Conference: 7^th ECCOMAS Young Investigators Conference (YIC 2023)
Date: 19–21 June 2023
Location: Porto, Portugal 

MDPI will be attending YIC 2023 as an exhibitor; we welcome researchers from different backgrounds to visit and share their latest ideas with us.

YIC 2023 is the 7^th in the series of international conferences, organized since 2012, with the main purpose of bringing students and young researchers together within a relaxed environment, developing their work in all areas related to computational science and engineering.

The following MDPI journals will be represented:

• Mathematics;
• AppliedMath;
• Algorithms;
• Fluids;
• Materials;
• Buildings;
• MCA;
• Computation;
• Symmetry.

If you are attending this conference, please visit our booth. Our delegates look forward to meeting you in person and answering any questions that you may have. For more information about the conference, please visit the following website: https://paginas.fe.up.pt/~yic2023/.

MDPI will be attending the 18th International Conference on Waste Management and Technology (ICWMT18), held in Sanya, China, from 20 to 23 May 2023. The theme of this year’s conference is “Synergizing the Reduction of Pollution and Carbon Emission”. Throughout the conference, prominent researchers and government officials will give keynote speeches on pressing issues of solid waste management. ICWMT18 provides an excellent opportunity for participants from industry and academia to keep up to date with the latest trends in solid waste management.

During this conference, MDPI will welcome researchers from different backgrounds to visit and share their latest views as well as research with us.

The following MDPI journals will be represented:

• Sustainability;
• Environments;
• Atmosphere;
• Buildings;
• Resources;
• Smart Cities;
• Sustainable Chemistry;
• Pollutants;
• Microplastics.

If you are attending this conference, please stop by our booth. Our delegates look forward to meeting you in person to answer any questions that you may have. For more information about the conference, please visit the following link: http://www.bcrc.cn/icwmt-eng/.

Infrared thermography (IRT) has been increasingly used in the past decades to assess defects and the energy performance of buildings. Despite all the opportunities it presents for a better diagnosis, its use still mainly relies on a qualitative and more superficial evaluation of the results. However, there has been an attempt to implement quantitative interpretation methodologies, which guarantee more reliable analyses. However, some issues remain a challenge for the technical and scientific community, which drives a deep reflection both on the test procedures and on the methodologies to interpret the results clearly. This webinar aims at stimulating the exchange of ideas and knowledge on the application of IRT for buildings diagnostics.

Date: 30 May 2023 at 10:00 a.m. CEST | 4:00 a.m. EDT | 4:00 p.m. CST Asia

Webinar ID: 857 2118 6971

Register now for free!

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information on how to join the webinar. Registrations with academic institutional email addresses will be prioritized.

Can’t attend? Register anyway and we’ll let you know when the recording is available to watch.

Webinar Chair and Keynote Speakers:

• Dr. Eva Barreira, CONSTRUCT, Department of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Engineering (FEUP), University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
• Dr. Blanca Tejedor, Department of Projects and Construction Engineering, Polytechnic University of Catalonia, Barcelona, Spain
• Dr. Ivan Garrido, National Defense University Center, Naval Military Academy, Pontevedra, Spain
• Dr. Ricardo Almeida, Polytechnic Institute of Viseu, Department of Civil Engineering, Campus Politécnico de Repeses, Viseu, Portugal

As a leading open access publisher, MDPI provides scholars with a high-quality and rich academic exchange platform by continuously expanding into new and exciting research areas.

In December 2022, MDPI launched five new journals, covering multiple subjects such as life sciences, biology, medicine and pharmacology, social sciences and humanities. These new journals are being edited by established scholars across the world.

If you are interested in creating more open access journals with us to publish cutting-edge research, please send your journal proposal application to newjournal-committee@mdpi.com.

MDPI is pleased to announce that we now display the co-authors’ email addresses in addition to the corresponding author’s email address on the webpage of published papers, protected by Captcha. For more information about this change, please visit the journal’s instructions for authors page. 

We believe this change will facilitate academic discussions and advance our cause of open science and research. The corresponding authors are responsible for communicating with their co-authors and indicating in our system (https://susy.mdpi.com/) if co-authors would prefer for their email addresses not to be displayed.

On 9 February 2023, Clarivate, a global leader in providing trusted insights and analytics, added the Preprint Citation Index to the Web of Science platform, streamlining the research process by allowing researchers to locate and link to preprints alongside other trusted content in the database.

The Preprint Citation Index will act as a bridge to connect cutting-edge preprints with peer-reviewed journal articles published within the Web of Science Core Collection. Alerts can be easily set to monitor new research across several repositories and authors will also be able to include preprints on their Web of Science Research Profile to more accurately display their various research outputs.

As of its launch, the Preprint Citation Index will provide nearly two million preprints from various repositories, including MDPI’s own Preprints.org.

MDPI's Preprints Platform – Preprints.org

To advance Open Science and the fast dissemination of research, MDPI offers researchers a free multidisciplinary preprint platform. Preprints.org accepts submissions from all research areas and offers authors high visibility, permanent archiving, article-level Metrics and immediately citable content by assigning a Digital Object Identifier (DOI) to all preprints.

During submission to any MDPI journal, authors have the option to share their research as a preprint. After an initial screening, the manuscript is available online in 48 hours or less. Once online, preprints can be downloaded, shared, commented on, and cited, providing authors maximum visibility.

We invite you to join the ranks of the over 100k researchers using Preprints.org and share your research.

For more information, please visit Preprints.org.

Peer review is an essential part of the publication process and is important in ensuring that Buildings (ISSN: 2075-5309) maintains high-quality standards for its published papers. The Buildings Editorial Board and editorial team would like to gratefully acknowledge the time and energy dedicated by reviewers to checking the manuscripts submitted to the journal.

The following reviewers have been selected to receive the 2022 Buildings Outstanding Reviewer Awards based on the quantity, timeliness, and quality of their reviews in Buildings. The winners will each receive CHF 500, the privilege of publishing a paper free of charge in Buildings in 2023, and a certificate in recognition of their outstanding work.

Dr. Paolo Blecich, Associate Professor, Faculty of Engineering, University of Rijeka, 51000 Rijeka, Croatia

Dr. Blecich holds a Ph.D. degree in mechanical engineering. He serves as an Associate Professor of Thermodynamics and Thermal Engineering at the Faculty of Engineering of the University of Rijeka, Croatia. He is also Head of the Laboratory for Thermal Measurements. He teaches undergraduate and graduate-level classes of Thermodynamics, Gas Engineering, Renewable Energy, and Thermal Measurements. His scientific efforts are focused on the fields of heat and mass transfer, buildings energy analysis, energy efficiency, and energy conversion and management.

Dr. Łukasz Ścislo, Assistant Professor, Faculty of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Cracow University of Technology, 31-155 Cracow, Poland

Dr. Ścislo holds a Ph.D. degree in mechanical engineering. He serves as an Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Cracow University of Technology, Cracow, Poland. Between 2018 and 2021, he worked as a Vibration Expert Engineer at the Mechanical Measurement Laboratory at CERN (European Organization for Nuclear Research), where he was connecting his theoretical knowledge and numerical analysis experience with practical skills in numerous high-tech projects regarding vibration measurements and analysis, seismic measurements, and sensor development. His current scientific interests include noise and vibration measurement and suppression techniques, smart structures, sensing technologies, structural health monitoring, and fault diagnosis.

The articles below have been selected as 2022 Issue Cover Articles by the Editorial Office of Buildings (ISSN: 2075-5309). These articles came from multiple fields within the scope of Buildings. We hope that they can provide insights and references for scholars in these fields.

We are pleased to announce the launch of a new initiative—the MDPI Special Issue Mentor Program.

This program will enable early career researchers (who must hold a Ph.D. in a related field) to experience editing a Special Issue in MDPI journals, under the mentorship of our experienced Editorial Board Members or other experienced scientists. The mentor program will provide an excellent opportunity for early career scientists to gain editorial experience, and to cultivate their ability to edit scientific research.

The mentee’s responsibilities include:

• Proposing a Special Issue title and assisting the mentor in preparing a summary (around 200–400 words) and 3–10 keywords describing the background, importance, and goal of the Issue;
• Writing a brief promotion plan for the Special Issue;
• Preparing a list of scholars who may be interested in the Issue and personally e-mailing invitations on behalf of Guest Editors;
• Writing an editorial for the online Special Issue together with the mentor.

The mentor’s responsibilities include:

• Conducting a final check before the Special Issue is published online;
• Performing editorial control of the Special Issue and quality control of the publications, both of which must be carried out in a timely manner;
• Providing suggestions to younger scholars if they have any doubts or concerns regarding submissions;
• Organizing video calls with young scholars and the Editorial Office regularly to discuss problems and improvement suggestions for the Special Issue;
• Making and submitting decisions regarding submissions with the assistance of mentees.

