Building and Environment最新文献

{"title":"How air cleaners, ventilation, and outdoor air pollution influence air quality in European hospitals: Case studies from Finland and Romania","authors":"Mohamed Elsayed ,&nbsp;Ville Silvonen ,&nbsp;Anni Luoto ,&nbsp;Henna Lintusaari ,&nbsp;Jani Hakala ,&nbsp;Hilkka Timonen ,&nbsp;Sami D. Harni ,&nbsp;Topi Rönkkö ,&nbsp;Piia Sormunen","doi":"10.1016/j.buildenv.2025.112865","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.buildenv.2025.112865","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In healthcare facilities, maintaining a controlled, contaminant-free environment is essential. This involves eliminating airborne contaminants and ensuring a continuous supply of clean air. The objectives of this study were to understand the differences in the indoor and outdoor characteristics of particulate matter pollution (fine particle mass (PM_2.5), lung-deposited surface area (LDSA), and black carbon mass (BC) concentrations) and environmental conditions (air temperature, relative humidity and carbon dioxide concentration) in hospital buildings in Romania and Finland. Additionally, the effectiveness and impact of ventilation and air cleaning technologies on the indoor air quality were assessed. The highest mean concentrations of outdoor PM_2.5, LDSA, and BC were observed in Bucharest, with values of 32.7 µg/m³, 59.4 µm²/cm³, and 3.3 µg/m³, respectively. The use of air cleaners effectively reduced indoor particulate concentrations in both naturally and mechanically ventilated buildings. In the naturally ventilated hospital in Bucharest, Romania, the use of air cleaners resulted in reductions of up to 93.8 % and 89.3 % in the median PM_2.5 and LDSA indoor/outdoor (I/O) ratios, respectively. In the mechanically ventilated hospital in Espoo city in Finland, corresponding I/O-ratio reductions were 78.6 % and 69.9 %. These results highlight that indoor air quality is influenced by both indoor and outdoor air characteristics, as well as the building's ventilation and filtration systems. In addition, reduction in indoor concentration values emphasize the effectiveness of using portable air cleaners as a local solution for reducing particulate pollution when integrated with an appropriate natural or mechanical ventilation system.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":9273,"journal":{"name":"Building and Environment","volume":"276 ","pages":"Article 112865"},"PeriodicalIF":7.1,"publicationDate":"2025-03-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143685603","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Enhancing performance and generalization in dormitory optimization using deep reinforcement learning with embedded surrogate model","authors":"Zewei Shi ,&nbsp;Chenyu Huang ,&nbsp;Jinyu Wang ,&nbsp;Zhongqi Yu ,&nbsp;Jiayan Fu ,&nbsp;Jiawei Yao","doi":"10.1016/j.buildenv.2025.112864","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.buildenv.2025.112864","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The natural ventilation and daylighting of dormitories are key factors affecting student comfort and health, with early-stage design greatly impacting indoor performance. Existing optimization methods, mainly evolutionary algorithms like genetic algorithms, excel in global search but struggle with adapting to dynamic environments, handling multi-dimensional tasks, and ensuring model generalization. This study proposes a multi-objective optimization framework integrating GAN and DRL for dormitory indoor airflow and daylighting enhancement. The GAN model provides real-time predictions of global wind speed and useful daylight illuminance (UDI). By combining a GAN-based surrogate model with a DRL approach based on Deep Deterministic Policy Gradient (DDPG), the framework iteratively refines dormitory unit layouts through continuous interaction between the environment and the agent. The effectiveness and generalization of the DRL-based method were evaluated across three dormitory typologies. Results indicate that, on the test dataset, the pix2pix model achieved R² values of 0.979 and 0.988 for predicting indoor wind and lighting conditions, respectively. Compared to traditional genetic algorithms, the DRL model demonstrated superior performance in optimizing indoor environmental conditions, achieving up to a 9.33 % improvement in wind environment optimization. The pre-trained models exhibited a certain degree of generalization across the three scenarios. This approach provides valuable support for environmentally driven indoor architectural optimization.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":9273,"journal":{"name":"Building and Environment","volume":"276 ","pages":"Article 112864"},"PeriodicalIF":7.1,"publicationDate":"2025-03-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143685605","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"An indoor thermal environment control model based on multimodal perception and reinforcement learning","authors":"Yan Ding ,&nbsp;Shengze Lu ,&nbsp;Tiantian Li ,&nbsp;Yan Zhu ,&nbsp;Shen Wei ,&nbsp;Zhe Tian","doi":"10.1016/j.buildenv.2025.112863","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.buildenv.2025.112863","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Achieving intelligent control and operation of building air conditioning systems to enhance indoor thermal comfort depends on accurately assessing occupant thermal