Materials-empowered smart versatile building envelopes toward a sustainable energy-water-environment nexus

This perspective explores the transformative potential of materials-empowered smart versatile building envelopes (SVBEs) for addressing energy, water, and environmental challenges in the building industry. Traditional building envelopes primarily serve as static insulators. In contrast, SVBEs integrate sustainable functional materials (e.g., radiative cooling coatings, hygroscopic sorbents, nanomaterials) to actively regulate thermal conditions, manage humidity, and enhance indoor air quality. Notably, research indicates that multifunctional facades can reduce overall energy consumption and harvest water and energy from the atmosphere. These technologies work together to improve sustainability in buildings. We review recent material innovations that enable this multifunctionality and demonstrate how integrating these materials can enhance envelope performance. We also discuss challenges related to SVBE integration, such as coupled heat and mass transport and multi-material interfaces, and outline future research directions to address these hurdles. © 2025 Elsevier Inc.