Certificates and awards:
After the Special Issue closes, the Editorial Office will provide official certificates for all the mentors and early career researchers.

If you are interested in this opportunity, please send your Special Issue proposal to the Editorial Office of a journal you choose, and we will discuss the process (i.e., mentor collaboration, Special Issue topic feasibility analysis, etc.) in further detail. The full list of MDPI journals is as follows: https://www.mdpi.com/about/journals.

In addition to the new Special Issue Mentor Program, we will continue to welcome all Special Issue proposals focusing on hot research topics.

MDPI has just become the first open access (OA) publisher to reach the milestone of one million articles published. That is one million articles freely available to all, to circulate and build upon! We are proud to share this special moment with the global scientific community.

This landmark has been reached thanks to the immeasurable support of more than 600,000 expert reviewers, 66,000 editorial board members and 6700 hard-working colleagues across MDPI’s global offices.

Within more than 25 years of publishing, our journals received 2.1 million manuscripts and generated 4.6 million peer review reports to get to one million papers published.

Reaching the milestone of one million articles published reinforces our mission to remove any existing barriers and to make scientific research accessible to all. Since its inception, MDPI’s goal has been to create reliable processes to make science open. This is a path towards facilitating the dissemination of novel insights in scientific communities.

Regular feedback from authors and reviewers shows that our service is greatly appreciated and needed. At the same time, the feedback helps us identify areas for further improvement.

As it stands, a significant share of published research findings remain closed access. More than half of the content published with the most well-known legacy publishers stays behind a paywall, and that is not including articles published in hybrid OA journals, or made available months or years after publication.

A new policy announced by the US administration in August 2022 requires that, as of January 2026, all US federally funded research be made freely and immediately available after publication. While the new policy does not mandate articles be published under an open access license, it is aligned with the open access movement in removing all barriers to research. Similarly, some of the most advanced research institutions in the world intend to have all funded research articles published in open access by 2025.

MDPI is proud to be the leading agent of the transition to open access.

"Thanks a Million" to all the contributors!

We are pleased to announce that the website of the MDPI Sustainability Foundation has been revamped! For the past couple of months, our UX UI team and front-end developers have been working hard to launch the website in time for the opening of the Sustainability Awards nominations.

The website is not the only thing that has had a remodeling. Indeed, the format of the Emerging Sustainability Leader Award (ESLA) has been updated. ESLA is now a competition open to individual researchers or start-ups founded by researchers under the age of 35. Nominee applications will go through 2 rounds of selection until the final 3 are decided. The finalists will then be invited to give pitch presentations during the Award Ceremony to win either first place (10,000 USD) or runner-up (2 x 5000 USD).

The World Sustainability Award, on the other hand, remains the same: a total prize money of 100,000 USD is up for grabs by senior individual researchers or groups of researchers from the international research community.

Nominations for both the World Sustainability Award and the Emerging Sustainability Leader award are now open! Check out our new website for more information on how to nominate.

Scientists at Stanford University have recently published an update of the list of the top 2% most widely cited scientists—the World's Top 2% Scientists.

We are pleased to share that 109 Editorial Board Members from MDPI’s Buildings (ISSN: 2075-5309) were featured in the World's Top 2% Scientists list in 2022. The list was created by Prof. John P. A. Ioannidis from Stanford University and his research team. They have created a publicly available database of 100,000 top-cited scientists that provides standardized information on citations, h-index, co-authorship adjusted hm-index, citations to papers in different authorship positions and a composite indicator (c-score). Scientists are classified into 22 scientific fields and 176 sub-fields. We would like to congratulate our Editorial Board Members on their excellent achievement and thank them for their immense contribution to the scientific progression and development of Buildings.

The 45th Australasian Universities Building Education Association (AUBEA) conference will be hosted by Western Sydney University, Kingswood Campus, Sydney, Australia, the School of Engineering, Design, and Built Environment in collaboration with the Centre for Smart Modern Construction, Western Sydney University, between 23 and 25 November 2022. The conference will present the latest research with the theme “Global Challenges in a Disrupted World: Smart, Sustainable and Resilient Approaches in the Built Environment.” AUBEA 2022 has brought together researchers, educators, students, and industry practitioners from Australia and other regions to share knowledge, collaborate, reflect, and learn about current issues and participate in shaping the future of the construction and built environment sectors.

The conference will present the latest research on a wide range of topics related to smart, sustainable and resilient approaches in the built environment; the research proceedings will be split into eight sub-themes. The key research areas that will be discussed include construction project management, the digitalization of construction, industrialization, sustainability, resilience, health and safety, and education in the built environment.

Selected authors from the AUBEA 2022 are invited to submit their extended papers to the Special Issue “Selected Papers from the 45th Australasian Universities Building Education Association (AUBEA 2022)” of Buildings (ISSN: 2075-5309), which will be fully peer reviewed for further selection and publication. The Buildings journal will also sponsor the Best Paper award by selecting one winner from the conference.

You can find out more details about the conference at the following link: https://www.westernsydney.edu.au/schools/soedbe/engagement/events_and_seminars/aubea_2022.

1. “The Role of Blockchain Technology in Augmenting Supply Chain Resilience to Cybercrime”
by Aya, B.; David, J. E. and Chris, R.
Buildings 2021, 11(7), 283; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings11070283
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-5309/11/7/283

2. “Assessment of Cloud Computing Success Factors for Sustainable Construction Industry: The Case of Nigeria”
by Ayodeji, E. O.; Ahmed, F. K.; Ibraheem, A.; Idris, O. and Chukwuma, K.
Buildings 2021, 11(2), 36; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings11020036
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-5309/11/2/36

3. “A Systematic Review of Construction 4.0 in the Context of the BIM 4.0 Premise”
by Hana, B. and Mario, G.
Buildings 2021, 11(8), 337; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings11080337
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-5309/11/8/337

4. “Strategies for Adopting Building Information Modeling (BIM) in Sustainable Building Projects—A Case of Malaysia”
by Bilal, M.; Idris, O.; Syed, S. S. G. and Ehsan, H.
Buildings 2021, 11(6), 249; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings11060249
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-5309/11/6/249

5. “Off-Site Construction Three-Echelon Supply Chain Management with Stochastic Constraints: A Modelling Approach”
by Samira, Al-S. S.; Hediye, M.; Amir, A.; Fariborz, J.; Soroush, J. and Maziar, Y.
Buildings 2022, 12(2), 119; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings12020119
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-5309/12/2/119

6. “Tower Crane Location Optimization for Heavy Unit Lifting in High-Rise Modular Construction”
by Hosang, H.; Moonseo, P.; Dowan, L. and Jeonghoon, L.
Buildings 2021, 11(3), 121; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings11030121
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-5309/11/3/121

7. “Adoption of Blockchain Technology through Digital Twins in the Construction Industry 4.0: A PESTELS Approach”
by Benjamin, T. and Samad, S.
Buildings 2021, 11(12), 670; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings11120670
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-5309/11/12/670

8. “The Use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles for Dynamic Site Layout Planning in Large-Scale Construction Projects”
by Ahmed, W. A. H.; Bruno, B. F. C.; Carlos, A. P. S. and Assed, N. H.
Buildings 2021, 11(12), 602; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings11120602
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-5309/11/12/602

9. “Construction Waste Audit in the Framework of Sustainable Waste Management in Construction Projects—Case Study”
by Marcela, S.; Peter, M. and Tomáš, M.
Buildings 2021, 11(2), 61; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings11020061
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-5309/11/2/61

10. “An Overarching Review on Delay Analyses in Construction Projects”
by Murat, Ç. and Zeynep, I.
Buildings 2021, 11(3), 109; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings11030109
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-5309/11/3/109

1. “Combating Urban Heat Island Effect—A Review of Reflective Pavements and Tree Shading Strategies”
by V. R. Sankar, C.; Michele, J.; Wahidul, B. and Prabir, S.
Buildings 2021, 11(3), 93; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings11030093
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-5309/11/3/93

2.“Practical Implementation of Structural Health Monitoring in Multi-Story Buildings”
by Arvindan, S.; Dhanasingh, S. V.; Wojciech, G.; Łukasz, W.; Magdalena, D. V. and Eugeniusz, K.
Buildings 2021, 11(6), 263; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings11060263
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-5309/11/6/263

3. “Failure Analysis of Apennine Masonry Churches Severely Damaged during the 2016 Central Italy Seismic Sequence”
by Francesco, C.
Buildings 2021, 11(2), 58; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings11020058
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-5309/11/2/58

