Ecological Building Research Articles

FoCa – Free of Carbon Architecture –an educational and informational online platform supporting the decarbonization of the construction sector in Poland and Turkey

Wrocław University of Science and Technology, in consortium with the Polish Association of Ecological Buildings (PLGBC), the Institute of Building Technology (ITB) and research and scientific units from Turkey, started the international project FoCA – Free of Carbon Architecture. Its aim is to create a publicly available tool – an interactive internet platform providing information on the environmental properties of construction materials and products available in Poland and Turkey. The platform allows users to compare and evaluate the environmental impact of selected building materials. As part of the platform's development, information is collected about building materials or products available on local markets, in the form of data describing their selected environmental impacts (GWPfossil, GWPbiogenic, GWPtotal, TRPE, TNRPE, WD). The platform allows to compare building materials and perform analyzes for conceptual building designs. In addition, producers of building materials can also benefit from the project because they will receive information about the environmental properties of some of their products. The platform will be available in the second half of 2024.

Post-Occupancy Evaluation of Adaptively Reused Historical Ecological Buildings in Egypt: The Case of Wekalet Al-Ghoury

Ecological historical buildings were originally designed to maintain acceptable Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ) for their users and their intended activity. The adaptive reuse of these buildings is considered a great potential opportunity. As a result, these structures and their passive applied strategies might be no longer as effective as they once were. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the user satisfaction with IEQ in an adaptively reused historical ecological building; Wekalet Al-Ghoury. This post-occupancy evaluation was conducted using a mixed method approach that involved the use of a questionnaire and a semi-structured interview. Quantitative results of the questionnaire were statistically evaluated using SPSS software and interviews were thematically analyzed. The questionnaire was first use to capture responses’ diversity among staff and tenants, the semi-structured interview has then helped to discuss and justify quantitative findings. Occupants were generally satisfied with thermal and acoustic conditions and dissatisfied the most with the low level of IEQ control, poor indoor air quality and inconsistent light distribution. On the other hand, the interview has reflected responsive occupant behaviour to perform their work where occupants are free to change their place, change their working hours and introduce some movable lighting and ventilation equipment.

Sustainable Design Methods Translated from the Thermodynamic Theory of Vernacular Architecture: Atrium Prototypes

In the context of China’s sustainable development and dual carbon goals, research on thermodynamic architecture theory and vernacular architecture increasingly aligns with international trends, developing distinct characteristics. This research addresses the challenge of rapid changes in the built environment by focusing on climate adaptability and passive technologies. However, the development of thermodynamic theory in vernacular architecture faced technical limitations in the early 21st century and was later overshadowed by the industry’s reliance on active technologies to meet green building standards, resulting in a reduced role for architects in the green building field. This article traces the origins of passive architecture, rooted in vernacular architecture, and applies thermodynamic theory to explore architectural prototypes. It examines the theoretical feasibility of architectural design in achieving low-carbon and sustainable goals, aiming to fill a gap in thermodynamic theory within the broader context of sustainable architectural development. After demonstrating the various passive prototypes inherent in vernacular architecture, this paper proposes a courtyard prototype focused on residential comfort for design translation and analysis. The research methods employed include bioclimatic charting, balance point temperature analysis in time series, and extensive computer simulations. Through the process of prototype extraction, performance analysis, validation, and optimization, the paper systematically discusses sustainable design methods within the framework of thermodynamic architecture theory. It also provides practical demonstrations of these methods across four distinct climate regions in China. By translating vernacular architectural designs, this research systematically organizes the theoretical framework for architects’ early involvement in low-carbon and green building design, offering a theoretical foundation for initiating the design process through prototype translation while guiding the generation of green ecological buildings.

