Low Carbon Building Design Research Articles

Sustainable Design Methods Translated from the Thermodynamic Theory of Vernacular Architecture: Atrium Prototypes

In the context of China’s sustainable development and dual carbon goals, research on thermodynamic architecture theory and vernacular architecture increasingly aligns with international trends, developing distinct characteristics. This research addresses the challenge of rapid changes in the built environment by focusing on climate adaptability and passive technologies. However, the development of thermodynamic theory in vernacular architecture faced technical limitations in the early 21st century and was later overshadowed by the industry’s reliance on active technologies to meet green building standards, resulting in a reduced role for architects in the green building field. This article traces the origins of passive architecture, rooted in vernacular architecture, and applies thermodynamic theory to explore architectural prototypes. It examines the theoretical feasibility of architectural design in achieving low-carbon and sustainable goals, aiming to fill a gap in thermodynamic theory within the broader context of sustainable architectural development. After demonstrating the various passive prototypes inherent in vernacular architecture, this paper proposes a courtyard prototype focused on residential comfort for design translation and analysis. The research methods employed include bioclimatic charting, balance point temperature analysis in time series, and extensive computer simulations. Through the process of prototype extraction, performance analysis, validation, and optimization, the paper systematically discusses sustainable design methods within the framework of thermodynamic architecture theory. It also provides practical demonstrations of these methods across four distinct climate regions in China. By translating vernacular architectural designs, this research systematically organizes the theoretical framework for architects’ early involvement in low-carbon and green building design, offering a theoretical foundation for initiating the design process through prototype translation while guiding the generation of green ecological buildings.

Optimization design of low-carbon building thermal energy based on optical sensing and virtual reality image scene reconstruction

With the intensification of global climate change and energy crisis, the design of low-carbon buildings has gradually become a research hotspot in the field of architecture. Effective thermal optimization design not only reduces energy consumption, but also improves the comfort and sustainability of the building. This study aims to explore the optimization design of low-carbon building heat energy based on light sensing technology, combined with virtual reality image scene reconstruction, to provide an innovative design method to achieve intelligent management and optimization of building heat energy. Through the introduction of light sensing technology, the light intensity and heat distribution inside and outside the building are monitored, and the combination of data analysis and model simulation is used to evaluate the heat use of the building. On this basis, virtual reality scenes are constructed to reconstruct the heat flow and distribution of buildings, providing designers with intuitive visualization tools. The research shows that the design method based on light sensing can effectively identify the areas of heat waste in the building, and reduce the energy consumption of the building by optimizing the window layout, adding greening and improving the thermal management system. Virtual reality image scene reconstruction makes the design process more intuitive, helps the design team to quickly adjust and optimize, and improves the efficiency and accuracy of the design.

Research on Residential Interior Design and Energy Saving Optimization with Sustainable Low-carbon Development

The escalating crisis of global warming, driven by the emission of greenhouse gases, poses a formidable challenge for humanity as a whole. Notably, the construction industry contributes significantly to the global greenhouse gas inventory. Consequently, prioritizing low-carbon construction assumes paramount importance in mitigating the pervasive impact of the greenhouse effect on a global scale. Such an endeavor stands as a crucial safeguard for ensuring the sustainable development of human civilization. Therefore, from the perspective of low- carbon building design optimization research is an important part of low-carbon building. From the perspective of architectural design, this paper summarizes that low-carbon building design should pay attention to following aspects: reasonable use of natural lighting and natural ventilation, reduce the carbon emission value of building use stage; Taking the transformation project of the former engineering Institute of Southeast University as an example, this paper probes into the effect of design optimization on reducing carbon emissions, and quantitatively studies the relationship between the design optimization of lighting, ventilation and envelope structure materials and the reduction of building carbon emissions. The Angle selection of roof skylight is studied from the Angle of day- lighting optimization, the size and position of facade opening and the strategy of natural ventilation path are studied from the Angle of ventilation optimization. The indoor ventilation further reduces the refrigeration energy consumption, which is 22.1% less than before the renovation, and the roof reduces the heat gain by 22%-32%.e.