4. “Post Occupancy Evaluation of School Refurbishment Projects: Multiple Case Study in the UK”
by Hamad, A.; David, J. E.; Joseph, H. K. Lai.; Chris, R.; Caleb, D.; De-Graft, O. -M. and Wellington, D. T.
Buildings 2021, 11(4), 169; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings11040169
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-5309/11/4/169

5. “Facial Expression-Based Experimental Analysis of Human Reactions and Psychological Comfort on Glass Structures in Buildings”
by Chiara, B. and Silvana, M.
Buildings 2021, 11(5), 204; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings11050204
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-5309/11/5/204

6. “Overview on the Nonlinear Static Procedures and Performance-Based Approach on Modern Unreinforced Masonry Buildings with Structural Irregularity”
by Abide, A.; Graça, V. and Paulo, B. L.
Buildings 2021, 11(4), 147; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings11040147
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-5309/11/4/147

7. “The Alignment of Australia’s National Construction Code and the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction in Achieving Resilient Buildings and Communities”
by Wesley, W.; Mohammad, M.; Maziar, Y. and Kamyar, K.
Buildings 2021, 11(10), 429; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings11100429
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-5309/11/10/429

8. “Damage Detection in Multiple RC Structures Based on Embedded Ultrasonic Sensors and Wavelet Transform”
by Joyraj, C.; Xin, W. and Marek, S.
Buildings 2021, 11(2), 56; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings11020056
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-5309/11/2/56

9. “Integrated Design of Structure and Material of Epoxy Asphalt Mixture Used in Steel Bridge Deck Pavement”
by Wen, N.; Duanyi, W.; Yangguang, S.; Wei, X. and Xiaoquan, X.
Buildings 2022, 12(1), 9; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings12010009
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-5309/12/1/9

10. “Seismic Vulnerability Assessment and Strengthening of Heritage Timber Buildings: A Review”
by Amirhosein, S.; Ali A.; Mohammad, T.; André, N. C.; Mahgol, S. and Mahdi, K.
Buildings 2021, 11(12), 661; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings11120661
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-5309/11/12/661

1. “Compressive Strength Prediction via Gene Expression Programming (GEP) and Artificial Neural Network (ANN) for Concrete Containing RCA”
by Ayaz Ahmad, Krisada Chaiyasarn, Furqan Farooq, Waqas Ahmad, Suniti Suparp and Fahid Aslam
Buildings 2021, 11(8), 324; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings11080324
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-5309/11/8/324

2. “Fire Resistance Behaviour of Geopolymer Concrete: An Overview”
by Salmabanu Luhar, Demetris Nicolaides and Ismail Luhar
Buildings 2021, 11(3), 82; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings11030082
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-5309/11/3/82

3. “Mechanical Behavior and Frost-Resistance of Alkali-Activated Cement Concrete with Blended Binder at Ambient Curing Condition”
by Biruk Hailu Tekle, Klaus Holschemacher, Philipp Löber and Björn Heiden
Buildings 2021, 11(2), 52; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings11020052
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-5309/11/2/52

4. “Utilization of Corn Cob Ash as Fine Aggregate and Ground Granulated Blast Furnace Slag as Cementitious Material in Concrete”
by Naraindas Bheel, Montasir Osman Ahmed Ali, Yue Liu, T. Tafsirojjaman, Paul Awoyera, Nadhim Hamah Sor and Lenin Miguel Bendezu Romero
Buildings 2021, 11(9), 422; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings11090422
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-5309/11/9/422

5. “Performance of Steel Fiber-Reinforced Alkali-Activated Slag-Fly Ash Blended Concrete Incorporating Recycled Concrete Aggregates and Dune Sand”
by Hilal El-Hassan, Abdalla Hussein, Jamal Medljy and Tamer El-Maaddawy
Buildings 2021, 11(8), 327; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings11080327
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-5309/11/8/327

6. “Effect of Needle Type, Number of Layers on FPAFC Composite against Low-Velocity Projectile Impact”
by Nandhu Prasad, Gunasekaran Murali, Sallal R. Abid, Nikolai Vatin, Roman Fediukand and Mugahed Amran
Buildings 2021, 11(12), 668; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings11120668
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-5309/11/12/668

7. “Resistance of an Optimized Ultra-High Performance Fiber Reinforced Concrete to Projectile Impact”
by Anna L. Mina, Michael F. Petrou and Konstantinos G. Trezos
Buildings 2021, 11(2), 63; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings11020063
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-5309/11/2/63

8. “Properties of Cementitious Materials with Recycled Aggregate and Powder Both from Clay Brick Waste”
by Huixia Wu, Jianzhuang Xiao, Chaofeng Liang and Zhiming Ma
Buildings 2021, 11(3), 119; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings11030119
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-5309/11/3/119

9. “Effect of Amount of Fibre and Damage Level on Service Life of SFR Recycled Concrete in Aggressive Environment”
by Petr Lehner and Marie Horňáková
Buildings 2021, 11(10), 489; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings11100489
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-5309/11/10/489

10. “Effect of Amount of Fibre and Damage Level on Service Life of SFR Recycled Concrete in Aggressive Environment”
by Freja Nygaard Rasmussen, Camilla Ernst Andersen, Alexandra Wittchen, Rasmus Nøddegaard Hansen and Harpa Birgisdóttir
Buildings 2021, 11(8), 362; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings11080362
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-5309/11/8/362

1. “Differentiating Digital Twin from Digital Shadow: Elucidating a Paradigm Shift to Expedite a Smart, Sustainable Built Environment”
by Samad M. E. Sepasgozar
Buildings 2021, 11(4), 151; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings11040151
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-5309/11/4/151

2. “Positioning Positive Energy Districts in European Cities”
by Oscar Lindholm, Hassam ur Rehman and Francesco Reda
Buildings 2021, 11(1), 19; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings11010019
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-5309/11/1/19

3. “Modeling Social Impacts of High-Rise Residential Buildings during the Post-Occupancy Phase Using DEMATEL Method: A Case Study”
by Ngakan Ketut Acwin Dwijendra, Ravil Akhmadeev, Dmitry Tumanov, Mikhail Kosov, Shahab Shoar and Audrius Banaitis
Buildings 2021, 11(11), 504; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings11110504
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-5309/11/11/504

4. “IEA EBC Annex83 Positive Energy Districts”
by Åsa Hedman, Hassam Ur Rehman, Andrea Gabaldón, Adriano Bisello, Vicky Albert-Seifried, Xingxing Zhang, Francesco Guarino, Steinar Grynning, Ursula Eicker, Hans-Martin Neumann, Pekka Tuominen and Francesco Reda
Buildings 2021, 11(3), 130; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings11030130
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-5309/11/3/130

5. “Integration of BIM and Immersive Technologies for AEC: A Scientometric-SWOT Analysis and Critical Content Review”
by Ayaz Khan, Samad Sepasgozar, Tingting Liu and Rongrong Yu
Buildings 2021, 11(3), 126; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings11030126
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-5309/11/3/126

6. “BIM-Based Energy Analysis and Sustainability Assessment—Application to Portuguese Buildings”
by José Pedro Carvalho,Manuela Almeida, Luís Bragança and Ricardo Mateus
Buildings 2021, 11(3), 126; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings11030126
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-5309/11/6/246

7. “Carbon Neutral Roadmap of Commercial Building Operations by Mid-Century: Lessons from China”
by Shufan Zhang, Xiwang Xiang, Zhili Ma, Minda Ma and Chenchen Zou
Buildings 2021, 11(11), 510; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings11110510
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-5309/11/11/510

8. “State-of-the-Art Technologies for Building-Integrated Photovoltaic Systems”
by Hussein M. Maghrabie, Mohammad Ali Abdelkareem, Abdul Hai Al-Alami, Mohamad Ramadan, Emad Mushtaha, Tabbi Wilberforce and Abdul Ghani Olabi
Buildings 2021, 11(9), 383; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings11090383
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-5309/11/9/383

9. “Application of Portable Air Purifiers for Mitigating COVID-19 in Large Public Spaces”
by Zhiqiang (John) Zhai, He Li, Robert Bahl and Keith Trace
Buildings 2021, 11(8), 329; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings11080329
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-5309/11/8/329

10. “Influence of Occupant Behavior for Building Energy Conservation: A Systematic Review Study of Diverse Modeling and Simulation Approach”
by Mohammad Nyme Uddin, Hsi-Hsien Wei, Hung Lin Chi and Meng Ni
Buildings 2021, 11(2), 41; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings11020041
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-5309/11/2/41

1. “Multiple Dimensions of Smart Cities’ Infrastructure: A Review”
by Ana Paula P. Kasznar, Ahmed W. A. Hammad, Mohammad Najjar, Eduardo Linhares Qualharini, Karoline Figueiredo, Carlos Alberto Pereira Soares and Assed N. Haddad
Buildings 2021, 11(2), 73; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings11020073
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-5309/11/2/73

