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Buildings
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Metrology for Living Environment
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Metrology for Living Environment

A special issue of Buildings (ISSN 2075-5309). This special issue belongs to the section "Building Energy, Physics, Environment, and Systems".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 June 2023) | Viewed by 12554

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Stefano Laureti

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Informatics, Modeling, Electronics and System Engineering, The University of Calabria, 87036 Rende, CS, Italy
Interests: nondestructive testing; ultrasonics; acoustic metamaterials; phonic crystals; signal and image processing
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Sara Casaccia

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Industrial Engineering and Mathematical Sciences, Marche Polytechnic University, 60121 Ancona, Italy
Interests: well-being, environmental and comfort measurements; nondestructive testing; signal processing
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Michal Švantner

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
New Technologies - Research Centre, University of West Bohemia, Plzen, Czech Republic
Interests: infrared nondestructive testing; thermography; temperature measurement

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Humans spend up to 80% of their days and nights in built and living environments. New technological research focuses on the design, implementation, and development of both built and living environments considering the occupants’ needs, well-being, and surroundings, as well as climate change impacts and energy-saving solutions. In light of these trends, this Special Issue welcomes papers presenting innovative metrology techniques for designing, constructing, and operating an efficient, safe, comfortable, and healthy built environment, including active and assisted living (AAL). Innovative solutions can be based on the IoT paradigm, BIM, sensors and sensor networks, cutting-edge signal and image processing techniques, structural health monitoring (SHM) techniques,  data analytics, artificial intelligence, and interoperability standards.

This Special Issue has been organized in collaboration with the IEEE International Workshop on Metrology for Living Environments, which covers all aspects of the living environment, focusing on design and life cycles, energy efficiency, SHM, comfort assessment, indoor pollution, chemical and physical parameter monitoring, and human health monitoring.

Dr. Stefano Laureti
Dr. Sara Casaccia
Dr. Michal Švantner
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Buildings is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • well-being of people in living environment
  • measurement of comfort in indoor environments
  • active and assisted living
  • sensors and sensor networks
  • signal and image processing
  • structural health monitoring
  • BIM
  • monitoring of chemical and physical parameters
  • IoT
  • human health monitoring

