Sustainable Developments for Future Building

Abstract

Welcome to this special issue of Indoor and Built Environment. This special issue of journal papers is based on the advanced research studies that had been carried out by the Center for Sustainable Healthy Buildings (CSHeB) in Korea. The 20 papers in this special issue of Indoor and Built Environment were selected from a symposium presentation held on February 10, 2011, in Seoul, South Korea. These papers were further developed by the authors and peer reviewed by experts. The International Society of the Built Environment (ISBE) is proud to be associated with this special issue and recommend you to study the papers presented. ISBE shares the same missions and beliefs with the CSHeB of Korea. We hope by our disseminations, we may contribute to the further advancement of innovative technologies for sustainable built environments; better designs that will improve health and wellbeing for everyone and an influence on policies and planning for sustainable development of healthy buildings for all cultures and nationalities. CSHeB has become one of the leading research organizations in all the subjects concerning the built environment, emphasizing the need for interdisciplinary research into architectural, medical, psychological, physiological, social and environmental aspects of healthy buildings. Progress has been made in understanding the need for social integration, design, construction, maintenance and occupants’ requirements for development of sustainable and healthy buildings. A number of reports and studies have been published providing the latest ‘‘state-of-the-art’’ dissemination of research relating to lighting, ventilation, social environment, indoor air quality, acoustics, thermal comfort, moisture and structure for the built environment. The main focus of this special issue of papers was on the sustainable developments required for future building and considering the need for a future society with an increasing portion of elderly to relative young population, and also the governments’ demand for energy-efficient buildings with low carbon emissions. There is a need to consider the implication to building design and planning to accommodate and to provide a proper provision for the aged and to ensure how healthy environments can be achieved within low-carbon architecture, to satisfy the occupants’ requirements for comfort, environmental quality and minimization of environmental harm that could affect the health and wellbeing of people living and working in these future built environments. This special issue is of interest to broad interdisciplinary readers including academics, practitioners and consultants. Sustainable development and sustainable buildings are important part of architecture and governments’ guidelines and building regulations in many countries of the world. Many governments of the world including the UK and Europe, Korea, Japan and China are setting targets for reduction in carbon emissions and therefore higher energy efficiency standards in buildings and this has an important implication on the materials used due to the embodied carbon, ventilation and indoor air quality requirements due to increasing air-tightness of buildings and more efficient lighting systems and a control of glare. There is also the consideration to look after our elderly, so they will be able to live with dignity with adequate provision for their care and needs within a holistic, healthy community such as in Korea.