status. However, traditional identification techniques, limited to single-dimensional parameters, often fail to promptly respond to various environmental and physiological factors influencing occupant thermal sensation. To bridge the gaps, this study integrates physiological heat exchange, cardiovascular, and brain nervous system responses to thermal environments to create a dynamic thermal sensation prediction model. An intelligent temperature control strategy employing reinforcement learning integrates this prediction model and occupant behavioral intention probabilities to effectively regulate indoor temperature settings. Experiment results demonstrate that compared to single parameter thermal models, the new method significantly improves prediction accuracy under conditions of drifting and step temperature changes. Furthermore, under these two different operating conditions, employing this strategy for temperature control reduces thermal discomfort accumulation by 26.46 % and 37.15 %.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":9273,"journal":{"name":"Building and Environment","volume":"276 ","pages":"Article 112863"},"PeriodicalIF":7.1,"publicationDate":"2025-03-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143685604","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A seasonal assessment of indoor air quality and thermal performance in naturally ventilated airtight energy-efficient dwellings","authors":"Ibrahim Alhindawi ,&nbsp;James A. McGrath ,&nbsp;Divyanshu Sood ,&nbsp;James O'Donnell ,&nbsp;Miriam A. Byrne","doi":"10.1016/j.buildenv.2025.112862","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.buildenv.2025.112862","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Increased building energy performance requires improved thermal performance, elevating the risk of overheating and necessitating cooling strategies. Natural ventilation possesses the advantage of reducing cooling energy consumption in warmer seasons. Nevertheless, a consequence is decreased airflow in energy-efficient structures employing enhanced airtightness.</div></div><div><h3>Aim</h3><div>This research evaluated the effectiveness of natural ventilation in maintaining acceptable indoor air quality in energy-efficient airtight households with no centralised active ventilation systems.</div></div><div><h3>Methodology</h3><div>Bedrooms, living rooms, and kitchens were monitored for a week during summer and winter. Indoor air pollutants included PM_2.5, CO₂, TVOCs, NO₂, CO, beside temperature and relative humidity. Bedroom air exchange rates were extrapolated based on the metabolic CO₂ method. Results: Higher (<em>p</em> &lt; 0.01) concentrations of gaseous pollutants were measured in bedrooms than in living rooms, and in winter than in summer. PM_2.5 concentrations exceeded the 24-hour WHO guidelines in kitchens (92% in winter, 51% in summer). CO₂ concentrations were above 1000 ppm for 94% of the sleeping time in bedrooms in winter, and 39% in summer. Weekly TVOC concentrations across the bedrooms were 463 ppb in winter and 293 ppb in summer. Temperature and humidity were broadly within acceptable limits. Air exchange rate ranged across the bedrooms from 0.08 to 0.35 h^-1 in summer and from 0.09 to 0.26 h^-1 in winter.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>Ventilation performance gap was identified between the design and operational performance based on the current operational strategy. The findings highlight significant seasonal variations in indoor pollutant concentrations and underscore the need to improve ventilation strategies.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":9273,"journal":{"name":"Building and Environment","volume":"276 ","pages":"Article 112862"},"PeriodicalIF":7.1,"publicationDate":"2025-03-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143644769","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A prediction of urban boundary layer using Recurrent Neural Network and reduced order modeling","authors":"Yedam Lee,&nbsp;Sang Lee","doi":"10.1016/j.buildenv.2025.112804","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.buildenv.2025.112804","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>A prediction of urban boundary layer using Recurrent Neural Network (RNN) and reduced order modeling is performed. By employing the simulation of filtered Navier–Stokes equations for the generation of RNN training data, the study provides a reliable foundation for model training, validated against established experimental data. Dimensionality reduction, achieved through singular value decomposition, is conducted with consideration of fluid field reconstruction capability which investigated through energy loss, Root Mean Square Error and Structural Similarity Index Measure of second order statistic of chosen value and Turbulent Kinetic Energy (TKE) budget terms using reconstructed turbulent flow data. For the RNN prediction, various RNN configurations, ultimately selecting an LSTM model with optimized settings, including the LeakyReLU activation function for its superior performance in turbulent flow predictions. This configuration enables precise forecasting of urban boundary layer dynamics, covering both the instantaneous turbulent flow and the profile of TKE budget terms. It also demonstrates a substantial improvement in computational efficiency, achieving speeds up to forty times faster than conventional methods.