Residential Buildings Research Articles

An Overview of the Effects of Passive Solar Strategies on Thermal Comfort

The paper presents the impact of passive solar strategies on residential buildings concerning the thermal comfort factor. This study focuses on passive solar design elements like orientation, shading, and thermal mass to offer improved energy efficiency and occupant comfort. With a global natural gas crisis looming, interest in alternative heating and cooling is surging. With the growing concern of reducing the energy use by buildings while maintaining proper thermal comfort, both in cold and hot climates, the interest shifts to passive solar strategies. In this view, 547 publications have been analysed to reveal knowledge gaps and trends in the research. The bibliographic and thematic analysis techniques identified some approaches to passive solar design but no dominant method. Further, the study found under-researched areas within themes that appeared established. The authors have finally concluded with calls for further research and collaboration across institutions and nations to address these gaps and develop effective passive solar strategies. These findings contribute to sustainable architecture by pointing out the pros of applying passive solar strategies to reduce heating and cooling loads. In this respect, this was an original approach since it brought both quantitative and qualitative data together to measure thermal comfort. This is further underpinned by raising the need for energy-efficient building designs as measures toward mitigating climate change impacts.

Evaluation of space efficiency criteria in high-rise buildings based on functions: a case study of Türkiye

ABSTRACT High-rise buildings have become a significant solution to address the challenges posed by the rapid growth of urban populations and space limitations in cities. Efficient planning and design of these buildings, aiming to achieve more productivity, can be realized through ensuring space efficiency. This research compares architectural and structural design criteria affecting space efficiency in high-rises based on their functions, aiming to assess the degree of correlation among these criteria, space efficiency, and their interrelations. Currently, no studies examine the differences or similarities in space efficiency of high-rise buildings based on their functions. Additionally, selecting buildings from the same region as samples is a unique aspect of this study. Employing a case study method, the analysis encompasses 42 high-rises in Türkiye, ranging from 100 m to 300 m, and utilizes correlation analysis methods to examine the data. The comprehensive review of space efficiency in high-rises, based on their functions, yielded the following results: (i) Space efficiency ranged from 82.7% to 65.2% in high-rise case studies with different functions, with an average of 73.2%. (ii) A significant majority (83%) of the buildings followed orthogonal designs. (iii) Central core floor planning emerged as the preferred approach. (iv) Increasing elevator density reduced space efficiency. (v) Office buildings favored reinforced concrete frame systems, while residential buildings commonly used reinforced concrete shear wall systems. (vi) As building height increased, elevator and core areas expanded. These findings provide guidance for future high-rise building design and planning.

Assessment of Energy Efficiency and Conservation Aspects Based on Building Information Modeling at Park Residence Building

Assessment of Energy Efficiency and Conservation Aspects Based on Building Information Modeling at Park Residence Building

Analysis of wind vibration characteristics of a slab‐type high‐rise residential building

AbstractA slab‐type high‐rise residential building with a depth‐to‐width ratio exceeding 6 was studied. Multi‐point surface pressure measurements and high‐frequency force balance (HFFB) wind tunnel tests were conducted to investigate the wind‐induced dynamic characteristics of the building. The dynamic responses, especially accelerations closely related to serviceability performance, were determined and examined in both time and frequency domains. The spectral properties of the time‐history acceleration responses were compared with frequency‐domain results. Analyses showed acceleration responses were amplified when along‐wind or across‐wind directions aligned with the shorter building axis. The slab‐type cross‐section reduced vortex shedding in the across‐wind direction. As a result, peak accelerations were often dominated by along‐wind excitations. Torsional accelerations approached those induced by along‐wind winds, likely due to both fundamental and higher modes.

An Integrated Approach of Life Cycle Cost and Life Cycle Energy for Energy Efficiency Measures in Residential Buildings

An Integrated Approach of Life Cycle Cost and Life Cycle Energy for Energy Efficiency Measures in Residential Buildings

Once Common, Long in Decline: Dynamics of Traditional Orchards in a Central European Landscape

Traditional orchards are distinctive features of cultural landscapes in Central Europe. Despite their high level of ecological importance, they are in decline, and comprehensive spatial data over broad extents, which could enable a trend analysis, are lacking. We analysed traditional orchard maps from 1952 to 1967 and a map from 2010, generated via aerial image interpretation, for the state of Hesse (ca. 21,115 km2), which has the second largest share of traditional orchards in Germany. We aimed to (1) quantify long-term orchard dynamics, (2) compare orchard characteristics in terms of topographical, ecological, and socioeconomic factors, and (3) identify key drivers of orchard loss. We found that the number and area of orchards have clearly decreased across Hesse, with varying local and regional patterns. Further, historically old orchards tended to have a larger area, higher shape complexity, and were located closer to settlements, highways, and neighbouring orchards. In contrast, newly established orchards were often found at higher elevations and on steeper slopes. Finally, the three historical orchard hotspots also experienced the most notable losses driven by different factors, namely the expansion of Artificial Surfaces, Residential Buildings, and Agricultural Land. We highlight the importance of such multitemporal spatial data for a wide range of ecological applications, and we encourage the use of novel technologies to support geospatial analyses in the future.

