Studies related to social sustainability assessment have presented a variety of methods and criteria, but there is a need to better understand how these studies incorporate multiple criteria along with the issues addressed, the decision-makers, and the overall process followed to promote more socially sustainable outcomes. A systematic literature review methodology is conducted to identify, analyze, and synthesize scholarly articles that use multiple criteria to assess the built environment’s social sustainability. This study explores types of problems, decision-makers, criteria, and methods adopted by researchers. The analysis involved 42 studies identified in the Web of Science, ScienceDirect, and Scopus databases. The results revealed a diverse range of studies, covering various issues, project types, and methodologies, highlighting the multifaceted nature of social sustainability evaluation in the context of the built environment. The most considered social sustainability issues in the studies were ‘Impacts in Community’ and ‘Employment’. While most of the selected papers used multi-criteria decision-making/aiding (MCDM/A), not all engaged in these methods for decision-making purposes. Moreover, despite the prevalence of studies involving multiple decision-makers, issues related to group decision-making were often insufficiently addressed. The types of problems that the methods are used for are discussed, as well as the decision context and the process for selecting methods, thereby highlighting future research opportunities. Future studies should ensure that the criteria used are manageable but encompass all facets of social sustainability in the built environment, prioritizing methodological rigor when selecting MCDM/A methods and focusing on the nuances of preference aggregation in group decision-making scenarios.

To reduce the energy use and carbon emissions from buildings, there is a need to efficiently renovate existing buildings for improved energy performance. In response to this need, this study compares barriers and solutions for sustainable building renovation from the literature to a case study of barriers and solutions from a building renovation for improved energy performance. For example, the barrier of unforeseen conditions, affecting both cost and schedule performance, was addressed through a comprehensive building inspection guide to evaluate existing conditions and reduce risk. This barrier and solution appeared in both the literature and in the case study. Widespread adoption of the solutions presented in this study could provide more affordable renovations for improving building energy performance, and in doing so, help develop the market for building renovations to improve energy performance.

This study aims to assess the applicability and adherence to social sustainability indicators by large and medium-sized construction companies in Pernambuco, Brazil. The study measures the importance and influence of these indicators in companies’ decision-making processes. The social indicators from the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) were selected as they come from a globally recognized and widespread organization. The research focuses on nine companies by conducting semi-structured interviews, site visits, and data validation through observations. The results indicate that most of the indicators were considered to have a high level of importance. However, these indicators are not as influential in decision-making as their importance suggests they should be. Currently, only 26% of the indicators are being measured by the companies, covering only three of the 19 GRI categories. The categories reported are occupational safety and health, local communities, and customer privacy. Most companies would be able to report the other 16 categories with minimal additional effort. A prioritization matrix is presented according to the importance and influence of the indicators and the effort to implement them. Overall, this study reveals that companies could easily measure most social sustainability indicators, making it possible to implement more sustainable decisions with less effort.

The US construction management profession has failed to recruit and retain women and underrepresented racial-ethnic minorities (URMs) in the workforce, despite growing industry demand for college-educated graduates due to skilled-labor shortages. Women and URM students in four-year construction education programs are more likely to change majors or drop out when they are unable to develop a sense of belonging in their degree program, exacerbating the lack of diversity and labor shortages in the construction industry. Students’ physical learning environment on campus can convey nonverbal messages regarding belonging, and can therefore influence student retention and persistence. This study systematically evaluated 140 physical artifacts (art, signs, photographs, etc.) on display in three construction education programs at US land-grant universities. Utilizing an existing visual anthropological taxonomy designed to interpret equity messages communicated by artifacts, researchers explored nonverbal messages relating to the question of who is valued and who belongs’ in construction education. White men were regularly named and represented in positions of power and leadership in the evaluated artifacts. In contrast, women and URMs were typically underrepresented and unnamed, with people of color overly portrayed in construction manual labor roles. Results suggest that construction education programs can foster more inclusive student learning environments by diversifying and updating physical artifacts on display within department public spaces and classrooms.

This study presents an analysis of the potential uses of BIM for managing the maintenance and refurbishment of existing housing assets to propose thermal comfort and energy efficiency guidelines for future social housing projects in Brazil. To do so, a case study analysis of a residential development with social–environmental certification in the city of Garanhuns, Pernambuco, Brazil was performed, and a literature review on the use of BIM for residential unit maintenance was conducted. The standard house in the residential development was found to be noncompliant with the Brazilian standard for ventilation openings (NBR 15.220). Therefore, three alternative layouts were created and analyzed to meet the requirements of the standard as well as the needs of the residents. The authors recommend that socio-environmental certifiers use BIM models so that energy performance and other simulations can be carried out. The study also proposes guidelines for BIM implementation in future government housing projects. These guidelines were grouped into five categories: BIM encouragement, energy efficiency, maintenance management, user requirement management, and continuous improvement. The significance of this study is in providing a path for the gradual implementation of BIM for maintenance and post-occupancy management in the Brazilian housing program.

This study examines a short-term study abroad program in Costa Rica. The goals of the study are to (1) investigate the link between high impact learning practices (HIPs) and program learning outcomes and (2) capture the relation between program structure, program facilitation, and student learning networks. The methodology includes ethnographic observations, student interviews, and social network analysis. The implementation of three HIPs in the program (applied learning, project-based, and cultural-learning) drives the change in student network structure. The article places scholarly attention on how HIPs incorporated into the program structure influence changes in student learning and support networks as well as influence student reported learning outcomes. Abstract in Spanish Este estudio examina un curso a corto plazo en el extranjero que se llevó a cabo en Costa Rica. Los objetivos del estudio son (1) investigar el vínculo entre las prácticas de aprendizaje de alto impacto (denominado en inglés HIP) y los resultados del aprendizaje del curso y (2) capturar la relación entre la estructura del curso, la facilitación del mismo, y las redes de aprendizaje de los estudiantes. La metodología incluye observaciones etnográficas, entrevistas con estudiantes, y análisis de redes sociales. La implementación de tres HIPs en el curso (aprendizaje aplicado, proyectos, y aprendizaje cultural) influye en el cambio en la estructura de la red social de los estudiantes. El artículo enfatiza cómo las prácticas de aprendizaje de alto impacto, incorporadas en la estructura del curso, influyen en los cambios en el aprendizaje de los estudiantes y en las redes de apoyo, así como en los resultados de aprendizaje reportados por los estudiantes.