Global urbanization is advancing, and with it, the densification of cities. Due to increased sealing of open spaces and the re-densification of existing urban settings, green spaces in the city are becoming scarcer. At the same time, greening within the urban fabric is known for its positive effects on the environment and decisively counteracts the urban heat effect. This study deals with the benefits of green façades for the environment as a cooling measure. Two façade greening systems, one trough and one cassette system, consisting of curtain wall elements with a basic metal structure, installed at a south-facing outdoor wall of a school building in Vienna, Austria, were taken under metrological examination. In order to evaluate the cooling effect caused by evapotranspiration, the amount of water evaporated was calculated using the difference of inflow and outflow. Furthermore, the surface temperatures of the greened and non-greened walls were measured to display the influence of the interaction of shading and evapotranspiration on the surrounding microclimate. The investigated vertical greening system with an area of 58 m² has an average evaporation capacity of 101.38 L per day in the summer. The maximum surface temperature difference was measured to be 11.6 °C.

Humans spend more than 80% of their lives indoors resulting in an increased demand for high indoor air quality (IAQ). At the same time, indoor air tends to be at least twice as polluted as outdoor air, and health threats caused by long-term exposure to indoor air pollution are rising. Few experiments under real-life conditions have demonstrated positive effects of indoor plants on parameters related to IAQ, resulting in improved humidity and temperature, reduced particulate matter concentration and CO₂ levels. Indoor living walls allow the presence of many plants—without taking up valuable floor area. This article presents the results of conducted measurements on four do-it-yourself green walls planted with different plant species that are typically used for vertical indoor greenery (golden pothos, Boston fern, spider plant and a combination of plants) in a school setting. Besides the parameters of air humidity and temperature, CO₂, mold spore and particulate matter levels, influences on room acoustics were investigated. Based on a custom-developed evaluation matrix, the plants were compared with each other and a reference without plants. The results show that no species led to deterioration of IAQ. Golden pothos had the most substantial effect and delivered improvements in all examined parameters.

The construction industry is responsible for a large amount of both embodied carbon and emissions. Especially with concrete, there is still a lot of potential for designing recipes in a more ecological way. Approaches to reduce the environmental impact of concrete include the use of industrial and agricultural by-products. This study combines the approaches of replacing cement with granulated blast furnace slag and the use of NaOH-treated rice straw fibers. The research objective comprises the design of an ecologically optimized concrete as well as the question of whether a pretreatment of rice straw fibers with NaOH improves the performance of the designed concrete. The method includes mechanical and physical testing of the of the designed concrete as well as an optical analysis with a scanning electron microscope. The results indicated that treating rice straw with 1% NaOH indicates a better bond between fibers and the surrounding matrix. The tests in which the rice straw was treated with NaOH achieved a higher density, splitting strength, tensile strength and compressive strength. The study contributes an ecologically optimized concrete with granulated blast furnace slag and NaOH-treated rice straw concrete, which shows a great potential as an environmentally friendly, low-cost construction material.

Due to its ecological and financial benefits, earth building has gained global attention, with earth bricks being extensively used. Shrinkage and crack development have a considerable impact on the performance and quality of earth bricks. This study employs laboratory experiments to examine the shrinkage behavior of earth bricks reinforced with wheat and barley straw. In addition to this, the impact of cement and gypsum additives is examined. The obtained results indicate that increased fiber content reduces crack formation effectively. However, higher levels of cohesive soil have been shown to have a negative influence on shrinkage behavior. In general, higher fiber contents contribute to the improvement of earth brick performance. These findings offer useful insights for improving the composition and characteristics of reinforced earth bricks, resulting in enhanced performance and quality in sustainable construction practices.

The productivity, health, and well-being of office workers are known to be influenced by the indoor thermal conditions, most significantly the temperature and air humidity. This article is based on measurements and calculated predictions, as well as surveys of the employees in a newly renovated office building in Vienna, Austria. The renovation measures include street-side facade greening. The aim of this study was to determine the possible effects these renovation measures have on thermal comfort inside the building. The evaluation is carried out in accordance with the standards based on the predicted mean vote (PMV), calculated with the collected measurement data. Based on the survey, the calculation results are compared with the subjective perception of the employees. Even though the measurements and the survey were carried out only one year after the renovation, about 70% of the employees’ statements speak about noticeable positive changes due to the renovation measures. Regarding daylight and artificial lighting conditions, a total of 80% of employees are neutral or satisfied. The majority also expresses neutrality or satisfaction regarding spatial conditions and air quality. The satisfaction of the employees is reflected in their work performance. The goal is therefore to achieve the highest possible satisfaction of the building’s users.

Straw has been used as a building material since time immemorial and has been considered as a waste product from the agricultural sector, usually used for feed, bedding, or fertilization. Nowadays, the construction industry strives to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and is focusing on renewable materials; hence, straw seems to be an attractive, low-energy option. Straw bales or blown insulation are common uses, with limited detailed knowledge regarding the properties of different straw types. Straw is made up of the dry stems of crops. Straw’s chemical composition will differ with different crops and can have a great impact on its effectiveness. As a renewable material, straw also has the potential to be used in buildings, enhancing thermal insulation and reducing environmental impacts. This study considers four kinds of straw: barley, oats, oilseed rape, and triticale, regarding their possible usage in insulation materials. The thermal conductivity, bulk density, and dust generation of each type were tested in the laboratory. Among them, the best performance was shown by the barley straw treated with mechanical pulping using a knife mill at 4000 rpm for 60 s, which showed the lowest bulk density and thermal conductivity and generated the least dust. It is thus proven to be an environmental insulation material with significant implications for sustainable construction and energy-efficient building design, further helping in maintaining environmental sustainability in building construction.