Built Environment Research Articles

The Features of Creation of an Urban Building Environment with Completion of Underground Infrastructure Areas of the City of Yerevan

Underground areas are those parts of the city that can become the best way to overcome the expansion of the surrounding areas of the city, thanks to which new ideas can be created and developed, achieving eco-economic success, creating new opportunities to ensure people's livelihood and security. Underground areas can include transportation structures, passageways, industrial buildings, and public service infrastructure. Basically, the underground areas, developing vertically on several levels, extend under the crowded zones of the city center, in the areas adjacent to the transport hubs. The unloading of above-ground urban areas can lead to the positive process that freed areas will be used to create green zones, improving the sanitary and hygienic condition of the city. It will allow maintaining the existing urban environment, creating favorable conditions for improving people's living activities.

Chemical-free thermal-acoustic panels from agricultural waste for sustainable building materials

To address the pressing need for sustainable building materials, this study introduced an innovative and eco-friendly approach to manufacturing thermal-acoustic panels, utilizing agricultural waste with rice straw as the primary material. Paper pulp (PP) and Persea kurzii (PK) were used as non-chemical binders at ratios of 50:50, 60:40, 70:30, and 80:20. After mixing, all the samples were subjected to heat-free hydraulic compression at 5 bars to evaluate their physical, mechanical, thermal, and acoustic properties. Increasing the proportion of the binder directly impacted panel density and flexural strength while also inversely affecting porosity. The PK binder had a low thermal conductivity value of 0.040 W/mK, proving it was a good thermal insulator with a high sound absorption coefficient, especially at higher frequencies. The RSPP-4 panel had the highest noise reduction coefficient (0.51) and absorbed low frequencies, suggesting its potential for noise reduction. Microscopic analysis provided further insight into panel surface characteristics. PP exhibited a smooth surface with a continuous fiber weave that did not obscure the pores, while PK consisted of particles. The correlation between surface characteristics and acoustic performance, especially at high frequencies, underscored the intricate balance between material properties. Research results can be applied in the construction industry to develop sustainable building materials that offer superior thermal and acoustic properties. These thermal-acoustic panels can effectively utilize agricultural waste and show potential as environmentally friendly construction materials to enhance indoor comfort and acoustics in various building environments.

Accident Severity Analysis of Traffic Accident Hot Spot Areas in Changsha City Considering Built Environment

Examining the impacts of accident characteristics and differentiated built environment factors on accident severity at inherent accident hotspots within cities can help managers to adjust traffic control measures through urban planning and design, thereby reducing accident casualties. In this study, time series clustering was used to identify traffic accident hotspots in Changsha City. Based on the hotspot identification results, Kruskal–Wallis tests were used to select differentiated built environment factors among different accident areas within the city. A severity analysis model for road crashes in Changsha’s hotspots, taking into account the built environment, was constructed using a Light gradient boosting machine (LightGBM). In addition, Shapley additive explanations (SHAP) were used to reveal the influences of accident characteristics and built environment factors on accident severity. The results showed that different accident characteristics and built environment factors affect accident severity in different urban accident areas. Factors such as type of accident, visibility, period of time, land use mixing degree, population density, density of commercial places, and density of industrial places showed varying degrees of importance in influencing accident severity, while the overall impact trends remained consistent. On the other hand, transportation accessibility, road network density, landform, and accident location showed significant differences in their impacts on accident severity between different accident areas within the city.

Numerical-experimental study of the thermal behavior of a green facade in a warm climate in Mexico

