Responsive architecture: a bibliometric analysis of scientific production

Abstract

Responsive architecture deals with the integration of data and physical adaptations between building and environment. The importance of the building envelope as a responsive construction system is one of the mostly investigated issues in the research field of architecture. Thisliterature review and bibliometric analysis took into account type, quantity and year of publication, co-occurrence of terms, authors and affiliations. Output regarding conferences and journals, authors and higher-education institutions, and knowledge fields related to responsive architecture were highlighted. The participation of conference papers is more evident from a quantitative point of view; its percentage of the sample was around 55%. Automation in Construction is the most significant journal reaching 17% from the total journal output. The Netherlands and United Kingdom are the most cited countries on the subject matter. The study confirmed that responsive architecture has relevant interactions between different areas of knowledge, from computational science, robotics, civil engineering, urban design, product design to sustainable architecture, hence exhibiting a pronounced collaborative and multidisciplinary approach. Results from the systematic review and bibliometric analysis allow us to stress the need for a continued assessment of scientific production in the area and also for further research initiatives aimed at database analyses.