Applications of the Internet of Things (IoT) are rapidly utilized in smart buildings and smart cities to reduce energy consumption. This advancement has caused a knowledge gap in applying IoT effectively by experts in the built environment to achieve energy efficiency. The study aims to provide an extensive review of IoT applications for energy savings in buildings and cities. This study contributes to the field of IoT by guiding and supporting built environment experts to utilize IoT technologies. This paper performed a thorough study using a systematic review that covered an overview of IoT concepts, models, applications, trends and challenges that can be encountered in the built environment. The findings indicated limitations in developing IoT strategies in buildings and cities by professionals in this field due to insufficient comprehension of technologies and their applied methods. Additionally, the study found an indefinite implementation and constraints on using IoT when integrated into the built environment. Finally, the study provides critical arguments and the next steps to effectively utilize IoT in terms of energy efficiency.

The relationship between “coping” and “resilience” increasingly features in academic, policy and practical discussions on adaptation to climate change in urban areas. This paper examines this relationship in the context of households in “extreme poverty” in the city of Khulna, Bangladesh. It draws on a quantitative data set based on 550 household interviews in low-income and informal settlements that identified the extent of the underlying drivers of vulnerability in this setting, including very low income, inadequate shelter, poor nutritional status and limited physical assets. A series of focus groups were used to explore the ways in which physical hazards have interacted with this underlying vulnerability, as a means to understand the potential impacts of climate change on this particular group of urban residents. These outcomes include frequent water-logging, the destruction of houses and disruption to the provision of basic services. The main focus of the paper is on describing the practices of low-income urban residents in responding to climate-related shocks and stresses, placing these in a particular political context, and drawing lessons for urban policies in Bangladesh and elsewhere. A wide range of specific adaptation-related activities can be identified, which can be grouped into three main categories – individual, communal and institutional. The paper examines the extent to which institutional actions are merely “coping” – or whether they create the conditions in which individuals and households can strengthen their own long-term resilience. Similarly, it examines the extent to which individual and communal responses are merely “coping” – or whether they have the potential to generate broader political change that strengthens the position of marginalized groups in the city.

This paper presents the application of Internet of Things (IoT) Technology and Building Energy Management System (BEMS) within the Marylebone Campus of the University of Westminster, located in central London, to improve the environmental performance of the existing building as well as enhance the learning experience on energy and sustainability. Sixty IoT sensors connected to minicomputers were planned to be deployed within three floors of the building to continuously measure the real-time environmental parameters, such as dry-bulb temperature, relative humidity, illuminance level, carbon dioxide, and sound levels. Experimental workshops were also arranged with undergraduate and post-graduate students at their classrooms using IoT sensors, portable Bluetooth sensors and online questionnaires to increase awareness of the effect of environmental and behavioural changes on energy saving through real-time visualisation. Users’ subjective feedback on their workplace was also collected through Post Occupancy Evaluation (POE) questionnaire surveys. The results show the effectiveness of IoT systems and BEMS in supplying the building users and management with high-resolution, low-cost data acquisition systems highlighting the existing challenges and future scopes. The study also documents the process and the improvement in students’ awareness of environmental and energy performance of their building through IoT data visualizations and POE.

Purpose: Although circular economy (CE) principles are gaining increasing attention, a systematic understanding of material management strategies for an effective CE transition in construction is still lacking. This review addresses this gap by examining global construction practices, focusing on waste reduction and recycled materials. The study identifies key material management strategies for optimizing CE practices, supporting an integrated sustainable approach in construction. Design/methodology/approach: A bibliometric analysis of 17,600 papers published from 2015 to 2022 was conducted, leading to an in-depth investigation of 44 relevant articles. The systematic review revealed material management strategies such as on-site sorting, deconstruction planning, modular building and reverse logistics, which were evaluated using quantitative and qualitative comparative analysis. Findings: China emerges as a leader in construction material management research, reflecting significant global interest. Key findings indicate that strategies like design for deconstruction (DfD), minimization at design and modular construction achieve higher waste reduction, while building information modelling and on-site sorting show lower cost-saving potential. This research uniquely validates the structural feasibility of the most common recycled materials through qualitative comparative analysis of studies examined, emphasizing the critical role of CE design principles in sustainable construction. Practical implications: The study validates circular design concepts like DfD, minimization of resource use at design and modularization, which facilitate closed-loop planning. Circular construction systems are technically and economically feasible, underscoring the need for mass implementation. Recommendations on material management and transition strategies are provided for stakeholders based on CE principles. Originality/value: This study synthesizes recent research on sustainable material management, uniquely validating recycled materials’ structural viability and comparing material management strategies for optimal waste reduction and cost savings. It emphasizes multi-stakeholder initiatives spanning policy, industry and academia, providing practical insights to embed CE practices in sustainable construction.

This paper presents two workable solutions that can significantly improve the indoor thermal environment within workspaces in existing ready-made garment (RMG) factories in the tropical climatic context of Bangladesh. The research involved field studies in three multi-storey factory buildings, interviews with workers and owners and simulation studies. Field data indicated that the existing window configurations and limiting the ventilation strategy to occupied hours caused overheating of the indoor environment. Among a list of proposals, the building owners saw value in implementing two solutions (i.e. altering existing window type to one with a higher effective opening area and adopting a night-time ventilation strategy) in their existing buildings as well as proposed new buildings. To quantify the benefits, a validated simulation study was conducted. The findings confirm that these two interventions can provide reductions of up to 23% in overheated working hours and in so doing, improve workers’ thermal comfort and well-being.