Sustainable Design Research Articles

Meteorological effects of ventilation corridor in central urban areas: A case study of Wuhan

How ventilation corridors affect urban climate is attracting researchers' attention. Taking the inland Chinese city of Wuhan as an example, this paper first uses remote sensing image technology to evaluate the urban thermal environment. Additionally, based on the GIS/RS spatial analysis method, the ventilation corridors in the central urban area are identified and constructed. Finally, the mesoscale meteorological model WRF-UCM is used to simulate four cases with different corridor forms to explore the impact of different corridors on the climate environment in Wuhan during the summer. The results indicate that: (1) The WRF-UCM model, when coupled with LCZ classification, can significantly improve the accuracy of mesoscale urban canopy meteorological field simulations. (2) The water corridors located in the central urban area can effectively regulate the temperature and wind environment during summer. In the high-temperature period of the day, the average temperature in the central city decreases by 0.3–0.4 °C, the heat island proportion index decreases by 1.61 %, and the strong heat island proportion index decreases by 1.89 % in the afternoon. During the period of low temperature, the average wind speed in the central urban area increased by 0.05 m/s increase, and even increased by 0.1 m/s. (3) The specific humidity value of the green corridor is reduced by 0.0000136 kg/kg in comparison to the construction land in the corridor, while the water corridor can increase by 0.000133 kg/kg. If the two kinds of surface, water and green land, are organically combined in the corridor, it will be able to improve the hot and humid conditions in Wuhan in summer. (4)Low-rise and low-density construction land as the corridors in the central urban area can not improve the urban thermal and wind environment. Through an attempt to conduct a complete workflow of urban heat island analysis, ventilation corridor identification and setting, urban climate simulation, analysis and summary, the authors believe that it is an effective set of working methods in sustainable urban planning, design, and policy-making. The implementation of pertinent research findings in the domain of urban planning and design demonstrates its universal applicability and has the potential to extend to analogous research and practice.

Sustainable industrial process design for derived CO2 adsorbent from municipal solid wastes: Scale-up, techno-economic and parametric assessment

Climate change and carbon emissions attributed to anthropogenic activities is getting alarming dimensions. On the other hand, the overwhelming progress of industrialization and urbanization contributed to an explosion in the municipal solid waste (MSW), as one of the other global challenges. However, developing a cost-effective adsorbent with appealing textural properties for CO2 capture is still one of the main challenges. Lately, carbon-based solid waste materials of biogenic origin have received a major interest to this end, owing to the renewability, availability and low-cost. Routinely, academic research mainly focuses on lab-scale development of activated carbons derived from waste materials. However, there is a significant gap concerning the industrial production of activated carbon from such materials. Accordingly, in this work, an industrial plant has been designed for producing activated carbon derived from digestate of MSWs in the industrial scale by presenting all scale-up details, engineering assumptions and process specifications. The results indicated that the plant has a potential to process 90,273 ton MSW annually, which consumes 1367.8 MWh net electricity and 20,134.4 GJ net heat, also produces 4788.10 ton CO2 adsorbent, per year. The economic assessment specified that the plant capital cost is around $14.112 million with the net price of 0.61 $/kg for produced activated carbon. Further, the sensitivity analysis and parametric study determined that the sample level in the drum is the determinative parameter on the energy consumption and net price of adsorbent. Finally, Response Surface Methodology was employed to maximize the plant profitability concerning the designing factors.

