi-scenario carbon peak prediction from 2023 to 2040. The results show that industrial scale, urbanization rate, and energy intensity are the top three influencing factors, with energy intensity being the only significant inhibitory factor. Carbon emissions will continue to rise without peak under the high-carbon scenario, peak in 2035 under the baseline scenario, and peak in 2030 under the low-carbon scenario. The low-carbon scenario is the optimal path to meet Hunan's 2030 carbon peak target for the construction industry. Targeted policy suggestions are proposed for regional low-carbon development.

Abstract: Urban morphology significantly influences climate processes, and multiple climate elements respond to and provide feedback on urban morphology. In this study, we propose a methodology for monitoring and quantifying the indicators of urban climate elements. Considering the Tiexi District of Shenyang City as the study area, we explore the correlation between urban morphology and various climate elements, screen common indicators of urban morphology parameters as variables and establishe a multiple regression model for urban morphology and climate elements. The results show that the multiple regression model has a good explanation ability for the indicators of climate elements, and the building density, normalised difference vegetation index, impervious surface fraction and sky view factor are the common indicators of the microclimate elements. The road network density and sky view factor are the common indicators of atmospheric environment elements. Further, a mathematical method of multi-objective optimisation is used to integrate the regression functions of various climate-element indicators to obtain a Pareto-optimal urban morphology. Ultimately, the optimised surface temperature, surface humidity, CO2 pollution and PM2.5 pollution magnitudes are determined to be 5.84%, 18.95%, 42.65% and 13.68%, respectively. Thus, we explore a synergistic optimisation method for multiple climate elements considering spatial planning.

Abstract: The advancement of technology has improved the supply chain of major sectors of the economy, including construction. Thus, digital technology may advance the transition from the conventional practices to the Construction 4.0 environment, particularly in developing countries. Studies are scarce concerning the role of technology as a key driver of digital transformation in Construction 4.0 Adoption in the South African construction sector. Thus, this study appraises digital technologies for construction project execution and sheds light on the role of technology as a key driver of digital transformation in Construction 4.0 Adoption in the South African construction sector. The study utilised a qualitative approach and included face-to-face semi-structured interviews with 50 participants in South Africa who are knowledgeable in Construc-tion 4.0 and digital technology. The researchers also adopted thematic analysis using Atlas.ti and NVivo to analyse the data. The findings reveal that the benefits of digital technologies for construction project execution in the South African construction sector, and, by extension, for transforming conventional practices into Construction 4.0, can-not be overstated if well embraced and implemented. Findings also identified the key technologies driving digital transformation in Construction 4.0 Adoption in the South African construction sector, grouping them into six sub-themes. This study contributes to the theoretical discourse on technology as a primary driver of digital transformation in the context of Construction 4.0 adoption. It also offers practical insights into project resilience and the role of adopting digital technologies in the construction industry, particularly in the South African construction industry context.

Abstract: This study presents a reproducible simulation-based framework for visual-comfort and energy-optimised lighting design in UK residential buildings using DIALux Evo. Circadian and biophilic principles inform the conceptual approach, specifically colour temperature selection aligned with occupant comfort - but the study measures only photopic illuminance (lux) and electrical energy consumption (kWh), explicitly excluding biological circadian metrics, dynamic controls, and daylight harvesting. A controlled comparative design evaluates twenty matched lighting scenes in one-bedroom flats, compliant with EN 12464‑1 and CIBSE LG9. The DIALux-optimised designs, incorporating LED luminaires in place of CFL luminaires used in existing manual designs, reduced mean energy consumption from 10.25 kWh to 8.68 kWh — a statistically significant reduction of 15.3% (t = 5.12, p = 1.2×10⁻⁵, d = 1.61) — while increasing mean illuminance from 165.86 lux to 205.14 lux (t = 3.084, p = 1.0×10⁻⁶, d = 0.81), improving CIBSE LG9 compliance across scenes. The framework offers a standards-aligned, reproducible methodology with direct relevance to UK Net Zero objectives, Part L compliance, and residential retrofit policy, providing actionable guidance for architects, engineers, and policymakers. It is acknowledged that the observed gains reflect the combined benefit of an integrated LED-plus-simulation workflow; the absence of a same-technology comparison condition is identified as the primary design limitation.