2. “Structural Optimization in Civil Engineering: A Literature Review”
by Linfeng Mei and Qian Wang
Buildings 2021, 11(2), 66; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings11020066
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-5309/11/2/66

3. “An Assessment Methodology for the Evaluation of the Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Italian Housing Market Demand”
by Francesco Tajani, Felicia Di Liddo, Maria Rosaria Guarini, Rossana Ranieri and Debora Anelli
Buildings 2021, 11(12), 592; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings11120592
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-5309/11/12/592

4. “Augmented Reality to Enable Users to Identify Deviations for Model Reconciliation”
by Jad Chalhoub, Steven K. Ayer and Kieren H. McCord
Buildings 2021, 11(2), 77; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings11020077
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-5309/11/2/77

5. “Application of Virtual Environments for Biophilic Design: A Critical Review”
by Maryam Mollazadeh and Yimin Zhu
Buildings 2021, 11(4), 148; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings11040148
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-5309/11/4/148

6. “Application of Low-Cost Sensors for Building Monitoring: A Systematic Literature Review”
by Behnam Mobaraki, Fidel Lozano-Galant, Rocio Porras Soriano and Francisco Javier Castilla Pascual
Buildings 2021, 11(8), 336; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings11080336
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-5309/11/8/336

7. “Critical Review of Public Policies for the Rehabilitation of Housing Stock: The Case of Barcelona”
by Angel Uzqueda, Pilar Garcia-Almirall, Còssima Cornadó and Sara Vima-Grau
Buildings 2021, 11(3), 108; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings11030108
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-5309/11/3/108

8. “Digital Modelling and Accuracy Verification of a Complex Architectural Object Based on Photogrammetric Reconstruction”
by Agnieszka Ozimek, Paweł Ozimek, Krzysztof Skabek and Piotr Łabędź
Buildings 2021, 11(5), 206; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings11050206
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-5309/11/5/206

9. “Architectural Education in the Current of Deep Ecology and Sustainability”
by Ewa Cisek and Anna Jaglarz
Buildings 2021, 11(8), 358; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings11080358
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-5309/11/8/358

10. “A Systematic Review of Design Creativity in the Architectural Design Studio”
by Hernan Casakin and Andrew Wodehouse
Buildings 2021, 11(1), 31; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings11010031
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-5309/11/1/31

MDPI will be attending the 17th International Conference on Waste Management and Technology (ICWMT17), held in Sanya, China, from 19 to 22 November 2022. The theme of this year’s conference is “Synergizing the Reduction of Pollution and Carbon Emission”. Throughout the conference, prominent researchers and government officials will give keynote speeches on pressing issues of solid waste management. ICWMT17 provides an excellent opportunity for participants from industry and academia to keep up to date with the latest trends in solid waste management.

During this conference, MDPI will welcome researchers from different backgrounds to visit and share their latest views as well as research with us.

The following MDPI journals will be represented:

• Sustainability (leading journal);
• Environments;
• IJERPH;
• Atmosphere;
• Buildings;
• Resources;
• Smart Cities;
• Sustainable Chemistry;
• Pollutants;
• Microplastics.

If you plan on attending this conference, feel free to stop by our booth. Our delegates look forward to meeting you in person to answer any questions that you may have.

For more information about the conference, please see the following link: http://www.bcrc.cn/icwmt/.

We are pleased to inform you that the open access journal Buildings (ISSN: 2075-5309; IF: 3.324) has been indexed in the Italian National Agency for the Evaluation of Universities and Research Institutes (ANVUR) (Area 08 / Class A—Sector 08 / C1).

Buildings is an international, scientific, peer-reviewed, open access journal on building science, building engineering, and architecture published monthly online by MDPI.

We warmly welcome you to consider Buildings as the platform for publishing your work.

Buildings Editorial Office

Peer Review Week began 19 September 2022 under the theme of “Research Integrity: Creating and Supporting Trust in Research”. Through various blog articles, podcast, and webinar, we discussed this crucial subject throughout the week, celebrating the essential role peer review plays in maintaining research quality.

To begin, we held a Webinar on the topic. Professor Peter W. Choate and Dr. Emmanuel Obeng-Gyasi joined Dr. Ioana Craciun, one of MDPI’s scientific officers, for an in-depth discussion.

We invite you to view the event recording:

During the week, the MDPI Blog in a series articles highlighted how good Peer Review safeguards research integrity. The following topics were covered:

• Peer Review Week 2022
• Research Integrity
• What We’ve Learned About Peer Review Reports
• 4 Steps to the Perfect Peer Review Report
• How to Write the Perfect Peer Review Report: An Interview
• Inviting Great Peer Reviewers

In a new edition of Insight Faster, an MDPI podcast, we were delighted to talk to the co-chairs of the Peer Review Week committee, Jayashree Rajagopalan (Senior Manager of Global Community Engagement for CACTUS) and Danielle Padula (Head of Marketing and Community Development at Scholastica) to get their take on this year’s event and its related topics.

You can find the Podcast here.

We hope you enjoy the contents!

The purpose of our Best Paper Awards is to promote and recognize the most impactful contributions published within MDPI journals.

The academic editors of each journal carefully selected reviews and research papers through a rigorous judging process based on criteria such as the scientific merit, overall impact, and the quality of presentation of the papers published in the journal.

We are honored to present the winners in the “Engineering” category, who were selected amongst extensive competition, and congratulate the authors for their outstanding scientific publications.

Actuators:

• “Position Control of Pneumatic Actuators Using Three-Mode Discrete-Valued Model Predictive Control”
  by Haitao Qi, Gary M. Bone and Yile Zhang
  Actuators 2019, 8(3), 56; doi: 10.3390/act8030056
• “Review of Electrothermal Actuators and Applications”
  by Alissa Potekhina and Changhai Wang
  Actuators 2019, 8(4), 69; doi: 10.3390/act8040069

Batteries:

• “Pre-Lithiation Strategies for Rechargeable Energy Storage Technologies: Concepts, Promises and Challenges”
  by Florian Holtstiege, Peer Bärmann, Roman Nölle, Martin Winter and Tobias Placke
  Batteries 2018, 4(1), 4; doi: 10.3390/batteries4010004
• “A Critical Review of Lithium-Ion Battery Recycling Processes from a Circular Economy Perspective”
  by Omar Velázquez-Martínez, Johanna Valio, Annukka Santasalo-Aarnio, Markus Reuter and Rodrigo Serna-Guerrero
  Batteries 2019, 5(4), 68; doi: 10.3390/batteries5040068
• “Critical Review of the Use of Reference Electrodes in Li-Ion Batteries: A Diagnostic Perspective”
  by Rinaldo Raccichini, Marco Amores and Gareth Hinds
  Batteries 2019, 5(1), 12; doi: 10.3390/batteries5010012
• “Life Cycle Analysis of Lithium-Ion Batteries for Automotive Applications”
  by Qiang Dai, Jarod C. Kelly, Linda Gaines and Michael Wang
  Batteries 2019, 5(2), 48; doi 10.3390/batteries5020048
• “Design Strategies for High Power vs. High Energy Lithium Ion Cells”
  by Michael J. Lain, James Brandon and Emma Kendrick
  Batteries 2019, 5(4), 64; doi: 10.3390/batteries5040064

Chemosensors:

• “Influence of Humidity on NO₂-Sensing and Selectivity of Spray-CVD Grown ZnO Thin Film above 400 °C”
  by Roussin Lontio Fomekong and Bilge Saruhan
  Chemosensors 2019, 7(3), 42; doi: 10.3390/chemosensors7030042
• “Low Molecular Weight Fluorescent Probes (LMFPs) to Detect the Group 12 Metal Triad”
  by Ashley D. Johnson, Rose M. Curtis and Karl J. Wallace
  Chemosensors 2019, 7(2), 22; doi: 10.3390/chemosensors7020022

Journal of Marine Science and Engineering:

• “Marine Application of Fiber Reinforced Composites: A Review”
  by Felice Rubino, Antonio Nisticò, Fausto Tucci and Pierpaolo Carlone
  Mar. Sci. Eng. 2020, 8(1), 26; doi: 10.3390/jmse8010026
• “Numerical Simulation of Large Wave Heights from Super Typhoon Nepartak (2016) in the Eastern Waters of Taiwan”
  by Shih-Chun Hsiao, Hongey Chen, Han-Lun Wu, Wei-Bo Chen, Chih-Hsin Chang, Wen-Dar Guo, Yung-Ming Chen and Lee-Yaw Lin
  Mar. Sci. Eng. 2020, 8(3), 217; doi: 10.3390/jmse8030217
• “Development of Deterministic Artificial Intelligence for Unmanned Underwater Vehicles (UUV)”
  by Timothy Sands
  Mar. Sci. Eng. 2020, 8(8), 578; doi: 10.3390/jmse8080578

