ABSTRACT Anticipating the loads that buildings will bear is a crucial strategy in the pursuit of energy efficiency and the reduction of emissions. In this paper, we introduce an interactive and comprehensive joint prediction model, specifically crafted to elevate the precision of forecasts related to building loads. The resultant Genetic Algorithm-Support Vector Machine (GA-SVM) prediction model is put into action to provide hourly predictions of cooling loads for buildings. In scenarios where the prediction of building cooling load (BCL) fluctuations becomes imperative, especially in the face of extreme weather conditions, the information granulation (IG) method is employed. The findings of this validation process unveil significant improvements. The coefficient of variation of root mean square error (CV-RMSE) and mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) for the GA-SVM model are reduced by 58.85% and 68.04%, respectively, when compared to the conventional SVM model. Furthermore, in a comparative analysis against three widely utilized prediction models, the SVM model demonstrates a reduction in CV-RMSE and MAPE ranging from 2.04% to 68.04%. The application of the joint prediction model showcases impressive results, with R 2 values ranging from 97.27% to 99.68%, MAPE ranging from 2.59% to 2.84%, and CV-RMSE ranging from only 0.0249 to 0.0319.