Bibliometric review of smart and sustainable student residence models in developing economies

The future of student housing in developing countries is increasingly being defined by a transition towards smart and sustainable student accommodation, a shift which is relevant to the higher education institutional student residences of South Africa. The aim of this paper is to explore global research trends in relation to new models of student accommodation, with particular emphasis on the integration of renewable energy, smart housing technology, and sustainable building methods. Using the Elsevier Scopus as the primary database, bibliometric analysis and network visualisation (VOS viewer) were applied to 38 retrieved publications between 2014 and 2025. The search combined the following terms, (“student residence” OR “student housing” OR “university accommodation” OR “smart housing” OR “sustainable housing”) AND (“IoT in housing” OR “smart campus” OR “renewable” AND “energy”). The findings identify six primary thematic clusters: (1) Low-Carbon and Energy-Efficient Building Systems, (2) Economics and Policy of Sustainable Urban Housing, (3) Design Innovation and Renewable Integration, (4) Zero-Energy Housing and Educational Integration, (5) Climate-Responsive Housing and Emissions Mitigation, and (6) Retrofitting and Material Strategies for Low-Energy Housing. The main challenges that are indicated are policy misalignment, budgetary constraints, and technological adoption barriers, which limit the attainment of net-zero and climate-resilient student accommodation. The study limitations are the exclusion of non-English literature and a single bibliographic database being used. The paper contributes to literature by providing a comprehensive, evidence-based synthesis of global research trends and making strategic policy recommendations for policymakers, academic scholars, and industry stakeholders that prioritize bringing holistic energy, design, and policy innovations to improve the sustainability of student housing.