Lubricants:

• “Solid Lubrication with MoS₂: A Review”
  by Mohammad R. Vazirisereshk, Ashlie Martini, David A. Strubbe and Mehmet Z. Baykara
  Lubricants 2019, 7(7), 57; doi:10.3390/lubricants7070057
• “Investigations of the Friction Losses of Different Engine Concepts. Part 1: A Combined Approach for Applying Subassembly-Resolved Friction Loss Analysis on a Modern Passenger-Car Diesel Engine”
  by Christoph Knauder, Hannes Allmaier, David E. Sander and Theodor Sams
  Lubricants 2019, 7(5), 39; doi: 10.3390/lubricants7050039
• “A Discussion on Present Theories of Rubber Friction, with Particular Reference to Different Possible Choices of Arbitrary Roughness Cutoff Parameters”
  by Andrea Genovese, Flavio Farroni, Antonio Papangelo and Michele Ciavarella
  Lubricants 2019, 7(10), 85; doi: 10.3390/lubricants7100085

Micromachines:

• “4D Printing of Multi-Hydrogels Using Direct Ink Writing in a Supporting Viscous Liquid”
  by Takuya Uchida and Hiroaki Onoe
  Micromachines 2019, 10(7), 433; doi: 10.3390/mi10070433
• “Enhanced Photocatalytic Performance and Mechanism of Au@CaTiO₃ Composites with Au Nanoparticles Assembled on CaTiO₃ Nanocuboids”
  by Yuxiang Yan, Hua Yang, Zao Yi, Ruishan Li and Xiangxian Wang
  Micromachines 2019, 10(4), 254; doi: 10.3390/mi10040254
• “Three-Dimensionally Structured Flexible Fog Harvesting Surfaces Inspired by Namib Desert Beetles”
  by Jun Kyu Park and Seok Kim
  Micromachines 2019, 10(3), 201; doi: 10.3390/mi10030201

Processes:

• “Accelerating Biologics Manufacturing by Modeling or: Is Approval under the QbD and PAT Approaches Demanded by Authorities Acceptable without a Digital-Twin?”
  by Steffen Zobel-Roos, Axel Schmidt, Fabian Mestmäcker, Mourad Mouellef, Maximilian Huter, Lukas Uhlenbrock, Martin Kornecki, Lara Lohmann, Reinhard Ditz and Jochen Strube
  Processes 2019, 7(2), 94; doi: 10.3390/pr7020094
• “Multiscale Agent-Based and Hybrid Modeling of the Tumor Immune Microenvironment”
  by Kerri-Ann Norton, Chang Gong, Samira Jamalian and Aleksander S. Popel
  Processes 2019, 7(1), 37; doi: 10.3390/pr7010037
• “Dynamic Flowsheet Model Development and Sensitivity Analysis of a Continuous Pharmaceutical Tablet Manufacturing Process Using the Wet Granulation Route”
  by Nirupaplava Metta, Michael Ghijs, Elisabeth Schäfer, Ashish Kumar, Philippe Cappuyns, Ivo Van Assche, Ravendra Singh, Rohit Ramachandran, Thomas De Beer, Marianthi Ierapetritou and Ingmar Nopens
  Processes 2019, 7(4), 234; doi: 10.3390/pr7040234

Sensors:

• “A Decentralized Privacy-Preserving Healthcare Blockchain for IoT”
  by Ashutosh Dhar Dwivedi, Gautam Srivastava, Shalini Dhar and Rajani Singh
  Sensors 2019, 19(2), 326; doi: 10.3390/s19020326
• “The Progress of Glucose Monitoring—A Review of Invasive to Minimally and Non-Invasive Techniques, Devices and Sensors”
  by Wilbert Villena Gonzales, Ahmed Toaha Mobashsher and Amin Abbosh
  Sensors 2019, 19(4), 800; doi: 10.3390/s19040800
• “Contact-Based Methods for Measuring Respiratory Rate”
  by Carlo Massaroni, Andrea Nicolò, Daniela Lo Presti, Massimo Sacchetti, Sergio Silvestri and Emiliano Schena
  Sensors 2019, 19(4), 908; doi: 10.3390/s19040908

World Electric Vehicle Journal:

• “Dynamic Wireless Power Transfer Charging Infrastructure for Future EVs: From Experimental Track to Real Circulated Roads Demonstrations”
  by Stéphane Laporte, Gérard Coquery, Virginie Deniau, Alexandre De Bernardinis and Nicolas Hautière
  World Electr. Veh. J. 2019, 10(4), 84; doi: 10.3390/wevj10040084

MDPI’s Young Investigator Awards recognize promising junior researchers, acknowledge their contributions, and enhance communication among scientists. We are proud to present the winners for the year 2021 in the “Engineering” category. The winners were selected by the journals’ editors.

We warmly congratulate the awarded Young Investigators for their outstanding contributions. MDPI will continue to provide support and recognition to the academic community.

Biosensors:

• Amay J. Bandodkar, North Carolina State University, USA.

ChemEngineering:

• Andrew S. Paluch, Miami University, USA.

Chemosensors:

• Mindy Levine, Ariel University, Israel.

Electronics:

• Amir H. Gandomi, University of Technology Sydney, Australia.

Journal of Marine Science and Engineering:

• Tiago Fazeres-Ferradosa, University of Porto, Portugal.

Machines:

• Chen Lv, Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore;
• Ignacio Gonzalez-Prieto, University of Malaga (UMA), Spain;
• Ning Sun, Nankai University, China.

Processes:

• Anton Rassõlkin, Tallinn University of Technology, Estonia.

Sensors:

• Qammer H. Abbasi, Queen Mary University of London, UK;
• Chi Hwan Lee, Purdue University, USA.

We are proud to recognize the winners of MDPI’s 2021 Travel Awards in the “Engineering” category for their outstanding presentations and to present them with the prize.

MDPI journals regularly offer travel awards to encourage talented junior scientists to present their latest research at academic conferences in specific fields, which helps to increase their influence.

The winners mentioned below were carefully selected by the journal editors based on an outline of their research and the work to be presented at an academic conference.

We would like to warmly congratulate the winners of this year’s Travel Awards and wish them the greatest success with their future research endeavors. MDPI will continue to enhance communication among scientists.

Actuators:

• Matthew Wei Ming Tan, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore.

Applied Sciences:

• Márcia de Sousa Oliveira, University of León, Spain;
• Caroline Sarah Taylor, University of Sheffield, UK;
• Raquel Viveiros, NOVA University of Lisbon, Portugal;
• Alfonso González Briones, University of Salamanca, Spain;
• Alen Horvat, University Carlos III Madrid, Spain;
• Marie Švecová, University of Chemistry and Technology, Czech Republic;
• Venanzio Giannella, University of Salerno, Italy;
• Michaël Lobet, University of Namur, Belgium;
• Lam Thi Ngoc Tran, National Research Council, Italy;
• Hanfei Mei, University of South Carolina, USA.

Applied System Innovation:

• Mert Nakip, Polish Academy of Sciences, Poland.

Biosensors:

• Mengdi Bao, Rochester Institute of Technology, USA;

Yichi Su, Stanford University, USA.

Buildings:

• Karthik Panchabikesan, Concordia University, Canada;
• Xiaolei Yuan, Tongji University, China.

Chemosensors:

• Verónica Montes García, Université de Strasbourg & CNRS, France.

Electronics:

• Peng Hang, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore;
• Alfonso González Briones, University of Salamanca, Spain.

Fluids:

• Alberto Zingaro, Politecnico di Milano, Italy;
• Sarah E. Morris, Auburn University, USA.

Infrastructures:

• Angelo Aloisio, University of L’Aquila, Italy;
• André Filipe Castanheira Alves Furtado, University of Porto, Portugal.

Journal of Low Power Electronics and Applications:

• Tommaso Zanotti, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Italy.

Journal of Manufacturing and Materials Processing:

• Nagalingam Arun Prasanth, Rolls-Royce@NTU Corporate Lab, Singapore.

Machines:

• Muhammad Jamil, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics (NUAA), China;
• Mariagrazia Tristano, Sheffield Hallam University, UK.

Processes:

• Michele Schlich, University of Cagliari, Italy;
• Álvaro Santana Mayor, University of La Laguna, Spain.

Sensors:

• Eleonora Macchia, Åbo Akademi University, Finland;
• Alfonso Gonzalez Briones, University of Salamanca, Spain;
• Saúl Vallejos Calzada, University of Burgos, Spain;
• Ana Novo, University of Vigo, Spain;
• Yalin Liu, Macau University of Science and Technology, China;
• Marilena Giglio, Politecnico of Bari, Italy;
• Yuzhi Shi, Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore.