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":9273,"journal":{"name":"Building and Environment","volume":"276 ","pages":"Article 112804"},"PeriodicalIF":7.1,"publicationDate":"2025-03-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143644770","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The hygrothermal properties of stone used in traditional construction: A Western European case study","authors":"Anna Hofheinz,&nbsp;Rosanne Walker,&nbsp;Caroline Engel Purcell,&nbsp;Oliver Kinnane","doi":"10.1016/j.buildenv.2025.112855","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.buildenv.2025.112855","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The importance of thermally upgrading the existing building stock to reduce environmental impact is widely recognised. It is imperative to ensure the adoption of correct approaches in upgrading traditional buildings, both to protect their unique character and to minimise potential decay in historic fabric. Hygrothermal modelling software, simulating the thermal and moisture behavior of walls before and after retrofitting, serves as a valuable tool for this purpose.</div><div>The full range of hygrothermal properties of low porosity building stones of Paleozoic origin, such as are typical in geological formations found in Ireland and Western Europe, have not been previously investigated. This knowledge is crucial for enhancing the accuracy of hygrothermal modelling of walls built of such stones. This research aims to bridge this knowledge gap by investigating material properties of a range of Irish stones, including bulk density, open porosity, sorption capacity, free saturation, vapour diffusion resistance factor, capillary absorption, drying and thermal conductivity.</div><div>Irish stones, particularly limestones, exhibit considerably higher densities than most reported by other international researchers and within the databases of the main hygrothermal simulation tools. The research identifies a trend of increased free saturation, vapour permeability, capillary absorption, and drying rates as the porosity of the stone increases. There is a substantial reduction in both vapour permeability and capillary absorption at low porosity levels (&lt; 5 %), which help establish non-linear trend patterns for the correlation with these properties and porosity that are not generally seen in other research. The results show generally higher thermal conductivities at that porosity range. This is particularly important as many Irish building stones fall within this range, and existing datasets are therefore not applicable for these materials.</div><div>The utilization of this complete dataset of measured material data of Irish stone in this study in hygrothermal modelling is expected to significantly influence the thermal retrofitting approach for traditional solid stone walls.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":9273,"journal":{"name":"Building and Environment","volume":"276 ","pages":"Article 112855"},"PeriodicalIF":7.1,"publicationDate":"2025-03-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143644774","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The influence of natural features and height-to-width ratios on psycho-physiological responses to urban street canyons","authors":"Nazmiye Gulenay Yilmaz ,&nbsp;Pyoung Jik Lee ,&nbsp;Anne Heimes ,&nbsp;Laurent Galbrun","doi":"10.1016/j.buildenv.2025.112851","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.buildenv.2025.112851","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study investigated the impact of natural features on the perception of urban street canyons through laboratory experiments. Wide street canyons with three different height-to-width ratios (H/Ws: 0.5, 2, and 4) were simulated, both with and without natural features such as trees, flowers, water features, and birdsong. Sounds were presented through headphones, and visual scenes were presented via a head-mounted display in a virtual reality environment. Participants assessed perceived enclosure and pleasantness to various scenarios, while monitoring and physiological responses (facial electromyography in zygomatic major (ZM) and corrugator supercilia (CS)). Results showed that H/W played an important role, with higher H/Ws generally increasing perceived enclosure but decreasing perceived pleasantness. The influence of H/W was more significant in the combined audio-visual session. It was also found that natural features significantly influenced psychological and physiological responses. In both visual-only and combined audio-visual sessions, the addition of natural features, particularly trees and birdsong, increased perceived pleasantness and fEMG ZM activity, indicating positive emotional responses. The findings suggest that urban street canyon designs need to consider H/W and the integration of natural features, especially trees and birdsong, to enhance perceived pleasantness and evoke positive emotions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":9273,"journal":{"name":"Building and Environment","volume":"276 ","pages":"Article 112851"},"PeriodicalIF":7.1,"publicationDate":"2025-03-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143685608","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Enhancing occupant-centric ventilation control in airport terminals: A predictive optimization framework integrating agent-based