The Evolving Theme of Health-Promoting Urban Form: Applying the Macrolot Concept for Easy Access to Open Public Green Spaces

Making cities health-promoting places is an evolving theme. Numerous studies confirm the health-promoting qualities of contact with nature and problems resulting from the deprivation of access to public green spaces. Easy access to safe and inclusive public green spaces is still one of the long-lasting problems of urbanized areas around the globe. It is one of the sustainable development goals, SDGs, proposed by the UN: 11. Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable. Point 11.7 By 2030, provide universal access to safe, inclusive and accessible, green and public spaces, in particular for women and children, older persons and persons with disabilities. The major question is how to implement this goal in practice and design cities to provide easy access to safe and inclusive public green spaces. One of the important concepts for sustainable urban development is the urban block, Macrolot, coined by Christian de Portzamparc, which led to the new urban morphology of eco-neighborhoods in France. It combines the traditional, walkable urban grid with the Le Corbusier vision for a healthy modernist city offering daylight, fresh air, and greenery for everyone. Among the advantages of this particular urban morphology are the increased presence of green spaces and possibilities for placemaking. Studying the effects of the urban form of the Macrolot is of great significance for sustainable urban development. In this study, five neighborhoods—three eco-neighborhoods from France designed according to the open urban block, Macrolot urban morphology, ZAC Massena, ZAC Trapeze, and ZAC Clichy-Batignolles, and two award-winning developments from Poland, Riverview and Ostoja Wilanów—were chosen as case studies. The application of the Macrolot concept to sustainable urban planning and design and the possibilities for operationalization of the SDG—11. Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable—are discussed. This study offers valuable evidence to inform urban planning and design.

Study on the F-U-BVF analytical model for sustainable food design: a case study of tofu

Study on the F-U-BVF analytical model for sustainable food design: a case study of tofu

Enhancing Soft Skills through Generative AI in Sustainable Fashion Textile Design Education

This study explores the significance of incorporating soft skill training in fashion design education through the use of artificial intelligence (AI) technology and examines various AI-based approaches for sustainable fashion textile design education employing a multifaceted methodology that encompasses empirical, quantitative, and qualitative methods. We investigate the aspects of Design Sprints, identify key soft skills that help students meet the complex demands of contemporary fashion design workplaces, propose a curriculum guide for AI textile design programs, and evaluate the soft skill training process. Participants included students who had completed basic fashion design courses over three to four semesters and had experience with the fashion design process. The findings confirmed that participants’ soft skills improved across four areas—digital competence, sense of initiative and entrepreneurship, problem-solving and thinking skills, and communication—through the AI-based fashion textile design curriculum. This study validates the importance of integrating AI technology into educational programs to enhance essential soft skills in the digital fashion industry environment. Additionally, it emphasizes the necessity of developing AI technology-specialized design prompts while maintaining a balance between traditional design education and digital design education for sustainable fashion design education.

Multi-objective optimization of rural residential envelopes in cold regions of China based on performance and economic efficiency

Building envelope renovation solutions are critical to building performance and post-renovation economics. Building renovation is easier to carry out if the impacts of building envelope renovation solutions on building performance and post-renovation economic efficiency can be foreseen and a more sustainable and efficient renovation design can be achieved. This paper explores the optimal design of building envelope renovation using genetic optimization algorithms and statistical analysis methods, taking the performance of the renovated building and the economic efficiency of the renovation solution as the starting points. In Qingdao, a cold region of China, a survey was carried out on typical rural areas in seven regions. The selected design variables include the external wall and roof insulation material type(TWall, TRoof), external wall and roof insulation thickness(δWall, δRoof), type of window construction(TWc), and area radio of the window to the wall(WWR). Minimization of total building energy consumption(E) and renovation cost(COSTRE) and after renovation maximization of the combined incremental cost-benefit ratio over a 20-year life cycle(CICBR20-year life-cycle), effective natural daylighting illuminance(UDI), and percentage of time spent in indoor comfort(PTC) were considered in the optimization of the envelope. The results show that in cold regions, different envelope renovation solutions affect the optimization objectives to different degrees; changing the south-facing window-to-wall ratio(S_WWR) has a bigger effect on E, PTC, and UDI; and choosing different TRoof has a bigger effect on COSTRE and CICBR20-year life-cycle. Renovation of the selected typical rural residence with the optimal solution results in an energy-saving rate(Re) of 53.08 %, an increase of 940.86 h/year in annual indoor comfort hours(HIC) and 377.00 h/year in annual effective natural lighting hours(HUDI).