Analysis of the Impact of Renewable Energy Application on the Cost of Green Building Projects

Green building is a sustainable ecological building, and the application of renewable energy to green buildings can protect the ecological environment and reduce energy consumption to a certain extent, so this paper makes an in-depth analysis of the impact of renewable energy application on the cost of green building projects. Firstly, the grey correlation analysis was used to analyze the characteristic indicators of renewable energy applied to the cost of green building projects, and the estimation index system of green building projects was constructed. Then, the improved genetic algorithm was used to construct the explanatory variables and control variables of green building project cost control, the variation factors of green building project cost control were analyzed through principal component analysis, and the elastic modulus and regression discriminant method were combined to complete the impact analysis of renewable energy application to green building project cost. The simulation results show that the algorithm can effectively reduce the economic cost of green buildings, ensure the quality of buildings, and protect the natural ecological environment.

Study on Multi-Index Evaluation Technology of Seismic Performance of Green Ecological Building Structure

Traditional evaluation methods based on static elastic-plastic analysis usually produce results with low fitting degree compared with actual data. In this paper, a new seismic performance evaluation method is proposed. Firstly, several evaluation indexes of green ecological building structure are calculated. Subsequently, a cumulative damage model is established based on fatigue life curve and Miner criterion, which allows to determine the total dissipated strain energy and damage index. In order to verify the effectiveness of this method, it is compared with the traditional static elastic-plastic analysis method through experimental tests. The results show that compared with the traditional method of 50% to 60%, the proposed method achieves a significantly higher fitting degree with the actual data, ranging from 70% to 92%. This emphasizes the superiority and reliability of the proposed method in evaluating the seismic performance of green ecological building structures, and provides insights for safer and more flexible building practices.

Symbiotic orchestra: Tripartite ecology building by scalable microfluidics nano-fibre for sustainable cultivation

Plants establish a specific assembly of soil microbiota around them, hence it’s our duty to synchronize their preference with the latest technology. In this context, a microfluidic based scalable process has been developed for the assembling of the microbiota in such a way that quick symbiotic partnership happens to result in enhanced productivity. The stable 100 µm soft gel prepared with the reinforcement of nanoparticles, assembles one mycorrhizae with the required bunch of bacteria in a compatible environment for root colonization. Thus, assembled microbeads show significantly enhanced crop production.

Promoting environmental sustainability in construction: exploring implemented solutions through case studies

It is imperative to take pro-ecological actions that are beneficial to health, as well as adopt sustainable development practices in the face of the current environmental challenges facing humanity. It is crucial that environmental protection is implemented by all people on Earth, because the future is worrying – especially for what will be left for future generations. Green building solutions are being implemented worldwide, but not always in an appropriate manner. All green architecture integrates sustainable development and conservation, regardless of location. This article summarises and characterises the concept of the 6E (economic, energy-efficient, ecological, elastic, aesthetic, ergonomic) ecological building concept and the 3R (reduce, reuse, recycle) principle. It also presents an analysis of two ecological buildings in Poland. The first is a wooden building located in the village of Podgać, which serves as an example of combining modern design and ecology. It was built in harmony with nature and blends in with the natural environment of the forest. A half-timbered house in the village of Jarzębia Łąka is the second example where traditional construction, modern technical solutions and environmental protection come together. The presented project examples were examined in terms of ecological building principles and then compared with the 6E concept and the 3R principle. This paper presents a comprehensive study of two distinct eco-friendly building structures. The investigation covers technical characterisation, compliance with the 6E concept, comparison of ecological efficiency, and conclusions with recommendations. The Dom Baby Jagi [Baba Jaga House] in the village Podgać showcases a harmonious blend of simplicity, functionality, and economy, utilising wood with insulation for year-round habitation. It integrates renewable energy sources and rainwater harvesting, contributing to its ecological sustainability. Meanwhile, the half-timbered building in Jarzębia Łąka employs clay-straw bricks for construction, emphasising economic and environmental benefits with vapour-permeable walls and efficient insulation. Both structures exemplify ergonomic design, eco-friendly construction practices, and aesthetic integration with their natural surroundings. These findings underscore the importance of incorporating environmentally conscious solutions in modern architecture to address contemporary environmental challenges and promote sustainable development.

