Structural Configuration and Building Energy Performance

Abstract

The civilengineering andarchitecturalcommunities arehighlyfocusedthesedays ondesigningbuildingsthatmaximizeutilization ofenergyavailablefromnaturalresourcesthroughmeanssuchaspassivesolarheatingandpassiveventilationandminimizingtheconsumption ofenergyproducedexternaltothebuildingitself.Indeed,so-callednet-zero-energybuildings,whichwouldrequirenonetenergyinputfortheir operation, have been identified as an aspirational goal for architects and engineers. It has been suggested that for each of the four major climate zones there exists an optimal building morphology,consisting offloor plan geometry and placement of the primary structural system for lateral loads, the structural core or wall, which contains major mechanical services and vertical transportation conduits. This paper presents a quanti- tative study of the effect of building morphology on energy performance in each of the four climate zones. The energy analysis is performed using Autodesk Ecotect Analysis 2011. Four building morphologies are investigated, each representing a high-rise commercial building with equivalent area, height, and material use. For comparison, results are presented in terms of annual sensible heating and cooling loads. A three- dimensional rendering of how the different building types might respond under wind loads is presented to indicate how the environmental and structural performances become coupled when the building is designed onlywith environmental performance in mind.DOI:10.1061/(ASCE) AE.1943-5568.0000103. © 2013 American Society of Civil Engineers. CE Database subject headings: Sustainable development; Energy efficiency; Building design; Solar power. Author keywords: Efficiency; Comfort; Passive solar; Skyscraper; Morphology; Sustainable.