Quantifying the flexural stiffness changes in the concrete beams with externally bonded carbon fiber sheets under elevated environment temperature

Structural strengthening solutions typically employ externally bonded reinforcement (EBR) systems with carbon fiber (CF) sheets because of these materials’ lightweight, corrosion resistance, and electromagnetic immunity. However, elevated ambient temperatures can negatively impact the mechanical performance of EBR, as documented in the literature. Therefore, American bridge design specifications assume a concrete surface temperature of 60 °C (140 °F), which reflects the extreme conditions that bridge structures may experience, particularly in regions with intense sunlight and high ambient temperatures. Therefore, sustainable design solutions require a reliable quantification of the effects of temperature. This study extends a recently developed bending test layout and builds the analytical modeling procedure to quantify the stiffness degradation under repeated temperature and mechanical loads. The explicitly obtained equivalent stresses in the tensile concrete determine the stiffness measure independent of the loading condition and sequence. This test program used 12 laboratory samples. All beam samples faced the mechanical load repetitions and entire unloading. Three selected beams were additionally treated at 60 °C for 10 hours in a heating chamber between the loading repetitions. These tests identified a substantial (three times) decrease in the bonding performance of the CF sheets after eight heating rounds. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) identified the corresponding microstructure changes.

An Up-to-Date Review of Passive Building Envelope Technologies for Sustainable Design

An Up-to-Date Review of Passive Building Envelope Technologies for Sustainable Design

Advancing climate resilience through a geo-design framework: strengthening urban and community forestry for sustainable environmental design

Urban and community forestry is a specialized discipline focused on the meticulous management of trees and forests within urban, suburban, and town environments. This field often entails extensive civic involvement and collaborative partnerships with institutions. Its overarching objectives span a spectrum from preserving water quality, habitat, and biodiversity to mitigating the Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect. The UHI phenomenon, characterized by notably higher temperatures in urban areas compared to rural counterparts due to heat absorption by urban infrastructure and limited urban forest coverage, serves as a focal point in this study. The study focuses on developing a methodological framework that integrates Geographically Weighted Regression (GWR), Random Forest (RF), and Suitability Analysis to assess the Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect across different urban zones, aiming to identify areas with varying levels of UHI impact. The framework is designed to assist urban planners and designers in understanding the spatial distribution of UHI and identifying areas where urban forestry initiatives can be strategically implemented to mitigate its effect. Conducted in various London areas, the research provides a comprehensive analysis of the intricate relationship between urban and community forestry and UHI. By mapping the spatial variability of UHI, the framework offers a novel approach to enhancing urban environmental design and advancing urban forestry studies. The study’s findings are expected to provide valuable insights for urban planners and policymakers, aiding in creating healthier and more livable urban environments through informed decision-making in urban forestry management.

Energy Efficient Design of Building Based on Building Information Modelling (BIM)

Building energy analysis is rarely carried out due to the complexity of building shape and materials. On the other hand, the urgency of environmentally friendly construction is increasing through the vision of the SDGs and Architecture 2030. The development of BIM technology is expected to provide accurate estimates of building energy consumption for projects undertaken, as well as recommendations for alternative designs and specifications to increase the energy efficiency of a building. The use of BIM technology for energy analysis during building design helps to implement green building sustainable design based on the analysis of BIM energy simulation software. Data of three-dimensional BIM model with the attributes of materials, project schedule and location are used in building energy consumption simulation analysis. Several scenarios of different materials and layout are carried out to determine the most efficient scenario for energy consumption and followed by its cost estimation. The results of this study are expected to be able to provide the energy value that can be saved through predetermined scenarios as well as the value of the costs required to run a more energy-friendly design scenario in a comprehensive manner.