Demographic growth entails an increase in the construction of buildings and streets, whose materials significantly absorb heat and, upon release, create discomfort for the inhabitants of large urban areas. Vegetation emerges as a crucial element to enhance both the indoor environment of buildings and the outdoor surroundings. Green facades present themselves as a highly efficient alternative to integrate vegetation in densely urbanized areas. This study focuses on evaluating the thermal performance of an indirect-type green facade system in a warm climate in Mexico. The research encompasses experimental measurements and numerical simulations of the thermal effect of the green facade and also a parametric study of the vertical leaf area index (LAIV) and air gap size. In the experimental test, temperatures were recorded in two identical test cells, one of which was equipped with a green facade with Pyrostegia Venusta plants on one of its surfaces. The numerical study validated the results obtained through experimental tests, using simulations of Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) considering a typical day for each season throughout the year. Validation results revealed Mean Percentage Errors (MPE) of −2.86 % and 0.25 %, Mean Bias Errors (MBE) of −0.49 °C and 0.08 °C, and Root Mean Square Errors (RMSE) of 1.34 °C and 1.29 °C for the bare facade and the green facade, respectively. In the numerical analysis, it was observed that the green facade succeeded in reducing the indoor air temperature in a range of 4.57 to 5.64 °C, while decreasing the heat flux in an interval of 7.84 to 16.79 W/m2. Moreover, a parametric study revealed that the LAIV ceases to be a significant parameter beyond 2.5, while the air gap size proves to be a considerably less influential factor compared to the LAIV. These results confirm the relevance of using vegetation in buildings to mitigate the effects of heat and improve the thermal comfort of inhabitants.

New Possibilities for Spatial Research: Re-Animating the Built Environment Through Speculative Maps and Models

This article presents creative methodologies for studying the emotionally charged environment of school buildings, with particular attention to situated movements and modes of engagement after the Covid pandemic. Drawing on digital-sensory methods and futuring practices, developed in collaboration with staff and students in a UK secondary school, we present a series of speculative architectural models and living maps. Our approach is informed by Bruno Latour’s concept of the Terrestrial as a metamorphic zone that includes the built environment, with connections to contemporary architecture and design practices. We use techniques in speculative cartography and cosmography, creating maps and models that show how students negotiate the affective atmosphere and social-material ecology associated with school buildings.

Investigating the influence of reflective materials on indoor thermal environment and solar reflectance in buildings

This in-depth study explores the intricate dynamics of reflective materials, emphasizing their impact on the indoor thermal environment and urban heat island (UHI) mitigation. Examining diffuse highly reflective (DHR), general reflective (GR), and retro-reflective (RR) materials on a simplified building model during summer days, the research utilizes outdoor experiments to analyze air and surface temperatures, as well as solar radiation. Prioritizing key metrics—mean radiant temperature (MRT), operative temperature (OT), and solar reflectance (ρ)—the study uncovers nuanced distinctions in DHR, GR, and RR materials. Solar reflectance calculations consistently show higher values for DHR and RR materials compared to GR material, highlighting reflectance's pivotal role in influencing surface temperatures and indoor thermal environment. When evaluating the impact of exterior wall materials on building temperatures, RR material with a 76% reflectance performs similarly to DHR material (82%). Notably, with a 6% lower reflectance in RR, the temperature contrast between external and internal walls is only about 1.5 °C at its maximum, underscoring RR's effectiveness as an outer wall material for UHI mitigation and building energy conservation, surpassing both DHR and GR materials.

Direct Observation of Circularly Polarized Nonlinear Optical Activities in Chiral Hybrid Lead Halides.

Circularly polarized light emission is a crucial application in imaging, sensing, and photonics. However, utilizing low-energy photons to excite materials, as opposed to high-energy light excitation, can facilitate deep-tissue imaging and sensing applications. The challenge lies in finding materials capable of directly generating circularly polarized nonlinear optical effects. In this study, we introduce a chiral hybrid lead halide (CHLH) material system, R/S-DPEDPb3Br8·H2O (DPED = 1,2-diphenylethylenediammonium), which can directly produce circularly polarized second harmonic generation (CP-SHG) through linearly polarized infrared light excitation, exhibiting a polarization efficiency as high as 37% at room temperature. To understand the spin relaxation mechanisms behind the high polarization efficiency, we utilized two models, so-called D'yakonov-Perel' (DP) and Bir-Aronov-Pikus (BAP) mechanisms. The unique zigzag inorganic frameworks within the hybrid structure are believed to reduce the dielectric confinement and exciton binding energy, thus enhancing spin polarization, especially in regions with a high excitation pump fluence based on the DP mechanism. In the case of low excitation pump fluence, the BAP mechanism dominates, as evidenced by the observed decrease in the polarization ratio from CP-SHG measurement. Using density functional theory analysis, we elucidate how the distinctive 8-coordination environment of lead bromide building blocks effectively suppresses spin-orbit coupling at the conduction band minimum. This suppression significantly diminishes spin-splitting, thereby slowing the spin relaxation rate.