In order to acknowledge our reviewers, who so generously dedicate their time to reviewing papers and demonstrate diligence, professionalism, and timeliness when reviewing manuscripts, MDPI journals regularly offer outstanding reviewer awards to scholars who participate in the peer-review process.

We are proud to recognize the winners for the year 2021 in the “Engineering” category for their outstanding contributions among extensive competition by presenting them with an Outstanding Reviewer Award.

We would like to take this opportunity to congratulate all of the winners on their achievement. MDPI will continue to provide support and recognition to the academic community.

Actuators:

• Ryszard Dindorf, Kielce University of Technology, Poland.

Applied Sciences:

• Khaled Giasin, University of Portsmouth, UK;
• Jakub Krzysztof Grabski, University of Technology, Poland;
• Marcos Tostado-Véliz, University of Jaén, Spain;
• Luigi Pugliese, University of Calabria, Italy;
• Francesco Bennardo, University of Catanzaro, Italy;
• Heriberto Perez-Acebo, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, Spain.

Biosensors:

• Amir Hatamie, University of Gothenburg, Sweden.

Buildings:

• Francesco Fiorito, Polytechnic University of Bari, Italy;
• Paul G. O’Brien, York University, Canada.

Chemosensors:

• Verónica Montes García, University of Strasbourg, France.

Machines:

• Piotr Gierlak, Rzeszow University of Technology, Poland;
• Sebastian A. Nugroho, University of Michigan, USA;
• Viorel Paleu, Gheorghe Asachi Technical University of Iasi, Romania.

Processes:

• Marcin Dębowski, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Poland;
• Bartłomiej Zieniuk, Warsaw University of Life Sciences, Poland;
• Zbigniew Nadolny, Poznan University of Technology, Poland;
• Attila Egedy, University of Pannonia, Hungary;
• Seok-Ho Rhi, Chungbuk National University, Korea.

Sensors:

• Hojong Choi, Kumoh National Institute of Technology, Korea;
• Li Fu, Hangzhou Dianzi University, China;
• Leonardo De Mello Honorio, Federal University of Juiz De Fora Juiz De Fora, Brazil;
• Mario Versaci, Mediterranea University, Italy;
• Robertas Damasevicius, Kaunas University of Technology, Lithuania.

The 2021 citation metrics have been released in the Journal Citation Reports (JCR), and we’re pleased to announce the following results for MDPI journals:

For more information on Impact Factors and what it means to index academic journals, please visit our related blog posts.

* Journals given their first Impact Factor in 2022

Source: 2021 Journal Impact Factors, Journal Citation Reports ^TM (Clarivate, 2022)

Conference: The 5th International Conference on Building Energy and Environment (COBEE 2022)
Date: 25–29 July 2022
Place: Montréal, Canada + Online

Buildings (ISSN: 2075-5309) will be attending the 5th International Conference on Building Energy and Environment as an exhibitor. This meeting will be held in Canada and online from 25 to 29 July 2022.

Concordia University is proud to host the 5th International Conference on Building Energy and Environment (COBEE 2022), providing a platform for discussing building energy and environmental issues in addition to initiating collaboration among researchers, environmental scientists, architects, facility managers, and policymakers. We look forward to welcoming you and having you experience the city’s unique culture and joie de vivre. There is a profusion of sights, sounds, and flavors to enjoy, all within reach of the convention venue. See you in Montréal!

The session topics covered will include the following:

• COVID-19, Pandemic, and Epidemic;
• Health and Indoor Air Quality, Ventilation;
• Thermal Comfort;
• Occupant-Centric Building Design and Controls;
• Building Renewables, Solar Buildings and Smart Grid;
• Urban Energy and Urban Microclimate;
• Wind Engineering, Aerodynamics and Urban Physics;
• Building Physics, Building Envelope and Materials;
• Thermal Storages;
• Smart Buildings and Smart Cities (Machine Learning, AI, IoT);
• Resilience and Climate Change;
• Building Mechanical System and Controls;
• Advanced Modeling and Building Simulations, CFD;
• Building Codes and Standards;
• Urban Green Infrastructure;
• Low / Zero Carbon Emission Buildings and Communities;
• Building Fire Safety.

The following MDPI journals will be represented:

• Buildings;
• Energies;
• Atmosphere;
• Environments;
• Smart Cities;
• Applied Sciences;
• Climate;
• Computation.

If you are attending this conference, please feel free to start an online conversation with us. Our delegates look forward to meeting you in person and answering any questions that you may have.

For more information about the conference and our booth, please visit the following link: https://www.cobee2022.org/index.html.

The 2021 citation metrics have been officially released in Scopus!

We are pleased to announce that 182 MDPI journals are included, of which:

● 21 journals received their first CiteScore.
● 85% of journals increased their CiteScore from 2020.
● 155 journals (85%) ranked above average, in at least one category.

The following 65 MDPI journals (36%) ranked among the top 25% of journals, in at least one category:

Source: 2021 CiteScores™ (Elsevier)

We are pleased to announce the launch of a new initiative, the Special Issue Mentor Program.

This program intends to provide an opportunity for early-career scientists to enhance their editing, networking, and organizational skills and to work closely with our journal to gain more editorial experience. Early-career scientists who have novel ideas for new Special Issues of Buildings (ISSN: 2075-5309) will act as Guest Editors under the mentorship of an experienced scientist; this mentor could be a member of the Buildings Editorial Board or may be from other well-established research institutes or laboratories, etc.

If you are interested in this opportunity, please send your Special Issue proposal to the Buildings Editorial Office (buildings@mdpi.com), and we will discuss the process (i.e., mentor collaboration, Special Issue topic feasibility analysis, etc.) in further detail. When the Special Issue is closed, our office will provide certificates to all of the mentors and to those who complete the program. Younger scholars will be prioritized as candidates for our journal award.

In addition to the new Special Issue Mentor Program, Buildings will continue to welcome all Special Issue proposals based on hot research topics in the field as usual.

1. “Positioning Positive Energy Districts in European Cities”
Oscar Lindholm et al.
Buildings 2021, 11(1), 19; 10.3390/buildings11010019
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-5309/11/1/19

2. “Differentiating Digital Twin from Digital Shadow: Elucidating a Paradigm Shift to Expedite a Smart, Sustainable Built Environment“
Samad M. E. Sepasgozar
Buildings 2021, 11(4), 151; 10.3390/buildings11040151
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-5309/11/4/151

3. “Assessment of Cloud Computing Success Factors for Sustainable Construction Industry: The Case of Nigeria”
Ayodeji Emmanuel Oke et al.
Buildings 2021, 11(2), 36; 10.3390/buildings11020036
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-5309/11/2/36

4. “IEA EBC Annex83 Positive Energy Districts“
Åsa Hedman et al.
Buildings 2021, 11(3), 130; 10.3390/buildings11030130
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-5309/11/3/130

5. “Combating Urban Heat Island Effect—A Review of Reflective Pavements and Tree Shading Strategies”
V. R. Sankar Cheela et al.
Buildings 2021, 11(3), 93; 10.3390/buildings11030093
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-5309/11/3/93

6. “Practical Implementation of Structural Health Monitoring in Multi-Story Buildings”
Arvindan Sivasuriyan et al.
Buildings 2021, 11(6), 263; 10.3390/buildings11060263
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-5309/11/6/263

7. “BIM-Based Energy Analysis and Sustainability Assessment—Application to Portuguese Buildings”
José Pedro Carvalho et al.
Buildings 2021, 11(6), 246; 10.3390/buildings11060246
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-5309/11/6/246

8. “The Role of Blockchain Technology in Augmenting Supply Chain Resilience to Cybercrime”
Aya Bayramova et al.
Buildings 2021, 11(7), 283; 10.3390/buildings11070283
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-5309/11/7/283

9. “Compressive Strength Prediction via Gene Expression Programming (GEP) and Artificial Neural Network (ANN) for Concrete Containing RCA”
Ayaz Ahmad et al.
Buildings 2021, 11(8), 324; 10.3390/buildings11080324
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-5309/11/8/324

10. “Post Occupancy Evaluation of School Refurbishment Projects: Multiple Case Study in the UK”
Hamad Ahmed et al.
Buildings 2021, 11(4), 169; 10.3390/buildings11040169
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-5309/11/4/169

Buildings (ISSN: 2075-5309) is currently recruiting prestigious scholars from around the world to join our Editorial Board for the following 5 Sections:

• “Architectural Design, Urban Science, and Real Estate”;
• “Building Materials, and Repair & Renovation”;
• “Building Energy, Physics, Environment, and Systems”;
• “Construction Management and Computers & Digitization”;
• “Building Structures”.

