Designing Healthy Buildings and Communities: Shaping a Climate-Resilient Future (Urban Sustainability)

This book aims to explore and showcase global case studies focused on creating buildings and communities that promote health while enhancing climate resilience. In an era where climate change increasingly impacts urban environments, there is a critical need for innovative solutions that go beyond conventional practices. This book compiles a diverse range of examples, drawing on real-life projects and potential paradigm shifts that emphasise novel ideas and advanced methodologies.

The featured case studies span various aspects of building and community design, including architectural design directions, technology integration, and technical methods. Each contribution provides practical examples that illustrate the implementation of these concepts in real-world settings. By highlighting innovative approaches, the book challenges the status quo and encourages a shift from business-as-usual scenarios to forward-thinking strategies that prioritise both human health and environmental sustainability.

Key themes include the integration of green building technologies, the adoption of sustainable materials, and the incorporation of nature-based solutions in community design. Additionally, the book delves into community-driven initiatives that foster social cohesion and climate-resilience, demonstrating how collaborative efforts can lead to more robust and adaptable cities. Through detailed analyses and comprehensive discussions, this book serves as a vital resource for architects, urban planners, policymakers, and researchers. It provides insights into cutting-edge practices and offers inspiration for future projects aimed at creating a healthier and more sustainable future. By bringing together these global perspectives, the book highlights the importance of innovation and adaptability in the face of climate challenges, ultimately contributing to the development of sustainable and thriving urban landscapes.

Ali CHESHMEHZANGI is a Professor and Head of the School of Architecture, Design and Planning (ADP) at The University of Queensland, where he leads the School and researches across the fields of architecture, design, and planning/urbanism. He has been in the World’s top 2 per cent field leader since 2022, recognised by Stanford University. He is among the top 30 global scholars in the urban sustainability research area. Ali has a wealth of experience, expertise, and a strong commitment to innovation and excellence in the fields of architecture, design, and planning, the three core disciplines of his School at UQ. With a career spanning over two decades, he has made significant contributions to the academic and professional communities, with a focus on sustainable and environmentally conscious design. So far, Ali has published over 500 journal papers, articles, conference papers, book chapters, and reports. He also has 35 other academic books, three of which have received awards at the national, provincial, and municipal levels. He also has received international awards and recognition for his research on urban resilience studies and sustainability research, as well as a Vice-Chancellor’s award for his impactful contribution to higher education. 

Jian ZUO is a Professor in Sustainable Construction at the School of Architecture and Civil Engineering at the University of Adelaide. His main research interests are related to the sustainable built environment via both technical (e.g. smart technologies) and managerial (e.g. policy intervention and behavioural change) means. In particular, he has undertaken extensive research in construction and demolition waste recycling and management. As the lead researcher, he has been involved in a series of competitive grants in Australia such as Discovery Projects and Linkage Projects funded by the Australian Research Council as well as many other national key projects. He has long been engaged in the study of ecological towns, green buildings and sustainable development of the construction industry. Published more than 100 papers in top journals, including more than 80 journal papers indexed by SCI and SSCI, Google Scholar indexed more than 28,000, and the H-index is 93. Twelve papers are listed as hot papers/highly cited papers by Incites Essential Science Indicators (ESI).

Ayyoob SHARIFI is a Professor at the IDEC Institute, Hiroshima University. He also is a core member of the Network for Education and Research on Peace and Sustainability (NERPS). His research is mainly focused on urban sustainability, resilience, and climate change mitigation and adaptation. He has published extensively on these topics and is ranked among the world's top 1000 influential authors in all fields according to Stanford/Elsevier's Top 2% Scientist Rankings in 2024. Additionally, he received Clarivate's Highly Cited Researcher Award in 2024. Ayyoob actively contributes to global change research programs such as the Future Earth and has served as a lead author for the Sixth Assessment Report (AR6) of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). The goal of his education and research activities is to inform actions toward building sustainable and peaceful communities.

Rongpeng ZHANG is a Full Professor and dedicated PhD Supervisor at the School of Architecture and Planning, Hunan University. His primary research pursuits encompass building performance modeling and simulation for intelligent buildings, alongside advanced built environment control for healthy buildings. He was a primary developer of several pivotal modules within the DOE-endorsed EnergyPlus building simulation engine, including VRF-HR, fault detection, and demand response modules. He was a primary developer of Commercial Building Energy Saver (CBES) platform, which obtained the 2019 R&D 100 Award as one of the 100 most significant new technologies in the world. Before joining Hunan University, he led the building science team and conducted a series of research on human-centric built environment control at Well Living Lab, which obtained the 2018 Edison Award. He also served as an assistant professor at Mayo Clinic, and a postdoctoral fellow in the Building Technology and Urban Systems Division at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. He received his Doctorate in Building Performance and Diagnostics from School of Architecture, Carnegie Mellon University and his B.S. and M.S. degrees in Built Environment and Facilities Engineering at Tongji University.

Abbas ZIAFATI BAFARASAT is a Charted Town Planner and Senior Lecturer in Town Planning, School of the Built Environment, Oxford Brookes University, where he also leads the MSc Program in Spatial Planning, and the Certificate in Spatial Planning Studies. Abbas undertook his PhD in Planning and Landscape at the University of Manchester, and his Post Doc at Technical University of Dortmund. His research and professional experience spans strategy and its interdisciplinary applications in enhancing policy and placemaking. Abbas is keen on generative interdisciplinary research and practice systematising knowledge in confronting emerging issues in sustainable development, with some of his outputs including: (i) proposing an inter-discipline of strategic urban design, (ii) introducing behavioural indicators for sustainability monitoring, (iii) proposing the concept of start-it-yourself urbanism, and (iv) conceptualizing bottom-up agenda-setting.

Jie ZHAO is a lecturer of architecture in the Weitzman School of Design at the University of Pennsylvania and Head of Delos Labs and an Executive Vice President at Delos. Delos is a science-based wellness real estate company headquartered in New York City. As the creator of the WELL Building Standard, Delos develops programs and solutions that transform our environments into vehicles for health, well-being, performance, and resilience. Jie leads the global research effort for advancing science and innovation. His research focuses on Human-building Interactions, including healthy buildings, total building performance, occupant behavior in buildings, sensing and controls in buildings, health, comfort, and productivity of building occupants, as well as building energy efficiency and sustainability. He has published 20+ academic articles and serves as reviewers for 10+ top tier academic journals and conferences in the building science field. He frequently contributes to public media as a subject matter expert in healthy buildings, such as Wall Street Journal, CBS News, Forbes and Money. Jie received his PhD in Building Performance and Diagnostics from Carnegie Mellon University and Master’s and Bachelor’s degrees from Tongji University.