ASSESSMENT OF THE POSSIBILITY OF USING RECYCLED COARSE AGGREGATE IN A WOOD-SOIL CONCRETE SLAB

Problem statement. During the process of post-war reconstruction in Ukraine, there will be a need for a large number of affordable and ecological building materials, especially in the part of restoration and construction of low-rise buildings. Such building materials can be soil-concrete and aggregates from crushed concrete waste. The proposed constructive solution of the ribbed floor, in which the ribs are made of pine beams and OSB sheets, and the slab part is made of soil concrete on fixed formwork. The purpose of the article is to determine the optimal composition of the soil-concrete mixture using crushed stone obtained after crushing concrete scrap, taking into account the configuration of the wood-soil concrete slab, to determine the strength of soil-concrete of this composition, to determine the possibility of using recycled coarse aggregates. Conclusions. Based on the results of determining the optimal composition of soil-concrete, it was established that the maximum compressive strength is achieved when the mass content of the binder in the cement-soil mixture is at the level of 20 %. Taking into account the configuration of the slab part of the floor, a fraction of 5...7.5 mm is accepted for coarse aggregate. During the test of soil-concrete samples with recycled aggregate with a mass content of 10 %, 20 % and 30 %, the compressive strength of soil concrete decreased. Obviously, the presence of a clay component (loam) in the mixture reduces the adhesion in the contact zone between the aggregate and the soil-concrete, which increases the heterogeneity of the entire structure of the soil-concrete. Thus, the use of natural or recycled coarse aggregates in soil-concrete is impractical. Taking into account the determined strength of soil-concrete without aggregate, a scheme of combined concreting of the soil-concrete slab is proposed – heavy concrete above the rib and soil-concrete in the overhangs. In this case, there is a need for research on the possibility of using recycled coarse aggregate of the required size in heavy concrete.

Analysis of the indoor thermal environment of traditional residents in the South Sichuan China region in summer and plum rainy seasons—taking Baiyang village in Yibin city as an example

ABSTRACT In hot summer and cold winter areas, the humid and sultry summer and rainy season problems have long affected the health of residents. Through a questionnaire survey and site measurements, the indoor thermal environment of typical southern Sichuan village houses was investigated. The average indoor humidity of the old traditional dwelling (85–95%) in the rainy season was much greater than that of the new rural house (70–80%), both of which are outside the standard thermal comfort range of the human body. In summer, the situation is slightly better but still uncomfortable. The APMV evaluation results reveal that in the rainy season, the new residential house is more comfortable than the traditional residential house, while in summer, the opposite situation occurs. The measurements show that the thermal inertia index of the old stone masonry house is large, which indicates that the house has a strong ability to resist temperature fluctuations. Therefore, we discussed different performance improvement strategies for these two types of rural residences. This study is conducive to improving the thermal environment of local residential buildings and provides a reference for the future design of rural ecological residential buildings.

Energy efficiency of ecological buildings in Tunisia: Natural fiber composites and passive strategies impact

Improving the thermal insulation and energy efficiency of building envelopes is a major objective worldwide and has significantly developed in the recent years. This study aims to evaluate the impact of ecological additive and passive strategies on building energy efficiency. An experimental study was carried out to examine the effect of the incorporation of treated Alfa and Posidonia-Oceanica fibers on the thermal properties of cement and gypsum composite samples. The experimental results were then introduced in a numerical study using TRNSYS software to perform a comparison of the energy efficiency and thermal performance of three individual buildings; two ones constructed with our ecological materials and the third one with typical materials is considered as a reference case under the Tunisian climate. The obtained results indicate that the buildings built with Alfa fibers (BAF) and Posidonia-Oceanica fibers (BPOF) are economically effective since they allow a decrease of about 48.20% and 43.48% in heating, 45.71% and 42.77% in cooling, leading to a reduction in CO2 emission of 47.90% and 43.40%, respectively, in comparison with the reference case. The investigation also focuses on the improvement of the ecological building envelope by a storage wall integrated on the south front and shaded by solar movable overhangs during the summer season. The indoor climate results reveal that incorporating passive strategies into the building improves indoor air temperature and preserves a comfortable indoor relative humidity. Heating requirements decrease by 82.82% for BAF and by 79.76% for BPOF. The cooling requirements of the reference building are also reduced by 63.46% for BAF and 60.45% for BPOF by the use of natural night ventilation (4 ACH) and the appropriate shading for Trombe walls and windows. Consequently, the implementation of passive strategies on the ecological buildings led to a net reduction in CO2 emissions by up to 80.55% for BAF, compared to the reference case.