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

21 pages, 1144 KiB  
Article
Rethinking Urban Decline in Post-COVID19: Bibliometric Analysis and Countermeasures
by Jiazhen Zhang, Muxia Yao and Jeremy Cenci
Buildings 2023, 13(8), 2009; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings13082009 - 07 Aug 2023
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1122
Abstract
Urban decline refers to the sustained deterioration of cities in terms of their economy, population, and social aspects. The outbreak of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in 2019 objectively affected the trajectory of this phenomenon. A comprehensive analysis of scientific research on [...] Read more.
Urban decline refers to the sustained deterioration of cities in terms of their economy, population, and social aspects. The outbreak of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in 2019 objectively affected the trajectory of this phenomenon. A comprehensive analysis of scientific research on urban decline and its practical implications was conducted using bibliometric methods, data acquired from 2019 to 2023 and the Web of Science. Since COVID-19, research on urban decline has been predominantly led by traditional developed countries such as the United States and England, with a high degree of regional collaboration. Keyword clusters have focused on urban regeneration, growth, decay, family planning, resource dependency theory, public art, etc. Keyword co-occurrence has focused on shrinking cities, gentrification policy, land use, etc. Based on previous analyses and the contemporary context, the intrinsic logic behind the urban decline in recent years can be summarized as inadequate economic development, lagging infrastructure construction, the siphoning effect of core regional cities, and unique institutional factors leading to specific urban decline patterns. Comprehensive urban recovery plans have been proposed, including reshaping urban spatial layouts and planning and strengthening strategies for social and economic revival, with correspondence-specific samples. Studying the impact of COVID-19 on urban decline from the perspectives of city development and strategies can help us better understand the repercussions of global health crises on cities, providing a more scientific basis for urban planning and management to build resilient, sustainable, and equitable cities. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Metrology for Living Environment)
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21 pages, 13743 KiB  
Article
Multi-Technique Approach by Traditional and Innovative Methodologies to Support the Restoration of a Wall Painting from the 16th Century at Palazzo Gallo in Bagnaia, Viterbo, Central Italy
by Riccardo Vettraino, Valeria Valentini, Paola Pogliani, Marco Ricci, Stefano Laureti, Serena Calvelli, Rocco Zito, Luca Lanteri and Claudia Pelosi
Buildings 2023, 13(3), 783; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings13030783 - 16 Mar 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1374
Abstract
This paper summarizes the main results of the study, diagnostics, and restorations conducted and applied to a 16th century wall painting (a portion of the frieze and the Riario coat of arm) in Palazzo Gallo (Bagnaia, Viterbo district—central Italy) recently concluded, which was [...] Read more.
This paper summarizes the main results of the study, diagnostics, and restorations conducted and applied to a 16th century wall painting (a portion of the frieze and the Riario coat of arm) in Palazzo Gallo (Bagnaia, Viterbo district—central Italy) recently concluded, which was also the subject of a master’s degree thesis in Conservation and Restoration of Cultural Heritage at the University of Tuscia, Viterbo. Innovative imaging techniques were used for the first time on a wall painting on-site: hypercolorimetric multispectral imaging (HMI) and pulse-compression thermography (PuCT), combined with more traditional analysis such as X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and cross-section investigation. HMI allowed for mapping the conservation status before and after the removal of the scialbo layer that covered the original paintings. It also allowed different areas of the painting to be compared and for verifying the effectiveness of the cleaning. PuCT enabled the detection of cracks and discontinuities in the ground layers and to evaluate the depth of such anomalies, giving valuable support in the consolidation step. Moreover, passive thermography was used to monitor the penetration level of a hydraulic mortar in real time, a technique that was greatly helpful for verifying the successful fill and consolidation of voids beneath the pictorial layer. Overall, the multi-technique approach reported here was of considerable assistance for restoration of the mentioned artwork, the result of which has also been documented. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Metrology for Living Environment)
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18 pages, 2840 KiB  
Article
Quantifying Energy Reduction and Thermal Comfort for a Residential Building Ventilated with a Window-Windcatcher: A Case Study
by Shouib Nouh Ma’bdeh, Odi Fawwaz Alrebei, Laith M. Obeidat, Tamer Al-Radaideh, Katerina Kaouri and Abdulkarem I. Amhamed
Buildings 2023, 13(1), 86; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings13010086 - 29 Dec 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1865
Abstract
Previous studies on window-windcatchers have shown their effectiveness in capturing the prevailing wind and redirecting it into a building, increasing the actual-to-required ventilation ratio by 9%, above what is required by the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE). However, the [...] Read more.
Previous studies on window-windcatchers have shown their effectiveness in capturing the prevailing wind and redirecting it into a building, increasing the actual-to-required ventilation ratio by 9%, above what is required by the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE). However, the effect of implementing the proposed system on energy performance, energy costs, and thermal comfort has not been studied. Therefore, here, we investigate and test the implementation of the window-windcatcher on a typical residential building, using a validated DesignBuilder model. Compared to the base case (no window-windcatcher), the total annual energy consumption of the entire building (Etot,b), and consequently the cost, is reduced by approximately 23.3% (i.e., from 18,143 kWh/year to 13,911 kWh/year) when using the window-windcatcher. The total annual reduction in thermal discomfort hours is estimated to be 290 h, which corresponds to an average monthly reduction of approximately 24 h. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Metrology for Living Environment)
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15 pages, 3445 KiB  
Article
Comparison of Methods for Emissivity Influence Suppression on Thermographic Data
by Lukáš Muzika, Jiří Tesař, Michal Švantner, Jiří Skála and Petra Honnerová
Buildings 2023, 13(1), 69; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings13010069 - 28 Dec 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1253
Abstract
