Investigation on thermal performance of diverse innovative prismatic building models and establishment of the form indicator

Abstract

Building form is one of many factors that should be considered from the start of the design process. Among other requirements, the form also must be optimised for energy efficiency. Combination of aesthetics and performance may be offered through prismatic forms, which previous studies have shown to reduce the thermal loads. However, architects often introduce unique building shapes without realising the potential effect on energy performance. Due to prismatic forms’ potential influence on energy performance and the lack of research on the topic, this study aims to investigate diverse, innovative prismatic forms for their thermal performance by analysing the outside heat balance. This study also tries to explore the possibility of establishing an indicator that can be used to characterise prismatic forms. The resulting indicator is expected to be useful in refining designs during their initial stages.