Impacts of the Asian Australian Monsoon and Indo Pacific Sea Surface Temperature on Urban Climates in Major Indonesian Cities for Low Carbon Building Design

Impacts of the Asian Australian Monsoon and Indo Pacific Sea Surface Temperature on Urban Climates in Major Indonesian Cities for Low Carbon Building Design

Feasibility Analysis of Nearly Zero-Energy Building Design Oriented to the Optimization of Thermal Performance Parameters

The effective control and reduction of building energy consumption are major global focuses. The building sector is responsible for over 40% of all direct and indirect CO2 emissions. Nearly zero-energy buildings have been the subject of aims and regulations from several developed nations. An office building located in the severe cold region of China was chosen for this case study. The building was equipped with multiple NZEB technologies. Building indoor environment parameters and energy efficiency indexes were used as performance targets, and a performance-based design approach was used to optimize building design parameters. Thermal performance of the building envelope, airtightness, energy demand, and indoor thermal environment were tested according to different evaluation criteria. The total energy demand was as low as 53.93 KWh/(m2·a), and this can be attributed to the exceptional insulation of the building. In this test, the indoor thermal environment comfort was satisfactory. This study can be used as a reference for the design and evaluation of low-carbon buildings and low-energy buildings.

Automation of embodied carbon calculation in digital built environment- tool utilizing UK LCI database

Global and governmental pressures have been acting as motivators towards delivering sustainable and low carbon buildings. One of the main sources responsible for carbon in buildings is embodied carbon that depends on material choices. Life cycle assessment (LCA) is a methodology developed to assess the materials, using embodied factors throughout the whole life cycle of the material. Although there are promising possibilities for incorporating LCA with building information modelling platforms, dynamic,early design assessment and automated integration still lacking. This paper proposes a novel framework and tool for automating embodied carbon calculations within the BIM environment. The approach leverages literature reviews and hands-on exploration to establish the foundation of a BIM-integrated LCA tool. The proposed tool aims to provide vital information for informed decision-making, minimizing errors, and facilitating low carbon building design. Ultimately, this framework could enhance early decision making, reduce error, time, effort and accelerate iterative design assessment.

Impact of building density on natural ventilation potential and cooling energy saving across Chinese climate zones

Natural ventilation is an energy-efficient approach to reduce the need for mechanical ventilation and air conditioning in buildings. However, traditionally weather data for building energy simulation are obtained from rural areas, which do not reflect the urban micrometeorological conditions. This study combines the Surface Urban Energy and Water Balance Scheme (SUEWS) and EnergyPlus to predict natural ventilation potential (NVP) and cooling energy saving in three idealised urban neighbourhoods with different urban densities in five Chinese cities of different climate zones. SUEWS downscales the meteorological inputs required by EnergyPlus, including air temperature, relative humidity, and wind speed profiles. The findings indicate that NVP and cooling energy saving differences between urban and rural areas are climate- and season-dependent. During summer, the urban-rural differences in natural ventilation hours are −43% to 10% (cf. rural) across all climates, while in spring/autumn, they range from −7% to 36%. The study also suggests that single-sided ventilation can be as effective as cross ventilation for buildings in dense urban areas. Our findings highlight the importance of considering local or neighbourhood-scale climate when evaluating NVP. We demonstrate a method to enhance NVP prediction accuracy in urban regions using EnergyPlus, which can contribute to achieving low-carbon building design.

Research on Energy Efficiency and Carbon Reduction in the Construction Industry under the "Dual Carbon" Goal

This article focuses on the issue of building carbon emissions reduction in Jiangsu Province. Based on the building energy balance equation and the mathematical model of air conditioning work, weighted evaluation and principal component analysis methods are used to evaluate the energy efficiency of buildings, and the carbon emissions of the entire construction process in Jiangsu Province in 2023 are predicted. To achieve the "dual carbon" strategic goal, it is recommended that Jiangsu Province pay attention to the use of green and environmentally friendly materials and equipment in the design and construction process of low-carbon buildings, strengthen energy management and monitoring, encourage the use of renewable energy, improve building energy efficiency, and reduce energy consumption and carbon emissions. At the same time, the government should increase financial subsidies to support innovation in environmental protection technology and the development of low-carbon industries, promote the formation of a good atmosphere for society to participate in low-carbon energy conservation, and thus promote the sustainable development of the construction industry in Jiangsu Province.