The treachery of green images? Using modular green system to analyse the gap between image perceptions and greenspace user behaviour

While user preferences for green space design have long remained a key subject of inquiry, most studies rely on evaluations of images due to the many challenges of creating actual green spaces for experimentation. However, researchers are increasingly aware of potential discrepancies between image perceptions and actual user behaviour, and many have thus called for more empirical analysis of how users actually interact with different green patterns to make knowledge of greenery design more valid. Although the difficulty of reconfiguring greenery in real open spaces has limited studies comparing image perceptions and actual visitors’ use, recent technological innovations in green infrastructure have made it possible to easily alter greenery layouts and compare the effectiveness of green space designs. Using both photo representations and a modular green system, we empirically tested and compared subject use and evaluations of three greenery patterns: no greenery (NO), open greenery (OP) and enveloping greenery (EN). Although the OP pattern was the most favourably evaluated on the basis of photos, our results indicate that the EN pattern has a significantly positive relationship with the number of visitors, compared with the OP and NO patterns. This finding suggests that subjective perceptions of photos or collages may not correspond to preferable greenery designs for users. Therefore, when developing new green spaces, the gap between images and actual use should be kept in mind and empirical design studies should be conducted in situ to make open spaces more attractive.

Evaluation of Age-Appropriate Public Seats in Comprehensive Parks and Sustainable Design Strategies Based on the Kano-Importance–Performance Analysis Model

Evaluation of Age-Appropriate Public Seats in Comprehensive Parks and Sustainable Design Strategies Based on the Kano-Importance–Performance Analysis Model

Long-term analysis of cooling demand and heat recovery in hotel HVAC systems: Implications for sustainable chiller design and operation to reduce CO2 emissions

Problem statementThe long-term impact of hotel operations on energy consumption and carbon emissions in cooling demand (CD) and condenser heat recovery (HR) is not well understood. IntroductionThis study aims to analyze the changes in CD and HR over a 20-year period for a hypothetical hotel in Hong Kong to assess the long-term impact of hotel operations on energy consumption and carbon emissions. MethodologyEnergyPlus software is used to simulate CD and HR values, considering architectural features and HVAC system configurations. Long short-term memory (LSTM) models are developed, incorporating indoor temperature setpoint, climatic variables, and historical data. The study assesses building energy simulation from 2003 to 2022 against typical meteorological years and compares the energy and carbon emission performance of various chiller system configurations, including a variable speed chiller system with condenser heat recovery. Salient findings/resultsThe LSTM models demonstrate high performance with an R2 value of 0.979 and an accuracy of 0.946 in the confusion matrix. The simulation results show a significant increase of 3.83 % to 18.93 % in peak CD and 6.04 % to 20.48 % in annual total CD from 2003 to 2022, which was not predicted by the typical meteorological year data. The all-variable-speed chiller system with condenser heat recovery maintains high energy performance despite the rising CD, resulting in a notable reduction in carbon emissions (15.77–17.44 kgCO2/m2). ConclusionsThis study offers valuable insights into the design and operation of sustainable chiller systems, helping to understand long-term trends in cooling demand and condenser heat recovery in hotel operations.

Thermal performance of shaded roofs: investigating the impact of material properties and efficacy of building performance simulation

This research investigates the thermal performance of shaded roofs in the composite climate of Roorkee, India, by examining four shading materials (three opaque, one translucent) over an unobstructed roof for eight consecutive days. Using ‘Designbuilder’ software simulations and a mathematical model, the study meticulously triangulates experimental, simulated, and modelled data. The hourly temperature profile of the roof under different shades is analysed and the results showed negligible differences among opaque shading materials, while the translucent material significantly altered the roof’s thermal performance due to solar transmittance. Opaque shades reduced peak heat gain through the roof by up to 77% and 71.5% on cloudy and sunny days, respectively, and reduced nighttime heat loss by 40% and 33%, respectively. This research underscores the importance of considering shading material properties in sustainable building design and confirms the reliability of simulation tools. Highlights The study finds that in parasol roofs, the shading material's thermal properties do not impact the roof's thermal performance, but the solar transmittance does. The study also found that opaque shading could reduce the hourly peak heat gain through the roof by up to 77% and 71.5% on a cloudy day and sunny day, respectively, and reduced the nighttime hourly peak heat loss from the roof by up to 40% and 33%, respectively. Despite considering shading elements in BPS tools to be thermally inactive, the tools perform valid energy simulations.

