Editorial: Public health, indoor environment, and sustainable development: an integrated approach

emphasise the importance of appropriate ventilation strategies to minimise exposure to volatile organic compounds in residential spaces, whilst Vélez et al. (2026) demonstrate how certain indoor environmental conditions, particularly artificial lighting, can significantly influence users' emotional state and performance. This research highlights the need to approach the built environment from multidisciplinary perspectives that integrate engineering, architecture, public health and human behaviour.Within this framework, this Research Topic brings together five contributions that analyse different aspects of the relationship between indoor environmental quality, sustainability and well-being. The papers included examine how indoor spaces affect the health and quality of life of users in contexts as diverse as university halls of residence, indigenous health centres, homes adapted for remote working, art studios and residential buildings intended for vulnerable groups. Taken together, these studies show that the interaction between the physical conditions of the environment and human needs is a central element in moving towards more inclusive and resilient development models (Almulhim & Yigitcanlar, 2025;Cantarero-Garcia et al., 2023).Furthermore, the contributions included in this special issue reflect the importance of considering actual building usage patterns and the adaptation of environmental systems to the specific needs of occupants. Sansaniwal et al. (2021a) point out that the implementation of indoor environmental quality standards must incorporate variables related to users' adaptive behaviour and local climatic conditions. The same authors also developed an indoor environmental quality standard and implemented it in actual buildings to encourage its wider adoption and restore comfortable indoor conditions (Sansaniwal et al., 2021b). Similarly, Nocera and Cavallaro (2017) emphasise that urban and architectural sustainability strategies are only effective when they integrate social and environmental dimensions in a balanced manner. For their part, Kumar et al. (2016) demonstrate that thermal comfort and responses.Consequently, this Research Topic helps to foster a holistic view of the built environment, in which public health, sustainability, inclusion and indoor environmental quality are understood as inseparable elements in the design of the buildings and cities of the future.Essien et al. analyse how the architecture and maintenance of university halls of residence influence students' physical and mental well-being at two Nigerian universities with different management models. Based on surveys and observations of 155 students, they identify that factors such as ventilation, sanitation, privacy and the condition of the facilities significantly affect students' quality of life, with the most marked deficiencies found in public halls of residence. Although the differences between the two institutions were not statistically significant, the study demonstrates that the quality of design and, above all, an adequate maintenance culture are key elements in creating healthier residential environments that are conducive to student wellbeing.Ogbeyemi et al. investigate how the design of heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems in healthcare centres located on Indigenous reserves in the Canadian Prairies often follows linear technical approaches that sideline Indigenous knowledge and the actual dynamics of community use. Through a mixed-methods, participatory case study, the authors identify mismatches between standard HVAC configurations and the cultural and operational needs of communities, particularly in relation to ceremonial practices such as smudging, thermal comfort and spatial flexibility. As a result, they develop a preliminary design framework called Indigenous Knowledge Informed Design (IKID), aimed at incorporating priorities defined by the communities themselves into the planning of culturally sensitive healthcare infrastructure.Navas-Martín et al. analyse the environmental and social conditions of home-based teleworking following the expansion of this working arrangement during and after the COVID-19 pandemic, proposing a comprehensive tool to assess indoor environmental quality and the physical suitability of domestic workspaces. Using a Delphi method involving experts in social sciences and building sciences, the CHAMBER questionnaire was designed, integrating variables related to thermal comfort, lighting, air quality, sound insulation, ergonomics and socio-economic conditions. The results distinguish between the perception of environmental comfort (IEQ) and the architectural and functional suitability of the workspace, highlighting the need to incorporate both human and physical factors into future public policies and sustainability strategies aimed at the well-being and health of teleworkers.Alherani & Alnusairat. investigate how indoor environmental quality (IEQ) influences the productivity and well-being of artists in oil painting studios, comparing two spaces with similar layouts but different environmental conditions. Through field measurements, questionnaires and performance assessments, the research demonstrates that factors such as improved ventilation, thermal stability, adequate lighting and acoustic comfort are associated with higher levels of comfort and shorter completion times for artistic tasks. Although the comparative nature of the study limits the establishment of definitive causal relationships, the results highlight the importance of optimising indoor environmental conditions in creative studios as a strategy to promote health and artistic productivity.Hernandez-Martin et al. conduct a systematic review of how indoor environmental quality (IEQ) in residential buildings affects vulnerable groups-such as children, older people, pregnant women and people with disabilities-in different ways. The study analyses the impact of environmental variables-such as thermal comfort, air quality, lighting and acoustics-on the health, well-being and inclusion of these groups, highlighting the need to incorporate healthy and inclusive design criteria from the earliest stages of a building's life cycle through to its maintenance. Furthermore, the review emphasises the importance of developing architectural strategies and usage habits that promote residential environments that are safer, more accessible and adapted to different human capacities and conditions. This Research Topic focuses on current studies and research at the intersection of public health and sustainable development, with a particular emphasis on the indoor environments where we live, work and gather. Creating a sustainable future requires more than just green buildings; it demands environments that genuinely promote human health and well-being. To achieve this, fair, equitable and inclusive development is needed, as well as health systems resilient enough to respond rapidly to emerging diseases whilst maintaining essential services (Stein et al., 2024;Karatasou et al., 2014). This research topic aims to complement the existing literature by exploring how planning, governance and innovative strategies in the built environment can generate positive health outcomes. As climate change, protracted conflicts and frequent disasters exacerbate health inequalities and place pressure on our health systems, these ever-evolving threats highlight the urgent need for a holistic and interdisciplinary approach to the design, operation and maintenance of healthy indoor environments (Al-Khatri et al., 2025).