This research evaluates the operational heating and cooling energy consumption of cross-laminated timber (CLT) office buildings in China. The evaluations involve a comparison of the energy consumption of a reference RC structure and CLT system office buildings. Computational simulation results are based on IES-VE 2019 and show that the estimated heating energy saving ratio of CLT buildings in Harbin, Beijing, Shanghai, and Kunming to the reference structure are 11.97%, 22.11%, 30.94%, and 23.30% respectively. However, the CLT buildings consume more energy for cooling in the summer. The results of the research show significantly higher heating energy reductions for CLT buildings in the Cold Region and Severe Cold Regions of China. Thus, the application of the CLT system is better suited to northern China than southern China. The results of the research can be used in further assessment of the use of CLT systems in different climatic regions in China.

Many stadiums will be built in China in the next few decades due to increasing public interest in physical exercise and the incentive policies issued by the government under its National Fitness Program. This paper investigates the energy saving and carbon reduction performance of timber stadiums in China in comparison with stadiums constructed using conventional building materials, based on both life cycle energy assessment (LCEA) and life cycle carbon assessment (LCCA). The authors select five representative cities in five climate zones in China as the simulation environment, simulate energy use in the operation phase of stadiums constructed from reinforced concrete (RC) and timber, and compare the RC and timber stadiums in terms of their life cycle energy consumption and carbon emissions. The LCEA results reveal that the energy saving potential afforded by timber stadiums is 11.05%, 12.14%, 8.15%, 4.61% and 4.62% lower than those of RC buildings in “severely cold,” “cold,” “hot summer, cold winter,” “hot summer, warm winter,” and “temperate” regions, respectively. The LCCA results demonstrate that the carbon emissions of timber stadiums are 15.85%, 15.86%, 18.88%, 19.22% and 22.47% lower than those of RC buildings for the regions above, respectively. This demonstrates that in China, timber stadiums have better energy conservation and carbon reduction potential than RC stadiums, based on life cycle assessment. Thus, policy makers are advised to encourage the promotion of timber stadiums in China to achieve the goal of sustainable energy development for public buildings.

The Prefabricated Straw Bale Construction (PSBC) has been proven as one of the most efficient construction methods to achieve low-energy buildings with low environmental impacts. This research presents analysis of the rationale for using straw bale constructions in northern China and a discussion of feasible constructions of PSBC to meet the local building codes following evaluations of potential energy performance of domestic buildings with PSBC in severe cold regions and cold regions in China. The results show that the buildings with PSBC reduce both heating and cooling energy uses, as well as heating intensities across the severe cold and cold regions, compared to the domestic buildings with conventional constructions. The findings of this research will contribute to reducing energy consumption in building industries in China.

Under the trend of digitization and global carbon reductions, clay construction has increasingly attracted attention due to advantages such as an excellent thermal performance, low carbon emissions, and high cost-effectiveness. In this article, an in-depth investigation is conducted into the potential, challenges, and future in the development of digital manufacturing technologies for clay architecture, especially 3D printing, robotic construction, and prefabrication systems. It is revealed through a review that digital clay construction is under rapid development and likely to provide a viable solution to achieving global carbon neutrality, which is conducive to addressing various regional issues. The key findings from this review are as follows. Firstly, as a flexible, precise, and low-carbon industrial solution, 3D printing lays a foundation for the extensive research on materials, equipment, and algorithm optimization. Secondly, the use of machine construction methods such as modern rammed earth technology and drone spraying is effective in improving efficiency and lowering costs. Lastly, the prefabricated building system shows its potential in renewing and developing the rammed earth architecture culture. These findings indicate a massive potential of digital clay construction to support sustainability efforts in the future.

Over the past decade, the concept of a circular economy has increasingly gained attention as a framework for guiding businesses and policymakers. Given its significant environmental impact, the building industry plays a pivotal role in the transition toward a circular economy. To address this, our review proposes a bio-based building material, specifically straw bale, which elaborates on the circularity of bio-based buildings based on the 3R principles of a circular economy: reduce, reuse, and recycle. In terms of the “reduce” principle, straw-bale buildings can reduce construction waste, the environmental impact, energy requirements, and carbon emissions. Regarding the “reuse” principle, straw-bale buildings utilize agricultural waste resources and are easily disassembled due to their prefabrication. As for the “recycle” principle, straw-bale buildings can undergo physical, biological, and biochemical conversion processes (thermochemical conversion), yielding both wooden composite boards and potential biogas and biomass fuels for electricity and heating. This study evaluates the contribution of straw packaging construction and the use of straw as a raw material, using the 3R principles to determine future research opportunities for the construction industry to achieve a circular economy. The results of this study offer circular economy solutions and interdisciplinary research insights for researchers and practitioners interested in the building environment.