Next-Generation Smart and Multifunctional Materials for Green Buildings

Introduction. Rapid urbanization and the imperative to decarbonize the built environment have positioned buildings as a critical domain for materials-driven sustainability and climate resilience. As buildings evolve from static energy consumers to adaptive and performance-oriented systems, advances in next-generation materials are redefining the contribution of structural and envelope components to energy efficacy, functionality, and intelligent operation.

Materials and methods. This review synthesizes recent progress in smart and multifunctional materials, including thermal-adaptive systems, architected mechanical metamaterials, and energy-harvesting functional composites that enable sensing, energy conversion, and adaptive response to be intrinsically embedded within building materials.

Results. Particular emphasis is placed on phase change materials for thermal regulation, geometry-engineered mechanical metamaterials for vibration mitigation and mechanical adaptability, and triboelectric, piezoelectric, and thermoelectric composites that support distributed energy harvesting and self-powered sensing. These material systems enable buildings to operate as energy-active and information-aware infrastructures rather than passive structural entities. The review further contextualizes the functional behavior, environmental response, and performance relevance of smart material systems for building-scale applications.

Conclusions. By consolidating recent advances and identifying critical material-level functions, this work outlines future pathways for the development of intelligent, low-carbon, and climate-resilient buildings enabled through advanced smart material systems.

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