simulation","authors":"Hao Tang ,&nbsp;Juan Yu ,&nbsp;Yang Geng ,&nbsp;Xue Liu ,&nbsp;Zujian Huang ,&nbsp;Yuren Yang ,&nbsp;Zhe Wang ,&nbsp;Ying Chen ,&nbsp;Borong Lin","doi":"10.1016/j.buildenv.2025.112829","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.buildenv.2025.112829","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Enhancing ventilation efficiency is essential for the sustainable operation of large airport terminals, which typically consume significantly more energy than regular public buildings. However, fluctuating passenger distributions in space and time—driven by flight schedules and airport services—pose significant challenges to ventilation control, often resulting in unnecessary energy use and suboptimal indoor air quality (IAQ) management. To address this, our study proposes an innovative optimization framework to automate coordinated multi-zone ventilation control in large airport terminals using an agent-based passenger flow simulation model. Based on flight schedules, passenger flow within the terminal was simulated through pedestrian agents governed by the Social Force Model, enabling the accurate characterization of spatiotemporal passenger distribution and activities across different zones. This simulation was integrated with a physical ventilation model and a distributed evolutionary algorithm to achieve optimal IAQ management, energy efficiency, and flexibility in energy use. Over a two-month evaluation period, the optimized control framework demonstrated marked improvements over baseline fixed-schedule control, with the CO₂ compliance rate rising from 89.32 % to 99.6 %, total energy consumption reduced by 29.6 %, and daily peak power demand decreased by 27.2 %. This study showcases a practical, occupant-centric approach to improving operational sustainability in complex built environments.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":9273,"journal":{"name":"Building and Environment","volume":"276 ","pages":"Article 112829"},"PeriodicalIF":7.1,"publicationDate":"2025-03-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143686102","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Letter from the Editor-in-Chief","authors":"Xudong Yang Ph.D. (Editor-in-Chief)","doi":"10.1016/j.buildenv.2025.112838","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.buildenv.2025.112838","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":9273,"journal":{"name":"Building and Environment","volume":"275 ","pages":"Article 112838"},"PeriodicalIF":7.1,"publicationDate":"2025-03-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143682652","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Dynamic wind patterns and indoor/outdoor pollutant dispersion in the simplified building array: Statistical and spectral analyses from scaled outdoor experiments","authors":"Yuwei Dai,&nbsp;Wanli Tu,&nbsp;Xiaoyan Zhang,&nbsp;Jingze Li,&nbsp;Xiupeng Yue,&nbsp;Haidong Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.buildenv.2025.112861","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.buildenv.2025.112861","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In real urban environments, dynamic changes in wind significantly influence the pollutant dispersion within building complexes. To investigate the impact of urban-like wind conditions on the pollutant transmission, this study conducted a scaled outdoor experiment using a three-dimensional (3D) 3×3 building array model in a sub-urban area of Guangzhou, with a humid subtropical climate. Tracer gas (CO₂) was continuously released to simulate the pollutant dispersion in the indoor and outdoor environment within the array. Wind speed, wind direction, and tracer gas concentrations were monitored simultaneously. Both statistical and spectral analyses were employed to evaluate the dynamic variation characteristics of the wind, while the air change rate (ACH) and reentry ratio <span><math><mrow><mo>(</mo><msub><mi>R</mi><mi>k</mi></msub><mo>)</mo></mrow></math></span> were used to assess ventilation performance and pollutant dispersion. Based on the real-time wind conditions, the results indicated that the standard deviation (SD) of wind direction within the building arrays were higher than those in open areas, while the velocity power spectrum exponent (<span><math><msub><mi>β</mi><mi>v</mi></msub></math></span>) was lower, below 1.1, suggesting intense high-frequency fluctuations. Wavelet coherence (WTC) analysis indicates significant correlations between the variations in airflow and pollutant concentration, particularly in the vertical direction. The results of tracer gas concentrations demonstrated that the dynamic airflow influenced the dispersion pathways over time. Airflow within the building arrays exhibited a strong capacity for dispersing pollutants, with the average <span><math><msub><mi>R</mi><mi>k</mi></msub></math></span> for all units being below 4 %. This study provides realistic, transient insights into winds effects on pollutant dispersion within the building arrays, and the generated dataset offers a validation benchmark for future numerical simulations.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":9273,"journal":{"name":"Building and Environment","volume":"276 ","pages":"Article 112861"},"PeriodicalIF":7.1,"publicationDate":"2025-03-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143637221","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}