Submissions
Call for contributions
Building|s for People Symposium explores how built environments are shaped across scales—from the human experience to buildings and urban systems—while critically addressing context, equity, and real-world applicability. Building|s for People brings together experts from academia, policymakers, and industry to discuss the following topics:
Theme 1
Humans at the center
Focus on perceptions, behavior, and lived experiences.
Occupant behavior & adaptation
Human-building interactions & well-being: cultural and contextual definitions
Informality & Agency: modified environments in resource-constrained settings
Theme 2
Responsive buildings performance
Focus on design, systems and implementation.
Affordability, materiality & low carbon
Passive & active systems in context/climate-responsive design
Controls, operation & energy performance
Refurbishment and adaptation of existing buildings
Theme 3
Urban systems and transitions
Focus on infrastructure, governance, and large-scale dynamics.
Urban development for climate resilience
Integration within energy systems and grids
Governance, regulation, and implementation frameworks
Cross-cutting themes
Submissions across all themes are encouraged to explicitly address the following overarching considerations:
Equity and affordability implications: who benefits, who is excluded
Limits of applicability and transferability: what does not generalize and why
Underlying assumptions embedded in methods, models, or design solutions
Paper submission guideline
My paper
We are looking forward to receiving your extended abstract, whether your abstract has been accepted for an oral or a poster presentation. The extended abstract will be published in a special issue of the ITBA repository for Buildign|s for People 2026, including an ISBN and an individual DOI for each paper. The deadline for submitting your extended abstract is due August 7 at the latest.
Timeline
- 7 August 2026
Extended Abstracts Submission - 10 August – 7 September 2026
Review of extended abstracts - 14 September 2026
Posters and Oral presentations Due - 21 September 2026
Submission of revised extended abstracts (if applicable). Layout related changes might be requested after this date.
Paper guidelines
After receiving notification that your abstract has been accepted, please write an extended abstract according to the instructions below.
Paper preparation and checklist
- The paper must be edited in MS Word, using this template.
- Paper overall: maximum of 1,200–1,500 words and maximum 3-page long (excluding references).
- Content: original.
- Presenter: indicate which author will present the paper.
- Layout, fonts & spaces: please follow template styles – no page numbers, headers or footers.
- Copyright materials: It is the authors’ responsibility to apply for and obtain permission to reproduce in electronic and print form any copyright materials to be included in the work.
- File naming: The file name should include the number of your contribution, the first author’s last name, and the code for extended abstract (EA). Example: “101_Rissetto_EA”. Please submit both the source file and the PDF file. PDF must be editable and not password protected.
- English: a good standard of English is essential. If English proofreading is requested by the reviewers, please make sure that the person who does the English proofreading is indeed qualified to do so.
Conditions
Please remember that all participants – authors and non-authors alike – are required to register and to pay the registration fees by August 31, to have their papers included in the final Programme and Proceedings.
The publishers also reserve the right to reject a paper, even after acceptance by the Building|s for People scientific committee, if it does not meet their publishing licence terms and conditions. Note that the paper must not have been published before. The conference fee will be returned should a paper be refused.
Review and revision
Remember you will be assigned to review 1 or 2 extended abstracts on 10 August 2026. All extended abstracts will undergo a double-blind review process. We will ask you to complete the reviews by September 7.
After the review phase and if it is the case, you will be asked to revise your submissions by September 21. We will send you a new link to submit your paper once you are notified after the review phase is closed.
My presentation
This section contains all the information you need to prepare your presentation. Please note that all presentation materials (posters and slides) must be submitted by September 14.
My abstract has been chosen for a …
A. Poster & 2' Pitch presentation
All posters (A0 portrait paper copies provided by the authors) will be displayed in the on-site exhibition space. Participants will circulate through the exhibition area during coffee and lunch breaks.
POSTER PREPARATION
- Size: A0 portrait.
- Content: Title, author and affiliation, objectives, methodology, results and conclusions.
- Appearance: Focus on illustrations. Prefer graphs over tables. Text should be a minimum of 6 mm. Use supporting illustrations rather than stand-alone illustrations. Presentation: from left to right and from top to bottom. Please note that there is no template; we like diversity!
- Photo of the presenter: To make it easier to identify and network with the presenter, you may want to include a photo of them in the poster.
- Display: Please bring your A0 poster and display it on the panel bearing the number of your contribution, as indicated in the notification email, from 8:30 to 9:00 a.m. on the day of the conference. The hosting team will be happy to help.
Notes:
- If you are unable to print your poster in advance, you can do so in Buenos Aires. We will soon upload more information on how to go about printing it there.
- If you cannot attend the conference in person for any reason, please inform us as soon as possible. Empty poster display panels are unappealing and take up valuable space.
PITCH PRESENTATION
Authors whose abstracts were selected for the poster exhibition will have the opportunity to present their work during the sessions in a two-minute presentation.
Please prepare a one-slide presentation of your poster and submit it by September 14. Please ensure your presentation follows the guidelines:
- Duration: No more than two minutes.
- One slide highlighting the most important message. The slide should be in 16:9 format and saved as a PDF or PowerPoint file. If you are creating your slides in Google Slides, Keynote, or another application, please convert them to PowerPoint or PDF and test them before submitting.
- File naming: The file name should include the number of your contribution, the first author’s last name, and the presentation type (PP). Example: “101_Rissetto_PP”.
B. Oral Presentation
Authors whose abstracts were selected for an oral presentation should present their slides during the scheduled sessions. Please submit your presentation slides by September 14. Please take the following considerations into account when preparing your talk:
- Duration: Five-minute presentation.
- Slides: Slides should be in 16:9 format and submitted as a PDF or PowerPoint file. If you are creating your slides in Google Slides, Keynote, or another application, please convert them to PowerPoint or PDF and test them before submission.
- File naming: The file name should include the number of your contribution, the first author’s last name, and the presentation type (OP). Example: “101_Rissetto_OP”.
Notes:
- If you need to make last-minute changes, please come to the reception desk at the beginning of the conference with your updated version on a USB stick. Our technical staff will ensure that everything is ready for your presentation at the right time and in the right place.
- If you cannot attend the conference in person, please inform us as soon as possible and, if possible, send someone to replace you. Please note that papers will only be published if at least one author presents it at the conference. Exceptions are made with the presentation of a medical
certificate.
For all enquiries, please contact the Organization: buildings4people@itba.edu.ar