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Advanced Technologies and Applications in Sustainable Architecture and Urban Design

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (10 July 2023) | Viewed by 15762

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Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Jianghua Wang

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Guest Editor

School of Architecture, Tianjin Chengjian University, Tianjin 300380, China
Interests: comprehensive transformation of existing settlements; building industrialization; green and livable villages

Prof. Dr. Bin Yang

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Guest Editor

1. School of Energy and Safety Engineering, Tianjin Chengjian University, Tianjin 300384, China
2. Department of Applied Physics and Electronics, Umeå University, 901 87 Umeå, Sweden
Interests: green and smart building; human thermal comfort; indoor air quality; ventilation and air distribution
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The world is currently facing enormous difficulties. These difficulties come from population, energy, environment, and even pandemics. How do we navigate the path of sustainable urban and architectural development under these difficulties? On the other hand, sustainable architecture and urban design are being empowered and enhanced by the continuous innovation and advancement of technology. In what ways can these new technologies (such as big data mining and utilization, digital twin, deep learning, computer vision, etc.) effectively help designers or decision makers achieve results?

This Special Issue aims to bring together high-quality works on theories, frameworks, perspectives, literature reviews, technology applications, case studies, and innovative research and development that have been developed worldwide in the search for answers to these questions. The results or key findings of these works will provide a strong reference for subsequent scholars and researchers.

In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome. Research areas may include (but not limited to) the following:

Big data mining, analysis and utilization;
AI applications in architecture and urban planning;
Automation in sustainable architecture;
Robotic architecture;
Green renovation of existing building;
Performance-based sustainable architecture and urban research.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Prof. Dr. Jianghua Wang
Prof. Dr. Bin Yang
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

big data
machine learning
computer vision
robotic tectonics
green renovation
performance-based design

Published Papers (9 papers)

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Research

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25 pages, 14676 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Energy Utilization and Carbon Reduction Potential of Solar Energy in Residential Blocks: A Case Study on a Tropical High-Density City in China

by Jingtao Li, Zhixin Li, Yao Wang and Hong Zhang

Sustainability 2023, 15(17), 12975; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su151712975 - 28 Aug 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 847

Abstract

Energy efficiency in high-density urban areas is increasingly gaining more attention as the energy crisis and environmental issues worsen. Urban morphology is an essential factor affecting the energy consumption and solar energy development potential of buildings. In response to the research gap of previous studies that only analyzed building energy consumption or solar energy potential from a single objective, this paper aims to combine the two objectives of block-scale building energy consumption and solar development potential to explore the joint influence of urban residential morphological elements on correlations between the two. By investigating and summarizing 100 sample cases of Wuhan city blocks, 30 urban residential block prototypes were constructed. The correlations between the leading morphological indicators of the blocks with the building energy consumption and solar energy potential of the residential prototypes were quantified, respectively. The study results show that at certain floor area ratios, the highest solar power generation can be achieved with a mixture of high-rise slabs and high-rise towers, but the building energy intensity level is relatively high; combining building energy consumption and solar power generation, the residential block form of high-rise towers and low-rise villas has incredible energy-saving potential. In addition, the regression analysis results show that three block form indicators, namely the roof-to-envelope area ratio, compacity, and site coverage, have the most prominent influence on building energy intensity and solar power generation, and they all show positive correlations. This study can provide suggestions for urban residential planners and managers to promote urban energy conservation at the design stage. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Technologies and Applications in Sustainable Architecture and Urban Design)

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13 pages, 739 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Novel High-Performance ETICS Coatings with Cool Pigments Incorporation

by António Curado, Ricardo Figueiras, Hélder Gonçalves, Filipe Sambento and Leonel J. R. Nunes

Sustainability 2023, 15(12), 9644; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su15129644 - 15 Jun 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1180

Abstract

External Thermal Insulation Composite Systems (ETICS) enhance building aesthetics and optimize thermal performance while offering protection against weather, fire, and harmful agents. Key to these capabilities are properties of ETICS rendering. We have applied specialized organic renderings, including modified acrylic resins, additives, and reflective pigments, to mitigate color bleaching and stress cracking induced by high surface temperatures, resulting in improved color stability and water protection. In a practical application at a shopping center in Portugal, we observed reduced coating layer failures, better thermal resistance, and lower maintenance costs over one year. Subsequent research reveals the benefits of Near Infrared Reflective (NIR) pigments and nanocomposites such as titanium dioxide, which increase solar reflectance, enhance resistance to dirt, and promote self-cleaning. Synthetic colored inorganic pigments improve heat stability, thermal inertia, and mechanical resistance. The application of cool pigments also reduces surface temperature by up to 10 °C. These advancements in ETICS technology mark a significant step towards sustainable building practices. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Technologies and Applications in Sustainable Architecture and Urban Design)

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19 pages, 13793 KiB

Open AccessArticle

M-StruGAN: An Automatic 2D-Plan Generation System under Mixed Structural Constraints for Homestays

by Xiaoni Gao, Xiangmin Guo and Tiantian Lo

Sustainability 2023, 15(9), 7126; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su15097126 - 24 Apr 2023

