A Literature Review of Sustainable Building Research: Bibliometric Analysis from 2015–2025

Sustainable development, which has become the priority study of architectural design, is receiving increasing attention with global climate change. At the same time, the building industry is urgently changing towards intelligent and digitalized tendencies. As a result, Building Information Modeling (BIM) and the Internet of Things (IoT) make crucial contributions to the transforming process. However, there is little knowledge of the integration of BIM–IoT in sustainable building from a macro perspective. Moreover, most existing research adopts a literature review method and lacks objective quantitative analysis. Few papers use bibliometric analysis to study the respective BIM and IoT research fields. Furthermore, few studies use Citespace software tools to analyze the integrated application of BIM–IoT. Therefore, this paper aims to investigate the research frontiers and knowledge structure in BIM–IoT integration and the relationship between BIM-IoT and sustainable building and explore the research hotspots, trends, and future research directions. A quick and objective method was proposed to understand the research status of these new and rapidly developing fields. This paper uses topic search in the web of science core collection to obtain relevant literature and then uses Citespace for bibliometric analysis based on the literature review. Controlled terms and subject terms statistics from the Engineering Index core database search results are also used to briefly examine the fields’ research frontiers and hotspots as obtained from Citespace. The results show that: (1) The research on BIM–IoT integration focuses on building intelligence with BIM as the basis of application, and research on BIM–IoT integration within the field of sustainable building is currently focused on the first three phases of the life cycle. (2) The development of sustainable buildings needs to be considered on its human and social dimensions. BIM provides a platform for sharing information and communication among stakeholders involved in the building’s entire life cycle. At the same time, IoT allows occupants to better participate in buildings’ sustainable design and decision making. (3) In the future, more emerging technologies such as cloud computing and big data are required to better promote sustainable buildings and thus realize the construction of sustainable smart cities. At the same time, researchers should also pay attention to the sustainable transformation of existing buildings.

As global concerns about climate change and environmental sustainability escalate, the construction industry is shifting significantly towards eco-resilient and sustainable building practices. This paper comprehensively explores integrating Building Information Modelling (BIM) with eco-resilient principles to create a framework for designing and constructing sustainable buildings. This research introduced a practical approach for evaluating the embodied carbon from building construction, drawing insights from a residential building in Yangon City, Myanmar. The method developed in this study aims to assess the carbon footprints associated with distinct stages of the construction process, including raw material production and material transportation. Additionally, the proposed method compares the material embodied carbon, transportation embodied carbon, and total cost in the residential building, considering two cases of traditional and low-carbon materials. The results indicate that material embodied carbon contributes merely 84% to the overall, while material transportation makes up the remaining 16% for both cases. Utilising low-carbon materials yields remarkable reductions, with a 40% decrease in material embodied carbon and a 39% decrease in transportation carbon footprint compared to conventional materials. However, adopting low-carbon materials incurs a modest increase of approximately 6.7% in total cost. This study underscores the imperative of integrating low-carbon materials into the design of future passive buildings, advancing the pursuit of a net-zero strategy. This research underlines the potential for BIM-driven eco-resilient practices in mitigating carbon emissions and the need for continued innovation and collaboration in sustainable building design and construction.

Building information modelling (BIM) has been developed in design and construction as a solution to sustainability issues. This research aims to study the practical application, contributions and improvements of BIM in developing sustainable design and construction. The architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) industry in Australia is employed as a case. A questionnaire was developed and distributed via the internet to a range of industry professionals. The results indicate that two main functions of BIM are analysis and visualisation. BIM plays various roles in sustainable design and construction, and its most significant contributions have been in relation to developing energy efficiency, daylighting and orientation, and natural ventilation. Moreover, application barriers such as insufficient knowledge and practical experience of BIM, and clients' lack awareness of BIM are identified. Providing government support and training/education opportunities, reducing BIM software cost and increasing awareness of BIM are recommended to enhance its contribution to sustainable design and construction. This research makes a contribution in promoting BIM in developing sustainable design and construction and so advancing the sustainability of the AEC industry.