Buildings is an international, scientific, peer-reviewed, open-access journal on building science, building engineering, and architecture published monthly online by MDPI. The International Council for Research and Innovation in Building and Construction (CIB) is affiliated with Buildings, and their members receive a discount on the article processing charges. We would like to invite active scientific researchers to become involved in our journal as Editorial Board Members. You can find out more about the existing Editorial Board Members by visiting the following link: https://www.mdpi.com/journal/buildings/editors.

The main responsibilities of Editorial Board Members are as follows:

• Pre-checking and making decisions on several manuscripts, based on your area of expertise;
• Acting as, or recommending, a Guest Editor for a Special Issue on a topic related to your research interests;
• Promoting Buildings and increasing its visibility on related academic social media.

The benefits of becoming an Editorial Board Member include the following:

• The opportunity to publish one paper, free of charge, per year in Buildings, as well as receiving certain discounts for papers invited from your scientific network;
• A certificate recognizing you as an Editorial Board Member of Buildings;
• Buildings may offer sponsorship for conferences organized by you;
• Buildings may offer travel grants of CHF 200–500 per year for conferences that you attend or organize.

To apply for this position (in one of our sections), recommend potential candidates, or request further information, please contact the Buildings Editorial Office (buildings@mdpi.com) with your full academic CV.

After extended research and evaluation, the Buildings Editorial Office would like to announce that effective from the first issue of 2022, a single blind peer-review procedure will be used for all manuscripts submitted to Buildings. With the introduction of this change, we aim to align Buildings with the majority of the journals in the field, and to make the process more beneficial for the scholars.

This year marks the 10th anniversary of Buildings, so we would like to take this opportunity to thank all the anonymous reviewers who contribute to the peer-review process. Their voluntary contributions, based on their experiences in the field, help us to maintain a high standard in our published papers and underpins our editorial process.

Detailed information can be found at: https://www.mdpi.com/journal/buildings/instructions#editorial_procedure.

We are pleased to announce that the following experts have been appointed Section Associate Editors of Buildings (ISSN 2075-5309).

Prof. Dr. Derek Clements-Croome has been appointed Associate Editor of the Section “Architectural Design, Urban Science, and Real Estate”.

Prof. Dr. Shi-Jie Cao has been appointed Associate Editor of the Section “Building Energy, Physics, Environment, and Systems”.

Prof. Dr. Bjorn Birgisson has been appointed Associate Editor of the Section “Building Materials, and Repair & Renovation”.

We warmly welcome Prof. Dr. Derek Clements-Croome, Prof. Dr. Shi-Jie Cao, and Prof. Dr. Bjorn Birgisson in taking up their roles as Section Associate Editors and look forward to them leading Buildings to achieve more milestones.

Buildings Editorial Office

It is our pleasure to announce a new feature of Buildings (ISSN: 2075-5309), called "Editor's Choice Articles", which highlights outstanding papers that have been published in the journal. These papers are selected by the editors, and include original articles that contain important and impactful findings, as well as review articles that are excellently written. With this feature, readers can expect timely and useful highlights of recent articles in the journal, and deserving authors will receive more attention for their excellent contributions. We hope that this feature will enhance your reading pleasure and experience with Buildings.

It is our great honor to congratulate the Editorial Board Members and Editors in MDPI's journals who have been distinguished as 2021 Highly Cited Researchers by Clarivate, according to Web of Science data. We herewith express our gratitude for the immense impact the named researchers continue to make on scientific progress and on our journals' development.

Clarivate's annual list of Highly Cited Researchers^TM identifies the most highly cited scientists for the past decade. Their impactful papers are among the top 1 per cent in the citation distribution of one or more of 22 fields analyzed in the "Essential Science Indicators", distinguishing them as hugely influential among their peers.

The full list of 2021 Highly Cited Researchers  can be accessed at the following webpage in the Web of Science^TM https://recognition.webofscience.com/awards/highly-cited/2021/.

--- Highly Cited Researchers (HCR) is a Clarivate product.

Academic editors play a crucial role in leading our journals and ensuring that each article undergoes a robust and timely peer-review. With the launch of Topics this year and addition of Topic Editors to our family of academic editors, we decided it would be a good time to restructure our academic boards, thus providing more clarity and support for each role. MDPI is pleased to announce the launch of a new position—Topical Advisory Panel Member, that will replace the previous position of Topics Board Member. The Topical Advisory Panel will be comprised of early career researchers eager to gain experience in editorial work.

The main responsibility of the new members of the Topical Advisory Panel is to regularly provide support to Guest Editors, Topic Editors, and Section Board Members. The responsibilities of the Topical Advisory Panel are available here: https://www.mdpi.com/editors.

Each year, the members’ performances are evaluated, and outstanding members are promoted to the Editorial Board by the Editor-in-Chief.

To qualify as a Topical Advisory Panel Member, applicants must:

• Have expertise and experience in the field related to the journal;
• Have received a Ph.D. in the last 10 years, approximately;
• Have at least 6-8 published papers in the last 5 years as first author or corresponding author;
• Currently hold an independent research position in academia or a government institute.

If you are interested in this role, please contact the editorial office by email.

We look forward to hearing from you soon.

Founded in 1996, MDPI was one of the first fully Open Access publisher. Over 25 years MDPI has grown to become the largest Open Access publisher globally, publishing over 160,000 articles across more than 350 journals in 2020. At the core, MDPI was founded in response to a pressing need of fast publication and inclusion. The scholar was set at the centre of the publication process for the first time. Acting as a service provider, rather than a product provider, MDPI exists to help scientists achive their objective to disseminate research results. At MDPI, we believe scientists deserve a better service from the publishing world.

The International Open Access Week (Open Access Week), founded by the SPARC (the Scholarly Publishing and Academic Resources Coalition) Alliance and student partners in 2008, has been successfully running for 13 years. As an advocate and pioneer of open access publishing, MDPI actively responds to the call of International Open Access Week. This year’s theme of “It Matters How We Open Knowledge: Building Structural Equity” highlights the Recommendation’s call for equitable participation from all authors and readers.

For the last 25 years, MDPI has been committed to disseminating open research. Here is a video showing MDPI’s Commitment to Equity, Inclusion and Diversity for More than 25 Years.

International Open Access Week is an important opportunity to catalyze new conversations, create connections across and between communities that can facilitate this co-design, and advance progress in the building of more equitable foundations for opening knowledge—discussions and actions that need to be continued, year in and year out. MDPI has always aimed to provide professional and efficient publishing services to scholars around the world.

Our mission is to make scientific research accessible to everyone; this year, we interview and hold discussions with open science ambassadors on how to build an equal and inclusive environment for open science. Academic editors help us collaborate with more institutions to advocate for open access ideas.

Read our anniversary blog post: "Sharing 'Collective Human Knowledge': The Benefits of Open Access Publication"

Besides this, our scientific community is a key driver of our success and MDPI’s remarkable growth. Despite the pandemic, we have prepared online conferences and workshops to gather scholars from different communities.

The Basel Sustainable Publishing online forum provides an equal opportunity for stakeholders and researchers from multi-cultural environments to exchange ideas and eliminate barriers to participation.

Conference date: 25 October 2021, online
Conference website: https://bspf2021.sciforum.net/
Main topics: MDPI discusses the current dilemma of open access science from various perspectives such as governments, libraries, and publishers, and related measures on how to change the status quo of discrimination from a global perspective.

We aim to support equality, inclusion, diversity, and accessibility in scholarly communications. We collaborate with universities and key laboratories and have scholarly communications with researchers, teachers, and students on open access workshops.

• 25 October 2021
  Energies journal and Institute of Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences

• 28 October 2021
  Machines journal and State Key Laboratory of Traction Power, Southwest Jiaotong University

• 29 October 2021
  Processes journal and Beijing Institute of Technology

• 29 October 2021
  Coatings journal and Wuhan University of Technology

MDPI is committed to providing open access and high-quality publishing services for scholars and promoting rapid dissemination of academic achievements. We hope to promote the practices and policies of open access publishing and diversify the dissemination of academic achievements.