Viewed by 1483

Abstract

Existing methods for generating 2D plans based on intelligent systems usually require human-defined rules, and their operations are complex. GANs can solve these problems through independent research and learning. However, they only have generative design research based on a single constraint condition, and whether they can generate a qualified design scheme under many constraints is still unclear. Therefore, this paper develops the M-StruGAN generative model based on the structural design framework of a GAN. Its application research is extended to the 2D-plan layout generation of homestay based on the constraints of hybrid structures, and the feasibility of the method is comprehensively verified through three aspects: image synthesis quality assessment, scheme rationality assessment, and scheme design quality assessment. Experimental results show that the quality of the drawings generated by M-StruGAN is qualified, designers have a high degree of acceptance of the design results of M-StruGAN, and M-StruGAN completed the learning of the critical points of the 2D layout. Finally, through the human–computer interaction application of M-StruGAN, it can be found that compared with traditional design methods, M-StruGAN based on pix2pixHD has high-definition image quality, higher design efficiency, lower design cost, and more stable design quality. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Technologies and Applications in Sustainable Architecture and Urban Design)

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22 pages, 16457 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Equalization Measurement and Optimization of the Public Cultural Facilities Distribution in Tianjin Central Area

by Sheng Zhang, Shimin Xu, Da Wan, Hui Liu, Lin Zhao, Lian Guo and Juan Ren

Sustainability 2023, 15(6), 4856; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su15064856 - 09 Mar 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1551

Abstract

In the context of urban stock renewal, the spatial arrangement of public cultural facilities (PCFs) should follow the principles of equity and efficiency to ensure that residents have equitable access to and quality of public cultural services. The aim of this article is to study the spatial distribution of PCFs and the coupling of supply and demand of cultural resources in Tianjin’s central area. By building a supply-demand coupling coordination model and other methods, the equalization of the spatial distribution of PCFs is measured from various perspectives, and the results suggest that more than half of the sub-districts are in a situation of supply and demand imbalance. To fulfill the purpose of meeting residents’ actual needs, balancing supply and demand for cultural resources, and coordinating the increase in stock, these sub-districts’ facilities enter the step of optimization. Depending on the circumstances, the quality and scale of these facilities are optimized, or new facility points are added based on the maximized coverage model. The optimization is shown to be beneficial in terms of updating design and coverage quantity using two real-world cases. Finally, the coverage of facilities in the study area is maximized, facility utilization is made more efficient, and residents’ needs for public cultural services are satisfied. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Technologies and Applications in Sustainable Architecture and Urban Design)

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15 pages, 12753 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Deep Learning-Based Approach to Generating Comprehensive Building Façades for Low-Rise Housing

by Da Wan, Runqi Zhao, Sheng Zhang, Hui Liu, Lian Guo, Pengbo Li and Lei Ding

Sustainability 2023, 15(3), 1816; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su15031816 - 18 Jan 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1484

Abstract

In recent years, as machine learning has been widely studied in the field of architecture, scholars have demonstrated that computers can be used to learn the graphical features of building façade generation. However, existing deep learning in façade generation has yet to generate only a single façade, without comprehensive generation of five façades including the roof. Moreover, most of the existing literature has utilized the Pix2Pix algorithm for façade generation experiments, failing to attempt to replace the original generator in Pix2Pix with a different generator for experiments. This study addresses the above issues by collecting and filtering entries from the international Solar Decathlon (SD competition) to obtain a data set. Subsequently, a low-rise residential building façade generation model based on the Pix2Pix neural network was constructed for training and testing. At the same time, the original U-net generator in Pix2Pix was replaced with three different generators, U-net++, HRNet and AttU-net, for training and test results were obtained. The results were evaluated from both subjective and objective aspects and it was found that the AttU-net generative network showed the best comprehensive generation performance for such façades. HRNet is acceptable if there is a need for fast training and generation Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Technologies and Applications in Sustainable Architecture and Urban Design)

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18 pages, 69853 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Deep Learning Approach toward Energy-Effective Residential Building Floor Plan Generation

by Da Wan, Xiaoyu Zhao, Wanmei Lu, Pengbo Li, Xinyu Shi and Hiroatsu Fukuda

Sustainability 2022, 14(13), 8074; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su14138074 - 01 Jul 2022

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2661

Abstract

The ability of deep learning has been tested to learn graphical features for building-plan generation. However, whether the deeper space allocation strategies can be obtained and thus reduce energy consumption has still not been investigated. In the present study, we aimed to train a neural network by employing a characterized sample set to generate a residential building floor plan (RBFP) for achieving energy reduction effects. The network is based on Pix2Pix, including two sub-models: functional segmentation layout (FSL) generation and building floor plan (BFP) generation. To better characterize the energy efficiency, 98 screened floor plans of Solar Decathlon (SD) entries were labeled as the sample set. The data augmentation method was adopted to improve the performance of the FSL sub-model after the preliminary testing. Three existing residential buildings were used as cases to observe whether the network-generated RBFP gained the effect of decreasing energy consumption with decent space allocation. The results showed that, under the same simulation settings and building exterior profile (BEP) conditions, the function arrangement of the generated scheme was more reasonable compared to the original scheme in each case. The annual total energy consumption was reduced by 13.38%, 12.74%, and 7.47%, respectively. In conclusion, trained by the sample set that characterizes energy efficiency, the RBFP generation network has a positive effect in both optimizing the space allocation and reducing energy consumption. The implemented data augmentation method can significantly improve the network’s training results with a small sample size. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Technologies and Applications in Sustainable Architecture and Urban Design)

