HOLISTIC APPROACH TO OPTIMIZING THERMAL ENERGY PERFORMANCE OF HIGH-RISE RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS IN DIFFERENT CLIMATIC REGIONS
Lobna Elgheriani, M.Arch. BSc.
Status: ongoing
Supervisor: Prof. Brian Cody
Abstract
Nowadays, high-rise buildings are developing very fast to cater to the increase in demand in major urban cities. This phenomenon has contributed to several environmental problems in both construction and operation. In most cases, when it comes to commercial buildings, designers tend to adapt mechanical systems to deal with major climatic issues; however, in residential buildings, natural ventilation is superior. As codes and standards evolve towards low- or net-zero energy buildings, the practicality of achieving these targets in high-rise concrete construction gets increasingly challenging. Current design and construction practice for high-rise residential buildings presents a number of constraints with regards to achieving high levels of energy performance. High-rise residential buildings design parameters to this day seem to lack contextual environmental consideration. Evaluating the impact of such parameters is a practical approach to enhance the overall energy and thermal performance. The knowledge about the effects of influential design parameters on both thermal and energy performance as a complementary concept is limited. Many of the relevant studies focus on validation of analytical methods, comparing the correlation of one or couple of design parameters. However, the application of such effective elements in a specific study investigating a high-rise residential building holistically is seldom. Hence, the arrangement and variation of these elements may bring about the novel and promising results for future developments of high-rise residential buildings. There is a clear gap in the literature concerning the evaluation of those elements concurrently and their performance in terms of both comfort acceptability and energy saving in high-rise residential buildings. This dissertation shall investigate the building performance behavior by synergizing the parametric integrated variations of site parameters, building material properties, and façade design from a holistic perspective utilizing data-driven computational simulation modeling. The goal is to recognize the interaction and contribution of such synthesis on the thermal and energy performance in high-rise residential buildings to effectively develop a guideline for practical application towards a truly realistic sustainable architecture.
Planned completion
Fall 2021
Focus
Assessment of high-rise residential buildings design factors complexly and comparatively in sub-tropical, tropical, oceanic and continental climates.
Hypothesis
Examining the design parameters and the environmental performance of high-rise residential buildings so as to derive an optimized model that meets the needs for a better indoor energy performance and an acceptable outdoor thermal condition. Hence, a gap concluded from the literature on the application of such elements in a specific study investigating a high-rise residential building; site parameters (orientation, geometry, relative compactness), material properties (thickness, insulation, air-tightness) and façade design variables (glazing materials, window-wall-ratio, shading device) as a complementary concept.
Planned completion
- To review the integration of design factors, and their influence on the environmental conditions.
- To explore the high-rise design factors implemented in the current practice.
- To investigate the magnitude of the effect of site parameters, material properties and façade design on the thermal performance inside the high-rise building.
- To derive a building model design optimization, guide applicable for a continental, sub-tropical and tropical climates.
Key question
How can the synergy of the proposed design principles enhance the thermal and energy performance of high-rise residential building?
Goal
Early design stage guidelines addressing the high-rise residential building design holistically to enhance the thermal and energy performance.