Emerging Technologies and Sustainability Practices in Architecture: Aiming for Zero-Energy Buildings

New developments in materials, information technology, and sustainability are changing the built environment. Smart materials, sustainable materials, integration methods—these are the current opportunities for architects, engineers and planners that result in new types of architectural artifacts. This paper discusses with illustrative examples the recent technological advancements and innovations in the design and construction of buildings, focusing on the intelligent systems, sustainability, and zero-energy buildings. Smart materials are materials that exhibit enhanced properties, and are able to respond to the changes in the environment. Sustainable architecture is environmentally conscious, saves energy and utilizes renewable materials and systems. Zero-energy design aims to construct buildings that produce all of their required energy for operation and minimize greenhouse gas emission