Building energy simulation has become an important method for reducing energy use and carbon dioxide emissions in sustainable building design. In the last decade, we have witnessed the employment of building information model (BIM) and internet technologies to be harnessed for energy-efficient building design. In this research the data exchange between a Building Information Model (BIM) and a Building Energy Model (BEM) is investigated. In previous research energy simulation engines are integrated into the BIM application for BIM users to evaluate the design directly at the conceptual design stage. After the conceptual design stage the energy analysis task is shifted to professional engineers. In a conventional process, engineers analyse the BEM, which has been previously exported manually from the BIM, and optimize the parameters in the BEM. These results are then used to manually update the BIM used in design. However, this process is cumbersome and error-prone as it is hard to keep the BEM up-to-date with the BIM, and the optimization of the parameters on the BEM cannot be easily synchronized back to the BIM model. The increasing uses of the internet for data exchange and new database technologies have the potential to change this. We employ service-oriented architecture (SOA) to connect the components of services in each side of BIM and BEM. Based on a critical study of data and schema in the BIM and the BEM model, we propose a SOA based BIM and BEM exchange framework that can be used to support the collaboration and information synchronization among the participants in a sustainable design project. This framework is exemplified using a case study.

Sustainable construction is a challenging prospect in Gulf countries such as Saudi Arabia and the use of Building Information Modelling (BIM) is often suggested as a solution. However, achieving improvement is associated with considerable challenges, particularly regarding energy efficiency improvements. Furthermore, the extreme environmental conditions in Saudi Arabia increase the demand for energy. As energy consumption in buildings is one of the main problems related to the built environment in both dry and hot climates, although in hot climates especially the issue is exacerbated by the particularly great need for cooling systems in buildings. On the other hand, one of the most important factors that affect Saudi Arabia’s building design is gender and function, demonstrating how the culture of Saudi Arabia, significantly influenced by the Islamic religion, affects design. This paper aims to present a literature review of the area of sustainable building design and the impact of cultural issues, focusing on the case of Saudi Arabia. This paper has analysed related literature in the area of sustainable building design and the influence of cultural issues, focusing on the case of Saudi Arabia. This review has identified the lack of using technology to support designs in Saudi Arabia, lack of achieving sustainability in Saudi Arabia, culture issues effect on designing in Saudi Arabia, and lack of using Building Information Modelling (BIM) in Saudi Arabia for both public and private project. These issues have led to a series of recommendations that have the potential to improve the adoption of sustainable design in Saudi Arabia by using (BIM). Some of these recommendations are developing and understanding the influence of cultural issues on achieving sustainable design. Secondly, analysing the different viewpoints on sustainability between the experts and members of the public. Furthermore, developing a framework of measures of sustainable design for buildings with consideration of specific factors. Additionally, showing the current level of using BIM technologies. Finally, developing a methodology, supported by BIM, for both government and private projects.

PurposeBecause of global environmental concerns, sustainable design has become a mainstream building design goal in recent years. Sustainable development is even more urgent in the light of global climate change. This paper aims to examine the contributions which building information modelling (BIM) can make to the production of sustainable building designs.Design/methodology/approachVarious research methodologies have been adopted, including literature review, design tool analysis, a case study and structured face‐to‐face interviews. Data collected were synthesized as part of the research process.FindingsBIM is found to be ideally suited to the delivery of information needed for improved design and building performance. Two most significant benefits of BIM for sustainable building design are: integrated project delivery (IPD) and design optimization. However, there are also barriers to adopting BIM for sustainable design.Research limitations/implicationsThis paper does not attempt to address all aspects of BIM functionality because the scope of BIM is very great and the resources of this research were limited.Practical implicationsSuccessful implementation of BIM is able to eliminate the extra cost of design changes during the subsequent phases of construction process. BIM, therefore, is also capable of enhancing the project delivery culture in future.Social implicationsBIM solutions can contribute to the selection of best solutions to reduce energy and resources consumption. This new technology and the approach also can generate the need of more innovative professionals and job opportunities.Originality/valueThis paper investigates the contribution of BIM to sustainable buildings from the perspective of design performance and improved communication and coordination.