Natural ventilation potential of teaching building complexes with different block shapes and layout patterns

Natural ventilation significantly enhances building energy efficiency and indoor air quality, thereby reducing virus transmission risks, especially crucial in teaching buildings on university campuses frequently occupied by large numbers of students. This study investigates the design impacts of teaching building complexes on indoor and outdoor wind environments, aiming to propose practical design recommendations. Firstly, a typological analysis of teaching building complexes from ten universities in Guangzhou University Town (GUT) was conducted, screening out several archetypes representing diverse design features. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations were then performed on 16 hypothetical teaching building complexes derived from these archetypes. The wind velocity distributions and area-weighted wind velocities across various hypothetical scenarios were compared and analyzed, allowing for a thorough assessment of the natural ventilation performance associated with different block shapes and layout patterns. The findings reveal that canyons between buildings have a marginal impact on natural ventilation within scenarios characterized by aligned layouts. In contrast, staggered layouts notably enhance natural ventilation, particularly with orthogonal prevailing winds. Furthermore, semi-enclosed courtyard blocks outperform fully enclosed courtyard blocks in natural ventilation, especially when their openings align with prevailing wind directions. Finally, several practical recommendations were summarized for achieving sustainable teaching building design in similar climate regions. Key contributions include demonstrating the significant influence of block shape and layout on ventilation performance and offering novel insights into optimizing building designs for improved natural ventilation.

A Multidisciplinary Approach for the Sustainable Technical Design of a Connected, Automated, Shared and Electric Vehicle Fleet for Inner Cities

The increasing volume of personal motorized vehicles (PMVs) in cities has become a serious issue leading to congestion, noise, air pollution and high land consumption. To ensure the sustainability of urban transportation, it is imperative to transition the current transportation paradigm toward a more sustainable state. Transitions within socio-technical systems often arise from niche innovation. Therefore, this paper pursues the technical optimization of such a niche innovation by applying a technical sustainability perspective on an innovative mobility and logistics concept within a case study. This case study is based on a centrally managed connected, automated, shared and electric (CASE) vehicle fleet which might replace PMV use in urban city centers of the future. The key technical system components of the envisioned mobility and logistics concept are analyzed and optimized with regard to economic, ecological and social sustainability dimensions to maximize the overall sustainability of the ecosystem. Specifically, this paper identifies key challenges and proposes possible solutions across the vehicle components as well as the orchestration of the vehicles’ operations within the envisioned mobility and logistics concept. Thereby, the case study gives an example of how different engineering disciplines can contribute to different sustainability dimensions, highlighting the interdependences. Finally, the discussion concludes that the early integration of sustainability considerations in the technical optimization efforts of innovative transportation systems can provide an important building block for the transition of the current transportation paradigm to a more sustainable state.

Engineer students’ views on competencies for sustainable development: a case from a systemic PBL environment using Q methodology

ABSTRACT Despite an emerging emphasis on the role of engineers in achieving the SDGs, there is still a lack of agreement on which competencies should be prioritised to prepare them to tackle future sustainability challenges. By formulating a theoretical framework of key sustainable competencies based on prior studies, this study investigated engineering students’ subjective views on which competencies they considered as the most important to support them in becoming sustainable engineers/designers. Using Q methodology, views were collected from 26 master students in a Sustainable Design programme in a Danish systemic problem- and project-based (PBL) context. Three key competencies were identified: collaboration, interdisciplinarity, and systemic thinking. Competences within the ‘doing’ and ‘being’ dimensions were represented the strongest. There is a hierarchy between the competencies, with collaboration being the highest level, as it demonstrates that it is transversal to the others. These results emphasised the role of PBL in developing competencies for sustainability and in reinforcing the value of Education for Sustainable Development.

