IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v17y2025i4p1556-d1590639.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Sustainable Strategies for Improving Humanitarian Construction Through BIM and Climate Analysis

Author

Listed:
  • Mwikilwa Mukamba Gladdys

    (School of Architecture and Civil Engineering, Xi’an University of Science and Technology, Xi’an 710054, China)

  • Bigirimana Gentil

    (School of Architecture and Civil Engineering, Xi’an University of Science and Technology, Xi’an 710054, China)

  • Ping Cao

    (School of Architecture and Civil Engineering, Xi’an University of Science and Technology, Xi’an 710054, China)

Abstract

The growing need for effective and sustainable solutions in humanitarian construction has prompted scholars and practitioners to explore technical approaches that address the challenges of natural disasters, health emergencies, armed conflicts and migratory flows. These solutions often encompass temporary shelters, durable shelters and multifunctional buildings designed to balance rapid deployment, cultural sensitivity and environmental sustainability. However, the assessment of sustainability in humanitarian construction remains insufficiently defined due to the complexities of crises, the variability of local materials and the impact of local climatic conditions. This study aims to bridge this gap by integrating Building Information Modeling (BIM) and simulation tools such as COMSOL Multiphysics 6.0 to study sustainable strategies for humanitarian housing. Using case studies aligned with IFRC, UNHCR and CRL (Red Cross of Luxembourg) family shelter standards, the research assessed a Climate and Local Skill-Centered Design (CLCD) by examining the performance of key design elements, including wall material emissivity and reflectance, natural lighting, and energy efficiency within the context of indoor thermal comfort. Simulation results revealed that wall finishing material reflectance significantly influences average daylight factors (D), with variations of 2% to 5% linked to lower reflectance values and changes in the window-to-floor ratio (WFR). Conversely, thermal comfort metrics indicated minimal variations in heat discomfort hours, maintaining indoor temperatures between 19 °C and 25 °C, consistent with ASHRAE Standard 55 thermal comfort criteria. This paper underscores the importance of integrating advanced IT tools and green local techniques and materials to optimize humanitarian housing for health, comfort and environmental performance, offering actionable insights for future humanitarian sustainable designs.

Suggested Citation

  • Mwikilwa Mukamba Gladdys & Bigirimana Gentil & Ping Cao, 2025. "Sustainable Strategies for Improving Humanitarian Construction Through BIM and Climate Analysis," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(4), pages 1-32, February.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:17:y:2025:i:4:p:1556-:d:1590639
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/17/4/1556/pdf
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/17/4/1556/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Xinmiao Mo & Oriol Pons-Valladares & Sara Isabel Ortega Donoso, 2024. "Model to Improve Classrooms’ Visual Comfort Using Waste-Based Shading and Its Validation in Mediterranean Schools," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(23), pages 1-24, November.
    2. Wang, Caixia & Deng, Shiming & Niu, Jianlei & Long, Enshen, 2019. "A numerical study on optimizing the designs of applying PCMs to a disaster-relief prefabricated temporary-house (PTH) to improve its summer daytime indoor thermal environment," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 181(C), pages 239-249.
    3. Anwar Kwaylih & Lara Alshawawreh & Francesco Pomponi, 2023. "Sustainability Trends in Humanitarian Architecture Research: A Bibliometric Analysis," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(14), pages 1-18, July.
    4. Anna Jaglarz, 2024. "Color as a Key Factor in Creating Sustainable Living Spaces for Seniors," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(23), pages 1-19, November.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Yuzhe Qin & Qing Cheng, 2025. "Optimization Study of Photovoltaic Cell Arrangement Strategies in Greenhouses," Energies, MDPI, vol. 18(1), pages 1-28, January.
    2. Luigi Maffei & Antonio Ciervo & Achille Perrotta & Massimiliano Masullo & Antonio Rosato, 2023. "Innovative Energy-Efficient Prefabricated Movable Buildings for Smart/Co-Working: Performance Assessment upon Varying Building Configurations," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(12), pages 1-37, June.
    3. Jijuan Zhang & Yandan Yu & Lincai Hu & Feifei Song & Weiming Wu & Zhongfeng Zhang, 2025. "Research on Home Environment Design to Improve the Autonomy of Elderly People with Dementia," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(3), pages 1-14, January.
    4. Liu, Zu-An & Hou, Jiawen & Chen, Yu & Liu, Zaiqiang & Zhang, Tao & Zeng, Qian & Dewancker, Bart Julien & Meng, Xi & Jiang, Guanzhao, 2023. "Effectiveness assessment of different kinds/configurations of phase-change materials (PCM) for improving the thermal performance of lightweight building walls in summer and winter," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 202(C), pages 721-735.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:17:y:2025:i:4:p:1556-:d:1590639. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.