The Role of Neighbourhood Social and Built Environments – Including Third Places – in Older Adults’ Social Interactions

ABSTRACT Neighbourhood environments shape older adults’ social interactions. This research conceptualises a comprehensive set of perceived and objective measures of neighbourhood social and built environments, including third places, with older adults’ social interactions. In Melbourne, based on the person-environment fit framework, mediation analyses showed that the perceived social environment measures of community spirit, participation in community groups and belonging to suburb, were the strongest predictors of social interactions, followed by a few types of perceived third places. Our findings suggest that policymakers should focus on how the objective environment characteristics are interpreted as levers when planning for changes.

Virtual Building Models in built environments

The global building sector plays a pivotal role in addressing sustainability, climate change, and carbon neutrality. This study introduces the original concept of virtual building models (VBMs) throughout the lifecycle of the building industry, considering the unique characteristics of this industry. VBMs are defined as mathematical models that represent the physical behavior of buildings throughout their lifecycle. These models consist of subvirtual models that represent the physical operational environments of the target building, encompassing physical variables, equipment, systems, indoor environments, and structural and material behaviors. This concept can contribute to achieving the existing concepts of building information modeling, digital twins, and cyber-physical systems within building operations, communities, and environments. In this study, building models are categorized into five aspects: virtual model environments, types, interactions, integrations, and levels of detail (LODs). The LODs are classified into five levels (LOD100, LOD200, LOD300, LOD350, and LOD400) depending on the primary environments of the virtual models and their coverage across the entire building. Virtual modeling methodologies are proposed considering the virtual model aspects to achieve higher or intended LOD states from both academic and industrial perspectives. Finally, future research directions are discussed to drive the concept of virtual buildings to shape the future of the building industry through digital transformations.

A House for the Struggle: The Black Press and the Built Environment in Chicago

A House for the Struggle: The Black Press and the Built Environment in Chicago

Meta-analysis on Associations Between the Built Environment and Mobile Physical Activity Using Volunteered Geographic Information

Meta-analysis on Associations Between the Built Environment and Mobile Physical Activity Using Volunteered Geographic Information

Association and Interaction Between Built Environment and Outdoor Jogging Based on Crowdsourced Geographic Information

Association and Interaction Between Built Environment and Outdoor Jogging Based on Crowdsourced Geographic Information

Research on Spatial Design and Reconstruction Strategy of Aging Based on Visual Features

At present, our country is in the rapid development stage of aging, the pension problem has always been a problem that the whole society pays high attention to, how to create a high quality living environment for the old people becomes a new research topic. From the perspective of vision, combined with architectural design theory, geriatric psychology, color psychology and other theories, this paper explores the interior public space environment design of elderly buildings from the aspects of light, color, quality, humanity and other influencing factors. At the same time, it analyzes the living situation of the old apartment and the characteristics of the old people in our country. From the aspects of space environment, function layout and so on, this paper summarizes the renovation strategy of interior space of elderly apartment. It provides a new reference for the design of elderly apartments in China in the future, and combines the design of elderly service centers to enrich the design methods of indoor public space environment of elderly care buildings in China in the future, so as to improve the quality of life of the elderly.

Optimization and Renovation Design of Indoor Thermal Environment in Traditional Houses in Northeast Sichuan (China)—A Case Study of a Three-Section Courtyard House