Energy-Use and Indoor Thermal Performance in Junior High School Building after Air-Conditioning Installation with the Private Finance Initiative

Japan’s government has adopted the “Private Finance Initiative (PFI)” as a project method for monitoring “air-conditioning (AC)” performance after AC installation projects to overcome heatstroke increase in schools during the summer. However, this project was conducted long after schools were built, which raises the question: what is the AC “energy-use (EU)” and how comfortable will the classroom be when it is installed without going through the planning stage? Minimizing AC EU while keeping indoor thermal comfort is the main concern for low-carbon building design technology development. This research aims to evaluate the AC EU and summer indoor thermal comfort in classrooms by position and zone. This research method analyzes PFI monitoring data, field measurement data, and questionnaires with sensitivity analysis. It found that AC EU in the summer was higher than in the winter. In addition, the AC setting temperatures in the summer (cooling) were below the government-recommended value of 28 °C. Although the indoor thermal comfort percentage in the summer had reached 75.3%, there was a seating position with a smaller comfort percentage than others. The result further shows that most students felt “neutral”. However, the number of students who felt “slightly cool” and “cool” were more than those who felt “slightly warm” and “warm”.

A Mapping Model of the Sustainability Hospital Buildings in Post Occupancy Evaluation: A Bibliometric Analysis

Post Occupancy Evaluation (POE) has proven to be an important tool for assessing interior environmental quality and a useful strategy for continuous building quality improvement in addition to standard tools. This study aims to provide an integrated evaluation model for occupant needs by investigating how the Sustainability Hospital Buildings are related to POE. This research employs a qualitative method with Bibliometric Analysis. The information used in this study was obtained by searching the keywords "Post Occupancy Evaluation" in the Scopus database from 2010 to February 2022. The identification of the time range resulted in the discovery of 305 documents. Overall, the sustainable Buildings scores were positively associated with intelligent buildings (r= 0,584). In addition, the sustainable Buildings had a significant relationship with low-energy buildings, low carbon building design, green building performance, and green buildings with correlation coefficients ranging from 0.5833 to 0.550. Concurrently, Hospital Building and sustainable building design showed a correlation (r= 0,538). Therefore, with the aspect of the sustainable Building in the hospital can determine a strategy for designing hospital buildings that produce results hospital management will be able to keep the building's quality, both in terms of indoor air quality and comfort. Keywords: Post occupancy evaluation, Sustainability Building, Bibliometric, Hospital

Low Carbon Building Design Optimization Based on Intelligent Energy Management System

The construction of relevant standards for building carbon emission assessment in China has just started, and the quantitative analysis method and evaluation system are still imperfect, which hinders the development of lowcarbon building design. Therefore, the use of intelligent energy management system is very necessary. The purpose of this paper is to explore the design optimization of low-carbon buildings based on intelligent energy management systems. Based on the proposed quantitative method of building carbon emission, this paper establishes the quota theoretical system of building carbon emission analysis, and develops the quota based carbon emission calculation software. Smart energy management system is a low-carbon energy-saving system based on the reference of largescale building energy-saving system and combined with energy consumption. It provides a fast and effective calculation tool for the quantitative evaluation of carbon emission of construction projects, so as to realize the carbon emission control and optimization in the early stage of architectural design and construction. On this basis, the evaluation, analysis and calculation method of building structure based on carbon reduction target is proposed, combined with the carbon emission quota management standard proposed in this paper. Taking small high-rise residential buildings as an example, this paper compares and analyzes different building structural systems from the perspectives of structural performance, economy and carbon emission level. It provides a reference for the design and evaluation of low-carbon building structures. The smart energy management system collects user energy use parameters. It uses time period and time sequence to obtain a large amount of data for analysis and integration, which provides users with intuitive energy consumption data. Compared with the traditional architectural design method, the industrialized construction method can save 589.22 megajoules (MJ) per square meter. Based on 29270 megajoules (MJ) per ton of standard coal, the construction area of the case is about 8000 m2, and the energy saving of residential buildings is 161.04 tons of standard coal. This research is of great significance in reducing the carbon emission intensity of buildings.