Building usage prediction in complex urban scenes by fusing text and facade features from street view images using deep learning

Building usage maps are inputs to many urban planning applications, however, the existing methods and the available data have limitations in generating instance-level high-resolution usage maps. In this study we tackle this problem by utilizing Street View Images (SVIs) and proposing a novel ensemble learning architecture that leverages building facade features and text extracted from hoardings, posters, etc. on buildings to predict the usage class. A pre-trained object detection model i.e., Grounding DINO, is implemented to efficiently identify buildings. A novel manually labeled training data of detected buildings corresponding to their usage is used to extract features from building facades across diverse Indian cities (Hyderabad, Mumbai, Bangalore, Delhi) using Vision Transformer (ViT) model. Following this, CLIPSeg a pre-trained segmentation model is used to recognizes text specifically on building elements like signs, posters, and banners. We then leverage GPT-3.5 Turbo, a Large Language Model (LLM), fine-tuned with a specifically designed few-shot prompting method, to infer building usage from the recognized text. To achieve optimal performance, the proposed ensemble linear metaclassifier combines predictions from ViT and LLM model. The predicted building usages are attributed to their corresponding locations to develop spatial maps. An analysis of our framework compared against ground truth data collected from various Indian cities reveals significantly accurate outcomes. Our findings highlight the utility of textual information in classifying utilities and commercial buildings, while features extracted from vision models prove more informative for residential buildings. Our approach can automate the generation of roadside building attributes and usage details on a larger scale.

Reducing the cost of home energy upgrades in the US: An industry survey

Decarbonizing the US residential building stock requires a substantial acceleration in home energy upgrades. Numerous barriers exist to accelerating adoption of efficient and electric building technologies, but foremost among these is high upfront costs. This study uses an industry survey delivered to a sample of home energy professionals to examine promising cost reduction strategies across a range of project types, including HVAC, water heating, and envelope/insulation projects. The survey included quantitative and qualitative questions to collect evidence on the estimated cost reduction potential of these strategies and their likelihood of use in the construction industry. The 167 survey respondents included contractors, energy consultants, architects, manufacturers, and others with experience in delivering energy upgrades in single-family and multifamily buildings in the US. Results show that significant cost reductions are achievable by minimizing additional infrastructure costs (such as replacing electric panels), streamlining project planning/management, and deploying innovations that simplify installation. We find that for a typical deep retrofit project, including heat pumps for space and water heating in addition to envelope upgrades, the strategies could result in a total installed cost reduction of nearly 50 %, dramatically improving the customer economics of such a project. This research makes a novel contribution to the literature on strategies to reduce the costs of residential retrofits. We discuss how our study's insights on the highest-value cost reduction strategies for home energy upgrades can further accelerate their uptake in the US housing stock.

Renovation Strategies for Energy Conservation in Multi-Story Residential Buildings in Turkey

Renovation Strategies for Energy Conservation in Multi-Story Residential Buildings in Turkey

Synergistic Neural Network and Velocity Pausing Particle Swarm Optimization for Enhanced Residential Building Energy Efficiency: A Case Study in Kuwait

The global energy demand of buildings is on the rise, driven by factors such as rapid population growth, increasing comfort, technological advances, and ongoing developments in building construction. This escalating energy consumption in buildings is a major contributor to the energy crisis and climate change. Accurate prediction of building energy consumption is essential for gaining insight into energy utilization, reducing waste, and enhancing comfort conditions. This study aimed to introduce a reliable technique for predicting and optimizing the energy consumption of residential buildings, with a focus on a case study in Kuwait. A robust Artificial Neural Network (ANN) was developed, meticulously trained, and rigorously tested to provide accurate energy consumption predictions. Subsequently, an innovative variant of the Velocity Pausing Particle Swarm Optimization (VPPSO) algorithm was employed to identify optimal energy consumption solutions. This novel optimization technique can achieve significant reductions in building energy consumption, with potential savings of up to 43%. Additionally, a sensitivity analysis was performed using the Garson method to assess the impact of input parameters on energy utilization. The results reveal that the insulation and cooling setpoint exert the greatest influence on the objective function, followed by the outdoor airflow. The proposed model, which combines the power of ANN with VPPSO, can be applied to similar buildings, offering precise predictions and optimizing energy consumption. This approach holds promise in addressing the pressing challenges of energy efficiency in building environments.