Abstract: Artificial intelligence is increasingly incorporated into public environmental decision-making processes, directing the classification of risks, the distribution of resources, and the implementation of regulatory measures. Current policy discussions tend to emphasize predictive performance and ethical principles. Institutional conditions play a lesser role in determining the decision authority of algorithm-generated outputs. This policy review bridges this gap by examining environmental artificial intelligence as part of administrative decision processes rather than as neutral analytical software. Building on recent work on algorithmic sustainability, the review assesses how existing governance instruments engage with lifecycle environmental impacts, organizational responsibility, and procedural legitimacy. The analysis of international frameworks indicates that transparency and risk-based governance are receiving increasing attention, particularly in relation to their effectiveness in addressing environmental concerns and ensuring accountability in AI applications. At the same time, lifecycle environmental impacts remain weakly integrated into decision justification and oversight, which undermines the effectiveness of governance frameworks in addressing the environmental impacts associated with AI technologies. To overcome this limitation, the paper proposes a way of examining how artificial intelligence is integrated into decision processes. The results show that effective governance depends on aligning institutional design with sustainability objectives at the points where algorithmic outputs affect public decisions.

Abstract: Residential outdoor spaces serve as the most significant venue for home-based older adults' outdoor activities. Their livability and age-friendliness have become key topics of active discussion in recent years and a crucial aspect of urban residential renewal. This study focuses on the behavior of older adults and residential outdoor spaces, drawing on theories such as ecological psychology and environment-behavior studies. From an interactive perspective, it explores theoretical methods for the interactive renewal of residential outdoor spaces—including concepts, principles, and an Age-friendly Design Framework. Through field investigations of typical residential samples, the study examines the interaction process between older adults and outdoor spaces, identifies existing issues, and demonstrates the feasibility of integrating interactive renewal with outdoor space design. Furthermore, it proposes design strategies for the age-friendly renewal of residential outdoor spaces, thereby supplementing research on the "space-behavior" interaction and enhancing the overall age-friendly quality of residential environments.

Abstract: This paper addresses the important issue of the proper management and protection of subterranean monuments. It concerns the analysis and decoding of the microclimate that is created in heritage structures, which are structures located beneath the soil or carved into rock. The aim of this study is to understand the hygrothermal processes occurring in the mass of underground structural elements, such as evaporation, condensation, water content and heat fluxes, based on the principles of building physics. The methodology used is the following: A systematic literature review on the topic, an overview of the factors affecting the microclimate, the assessment methodology and the simulation tools used to decode and evaluate microclimate in subterranean heritage structures, a discussion of the current gaps and finally a proposal of future directions for research. A review of the literature reveals that researchers worldwide have employed similar methodologies to approach this complex issue. Recordings and analyses of the microclimate inside underground monuments lead to decision making and the formulation of actions for optimal preservation. Due to the large number of parameters involved in microclimate analysis, computer software for numerical simulation has been used in many cases. Following the review of the relevant literature in the field of study, a critical discussion concludes proposing directions for future research on this important topic. Basic results of this research identify current gaps, problems and limitations. These include technical and practical issues or gaps concerning lack of data for material properties and weather conditions. Another significant limitation arises from the complexity of physical interactions, as well as from the human factor, which involves the proper use of the simulation program and the correct interpretation of the calculation results. This study demonstrates that the microclimate of subterranean heritage structures is the result of complex interactions between climate, geology, architectural design, material properties, and human use. Across different geographical and cultural contexts, subterranean monuments exhibit distinct microclimatic behaviors. The comparative analysis of case studies highlights that while subterranean environments generally benefit from thermal stability, they remain highly vulnerable to moisture dynamics, ventilation changes, and external climatic coupling. Hence, there is a necessity of context-specific approaches rather than generalized conservation solutions. Decoding subterranean microclimates requires a multi-disciplinary framework that combines environmental monitoring, material indicators, architectural analysis and numerical modeling.

Abstract: Decarbonizing the built environment is crucial for achieving global sustainability goals, as buildings and infrastructure contribute significantly to carbon emissions. This study explores integrating direct air carbon capture, utilizing CaCO₃-based technologies, into urban buildings through passive sustainable design. A computational framework was developed to optimize architectural design and enclosure geometry for enhanced passive airflow, using mass flow rate as a proxy for carbon absorption potential. Implemented within Rhino3D and Grasshopper using Ladybug and Eddy3D, the workflow integrates weather data and CFD simulation to compute segmented mass flow rates through stacked capture trays. The framework simplifies traditionally complex CFD processes by introducing a custom segmented mass-flow calculation approach that enables comparative performance assessment during early-stage design. Results confirm the validity of the proposed workflow, revealing that façade rotation can modify total mass flow by up to 96.5%, seasonal wind variability can cause airflow to range from approximately 8.5 kg/s in January to 169.5 kg/s in May in Seattle, and tower shadowing can reduce flow by up to 60.9%, demonstrating the strong influence of enclosure design and spatial configuration on passive carbon capture potential. This research establishes a performance-driven design framework that enables architectural geometry to actively enhance passive carbon capture integration, positioning building design as a measurable contributor to climate mitigation strategies.