At present, sustainable design is experiencing energy consumption and cost-effectiveness challenges in the building industry. A recent body of literature argues that the development of emerging smart digital technologies, such as Building Information Management (BIM) and blockchain (BC), offer immediate benefits to the industry. However, the current application of BIM and BC in the sustainable design and construction process focuses on smart energy and construction management, with little attention to addressing challenges for applying BIM to sustainable design and proposing strategies in terms of the usability of these technologies in the management of building construction projects. Therefore, this paper sets out to explore the potential roles of an integrated BIM and BC approach for sustainable building design information management. The first attempt is presented to use BC aided BIM for sustainable building design coordination and collaboration in multiple building stages. BC has the potential to address challenges that hinder the industry from using BIM for sustainable design, which has been unearthed. An innovative BC enhanced transaction process in BIM is required for sustainable building development. Roles of a user level driven smart contract system of BC can be used to enhance BIM system in the sustainable buildings process. The role of BC is primarily at user level driven smart contracts and their record value exchange capabilities. A user level (BIM stakeholders) driven BC technology for transaction in BIM process flow is revealed, and the user level (sustainable building design project stakeholders/BIM clients) driven and the smart contract enabled BIM+ BC architecture to address challenges of BIM for sustainable design has been further circulated according to the literature. Subsequently, a conceptual architecture of BIM + BC for Sustainable Building Design Information Management Framework in building project management has been proposed, validated, and refined. The Framework has two level encompassing structures and flow. The high-level framework is focused on strategy, whilst the low-level framework demonstrates technical components in detail. This architecture supporting project stakeholders in managing information, has the potential to achieve and ensure the realization of sustainable design goals through the interactive realization of smart contracts integrated into the user level driven BIM + BC system and its recording value exchange function through three user-driven levels, namely user, system, and transaction.

The present study uses a bibliometric and systematic literature review (SLR) to examine the use of Building Information Modeling (BIM), the Internet of Things (IoT), and Digital Twins (DT) in the construction industry. The network visualization and other approaches based on the Web of Science (WOS) database and the patterns of research interactions were explored in 1879 academic publications using co-occurrence and co-citation investigations. Significant publications, conferences, influential authors, countries, organizations, and funding agencies have been recognized. Our study demonstrates that BIM, IoT, and DT in construction, Heritage BIM (HBIM), Smart Contracts, BIM, and Ontology, and VR and AR in BIM and DT are the main study themes. Finally, several prospective areas for future study are identified, including BIM and Metaverse technology, BIM and Artificial Intelligence (AI), Metaheuristic algorithms for optimization purposes in BIM, and the Circular Economy with BIM and IoT.

Building Information Modeling (BIM) has emerged as a transformative technology in the Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) industry, with increasing application in civil infrastructure projects. This study comprehensively reviews the research landscape of BIM applications in civil infrastructure through bibliometric analysis. Based on data from the Web of Science database, 646 relevant papers published between 2020 and 2024 were collected, and 416 papers were selected for in-depth analysis after screening. Using bibliometric methods, the analysis reveals the evolution of research trends, identifies key contributors and influential publications, and maps the knowledge structure of the field. Our study shows a significant increase in research output over the past five years, particularly in studies focusing on the integration of BIM with emerging technologies such as Digital Twins, the Internet of Things (IoT), and Machine Learning. The results indicate that the United States, China, and the United Kingdom lead in terms of research output and citation impact. Additionally, based on clustering results and representative keywords, several key research clusters were identified, including BIM in infrastructure lifecycle management, BIM collaboration in large-scale projects, and BIM for sustainable infrastructure design.

