About this Research Topic

Background

Research so far has demonstrated that an adequate design of indoor and outdoor spaces has multiple positive consequences on people’s lives. Particularly focusing on educational buildings, numerous studies emphasize that high environmental quality significantly impacts students' health, comfort, and academic performance. Factors such as indoor air quality, thermal comfort, lighting, and acoustics are pivotal. Indeed, research indicates that poor environmental quality can lead to respiratory issues, decreased concentration, and lower cognitive functions.

Furthermore, the energy performance of educational buildings is essential for sustainability and cost-efficiency. Studies reveal that implementing energy-efficient systems, such as advanced HVAC systems, energy-efficient lighting, and renewable energy sources, not only reduces energy consumption but also enhances environmental quality, both indoors and outdoors. The integration of smart technologies and building management systems is also reported to optimize energy use while maintaining optimal environmental conditions overall.

Literature has demonstrated a recent shift to a holistic approach, where improving energy performance and indoor and outdoor environmental quality are seen as complementary objectives, crucial for fostering healthy, productive, and sustainable everyday living spaces.

As far as educational environments are concerned, studies have mainly focused on single-domain effects (i.e., only visual comfort, acoustic comfort, thermal comfort, and air quality) among other aspects on health, well-being, productivity, and academic achievements at any grade. Few recent studies have started investigating the multi-domain effects on such human spheres, leading to interesting results that should now be corroborated with further evidence. Furthermore, the proactive effect of human interaction with the environment (either indoor or outdoor) still needs to be deepened in relation to the objective monitoring that fosters energy savings and sustainability overall.

Bringing together new evidence that supports the need to design and control the environmental quality of educational buildings, as well as their energy performance, is of primary importance. Particularly, this will help guarantee comfortable and safe environments for employees as well as for teachers, professors, and researchers, supporting their well-being and productivity at work. Also, pupils and students of any grade will benefit from the proposed strategies in order to be supported as far as their cognitive growth is concerned and to achieve positive academic results.

The aim of the present Research Topic is to bring together up-to-date and original research on the approach to the implementation of strategies to improve overall environmental quality, energy efficiency, comfort, well-being, and liveability indoors and outdoors in educational buildings. Experiences based on a multi-domain approach are preferred, but focuses on single domains that deepen specific aspects in light of a global perspective are also welcome.

We expect to receive contributions that include (but are not limited to) the following topics:

• Effects of visual comfort, acoustic comfort, thermal comfort, and air quality on well-being and liveability indoors and outdoors of educational buildings;

• Effects of environmental quality on productivity for employees and teachers/professors/researchers, and on academic achievements for students of any grade;

• Design of educational buildings with the aim of guaranteeing comfort, well-being, and safety;

• Updates on national and international standards;

• Assessment of the comfort and well-being perceived by occupants through surveys, and relationships with measured environmental data;

• Effects of the dynamic and active regulation of HVAC systems;

• Implementation of nature solutions for indoor and outdoor spaces with the aim of guaranteeing comfort, well-being, and liveability;

• Focus on energy-efficient solutions for offices, classrooms of any grade, and social areas (also restorative such as canteens);

• Application of innovative solutions for the visual representation of comfort and performance connected to real-time energetic monitoring, such as BIM techniques;

• Use and integration of photovoltaic systems for the enhancement of self-generated electrical energy;

• Strategies for CO2 reduction, also considering actions that involve and engage the community;

• Strategies to support and promote sustainable mobility to reach educational buildings and move around, e.g., University Campuses;

• Integration of diffuse sensors for real-time energetic monitoring;

• Artificial intelligence and machine learning applied to the energetic monitoring to support accurate predictions.

Article types and fees

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Editorial
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Review

Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.

Article types

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Editorial
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Review

Keywords: environmental quality and energy performance of educational buildings

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.

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