The three-section courtyard is the most representative traditional residence in the traditional villages in northeast Sichuan. As a unique cultural landscape, it carries the local historical style and cultural connotation. However, the high temperature weather in summer leads to a poor thermal environment in traditional residential buildings, which cannot meet the needs of building users for human thermal comfort, and the wall is the most critical factor affecting the indoor thermal environment. Therefore, to optimise the indoor thermal environment of traditional residential buildings, this study designed four groups of wall renovation schemes according to the original traditional residential buildings and modern technology, and simulated and verified the feasibility of the building renovation schemes by using Design Builder. Then, the four groups of wall renovation schemes were compared and tested based on the Design Builder. Comparative results of the thermal-performance evaluation index revealed that compared with Case 1 and Case 2, the building refrigeration energy consumption of Case 3 in the hottest week was the least, only 427.7 kW·h, which indicates that the external wall renovation scheme using aerated concrete blocks had the best thermal insulation and energy-saving effects. The cooling energy consumption of Case 4 in the hottest week was 422 kW·h, which was 4.3 kW·h less than that of Case 3, indicating that the wall renovation scheme with an air inter-layer had better thermal insulation and energy-saving effects. The refrigeration energy consumption of Case 7 in the hottest week was only 409.8 kW·h, which was 4.19% lower than Case 3 (without insulation material), indicating that the scheme of selecting central insulation and extruded polystyrene board (XPS) had better thermal insulation and energy-saving effects in practical projects. In summary, the above transformation scheme not only improves the indoor thermal environment of traditional residential buildings, but also provides guidance for architectural designers on green, energy-saving and sustainable design.

Exploring the Interplay of Ethics and Built Environment

In the wake of unprecedented global challenges ranging from inequalities to pandemics, the ethical dimensions of the built environment have garnered heightened attention. This thematic issue delves into the evolving role of planning, design, and materialities within the built environment in addressing ethical concerns amidst contemporary crises. This study delves into the intricate interplay between ethics and the built environment, elucidating its manifold implications in shaping daily experiences, behaviors, and societal norms. It explores the ethical implications of individual and collective behaviors within the built environment, analyzing phenomena such as public space use, resource consumption, and environmental stewardship. Ultimately, these efforts seek to inform both theoretical discourse and practical interventions aimed at fostering more ethically conscious approaches to urban design, planning, and governance.

Exploring the gap in people’s travel behavior between urban villages and commercial housing: The role of built environment

As urban expansion accelerates, travel distance and vehicle miles traveled continue to grow. Simultaneously, agricultural land is gradually giving way to urban construction, and ancient communities are transforming into urban villages as a result of being surrounded by urban land. Given the widespread distribution of urban villages in Chinese cities, which accommodate a large number of low-income groups, paying attention to the travel behavior of these groups is beneficial for promoting the fair development ofsociety. Therefore, this study utilized resident survey data from urban villages and commercial housing communities of Zhuhai in 2018 and built a structural equation modeling analysis framework to investigate the differences in the influence of the built environment (BE) on the travel behavior of these two types of housing. The results showed that the BE of urban villages had a significantly different impact on travel behavior compared to commercial housing. This discovery can help authorities better understand the impact of the BE of urban villages on travel distance, transit choices, and walking/cycling decisions. Moreover, this research is conducive to proposing targeted measures for sustainable transportation development in urban villages.

Optimizing a courtyard microclimate with adaptable shading and evaporative cooling in a hot mediterranean climate

While in recent years significant improvements have been made in the thermal adaptation of indoor building environments, less progress has been made in improving thermal comfort in transitional spaces next to buildings. This makes it imperative to investigate the thermodynamics of such outdoor urban spaces, particularly in warm locations such as southern Spain. The application of suitable passive systems for the regulation of thermal exchanges and the creation of temperate conditions is explored. In order to determine the thermal comfort of users this study focuses on the assessment of two key parameters, mean radiant temperature and relative humidity, and how these are impacted by shading and misting systems in a courtyard. Field measurements analysed the extent to which shading and misting systems enhance user comfort levels in a Seville courtyard. The results indicate a considerable decrease in temperature, with thermal mitigation of up to 11.7 °C below reference points outside the courtyard. The percentage of hours within comfort ranges during heat waves increased by 100% by optimizing the results of an additional experimental campaign and considering results from previous ones. The main novelty of this research lies in the comparative study of standalone and integrated passive cooling strategies aiming to provide optimal results in high temperature and heat wave scenarios. The study findings help understand and estimate the effectiveness of low-cost and easily applicable strategies for maintaining comfort conditions during diurnal and nocturnal cycles in both hot seasons and heat waves.