Rigorous peer-review is the cornerstone of high-quality academic publishing. Over 369,916 scholars served as reviewers for MDPI journals in 2020. We are extremely appreciative of all those who made a contribution to the editorial process in this capacity. At the beginning of every year, journal editorial offices publish a list of all reviewers’ names to express our gratitude. In addition, this year, the MDPI Top Reviewer Award was announced, to recognize the very best reviewers for their expertise and dedication, and their high-quality, and timely review reports. We are pleased to announce the following winners of the 2020 MDPI Top Reviewer Award:

• Adriana Burlea-Schiopoiu;
• Alban Kuriqi;
• Álvaro González-Vila;
• Alessandro Alaimo;
• Alexey Beskopylny;
• Alexander Yu Churyumov;
• Alberto Fernández-Isabel;
• Andrea Mastinu;
• Antonios N. Papadopoulos;
• Anton Rassõlkin;
• Antonio Humberto Hamad Minervino;
• Arkadiusz Matwijczuk;
• Artur Słomka;
• Baojie He;
• Bartłomiej Potaniec;
• Bojan Đurin;
• Camilo Arturo Rodriguez Diaz;
• Carmelo Maria Musarella;
• Chiachung Chen;
• Chiman Kwan;
• Cristian Busu;
• Danil Pimenov;
• Dan-Cristian Dabija;
• Delfín Ortega-Sánchez;
• Demetrio Antonio Zema;
• Denis Butusov;
• Elena Lucchi;
• Gaurab Dutta;
• Livia Anastasiu;
• M. R. Safaei.

For more information about how to become a reviewer of MDPI journals, please see: www.mdpi.com/reviewers.

UN's 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are the blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all. In 2020 the SDG Publishers Compact was launched, aimed to inspire publishers and accelerate progress to achieve the 17 goals by 2030. Members of the programme are committed to support the publication of materials that will promote and inspire actions towards SDGs.

MDPI is an eager advocate of SDGs and has already been supporting the programme by creating Special Issues and publishing a series of books on SDGs prior to joining the Compact in 2021. MDPI's Sustainability Foundation initiated the World Sustainability Awards in 2016. We fully support UN's goals to promote sustainable actions that make the world a better place for all and, as part of its commitment, we will focus our actions on SDG10: Reduced Inequalities whilst promoting all 17 SDGs. For more details, please visit the programme’s website: https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/sdg-publishers-compact/.

Joining this initiative was a unanimous decision. MDPI has in its core values the dissemination of science for all, breaking the wall between research access and under-represented members of the scientific community and the general population. To support this initiative further and continue to support under-represented scientists, MDPI will take a series of actions that will be announced once ready.

The first action MDPI takes is to nominate Dr. Liliane Auwerter as the coordinator of the programme. Dr. Auwerter studied Environmental Process Technology (UTFPR, Brazil), obtained her MSc degree in Water and Environmental Engineering (University of Surrey, UK) and in 2020 completed her PhD in self-healing low-friction materials for water transport (Imperial College London, UK), always focusing on diverse scientific projects that would potentially bring sustainability to industrial processes. As a student in Brazil, she engaged in volunteering activities focused on environmental education and took part in the Millennial Development Goals meetings held at the university.

For more information, please contact:
Dr. Liliane Auwerter
Scientific Officer
liliane.auwerter@mdpi.com

We are pleased to announce that 16 new scholars have recently been appointed Editorial Board Members of the journal Buildings (ISSN: 2075-5309):

Dr. Andy Wright (De Montfort University, UK);
Dr. John Mander (Texas A & M University, USA);
Prof. Dr. Chi-Ming Lai (National Cheng Kung University, Taiwan);
Prof. Antonio Michele Tralli (University of Ferrara, Italy);
Prof. Dr. Roberto Realfonzo (University of Salerno, Italy);
Dr. Baolong Wang (Tsinghua University, China);
Prof. Dr. Ruth Dalton (Lancaster University, UK);
Dr. Andrew Whyte (Curtin University, Australia);
Prof. Dr. Bo Yang (Chongqing University, China);
Dr. Nan Li (Tsinghua University, China);
Dr. Bo Xia (Queensland University of Technology, Australia);
Prof. Dr. Žiga Turk (University of Ljubljana, Slovenia);
Prof. Dr. Becky P.Y. Loo (The University of Hong Kong, China);
Dr. Frederic Bosche (University of Edinburgh, UK);
Prof. Dr. Christopher Yu-Hang Chao (The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, China);
Prof. Dr. You-Fu Yang (Dalian University of Technology, China).

We wish them every success in both their research and development of the journal.

Further details about the Editorial Board can be found at: https://www.mdpi.com/journal/buildings/editors.

We are pleased to announce that Prof. Dr. Lucio Soibelman has been appointed Associate Editor of Buildings (ISSN: 2075-5309).

Prof. Dr. Soibelman obtained his Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees at the Civil Engineering Department of the Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. He worked as a construction manager for 10 years before moving to the United States in 1993, where he obtained his Ph.D. in Civil Engineering Systems in 1998 at the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

In 1998, he started working as an Assistant Professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign. In 2004, he moved to be an Associate Professor at the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU), and in 2008, he was promoted to Professor. In January 2012, he joined the University of Southern California as the Chair of the Sonny Astani Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering.

During the last 25 years, he has focused his research on advanced data acquisition, management, visualization, and mining for the construction and operation of advanced infrastructure systems. He has published over 150 books, book chapters, journal papers, conference articles, and reports, and has performed research with funding from NSF (NSF career award and several other NSF grants), NASA, DOE, the US Army, NIST, IBM, Bosch, IDOT, and RedZone Robotics, among many other funding agencies. He is the former Chief Editor of the American Society of Civil Engineers Journal of Computing in Civil Engineering. In 2010, he received the ASCE Computing in Civil Engineering Award; in 2011, he received the FIATECH Outstanding Researcher Celebration of Engineering & Technology Innovation, or CETI, Award; in 2013, he was elected an ASCE fellow; in 2016, he was appointed the USC Viterbi Dean Professor, received the ASCE Construction Institute Construction Management Award, and received the ASCE Richard R. Torrens Award in recognition of his contributions as Chief Editor of the ASCE Journal of Computing in Civil Engineering. In 2019, he was elected a member of the U.S. National Academy of Construction.

His areas of interest are the use of information technology for economic development, information technology support for construction management, process integration during the development of large-scale engineering systems, information logistics, artificial intelligence, data mining, knowledge discovery, image reasoning, text mining, machine learning, advanced infrastructure systems, sensors, streaming data, and multi-reasoning mechanisms.

We are confident that Prof. Dr. Soibelman’s academic background will help us continue to raise the prestige and quality of Buildings. We look forward to his contributions to the journal. For more information about the Editorial Board, please visit: https://www.mdpi.com/journal/buildings/editors.

On July 22, 2021, Google Scholar published the latest Scholar Metrics for academic journals. Buildings (ISSN 2075-5309) achieved an H5 factor (H5-index) of 32, making it the leading journal in the Architecture category.

The Scholar Metrics rankings are based on published research data from the past five years, including publications between 2016 and 2020, and citations of all articles indexed by Google Scholar until July 2021. The ranking is based on the H5 factor, which means that Google Metrics provides authors with a faster and easier way to assess the popularity and impact of recent academic publications.

This serves to announce to our valued authors based in Japan that value-added tax, or consumption tax will now be imposed on article processing fees and other service fees for all papers submitted, or resubmitted (assigned new paper IDs), effective from 15 August 2021. The change is in accordance with the Japanese "Act for Partial Revision of the Income Tax Act and Other Acts" (Act No. 9 of 2015), which includes a revision of consumption taxation on cross-border supplies of services such as digital content distribution.

For additional information from the National Tax Agency please see here ("Cross-border supplies of electronic services").

Contact: Setsuko Nishihara, MDPI Tokyo

We are pleased to inform you that Buildings has received its first Impact Factor (IF) of 2.648. Buildings now ranks 32/66 (Q2) in the “Construction & Building Technology” category, and 61/136 (Q2) in the “Engineering, Civil” category.

We would like to extend our sincerest gratitude to our authors, readers, reviewers, and Board Members. Your efforts are indispensable to the continued success of the journal, which we greatly appreciate and value!

MDPI will be attending the 2nd International Conference for Global Chinese Academia on Energy and Built Environment (CEBE 2021) in Chengdu, China, on 16–19 July 2021. The conference aims at establishing a worldwide platform for promoting global cooperation and innovative communications for ethnic Chinese around the globe, sharing cutting-edge achievements in the utilization of clean energy, the enhancement of energy efficiency via the built environment, and the improvement in environmental quality.

The following MDPI journals will be represented:

• Energies
• Nanomaterials
• Buildings
• Atmosphere
• Clean Technologies
• Processes
• Materials
• Sustainability

If you are attending this conference, please feel free to stop by our booth. Our delegates look forward to meeting you in person to answer any questions you may have. For more information about the conference, please visit the following link: http://www.cebe2021.com.

The 2020 citation metrics have been officially released in the Journal Citation Reports (JCR)!

We are pleased to announce that 85 MDPI journals are included, of which:

• 10 journals received their first impact factor
• 96% of journals increased their impact factor from 2019
• 32 journals (38%) ranked among the top 25% of journals, in at least one category