Emissivity is a crucial parameter for a quantitative thermography measurement. It influences measured temperature using an infrared camera. Typically, the emissivity is handled by infrared camera software but often for more complex tasks—e.g., setting and controlling the emissivity of individual pixels—a custom-made solution [...] Read more.
Emissivity is a crucial parameter for a quantitative thermography measurement. It influences measured temperature using an infrared camera. Typically, the emissivity is handled by infrared camera software but often for more complex tasks—e.g., setting and controlling the emissivity of individual pixels—a custom-made solution must be created. This can be especially beneficial for active thermography measurement and dynamic building inspection by infrared thermography as many surfaces of interest with different emissivity occur in thermographic data. In literature, one technique for suppressing emissivity occurs most often—the technique used by infrared camera manufacturers. Nonetheless, two other techniques are marginally mentioned. The most complex technique is the one used by infrared camera manufacturers, which allows many parameters to be set, but it is difficult to incorporate it into own solution. In contrast, the second one can be adapted easily, and it uses the relationship between emissivity and the fourth power of temperatures. The third one is a scarcely used technique that occurs for some active thermography measurements, in which a thermographic sequence in counts is divided by a frame when temperature equilibrium is reached. The main goal of this article is to compare these individual techniques from the point of view of the accuracy and possibility of use. The experiment showed that all three methods can be successfully used for the suppression of emissivity influence. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Metrology for Living Environment)
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20 pages, 6938 KiB  
Article
Using a Smart Living Environment Simulation Tool and Machine Learning to Optimize the Home Sensor Network Configuration for Measuring the Activities of Daily Living of Older People
by Riccardo Naccarelli, Sara Casaccia, Michela Pirozzi and Gian Marco Revel
Buildings 2022, 12(12), 2213; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings12122213 - 13 Dec 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1646
Abstract
This paper describes a methodology to optimize the home sensor network to measure the Activities of Daily Living (ADLs) of older people using Machine Learning (ML) applied to synthetic data generated via a newly developed Smart Living Environment (SLE) simulation tool. A home [...] Read more.
This paper describes a methodology to optimize the home sensor network to measure the Activities of Daily Living (ADLs) of older people using Machine Learning (ML) applied to synthetic data generated via a newly developed Smart Living Environment (SLE) simulation tool. A home sensor network consisting of Passive InfraRed (PIR) and door sensors allows people to age in place, avoiding invasiveness of the technology by keeping track of the older users’ behaviour and health conditions. However, it is difficult to identify a priori the optimal sensor network configuration to measure users’ behaviour. To ensure better user acceptability without losing measurement accuracy, the authors proposed a methodology to optimize the home sensor network consisting of simulating human activities, and therefore sensor activations, in the reconstructed SLE and analysing the datasets generated through ML. Four ML classifiers, namely the Decision Tree (DT), Gaussian Naïve Bayes (GNB), Support Vector Machine (SVM) and K-Nearest Neighbors (KNN), were tested to measure the accuracy of ADL classification. Optimization analysis was made, providing the most suitable home sensor network configuration for two home environment case studies by exploiting the DT classifier results, as it proved to achieve the highest mean accuracy (over 94%) in measuring ADLs. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Metrology for Living Environment)
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26 pages, 59570 KiB  
Article
Using a Biomimicry Approach in the Design of a Kinetic Façade to Regulate the Amount of Daylight Entering a Working Space
by Sukhum Sankaewthong, Teerayut Horanont, Kazunori Miyata, Jessada Karnjana, Chawee Busayarat and Haoran Xie
Buildings 2022, 12(12), 2089; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings12122089 - 29 Nov 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 4433
Abstract
At present, buildings are increasingly being designed with transparent materials, with glass paneling being especially popular as an installation material due to its architectural allure. However, its major drawback is admitting impractical amounts of sunlight into interior spaces. Office buildings with excessive sunlight [...] Read more.
At present, buildings are increasingly being designed with transparent materials, with glass paneling being especially popular as an installation material due to its architectural allure. However, its major drawback is admitting impractical amounts of sunlight into interior spaces. Office buildings with excessive sunlight in indoor areas lead to worker inefficiency. This article studied kinetic façades as means to provide suitable sunlight for interior spaces, integrated with a triple-identity DNA structure, photosynthetic behavior, and the twist, which was divided into generation and evaluation. The generating phase first used an evolutionary engine to produce potential strip patterns. The kinetic façade was subsequently evaluated using the Climate Studio software to validate daylight admission in an indoor space with Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) version 4.1 criteria. To analyze the kinetic façade system, the building envelope was divided into four types: glass panel, static façade, rotating façade (the kinetic façade, version 1); an existing kinetic façade that is commonly seen in the market, and twisting façade (the kinetic façade, version 2); the kinetic façade that uses the process to invent the new identity of the façade. In addition, for both the rotating façade and twisting façade, the degrees of simulation were 20, 50, 80, and 100 degrees, in order to ascertain the potential for both façades to the same degree. Comparing all façades receiving the daylight factor (DF) into the space with more or less sunlight resulted in a decreasing order of potential, as follows: entirely glass façade, twisting façade (the kinetic façade, version 2), rotating façade (the kinetic façade, version 1), and static façade. By receiving the daylight factor (DF), the façade moderately and beneficially filtered appropriate amounts of daylight into the working space. The daylight simulation results indicated that the newly designed kinetic façade (version 2) had more potential than other building envelope types in terms of filtering beneficial daylight in indoor areas. This article also experimented with the kinetic façade prototype in an actual situation to test conditional environmental potential. The twisting façade (the kinetic façade, version 2) was explored in the building envelope with varied adaptability to provide sunlight and for private-to-public, public-to-private, or semi-public working areas. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Metrology for Living Environment)
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