Journal profile · Engineering, Environmental
Building and Environment
ISSN 0360-1323 · eISSN 1873-684X · Elsevier BV · ENGLAND · Monthly · Founded 1976
Building and Environment: CAS Zone 1 · Engineering (2025 upgraded edition, Top journal); impact factor 8.34; hybrid open access; APC about USD 4,280; review about 94 days (submission to acceptance, publisher); community-reported acceptance: fairly easy (Elsevier website: 20%); 1,441 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Building and Environment is published by Elsevier BV and is in Zone 1 of Engineering in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition, Top journal). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Building Energy and Comfort Optimization, Urban Heat Island Mitigation and Wind and Air Flow Studies, together about 47.7% of its articles. Its main subfields are Building and Construction and Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
Building and Environment is international journal that publishes original research papers, comprehensive review articles, editorials, and short communications related to building science, urban physics, and human interaction with the indoor and outdoor built environment.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Engineering, Environmental
Editor-in-chief Chao-Hsin LinPublisher website
Editorial board by country: 22 in mainland China (about 20%); most named Mainland China 22, United States 17, Italy 11, United Kingdom 8, Canada 7 (108 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Building Energy and Comfort OptimizationEngineering23.3%
- Urban Heat Island MitigationEnvironmental Science12.9%
- Wind and Air Flow StudiesEnvironmental Science11.5%
- Infection Control and VentilationMedicine6%
- Noise Effects and ManagementHealth Professions5.1%
- Urban Green Space and HealthEnvironmental Science4.2%
- Indoor Air Quality and Microbial ExposureEnvironmental Science4%
- Air Quality and Health ImpactsEnvironmental Science3.9%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Engineering Zone 1
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Engineering | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Engineering, Civil | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Construction & Building Technology | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Engineering, Environmental | Zone 2 |
Top journal: yesReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Engineering Zone 1
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Engineering | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Construction & Building Technology | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Engineering, Environmental | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Engineering, Civil | Zone 1 |
Top journal: yesReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Engineering Zone 1
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Engineering | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Engineering, Civil | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Construction & Building Technology | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Engineering, Environmental | Zone 2 |
Top journal: yesReview journal: no
Database indexing
SCIEScopusLetPub
International journal early-warning lists: not listed in any editionLetPub
Editions, and major and minor categories, are shown separately and never merged into one zone; check which edition your institution uses before you submit or report.
Metrics
Impact metrics and publication volume
Impact
- Impact factor
- 8.34LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher)
- 8.4Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 15LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher)
- 15Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 1.91LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 2.2LetPub ·
- h-index
- 124LetPub ·
- h-index
- 265OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 10,670OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 8.29OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 19%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 25.63%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 1,370LetPub ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 15,374 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 985 | 373 | 718 |
| 2025 | 1,441 | 485 | 10,001 |
| 2024 | 1,161 | 468 | 19,016 |
| 2023 | 1,002 | 422 | 26,552 |
| 2022 | 1,049 | 353 | 37,858 |
| 2021 | 995 | 359 | 46,159 |
Sources count differently and were observed at different times, so each source's own value is kept; "publisher" marks figures from the journal's website.
Review & acceptance
Review time and acceptance
Review time from article dates manuscript dates registered with PubMed · to
Too few articlesOnly 1 articles from the last 24 months carry both submission and acceptance dates, too few for a median
Only articles that were accepted and published are counted, not the time spent on rejected manuscripts, so this usually runs longer than a publisher's "time to first decision".
Figures by source
- Average review time (community reports)
- about 1.7 monthsLetPub ·
- Average acceptance (community reports)
- 20%LetPub ·
- Submission to first decision
- 3 daysPublisher website ·
- First decision after review
- 39 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to acceptance
- 94 daysPublisher website ·
- Acceptance to publication
- 2 daysPublisher website ·
- Peer review
- Single anonymous peer reviewPublisher website
Community reports come from authors' own submissions (confidence 0.5) and are not a promise from the journal; for publisher figures, the journal's own definitions apply.
Fees & open access
APC and open-access policy
Hybrid open accessLetPub
A subscription journal in which authors can pay to publish their article open access.
| Source | APC | Fee waiver | License | Observed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OpenAlex | USD 4,280 / EUR 4,000 / GBP 3,430 / JPY 530,850 | — | — | |
| Publisher website | USD 4,680 | — | — |
A hybrid journal charges the APC only when the author chooses open access; publishing under the subscription model is usually free.
The journal's website is authoritative for fees; sources were observed at different times and each keeps its own value, without averaging.