Sustainable facilities management in the built environment: a bibliometric review

Purpose This study aims to review the status quo, current state of research, research hot themes and research gaps in sustainable facilities management (SFM) in the built environment (BE) through an extant literature review. Design/methodology/approach To map and analyze knowledge paths in the context of SFM research, a sequential explanatory mixed-method review involving bibliometric and content analysis was used to help identify current research trends, research hot themes and knowledge gaps. The Scopus search engine was used to find 169 relevant articles. For a better understanding of the literature accumulated, a bibliometric analysis was carried out by using VOSviewer to reveal current research themes, the status quo and current state of research as well as research gaps. Findings Through the literature review and content analysis, the current research themes on SFM revealed from the study include green building technologies, assessment methods of SFM, smart buildings and building information modeling. The research hot themes in SFM include smart buildings and green building technologies, green buildings (GB), architectural and building designs in the university sector, assessment methods in buildings and decision-making and the adoption of asset and facility management in the university sector. Indoor air pollution, intelligent buildings, climate change, maintenance, environmental management, facilities, historic preservation, environmental performance, energy management, etc. are the research gaps identified from the study, and these serve as potential areas for future research studies under SFM. It was recognized that facilities managers are increasingly involved with sustainability policies within their organizations and are developing sustainability agendas to keep up with the changing nature of the facilities management (FM) profession. Practical implications The findings of this study hold relevance to the FM practice, as the integration of SFM by facilities managers can lead to waste reduction, decreased operating expenses and reduced energy consumption. In addition, occupants of sustainable buildings experience improved conditions that contribute to better health and productivity, thus boosting their overall well-being. Consistent with the themes of smart buildings and green technologies, revealed to be the hot themes in the SFM research scope, properties with sustainable features can command higher rental rates and property values, appealing to a broader range of stakeholders. SFM practices in universities can aid in saving money from reduced facility operational costs and improve the image of institutions while creating better indoor environments for students and staff. The analyses of countries involved in research can open doors for the establishment of research groups and the development of collaboration between universities in different countries researching similar topics of interest. Originality/value The geographical scope of this study is not limited and, therefore, encourages broad applicability of the findings to the global sustainable BE.

Career Choice of Graduating Students in Built Environment Courses in Nigeria: A Mixed-Method Study

ABSTRACT An aging workforce and labor shortage are some of the challenges confronting the built environment sector globally. The career choice decision of graduating students studying built environment courses is an integral part of the workforce replacement process that has not been explored by extant studies in Nigeria. The aim of this study was to evaluate the career choice decisions of graduating students studying built environment courses in Nigeria. Survey responses were collected from 55 graduating students along with 4 responses from semi-structured interviews conducted at two Nigerian universities. Findings indicated that the percentage of graduating students who intend to pursue a career in the built environment is higher than that of those who intend to pursue a career outside the built environment. However, career decisions are often influenced by exigent factors. These factors were categorized into three groups: “job characteristics and career opportunities/prospects,” “career mentorship,” and “family and friends’ influence.” The most prevalent factors were interest in the construction industry, career/job opportunities, personal interest in a career/job, and job security. The findings of this study will assist policymakers and organizations in enacting and promulgating laws that will improve the construction industry’s image and also make it attractive to young people.

The evolutionary path of place making: From late twentieth century to post-pandemic cities

Since its emergence in the latter half of the 20th century, the concept of place making has undergone substantial evolution. To fully comprehend how this concept has transformed and encountered diverse trajectories, it is beneficial to examine its evolutionary path over time. Therefore, this paper aims to conduct a thorough review of the literature surrounding the expanding matrix of place making through a combination of bibliometric analysis and selective review. The paper seeks to undertake a comprehensive evaluation of nine interrelated paradigms of place making as a subfield of urban planning and design. These are, namely, late 20th century place making, sustainable place making, digital place making, democratic place making, creative place making, strategic place making, healthy place making, resilient place making, and post-pandemic place making. Results reveal that there has been a transition toward community-based participation and a stronger emphasis on social and environmental elements. Also, there has been a shift from emphasizing functional spaces to promoting community building, social connectivity, healthy, and resilient environments via long-term strategies as well as the deployment of smart city and digital technologies.