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Sustainability with Built Environment and Wellness
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Sustainability with Built Environment and Wellness

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Environmental Sustainability and Applications".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2021) | Viewed by 11904

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Siu-Kit Lau

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Architecture, School of Design and Environment, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
Interests: poroelastic materials; architectural acoustics; noise control; soundscape; built environment; urban sonic environment
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Mr. Ethan Bourdeau

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
International WELL Building Institute, NY 10001, New York, USA
Interests: architectural acoustics; psychoacoustics; sustainability; environmental acoustics; indoor environmental qualityv

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

While sustainability may still be focused on how to protect the environment, a sustainable built environment is also crucial to enhance people’s health and productivity. Wellbeing in the built environment has attracted research interest in various fields, such as building sciences, psychology, social science, public health, and policy, and the number of studies investigating the intrinsic link between the built environment and human wellbeing has grown in recent years. Enabling a balanced focus on environmental, economic, and social sustainability and the design and development of a built environment require addressing the multilevel mechanism cutting across different disciplines to achieve a high level of environmental sustainability and livability. Evidence shows the various positions and adverse outcomes of the built environment on health and wellbeing. As a variety of multisensory environmental factors and their variations comprehensively influence humans both psychologically and physiologically in a built environment, their potential impacts on human wellbeing should be investigated, and the role of wellbeing in sustainability should be discussed and further addressed in the context of the built environment. This Special Issue aims to collect recent research on the built environment and wellbeing, including the technologies, design methodologies/character, evaluation, case studies, social interactions, effects on humans, etc. The areas of interest include but are not limited to air, water, acoustics, lighting, thermal comfort, food, etc.

Dr. Siu-Kit Lau
Mr. Ethan Bourdeau
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
  • wellness
  • wellbeing
  • environmental quality

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

22 pages, 15663 KiB  
Article
Design of Sustainable Modular Wooden Booths Inspired by Revitalization of Croatian Traditional Construction and New User Needs Due to COVID-19 Pandemic
by Danijela Domljan and Luka Janković
Sustainability 2022, 14(2), 720; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su14020720 - 10 Jan 2022
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2829
Abstract
The paper presents the results of the first phase of the student project CROSTAND2, whose main goal is to revitalize the traditional construction techniques of vernacular architecture in the Republic of Croatia by developing modern sustainable prefabricated modular wooden buildings/public booths in accordance [...] Read more.
The paper presents the results of the first phase of the student project CROSTAND2, whose main goal is to revitalize the traditional construction techniques of vernacular architecture in the Republic of Croatia by developing modern sustainable prefabricated modular wooden buildings/public booths in accordance with users’ needs and habits. To incorporate conceptual design, the literature on Croatian construction and wood protection, prefabricated modular construction, and public urban spaces was analyzed and field research was conducted. Photo documentation was also collected in the village of Donja Kupčina, Zagreb County, Croatia. An online survey questionnaire on socializing habits in public spaces, before and during the COVID-19 pandemic, additionally analyzed new requirements for user-centered design. The obtained results, as well as results from previous project research, were used as a basis and inspiration for the design of a conceptual modular building inspired by traditional wooden joints, modular construction, and the emerging needs of users to socialize safely in a healthy environment. Conceptual solutions for a sustainable modular prefabricated wooden building for public use, intended for public urban and rural areas, have been proposed. Such constructions would ensure the sustainability of enjoying the natural environment for personal, tourist, and commercial purposes with the perpetuation of Croatian heritage building traditions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability with Built Environment and Wellness)
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35 pages, 23697 KiB  
Article
A Holistic Strategy for Successful Photovoltaic (PV) Implementation into Singapore’s Built Environment
by Vesna Kosorić, Siu-Kit Lau, Abel Tablada, Monika Bieri and André M. Nobre
Sustainability 2021, 13(11), 6452; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su13116452 - 06 Jun 2021
Cited by 12 | Viewed by 5436
Abstract
Based on the findings from a recent study by the authors which examined factors affecting diffusion of photovoltaics (PV), while comprehensively considering the local PV and construction industry as well as characteristics of the built environment, this paper proposes a holistic strategy for [...] Read more.
Based on the findings from a recent study by the authors which examined factors affecting diffusion of photovoltaics (PV), while comprehensively considering the local PV and construction industry as well as characteristics of the built environment, this paper proposes a holistic strategy for PV implementation into Singapore’s built environment. It consists of (1) a multilevel mechanism framework, encompassing eleven mechanism categories of instruments and activities and (2) a general design framework including design principles, general project instructions and the main design guidelines. Relying on a survey conducted among PV experts on established mechanisms, the present study suggests that building codes (e.g., fire safety, structural safety, etc.) and initiatives and incentives related to PV/building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV) should be the highest priority for authorities, followed by assessment of BIPV/PV properties, working toward social acceptance, conducting research projects and information exchange, and education and training activities. Considering all three pillars of sustainability, the design framework is based on the following interrelated design principles: (1) compatibility and coherence with the local context, (2) technical soundness, (3) economic viability, (4) user-centered design, (5) connecting with community and socio-cultural context, and (6) adaptability and flexibility. Despite Singapore’s scarcity of land, the established design guidelines cover a wide spectrum of solutions, including PV integration into both buildings and non-building structures. The synthesis of the two interconnected and inseparable frameworks aims to create an environment conducive to long-term widespread PV integration and stimulate the deployment of BIPV, which should help Singapore and other cities reduce their dependency on imported fossil fuels, while also making them more livable and enjoyable. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability with Built Environment and Wellness)
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30 pages, 48846 KiB  
Article
Identification of Factors Influencing Development of Photovoltaic (PV) Implementation in Singapore
by Siu-Kit Lau, Vesna Kosorić, Monika Bieri and André.M. Nobre
Sustainability 2021, 13(5), 2630; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su13052630 - 01 Mar 2021
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2884
Abstract
Despite the steady growth of grid-connected installed capacity in Singapore in the last decade and intensive government effort towards “solarization”, implementation of photovoltaics (PV) and especially building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV) into the built environment has not gathered as much momentum as would have been [...] Read more.
Despite the steady growth of grid-connected installed capacity in Singapore in the last decade and intensive government effort towards “solarization”, implementation of photovoltaics (PV) and especially building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV) into the built environment has not gathered as much momentum as would have been expected given the country’s ample solar energy resource potential, strong economic fundamentals and the robust real estate sector. Based on a conducted web-survey and qualitative interviews among local professionals, this paper examines the obstacles, potentials and drivers that could facilitate and accelerate BIPV and PV façade integration, as well as needs that could encourage wider PV use. In order to define a unified strategy, aligning the stakeholders’ views, the following disputable factors are pointed out and discussed: (1) incomplete understanding of BIPV and building-applied photovoltaics (BAPV) among stakeholders, (2) costs of BIPV systems, (3) low awareness of and confidence in “integrability” of PV modules, (4) incomplete knowledge about and insufficiently investigated PV performance and (5) potential of PV façade and roof integration. Since the costs are the key identified factor for BIPV implementation, life-cycle cost (LCC) assessments of PV façade and roof integrations have been performed, which supported the search for solutions to identified problems. The performed analysis and findings present the basis for the development of a long-term holistic strategy for PV implementation in Singapore that could help the highly-urbanized, tropical resource- and land-constrained island city-state reduce the dependency on fossil fuels and achieve the climate change targets, thus promoting a more sustainable built environment. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability with Built Environment and Wellness)
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