Submission
Article types and submission policies (journal website)
Open calls for papers5, by deadline
- Urban Ecological Environment Evaluation Tool DevelopmentDeadline
- Net Zero Carbon Built Environment 2Deadline
- Human-Centric Climate ResilienceDeadline
- Building-Integrated Greenery Systems for Climate-Responsive and Healthy BuildingsDeadline
- Advancing Sustainable Built Environments Through Smart MaterialsDeadline
What to prepare7 items from the author guidelines
- Abstract
- ≤ 250 words
- Keywords
- 1–7
- Reference style
- Numbered, in order of citation
- Suggested reviewers
- Optional
- Highlights
- Required
- Graphical abstract
- Optional
- Cover letter
- Required
Article types accepted10, with length limits
- comments and opinionComments and Opinion provides a forum for comment on pressing issues relevant to the journal's Aim and Scope.Length not stated
- comprehensive review papersComprehensive review papers (maximum length should not exceed 12,000 words, not including references)Length not stated
- editorialEditorial (papers should be written by editors, editorial board members, or other senior researchers by invitation)Length not stated
- letter to the editorLetter to the Editor is a concise statement that focuses on an important issue or topic with broad interest.Length not stated
- original research articleublishes papers in the following types: Original research articles (The total length should be less than 10,000 words that includes tables and figures, but not …main text ≤ 10,000 words
- original research articlesOriginal research articles (The total length should be less than 10,000 words that includes tables and figures, but not the references)Length not stated
- original research paperThe word count exceeds 10,000 words for original research papers, 12,000 words for review papers The The number of Figures + Tables exceedmain text ≤ 12,000 words
- regular paperound conclusions. The total length of a regular paper should be less than 10,000 words that includes tables and figures, but not the references. Fmain text ≤ 10,000 words
- review, but not the references) Comprehensive review papers (maximum length should not exceed 12,000 words, not including references) - Ten Questions review papers (bmain text ≤ 12,000 words
- short communicationsShort Communications intends to encourage authors to provide views, comments, and opinions related to an important emerging issue, or to provide thoughts on a d…Length not stated
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAI use, Authorship, Conflicts of interest, Publication ethics, License & copyright, Open access, Peer review, Preprints
- AI use Declaration of generative AI use
Authors must declare the use of generative AI tools in the manuscript preparation process upon submission of the paper.Generative AI and AI-assisted technologies (“AI tools”) have been rapidly adopted in research and scholarly publishing, offering significant benefits while requiring clear standards for responsible and transparent use.Authors preparing a manuscript for this journal may use AI tool…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Authorship Group authorship
Group authorship refers to the attribution of an article to a defined and named group of authors whose members have contributed to the work. Examples include research consortia, clinical trial groups, collaborative networks, task forces or working groups, expert panels or consensus groups, and participatory research groups. Group authorship must be declared on the title page at submission. When av…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Conflicts of interest Declaration of competing interests
All authors must disclose any financial and personal relationships with other people or organizations that could inappropriately influence or bias their work. Examples of potential competing interests include:EmploymentConsultanciesStock ownershipHonorariaPaid expert testimonyPatent applications or registrationsGrants or any other fundingAffiliation with the journal as an Editor or Advisory Board …
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Publication ethics
Follows Elsevier's Publishing Ethics Policy. Model summary
Authors must follow ethical guidelines stated in Elsevier's Publishing Ethics Policy.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- License & copyright License options
Authors will be offered open access user license options which will determine how you, and third parties, can reuse your open access article. We advise that you review these options and any funding body license requirements before selecting a license option.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Open access Open access
We refer you to our open access information page to learn about open access options for this journal.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Peer review Peer review
Single anonymized review process. Model summary
This journal follows a single anonymized review process. Your submission will initially be assessed by our editors. If your submission is deemed suitable, it will typically be sent to be reviewed by a minimum of two reviewers for an independent expert assessment of the scientific quality. The decision as to whether your article is accepted or rejected for publication will be made by our editors.Re…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Preprints Preprints
Preprint sharing allowed; does not count as prior publication. Model summary
Preprint sharingAuthors may share preprints in line with Elsevier's article sharing policy. Sharing preprints, such as on a preprint server, will not count as prior publication.We advise you to read our policy on multiple, redundant or concurrent publication. In support of Open Science, this journal offers its authors a free preprint posting service on SSRN, Elsevier’s preprint and early research …
Source ↗Publisher website ·
Excerpts are quoted from the journal's website; "model summary" lines are written by Workers AI and checked against the text. The journal's website is authoritative.
Profile
Publication details and official links
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Country or region
- ENGLAND
- Language
- English
- Frequency
- Monthly
- Founded
- 1976
- ISSN
- 0360-1323
- Electronic ISSN
- 1873-684X
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗OpenAlex
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Building and Environment
What CAS zone is Building and Environment in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Building and Environment is in Zone 1 of Engineering, and in Zone 1 of the minor category Engineering, Civil / Construction & Building Technology / Engineering, Environmental; it is a Top journal. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 1 of Engineering. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of Building and Environment?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 8.34; CiteScore 15, h-index 265.
How long does peer review take at Building and Environment?
The publisher reports about 94 days (submission to acceptance); authors report an average review time of about 1.7 months; the community-reported acceptance is “Fairly easy (Elsevier website: 20%)”. Article statistics cover accepted papers only, publisher figures follow the journal's own definitions, and community reports come from authors' own submissions; none is a promise from the journal.
What are the manuscript requirements of Building and Environment?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: ≤ 250 words; Keywords: 1–7; Reference style: Numbered, in order of citation; Suggested reviewers: Optional; Highlights: Required; Graphical abstract: Optional; Cover letter: Required. A model extracted these from the author guidelines and each was checked against the text; check the latest version on the journal's website before submitting.
Where are the editorial board members of Building and Environment based?
Of the 108 board members whose country the journal's board page names, 22 (about 20%) are in mainland China; the countries named most often are Mainland China (22), United States (17) and Italy (11). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Building and Environment?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Building and Environment is indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Is Building and Environment open access, and what is the APC?
Building and Environment is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 4,280.
Sources and updates
The facts on this page come from LetPub, Publisher website, OpenAlex; every figure is tagged with its source and the date it was observed, and conflicting values are kept per source. LetPub source page: view ↗ (archived 2026-08-25). Last updated: .