Design of low-carbon and cost-efficient concrete frame buildings: a hybrid optimization approach based on harmony search

ABSTRACT The development of sustainable building structures has been a crucial measure for carbon reduction. With consideration of both carbon emissions and costs, the sustainable design of building structures is complicated and time consuming for designers. To simplify the process of sustainable design optimization, the present study proposes a multi-objective harmony search algorithm for the design of concrete frame buildings considering low-carbon and cost-efficient requirements. This hybrid method combines structural analysis with local component optimization. Process-based life cycle assessment was used to identify carbon-intensive and high-cost structural members, and these members were optimized using discrete design variables and complicated constraints. Furthermore, a case study was conducted on a four-story frame building, in which the embodied emissions and costs were estimated as 1270.91 tCO2e and 0.67 million USD in the initial design scheme. Beams were identified as the optimization target for this building, and a set of Pareto-optimal solutions was obtained, indicating potential emission and cost reductions of 17.9% and 12.3%, respectively, compared with the initial designs. This study provides an easy and practical approach for the sustainable design of concrete frame buildings and enables designers to better understand building structural optimization from an economic and low-carbon perspective.

BIM-Based Multi-Objective Optimization of Low-Carbon and Energy-Saving Buildings

Global warming and other environmental problems are increasing the demand for green and low-carbon buildings. The development of high-performance computers and building information models has a significant impact on low-carbon buildings. Low-carbon building design needs to comprehensively consider geography, climate, material, cost and other factors, a highly complex multidisciplinary research problem. Therefore, it is urgent to use advanced modeling and simulation technology, involving BIM, parametric design, cloud platform and evolutionary algorithm. This paper proposes a BIM based low-carbon building design optimization framework, which realizes the comprehensive trade-off function of building low-carbon energy saving and daylighting performance through an improved genetic algorithm. The framework drives BIM through parameterization and integrates building environment information, geometric information and operation information, including six parts: BIM model establishment, parameter-driven development, building performance simulation, multi-objective optimization design, Pareto frontier analysis, and energy-saving decision-making and evaluation. The case study shows that the simulation results obtained through the framework can effectively achieve building energy conservation while maximizing the lighting performance of the building, providing a scientific basis and reference for construction professionals to design low-carbon buildings. Finally, the application advantages and limitations of the framework in low-carbon building design and its application prospects in low-carbon energy-saving building design are discussed. This research has made contributions to the multi-disciplinary low-carbon energy conservation research field, realized the multi-objective optimization strategy of building performance based on BIM, genetic algorithm and simulation, and is an important supplement to existing building energy conservation and emission reduction optimization design.

Toward Responsible Design of Low-Carbon Buildings: From Concept to Engineering

Toward Responsible Design of Low-Carbon Buildings: From Concept to Engineering

Application and Discussion of Green, Environmental Protection, Low-carbon and Energy-saving Building Design

Application and Discussion of Green, Environmental Protection, Low-carbon and Energy-saving Building Design

Challenges and Future Development Paths of Low Carbon Building Design: A Review

Excessive carbon emissions are causing the problems of global warming and the greenhouse effect, which urgently need to be controlled worldwide. It is crucial to reduce the carbon emissions of the construction industry as it is one of the main sources. Carbon is generated at all phases of the building life cycle, including in material production, building design, and building operation and maintenance. Notably, building design has various extents of influence on carbon emissions at each phase, for which a low carbon method urgently needs to be explored. This paper aims to summarize the current status of building design through literature review considering standard systems, carbon emission calculations, and building design optimization. The challenges of building design are as follows: lack of (1) a comprehensive standard system considering different factors, (2) lack of a carbon emission calculation method for the design phase, and a (3) no real-time optimization model aiming at carbon reduction. The path of “standard−calculation−prediction−optimization” (SCPO) for future building design is proposed to address these challenges. It takes standard system as the framework, the carbon calculation method as the foundation, the prediction model as the theory, and the low carbon building as the objective. This paper can provide theoretical guidance for low carbon building design.