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16 pages, 5428 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Outdoor Space Quality Mapping by Combining Accessibility, Openness, and Microclimate: A Case Study in a Neighborhood Park in Shanghai, China

by Cong Tao, Jiaxin Li, Dao Zhou, Jiamin Sun, Di Peng and Dayi Lai

Sustainability 2022, 14(6), 3570; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su14063570 - 18 Mar 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2169

Abstract

The vitality of outdoor space is largely determined by its quality, which encompasses many factors such as traffic accessibility, openness, microclimate, etc. Creating space with high quality can attract more visitors and contribute to urban vitality and sustainability. Visualization of quality distribution can aid the design and management of high-quality outdoor spaces. In this study, we developed a method for generating an integrated outdoor space quality map by normalizing, weighting, and summing up the traffic accessibility, openness, and microclimate distributions in the space. Field surveys were conducted on a neighborhood park in Shanghai, China, to obtain data to determine the relative importance of the studied factors. Integrated mapping was then performed on the park as a case study. As for accessibility, since the park only has one entrance, the metric step distance (MSD) increased with the distance from that entrance, indicating poor accessibility. The high openness found in the central areas of the park indicate that people may easily notice the central spaces and conduct activities there. The microclimate map denoted by physiologically equivalent temperature (PET) shows that in winter in Shanghai, the distribution of heat stress is mainly dominated by solar radiation. By integrating the distributions of accessibility, openness, and microclimate, we found that some spaces had better space quality than others. Based on the comprehensive map, we proposed a series of design strategies. The method developed in this study provides a quantitative tool to design outdoor spaces with high quality. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Technologies and Applications in Sustainable Architecture and Urban Design)

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23 pages, 13772 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Assessment of the Mechanisms of Summer Thermal Environment of Waterfront Space in China’s Cold Regions

by Fan Fei, Yan Wang and Xiaoyun Jia

Sustainability 2022, 14(5), 2512; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su14052512 - 22 Feb 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1658

Abstract

Water is an essential part of the urban ecosystem and plays a vital role in alleviating urban heat island (UHI) problems. The contribution toward UHI mitigation made by bodies of water needs to be ascertained to establish waterfront thermal environment construction standards. In this study, the thermal environment of the waterfront space of Tianjin in the cold regions of China was the research object. Through a survey including 141 valid questionnaires and the field measurement of four typical waterfront spaces in Tianjin, the thermal demand characteristics of recreational use for the waterfront environment and the influence of water on microclimate are discussed, supplemented by results from low-altitude infrared remote sensing technology, which was mainly used to obtain a wider range of infrared thermal images with higher accuracy. To improve the urban heat island effect and the quality of the ecological environment, this paper used outdoor thermal environment simulation software to quantitatively analyze the thermal environmental impact of outdoor public activity spaces around the representative urban body of water and proposes the optimization scheme of the waterfront space’s thermal environment. The results show that, based on the factors of water itself, the most economical water width was 70–80 m, and the cooling effect intensity of water had an essential correlation with the distance between the measured site and the water center. In terms of the environmental factors around the water, when the green lawn of the waterfront space was 12 m and the water shore’s geometric form was S-shaped, this could improve the cooling effect of water significantly. Waterfront activity spaces should focus on thermal comfort on the east and south water shores. It is expected that this study could provide practical implications and useful guidance for the planning and design of urban waterfront space in China’s cold regions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Technologies and Applications in Sustainable Architecture and Urban Design)

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Review

Jump to: Research

15 pages, 3045 KiB

Open AccessReview

Review on the Application of Machine Vision in Defrosting and Decondensation on the Surface of Heat Exchanger

by Bin Yang, Xin Zhu, Minzhang Liu and Zhihan Lv

Sustainability 2022, 14(18), 11606; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su141811606 - 15 Sep 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1473

Abstract

Under low outdoor temperature and high humidity, frost easily forms on the Heat Exchanger (Exchanger) surface on the outdoor side. The formation and growth of this frost layer will seriously impact the Exchanger’s heat extraction process and the system’s energy efficiency, triggering malfunction in the compressor. To this end, this work first analyzes the formation and growth mechanism of Exchanger surface frosting and condensation. It then summarizes the current research status of Machine Vision (MV) technology in defrosting and decondensation. Further, it previews the follow-up research direction. The experimental findings show that MV technology can automatically observe frost and dew, guaranteeing a real-time understanding of the frost layer. Directly obtaining the frost and dew information from the image can significantly save human resources and improve efficiency. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Technologies and Applications in Sustainable Architecture and Urban Design)

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