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With the increasing number of people living in cities, the demand for energy in office buildings and homes is constantly increasing; thus, smart buildings were created to provide users with better comfort conditions. However, using artificial systems becomes an unsustainable alternative for these environments. This research conducted a literature review of studies published in Scopus and Web of Science between 1970 and 2022 to identify studies that contained strategies to promote thermal comfort and energy efficiency in buildings, as well as the main challenges and barriers to sustainability. A total of 9195 articles related to the topic were identified, and after applying the defined criteria, 105 were included in this review. Three research questions were investigated, and the main findings of this research are: (i) it is more difficult to assess thermal comfort and thermal sensation than energy efficiency; (ii) to promote a thermally comfortable environment, it is necessary to consider numerous aspects to reduce environmental impacts and energy consumption and to increase sustainability; (iii) actual thermal conditions are influenced by factors such as energy levels, climate, setpoint types, building type, size and orientation, and economic factors, among others; (iv) new technologies found in smart buildings showed distinct performances according to the climates of each region, and their evaluations can cover thermal comfort, energy savings, and payback time.

People’s well-being, health and productivity in indoor environments are crucial areas of investigation, particularly concerning sick building syndrome (SBS). Sick building syndrome encompasses symptoms resulting from exposure to harmful factors associated with building use. Headaches, fatigue, malaise and nausea are amongst the complaints associated with SBS. A literature review was conducted, examining studies from Scopus and Web of Science to identify the major impacts of SBS on health, well-being and productivity. Out of 3601 initially identified articles, 134 were analyzed after applying predefined criteria. Three research questions (RQs) were formulated, leading to the following findings: (i) most studies focused on offices (35.48%), highlighting common respiratory symptoms that range from mild to severe based on individual sensitivity, indoor conditions and predictive factors; (ii) indoor air quality (IAQ) emerged as the primary factor influencing SBS, especially within the post-pandemic context. Increasing air circulation and ventilation are viable alternatives to enhance IAQ. (iii) Understanding SBS proves complex, with indications of potentially higher symptom frequencies in women due to historical factors, social roles, lower cold tolerance, limited understanding of female physiology and multiple chemical sensitivity.

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The Predicted Mean Vote (PMV) has discrepancies in relation to the thermal reality of the environment; thus, adaptive models serve to improve this estimate. In this context, this research aimed to verify the performance of PMV and adaptive models under different conditions in Brazil from an analysis of variance and to further classify individuals into clusters according to their feelings of thermal comfort. Through ASHRAE’s Global II Thermal Comfort Database, users of offices and classrooms in Brasilia, Recife, Maceió, and Florianópolis were investigated. The results of ANOVA showed that the PMV model did not represent the thermal reality of any of the cities investigated, and the cluster analysis showed how most people felt thermally in relation to indoor environments.