A holistic environmental and economic design optimization of low carbon buildings considering climate change and confounding factors

The low carbon building design has become critical given the urgent need to reduce global carbon emissions. Reducing operational energy use through multi-objective optimizations used to be a common approach, but its validity is impaired by surging embodied impacts. Therefore, a life cycle optimization becomes necessary to improve the overall carbon performance of buildings. However, current research lacks an application of multi-objective optimizations to explore the energy use, carbon emission and cost considering both embodied and operational impacts. Impacts of confounding design factors and climate change on achieving low carbon designs are also not sufficiently revealed by existing studies. To address these gaps, this study: (i) proposes a parametric design optimization method for low carbon buildings considering cost-effectiveness, (ii) explores the impacts of confounding factors on achieving low carbon designs and (iii) evaluates the impact of climate change on the life cycle performance of buildings with proper scenario assumptions. A case study is conducted to explore passive design parameters and integrated photovoltaic (PV) applications to reduce the energy use and carbon emissions in a cost-effective approach. The joint optimization of embodied and operational impacts can reduce the energy use, carbon emission and cost by 42%, 58% and 32%, respectively. Also, variation of confounding factors can lead to different optimized designs with carbon reduction difference up to 75%. The results also show that global warming will lead to higher energy use and carbon emissions in tropical regions within the near future, while stringent mitigation strategies aligned with RCP 2.6 can reverse the trend after two decades.

The future development path of low carbon building design

Excessive carbon emissions are causing the problems of global warming and greenhouse effect. It is urgent to control carbon emissions worldwide. As one of the main sources, it is crucial to reduce the carbon emits of construction industry. Carbon is generated at all phases of the building life cycle. Notably, building design has various extent of influence on carbon emissions at each phase, which is urgently to explore a low carbon method. This paper is to summarize the current status of building design by literature review. The challenges of building design are analysed as the lack of 1) a comprehensive standard system by considering different factors; 2) the carbon emission calculation method; 3) real-time optimization model aiming at carbon reduction. Therefore, the path of “standard-calculation-prediction-optimization” (SCPO) for building design is proposed. This paper can provide theoretical guidance for low carbon building design.

Evaluation method of building decoration engineering based on interactive information model

In order to improve the accuracy of architectural decoration engineering evaluation, a new evaluation method based on interactive information model is proposed in this paper. First, the paper establishes iim model to complete the evaluation index system of architectural decoration engineering. Then, the weight vectors of the criterion layer and the target layer are determined by the mathematical analytic hierarchy process. Finally, the comprehensive evaluation result of low-carbon Green building design scheme is obtained by calculating the whitening weight function of each gray class. The experimental results show that the method has high accuracy and strong practicability.

A Conceptual Framework for Estimating Building Embodied Carbon Based on Digital Twin Technology and Life Cycle Assessment

Low-carbon building design requests an estimation of total embodied carbon as the environmental performance metric for comparison of different design options in early design stages. Due to a lack of consensus on the system boundaries in building life cycle assessment (LCA), the carbon estimation results obtained by the current methods are often disputable. In this regard, this paper proposes a method for estimating building embodied carbon based on digital twin technology and LCA. The proposed method is advantageous over others by providing (1) a cradle-to-cradle LCA and (2) an automated data communication between LCA and building information modelling (BIM) databases. Because data for the processes in the life cycle are collected via digital twin technology in a standard and consistent way, the obtained results will be considered credible. So far, a conceptual framework is developed based on a comprehensive literature review, which consists of three parts. In the first part, formulas for LCA are given. In the second part, a hybrid approach combining semantic web with a relational database for BIM and radio-frequency identification (RFID) integration is described. In the third part, how to design the LCA database and how to link LCA with BIM are described. The conceptual framework proposed is tested for its reasonableness by a small hypothetical case study.