A study of the optimal form and orientation for more energy efficiency to mass model multi-storey buildings of Kirkuk city, Iraq

Abstract

Efficient use of Energy and the usage of renewable forms of energy are considered to be key concepts of sustainable architectural design. Our country, Iraq, including the city of Kirkuk, is one of the developing cities that witnessed an increase in the population and thus the expansion of the city, and due to the lack of local studies in the field of sustainability and energy efficiency, the need for research in the field of applying these concepts in designing buildings to save local energy has emerged.This study examines the potential for sustainable architectural design in the city of Kirkuk, Iraq. The research specifically focuses on analysing the environmental performance of a ten-story multi-storey building to determine the optimal form and orientation that would minimise energy consumption and yield environmental and economic benefits. Building Information Modelling (BIM) and simulation were used to evaluate the energy consumption of six different building models over a 12-month period. Results indicate that the T-shaped model had the lowest energy consumption at a rotation angle of 285˚, providing valuable insights for the design and construction of energy-efficient buildings in Kirkuk.