Abstract: This research focuses on technology and integration tools for IoT environments, with an emphasis on three main aspects: the integration of Building Information Modeling (BIM) and IoT, the utilization of real-time data, and the urban IoT framework. The integration of BIM and IoT enables a smarter and more efficient building management system by utilizing IoT data to monitor real-time building conditions and improve maintenance and operational processes. This research seeks to identify challenges and solutions for technology integration in increasingly complex IoT environments, while also offering guidance for practical implementation in the urban and building sectors. In this research, we use a literature analysis approach, the main process is to identify relevant sources, including articles, journals, conferences, books, and industry reports published in the last five years. The results of this study are an implication that the application of IoT device integration with BIM can help improve operational and maintenance efficiency, optimize construction management, improve safety and mitigate risks in a company. Keywords: building informations modelling(BIM); environment; internet of things(IoT) Abstrak: Penelitian ini berfokus pada teknologi dan alat integrasi untuk lingkungan IoT, dengan penekanan pada tiga aspek utama: integrasi Building Information Modeling (BIM) dan IoT, pemanfaatan data real-time, dan kerangka kerja IoT perkotaan. Integrasi antara BIM dan IoT memungkinkan sistem manajemen bangunan yang lebih cerdas dan efisien dengan memanfaatkan data IoT untuk memantau kondisi real-time bangunan serta memperbaiki proses pemeliharaan dan operasional. Penelitian ini berupaya mengidentifikasi tantangan dan solusi integrasi teknologi dalam lingkungan IoT yang semakin kompleks, sekaligus menawarkan panduan untuk penerapan praktis di sektor perkotaan dan bangunan. Pada penelitian ini kami menggunakan metode pendekatan analisis literatur, proses utamanya adalah dengan mengidentifikasi sumber sumber relevan, meliputi artikel, jurnal, konferensi, buku, dan laporan industri yang dipublikasikan dalam lima tahun terakhir. Hasil dari penelitian ini yaitu didapatkan sebuah implikasi bahwa penerapan pengintegrasian perangkat IoT denan BIM dapat membantu meningkatkan efisiensi operasional dan pemeliharaan, optimasi manajemen kontruksi, peningkatan keselamatan dan mitigasi resiko pada sebuah perusahaan. Kata kunci: building informations modelling(BIM); environment; internet of things(IoT)

The development of information technologies has been exponentially applied to the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) industries. The extent of the literature reveals that the two most pertinent technologies are building information modeling (BIM) and artificial intelligence (AI) technologies. The radical digitization of the AEC industry, enabled by BIM and AI, has contributed to the emergence of “smart cities”, which uses information technology to improve urban operational and sustainable efficiency. Few studies have investigated the roles of AI and BIM in AEC from the perspective of sustainable buildings in assisting designers to make sustainable decisions at building and city levels. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to explore the research status and future development trends in the relationship between AI and BIM-aided sustainable building in the context of the smart city to provide researchers, designers, and technology developers with potential research directions. This paper adopted a macro and micro bibliographic method, which is used to map out the general research landscape. This is followed by a more in-depth analysis of the fields of sustainable design, sustainable construction, sustainable development, and life cycle assessment (LCA). The results show that the combination of AI and BIM helps to make optimal decisions on materials, cost, energy, construction scheduling, and monitoring and promotes the development of sustainable buildings in both technical and human aspects so to achieve Sustainable Development Goals 7 (ensuring access to affordable, reliable, and sustainable modern energy for all), 9 (building resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industries, and foster innovation), 11 (building inclusive, safe, risk-resilient, and sustainable cities and human settlements), and 12 (ensuring sustainable consumption and production patterns). In addition, the combination of AI, BIM, and LCA technologies offers great potential to improve building performance, and the future development of AI and BIM integration should not only consider the sustainability of buildings but also consider the human-centered design concept and the health, safety, and comfort of stakeholders as one of the goals to realize the multidimensional development of smart city based on city information model.

