Toward building sustainability: a selection framework of digital and smart technologies

Purpose Building sustainability is a cornerstone of the construction industry’s transformation, and digital and smart technologies (DSTs) play a vital role in advancing sustainability. However, selecting appropriate DSTs to enhance building sustainability is complex, requiring consideration of both individual and synergistic effects across environmental, social and economic dimensions. This study aims to develop a comprehensive decision-making framework to support the selection of optimal DSTs for achieving sustainability goals. Design/methodology/approach The study employs Interpretive Structural Modeling (ISM) and Bayesian Networks (BN) to establish associative mapping relationships between ten DSTs and the three dimensions of building sustainability. Based on these relationships, an integrated DSTs selection framework is constructed to facilitate sustainability-oriented decision-making. Findings The results indicate that AI and 3D printing show relatively strong associations with building sustainability. Furthermore, DST portfolios such as “AI + Cloud Computing” and “BIM + UAV” show strong conditional associations with overall sustainability performance. Originality/value This study proposes a novel integrated framework that combines ISM and BN to map the relationships between DSTs and sustainability dimensions. It offers construction managers a practical decision-making tool to select technology portfolios that align with specific sustainability objectives, highlighting the importance of both individual and combined DST effects.