A microbiome-biochar composite synergistically eliminates the environmental risks of antibiotic mixtures and their toxic byproducts

This study developed a continuous reactor system employing a hybrid hydrogel composite synthesized using a complex sludge microbiome and an adsorbent (HSA). This HSA-based system effectively eliminated the environmental risks associated with a mixture of the antibiotics ciprofloxacin and sulfamethoxazole, which exhibited higher toxicity in combination than individually at environmentally relevant levels. Analytical chemistry experiments revealed the in-situ generation of various byproducts (BPs) within the bioreactor system, with two of these BPs recording toxicity levels that surpassed those of their parent compound. The HSA approach successfully prevented the functional microbiome from being washed out of the reactor, while HSA efficiently removed antibiotic residues in their original and BP forms through synergistic adsorptive and biotransformation mechanisms, ultimately reducing the overall ecotoxicity. The use of HSA thus demonstrates promise not only as a mean to reduce the threat posed by toxic antibiotic residues to aquatic ecosystems but also as a practical solution to operational challenges, such as biomass loss/washout, that are frequently encountered in various environmental bioprocesses.

Life cycle assessment and multi-criteria decision-making for sustainable building parts: criteria, methods, and application

Abstract Purpose Sustainable building design relies heavily on building parts, with crucial consideration for climate and environmental impact. Due to numerous criteria and diverse alternatives, employing multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) to choose the best alternative is essential. Yet, relevant criteria and suitable MCDM methods for life cycle-based building planning still need to be determined. This study highlights prevalent environmental criteria and offers guidance on MCDM approaches for sustainable building parts. Methods This study introduces an innovative approach by integrating life cycle assessment and MCDM. This provides comprehensive decision support for planners. A systematic literature review identifies environmental criteria for building parts and is validated in expert workshops. Thus, the relevance of criteria across the building life cycle is established. Furthermore, the study analyzes MCDM approaches in the built environment. From this, the study employs and evaluates the Analytical Network Process (ANP) and Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) in a case study. Thereby, it offers insights into effective decision-making methodologies for sustainable building practices. Results This research categorizes environmental criteria for building parts and buildings into emissions, energy, resources, and circularity. Among 26 building part-related criteria, the global warming potential is highlighted. While the AHP is widely used in MCDM, a standardized method in planning processes is yet to emerge. Applying the ANP and AHP reveals similar rankings for the best and worst alternatives in a case study focused on selecting the optimal ceiling structure. Ribbed or box slab ceiling constructions are favored over reinforced concrete and composite timber-concrete constructions. Conclusions This study presents a novel method for life cycle-based MCDM challenges, identifying key environmental criteria. While material correlations exist, evaluating building parts demands simultaneous consideration of multiple criteria. Future research aims to compare further MCDM methods regarding their applicability, transparency, and ranking to enhance decision-making in sustainable construction. These investigations are essential for refining decision-making processes in the built environment, ensuring effective and transparent sustainability planning approaches.

Exploring the Development of Photoresists in Lacquer under the Background of Global Carbon Neutrality: A Mini Review

With the establishment of a global carbon-neutral target, green and sustainable design concepts, materials, and processes have become the key to scientific and technological innovation, which highlights the development and utilization of environmentally-friendly materials and renewable energy sources. At present, almost all the raw materials in commercial photoresist are from oil resources. In order to implement the policy of “green chemistry”, there is an urgent need to take the place of petroleum with renewable, biodegradable, and green biomass resources in photoresist production. As a kind of green and natural high polymer material from China, lacquer has excellent physical and chemical properties and has great application potential in the field of electronics. In this paper, the potential connections between photoresist and lacquer, especially in the green development of photoresist, are sorted out. The introduction of lacquer and its derivatives may help to improve the environmentally-friendly production of photoresist and its performance. Therefore, in the context of global carbon neutrality, the study of photoresists in the “lacquer” is of great significance in promoting the application of eco-friendly materials in the field of microelectronics.