How does the environmental attention of local governments affect regional green development? Empirical evidence from local governments in China

Due to the continuous progress of constructing sustainable environments in China, the role played by the Chinese central government as the main body for promoting green development is worth studying. Because China’s ecological civilization building has been steadily progressing. Governments at all levels in China have prioritised the development of environmental civilization as a key aspect of regional growth. However, the actual impact and mechanisms of influence of this construction still require further investigation. This paper constructs a government environmental attention index using word frequency found in the Report on the Work of the Government. It uses a long difference model to study the impact and mechanism of government environmental attention on urban green efficiency, carbon emissions and air quality. The results show that the government’s ecological attention can improve green efficiency, and air quality, but it can also lead to increased carbon emissions, and the impact is particularly evident in the eastern and western regions of the country. This is because the government’s emphasis on the environment significantly impacts on environmental regulations and technological progress, and is directly influenced by fiscal bias and financial pressure. Given the results, we put forward some policy suggestions that local governments should improve the intensity of local environmental regulation, encourage green technology innovation, provide encouraging conditions for environmental development, and establish a long-term strategic vision. The findings in this study has implications for promoting the implementation of local governments’ environmental protection and the development of sustainable societies in China.

Application of cold hot electric combined heating pump system in ecological environment building design

Aiming at energy saving and consumption reduction, this project applies the technology of combined heating and cooling heat pump to ecological building design. The combined hot and cold system is an integrated control system, which utilizes the solar system and heat pump technology (air source heat pump, water source heat pump) to complement each other based on changes in the outdoor environment, thus providing users with hot water heating and cold water cooling in winter. After installing a new heating and cooling system, coupled with well-equipped automatic control equipment, the heating coal consumption has been significantly reduced, and the emissions of CO2, SO2 dust, and other pollutants have also been correspondingly reduced. Compared with the cold and hot split supply system using electric refrigeration and thermal heating, the winter and summer sharing of the cold and hot combined supply device not only improves energy utilization efficiency, but also saves investment in heat source construction, thereby reducing costs and environmental pollution.

Ecological Humanism and Building Ecological Awareness through Children's Literature

Ecological Humanism and Building Ecological Awareness through Children's Literature

Research on the design concept of three-dimensional ecological building

This chapter highlights the significance of three-dimensional ecological architecture as a crucial direction for the development of green architecture in China. The design concept is centered around four main principles: green, energy-saving, user-friendly, and ecological circulation. This case analysis demonstrates the effectiveness of incorporating ecological elements and sustainable design strategies into building structures, resulting in reduced energy consumption, improved indoor environmental quality, and enhanced biodiversity. The chapter explores the development trends and insights derived from one case study, providing valuable references for China future advancement of green architecture.

Grassland productivity increase was dominated by climate in Qinghai-Tibet Plateau from 1982 to 2020