Review of <i>BIM in Small-Scale Sustainable Design</i> by François LévyWiley, Hoboken, NJ 07030; 2011; ISBN 978-0-47059-089-8; 312pp; $85.

The use of building information modeling (BIM) has provided a means of increasing total project quality, providing accurate quantity take-offs, and improving scheduling, consequently diminishing total project contingencies and costs. Although BIM is a recent development, a lot of research has been conducted in order to further enhance the capabilities of BIM in design and construction. However, there has been very little research done so far on the effect that BIM has on sustainable construction practices. Hence, the goal of this research is to investigate the perceptions of the use of BIM for sustainable design and construction among designers and constructors. A survey was developed and administered through the Internet to determine the existing trends of BIM application in general as well as its use as a tool in sustainable design and construction. The survey results indicated that although the majority of the respondents believed that sustainable design and construction practices were of impor...

The construction industry environment nowadays is becoming more complex with more issues to be resolved with the agreeable approaches amongst the team. Nevertheless, the Building Information Modelling (BIM) innovation is acknowledged to disentangle those prevalent issues towards delivering a better project performance. With the emergence of BIM technology, various concerns such as constant errors and reworks, team-miscommunication, construction waste, energy inefficiencies, and many more in the industry practices, could be refined. Specifically, BIM capabilities mainly facilitate the design and construction operations. Albeit the processes involved demand an early planning and profound decision-making, the BIM mechanism helps the project team to execute the proposed construction projects effectively. With regards to maintaining the sustainability in the industry, “Green BIM” term is introduced to describe the manipulation of BIM technology to be incorporated along with the sustainable design and construction techniques. Therefore, this paper reviews the potentials of “Green BIM” in improving the traditional practices of project stakeholders throughout the project life cycle, particularly focusing on the design and construction phases. It discusses the previous studies on “Green BIM”, “Green BIM” concepts, and “Green BIM” approaches concerning its benefits and challenges in enhancing the construction industry practices. Significantly, through the appropriate “Green BIM” resolution, the procedures initiated with the green settings and completed with the green requirements, could empower more sustainable construction industry

Buildings are responsible for approximately 40% of global energy consumption, putting pressure on the construction industry to mitigate its environmental impact. Therefore, there is an urgent need for innovative solutions to reduce power consumption, particularly in lighting systems. This study’s primary objective was to investigate novel integrated lighting solutions that significantly reduce energy use, as well as to explore their enhancement through Building Information Modelling (BIM) and the Internet of Things (IoT) to improve energy efficiency further and reduce the carbon footprint of buildings. Hence, this literature review examined energy-saving actions, retrofitting practices and interventions across a range of multi-use buildings worldwide, focusing on research from 2019 to 2024. The review was conducted using Scopus and Web of Science databases, with inclusion criteria limited to original research. The objective was to diagnose the goals being undertaken and ultimately validate new actions and contributions to minimise energy consumption. After applying eligibility criteria, 48 studies were included in the review. First, daylight harvesting and retrofitting solutions were examined using the latest technologies and external shading. The review indicates a lack of proper coordination between daylight and electrical lighting, resulting in energy inefficiency. Secondly, it reviews how the integration of BIM facilitates the design process, providing a complete overview of all the building variables, thus improving indoor daylight performance and proper lighting with energy analysis. Lastly, the review addresses the role of the Internet of Things (IoT) in providing real-time data from sensor networks, allowing for continuous monitoring of building conditions. This systematic literature review explores the integration of these fields to address the urgent need for innovative strategies and sustainability in the built environment. Furthermore, it thoroughly analyses the current state of the art, identifying best practices, emerging trends and concrete insight for architects, engineers and researchers. The goal is to promote the widespread adoption of low-carbon systems and encourage collaboration among industry professionals and researchers to advance sustainable building design. Ultimately, a new parametric design framework is proposed, consisting of five iterative phases that cover all design stages. This framework is further enhanced by integrating BIM and IoT, which can be used together to plan, reconfigure, and optimise the building’s performance.