Abstract: This study evaluates simple exhaust, relative humidity-controlled and heat recovery ventilation systems in northern Spain (SEV, RHCV, HRV systems) through simulations of IAQ, energy, and exergy performance. The IAQ analysis reveals poor performance of the RHCV system for indoor source pollutants such as formaldehyde and TVOC. The HRV system demonstrates superior energy efficiency, with 30% lower primary energy consumption than the SEV system, though it is necessary to evaluate whether the heat recovered compensates for the increased fan energy consumption. This condition is evaluated by defining an outdoor air temperature limit value. The exergy analysis shows the HRV system requires 30% less primary exergy than the SEV system despite higher system demand. While HRV emerges as the optimal solution for balancing IAQ and energy performance, the findings highlight that source control remains necessary to effectively manage HCHO and TVOC concentrations. The research provides guid-ance for selecting ventilation systems that minimize pollutant exposure while opti-mizing energy resources.

Abstract: The monitoring of modern technology is an important starting point for the preventive protection and risk management of immovable cultural heritage. At present, monitoring practices for China’s immovable heritage generally lack a clearly defined structural linkage among monitoring approaches, management and operational mechanisms, and spatial governance. How to formulate—at the level of top-level design—the organizational arrangement and operational logic of a monitoring system therefore remains a pressing bottleneck in current heritage conservation practice. This paper attempts to study the monitoring system framework of immovable cultural heritage, which is composed of technical monitoring, management monitoring and national spatial monitoring. The study demonstrates that a collaborative operational mode oriented toward risk identification and governance decision-making can be established through continuous condition sensing, the managerial translation of monitoring data, and the integration of spatial scales, thereby forming a monitoring system with explicit feedback relationships. Based on this, we validated the applicability of the system framework for monitoring the status of immovable cultural heritage asset through the practice of monitoring the Hanguang Gate site of the Tang Dynasty city wall in Xi'an. This case study provides a flexible organizational framework: it adapts to the material characteristics, management needs, and spatial environments of different types of immovable cultural heritage. This study provides a methodological reference for the construction of China's immovable cultural heritage monitoring from decentralized exploration to unified adaptation, and has certain practical guiding significance for improving the supporting role of monitoring in the preventive protection and comprehensive management of immovable cultural heritage asset.

Abstract: Prefabricated buildings offer high industrialization and construction efficiency, making them well-suited for adverse construction conditions. As railway networks expand into western China’s high-altitude regions, prefabricated structures have been increasingly adopted for living quarters along railway lines in cold, high-altitude areas. This study investigated the energy consumption characteristics of such buildings by simulating the thermal performance of prefabricated exterior walls, using the average heat-transfer coefficient with particular attention to thermal-bridge effects at wall junctions. Indoor thermal-environment analysis was conducted using DeST software, and the methodology was validated against field-measurement data. Furthermore, taking a railway living-quarters building as a case study, this study analyzed the key factors and their influence patterns on the indoor thermal environment under high-altitude cold conditions. Results show that local average temperature distributions vary significantly with room orientation; building orientation, south-facing window-to-wall ratio, and exterior-wall heat-transfer coefficient markedly affect overall average indoor temperature and energy consumption. Adjusting these design parameters can effectively improve indoor comfort and reduce energy use. Finally, through simulation of buildings in typical high-altitude cold locations (Litang, Batang, Qamdo, Nyingchi, and Lhasa), specific measures are proposed to enhance the indoor thermal environment of buildings in the western Sichuan plateau.

Abstract: Existing BIM (Building Information Modeling) validation mechanisms—namely, geometric clash detection and attribute completeness checking of individual objects (MVD, IDS)—do not cover a significant category of informational incompleteness: situations in which the properties of interdependent entities become fully defined only as a result of their mutual presence in the model. This article introduces the new concept of ontosaturation as a new mechanism of formal ontology that formalizes this phenomenon. Ontosaturation describes the relationship between existentially independent entities whose certain properties remain undetermined (unsaturated) in isolation and acquire values only after the attributes of related objects are taken into account. The article proposes a formal definition of ontosaturation, the concept of a saturant, a saturation cluster, and a saturation index—a metric enabling a quantitative assessment of the relational completeness of a BIM model at the level of a single entity (s(e)) and the entire model (S(M)). The concept of a saturation profile was also introduced, complementary to the Level of Information Need (LOIN) in accordance with the ISO 19650 series of standards, defining minimum saturation thresholds for successive phases of the project lifecycle. The mechanism was demonstrated using the example of an installation penetration through a fire separation wall, modeled in Autodesk Revit 2025, showing that collision detection and attribute validation fail to detect four unsaturated properties critical to fire safety and structural integrity, which ontosaturation identifies. The proposed approach constitutes a third layer of BIM model validation, alongside the geometric and attribute layers, addressing the relational completeness of information between interdependent objects.