Grassland areas occupy 60% of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau (QTP) and play a critical role in enhancing the ecological barrier functions of the QTP. Grassland ecosystems, and net primary productivity (NPP) in general, have dramatically changed in time and space since the 1980s, with climate warming and the intensification of human activities. Current research widely believes that climate and human activities are the common driving factors of grassland ecosystem changes on the QTP. However, there is still controversy over their dominant driving factors and their contribution rates, especially during different research periods. Therefore, this study calculated the relative contributions of climate change, human activities (except LUCC) and LUCC to actual NPP (aNPP) changes during the two periods from 1982 to 2000 to 2001–2020. This study simulated three kinds of NPPs, that is, actual NPP, potential NPP, and human-appropriated NPP, using climate productivity, the light use efficiency model, and the residual method, respectively. Moreover, the study area was divided into two parts, and then the contributions of the three factors were calculated objectively. The results showed that (1) the actual NPP (aNPP) of the QTP increased dramatically from 1982 to 2000 but did not change obviously from 2001 to 2020. (2) Comprehensive evaluation showed that climate was the dominant factor for the aNPP net increase, and its contribution rate dramatically increased from 36.3% during 1982–2000 to 224.2% during 2001–2020. Human activities changed from a positive contribution (53.3%) to a negative contribution (−124.8%) to the aNPP net increase. The contribution rate of LUCC to the aNPP increase significantly decreased from 10.4% to 0.6%. Therefore, finer grassland restoration measures and government policies must be implemented to increase NPP against the background of favorable warm-wet climate conditions for increasing grassland NPP in the QTP. These results benefit the scientific management of grassland resources and ecological barrier building on the QTP.

Just Transition in Response to Climate Change: A Case Study of Trans-Altitude Migrant Resettlement on the Qinghai–Xizang Plateau

As a measure toward a joint target of promoting residents’ life, combating climate change, and protecting ecosystem in the Qinghai–Xizang Plateau, migrant resettlement has made a remarkable achievement not only in preserving the ecological environment and building climate barriers, but also in significantly upgrading the residents’ life quality. Yet, it also faces a multitude of challenges, such as the issue of just transition, which concerns the international community. To promote a just transition, the primary challenge lies in addressing the imbalance between the supply and demand in the resettlement. This includes matching the supply of public services with the material needs related to production and residents’ life, as well as the alignment between the residents’ cultural and psychological identification and the grassroots services available. Using Maslow’s hierarchy of needs as a theoretical framework, this paper examines just transition in migrant resettlement on the Qinghai–Xizang Plateau from a supply–demand perspective based on follow-up fieldwork, and argues that the local community has achieved significant progress in promoting just transition in terms of material security, spiritual needs, and self-development, but further efforts should still be made to improve just transition and ensure a more sustainable future.

Simulation-based assessment of the climate change impact on future thermal energy load and indoor comfort of a light-weight ecological building across the six climates of Morocco

The potential effects of global climate change on buildings are a growing concern worldwide, as rising temperatures can significantly impact their energy performance and indoor thermal comfort conditions. This article examines the impact of global warming across six different climate zones of Morocco by comparing under 2050 RCP8.5 scenario the current and future thermal energy requirements and indoor comfort levels of a light-weight ecologically-designed detached residential house. The reference case study building is in a semi-arid climate of Morocco and empirically validated following the ASHRAE guideline 14, with CV(RMSE) less than 3.2 and NMBE less than 1.4 for the two 38-day monitored thermal zones.The study includes aframework to evaluate the thermal energy needs for maintaining indoor thermal comfort and the overheating intensity triggered by climate change and varying due to spatial scale. Overall, the findings show that Morocco will suffer with differing magnitudes from the temperature increase linked to global warming, which will result in an upsurge in the thermal needs for cooling, particularly in the southern regions of Morocco, and a general reduction in the heating thermal energy needs across the different climates of Morocco, with an annual thermal energy demand change ranging from −2.7% to 17%, depending on the investigated city. This wide variation in thermal energy demand underlines the need to assess the effects of the warming climate in the local context. Besides, under conditions of Air Conditioning (AC) failure, the Indoor Overheating Hours (IOH) increase up to 27% between the current climate conditions and the 2050 climate conditions while indoor temperature changes exceed 1.5 °C during the hottest days of the summer.Strategically, the research study intends to support global efforts to build resilient societies by bringing awareness to how susceptible indoor occupants are to projected warming temperatures. The study also lays the groundwork for prioritizing and assessing adaptation solutions to protect people's health, comfort, and productivity within buildings despite climate change in the most sustainable manner.

