Scientific Trends in Sustainable Architecture Research: Bibliometric Analysis and Thematic Mapping

Abstract

This study employs bibliometric analysis to evaluate the general trends, thematic focuses, and scientific contributions in the field of sustainable architecture. A total of 3,690 articles retrieved from the Web of Science database were analyzed using the keywords "sustainable architecture$", "sustainable building$", and "sustainable structure$". Through VOSviewer software, the analysis provided detailed mappings of the field's evolution, key authors, sources, journals, keywords, and collaboration networks. The findings indicate that sustainable architecture research predominantly revolves around themes such as energy efficiency, green building systems, thermal comfort, and the use of eco-friendly materials. Notably, 2023 marked the highest academic output in this domain. The study also highlights the interdisciplinary nature of sustainable architecture, enriched by interactions with fields such as environmental engineering, energy systems, and material sciences. While the United States and China lead the research output in this area, Turkey has demonstrated a growing contribution to the field. This study provides a comprehensive assessment of the sustainable architecture literature, offering valuable insights to guide future research directions.