Sustainable building designs and practices are gaining traction as a blueprint for constructing eco-friendly and economically viable buildings that can enhance the quality of life for occupants. This study presents a comprehensive analysis of the characteristics, drivers and barriers of existing sustainable building designs and practices using the Systematic Literature Review (SLR) process. Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) protocol, 40 characteristics, 63 drivers, and 48 barriers of sustainable building designs and practices were identified, categorised and analysed from peer-reviewed articles (n = 130) published in the Scopus database between 2013 and 2023. Accordingly, the categorised characteristics (i.e., energy efficiency, indoor environmental quality, sustainable sites, water efficiency, economic aspects, material and resources, waste management and social equity), drivers (i.e., financial and economic, environmental protection, policy and government-related, technological, educational awareness, health and socio-cultural, and organisational and marketing) and barriers (i.e., financial and economic, policy and government-related, technological, organisational and marketing, educational and awareness, and socio-cultural) were discussed, and recommendations provided. This study’s findings will serve as a crucial benchmark for relevant stakeholders, including governments, investors, building professionals, and researchers, to foster progress in the built environment field and encourage more sustainable approaches to building design and practices.