Effects of Impact Sound Insulation of Floor Covering on the Properties of Wood Organic Resilient Material

近年來樓板緩衝材多以玻璃棉、橡膠墊或發泡類等工業化之產品為主，在製程或回收利用上亦須依賴大量能源之供應。因此，本研究在地球永續與循環經濟之課題下，以栓皮櫟（Quercus suber）樹種作為研究對象，利用木栓層（Cork layer）組織特性，開發木質有機緩衝材，並搭配複合木地板之面材進行樓板衝擊音隔音性能之探討。研究結果顯示，在栓皮櫟樹皮顆粒使用比例為30 %時，衝擊音降低量預估值達22 dB，較10 %及20 %之比例條件佳，且低頻衝擊音降低量數值較常見之橡膠發泡與PU發泡佳，顯示本研究之木質有機緩衝材除符合生態綠建材之原則外，亦可提升建築樓板之隔音性能。In recent years, glass wool, rubber, and foam were the main materials used in floor resilient material, which consume a lot of energy in the process of recycling. Under the topic of earth sustainability and circular economy, in this study, we took Quercus suber as the research object, and use the organizational characteristics of the Cork layer to develop wood organic resilient material. We discussed the floor impact sound insulation performance of laminate wood flooring and wood organic resilient material. The result showed when using 30 % cork oak, the impact sound reduction value of the floor covering was 22 dB. The impact sound insulation performance of low frequencies of wood organic resilient material was better than rubber and foam. The wood-organic resilient material produced in this study was in line with ecological green building materials and improved the sound insulation performance of building floors.

Exploring the design of ecological and energy-saving residential buildings adapted to climate change based on a simulated annealing algorithm

Abstract In the context of the digital development of big data and information in recent years, performance-based residential building design and its optimization methods have gradually become a research hotspot of domestic and international attention. The simulated annealing algorithm is a major component of residential buildings’ optimal energy efficiency design. Although the crossover operator under the computational traditional simulated annealing algorithm incorporates the respective advantages of the genetic algorithm and simulated annealing algorithm, the purely optimal genetic simulated annealing algorithm is more effective for the evaluation of index analysis and better reflects the superiority of the algorithm. In the Energy Plus model, the three algorithms were used to analyze the design indexes of ecological energy-efficient residential buildings, and the SS values of the MOSA algorithm fluctuated between 10% and 24%, and the performance of the recommended genetic simulated annealing algorithm was significantly better than the other two algorithms. This study effectively solves the difficulties of low efficiency and high failure rate common in design practice when using this technique and is of historical importance to the development of energy-efficient residential buildings in China.

Analysis of the driving factors of precipitation change during the development of the Jing-Jin-Ji urban agglomeration

Urbanization has an important impact on local precipitation changes. Previous studies of urban precipitation have largely considered single precipitation events, with few long-term statistical studies based on multiple samples. Therefore, based on WRF model simulations, this study extracted the latent heat flux, sensible heat flux, net radiation, friction velocity, albedo, and precipitation of 156 urban units in Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei (Jing-Jin-Ji) urban agglomeration for the summers of 2001–2019, and identified the main factors driving long-term urban precipitation changes based on multiple samples. There were three key results. 1) The factors that had the greatest impact on urban precipitation changes in Jing-Jin-Ji were the sensible heat flux, latent heat flux, and friction velocity. The latent heat flux was the leading factor driving precipitation changes during the urbanization of Jing-Jin-Ji. 2) In the different stages of urbanization, there were different factors affecting urban precipitation changes. In highly urbanized cities, the sensible heat flux had the greatest impact on precipitation changes, followed by the friction velocity. For medium-sized cities, the friction velocity was the most important variable. For small cities, the latent heat flux was the most important factor. 3) The friction velocity was the leading factor in precipitation change at the 0.95 quantile in Jing-Jin-Ji, and was therefore the most important factor driving changes in urban extreme precipitation. The results provide a theoretical basis for the formulation of climate policies, and disaster prevention and mitigation in Jing-Jin-Ji. They will also assist in promoting the construction of an ecological civilization and building safe and livable cities.