Simulation and Analysis of Factors Influencing Climate Adaptability and Strategic Application in Traditional Courtyard Residences in Hot-Summer and Cold-Winter Regions: A Case Study of Xuzhou, China

Residential buildings consume significant amounts of energy worldwide. Traditional courtyard houses have substantial energy-saving potential due to their low energy consumption and high climate adaptability, which has heightened interest in their climate-responsive design. In recent years, extensive research on traditional houses has been conducted in China, indicating significant variations in energy performances among traditional courtyards within hot-summer and cold-winter climate zones. Therefore, this study, based on research conducted on traditional courtyard houses in the Xuzhou area and utilizing Ecotect and Phoenics ecotechnology software for simulation analysis, comparatively examines the factors influencing energy consumption to assess the energy-saving potential of these houses in hot-summer and cold-winter climate zones. Research has indicated that when traditional Xuzhou courtyard houses meet certain criteria—including an orientation of 20° east of south for the main building, width-to-depth ratio of 2:1, roof slope of 35°, courtyard width-to-depth ratio of 1.7:1, use of branch pick windows, building height of 4.5 m, and a specific window-to-wall ratio—they achieve optimal climate adaptability. This study proposes dimensions for traditional residential buildings suited to the Xuzhou climate and explores their practical application, providing targeted optimization and retrofitting suggestions to support sustainable architectural and ecological development.

Semantic Enrichment of a BIM Model Using Revit: Automatic Annotation of Doors in High-Rise Residential Building Models Using Machine Learning

Semantic Enrichment of a BIM Model Using Revit: Automatic Annotation of Doors in High-Rise Residential Building Models Using Machine Learning

La Casa Virreinal como arquetipo. Análisis comparativo de cuatro viviendas en Santiago de los Caballeros de Guatemala

This article presents a contribution to the study of the architectural composition of Modest Residential Heritage built in the Historic Center of San Salvador in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The objective is to identify patterns in the spatial organization of these dwellings, particularly the "casa patio" typology, which exhibits continuities from the colonial (virreinal) period to the republican era. Due to the lack of residential buildings from the virreinal period in San Salvador, four cases of virreinal houses from Antigua Guatemala, the capital of the Kingdom of Guatemala to which the province of San Salvador belonged, are analyzed. The methodology employed includes the comparison of the selected cases using Classification Schemes to graphically interpret three architectural elements: the patio with its corridors, the axis of access through the zaguanes (gateways), and the interior-exterior relationship. The results show that the patios play a fundamental role in the organization of spaces, and the architectural composition emphasizes order through the use of corridors. Additionally, the path from the entrance through the zaguanes to the chiflones (narrow passageways) connecting to other patios follows an angled route to avoid direct visibility between them. The comparative study reveals that the spatial organization of the four analyzed examples exhibits continuities in the distribution of spaces, potentially contributing to defining a typology of "Hispanic-American virreinal house" that is regionalized according to site-specific determinants. ILIA: Investigaciones Latinoamericanas en Ingeniería y Arquitectura, No. 01, 2024: 67-74.

Agile project management for sustainable residential construction: A study of critical success factors

Sustainability principles should be incorporated into all decision-making stages for residential construction projects to ensure maximum revenue while maintaining essential residential building services. This study identifies and analyzes the critical success factors (CSFs) necessary for implementing agile project management (APM) in residential construction projects. Data were collected from 120 professionals in the Nigerian construction industry through questionnaire surveys to understand the implementation of APM. The CSFs were obtained from previous research and analyzed within the specific context of the Nigerian construction industry through questionnaire surveys. The CSFs were grouped into two main categories using exploratory factor analysis: dynamic project optimization and agile project foundations. The model for the CSFs was developed using partial least squares structural equation modeling. The study found that the dynamic project optimization element had the most significant impact on the model, highlighting its importance as a key CSF in APM implementation. These results support the adoption of APM within Nigeria’s construction industry as stakeholders and professionals seek effective strategies to reduce costs and improve sustainability.

Life cycle assessment and generative design: development of a national LCA tool for exterior walls

PurposeThe promotion of sustainable design is demanded globally. The life cycle assessment (LCA) proved its reliability in this mission, but the difficulty and time required to apply it discouraged designers. This research aims to integrate LCA into the building design process through a software tool, taking advantage of generative design features. This will facilitate decision-making by architects and construction professionals.Design/methodology/approachThe study develops the EGY-LCA (http://egy-lca.com/). This prototype tool suggests exterior wall design alternatives for residential buildings in Egypt, using the environmental impact indicators of LCA data and other criteria related to national codes, materials, construction methods and required thermal resistance. Within a generative design process, the algorithm tests every possible wall method with materials and thickness combinations for each layer in compliance with inputs. The paper begins by explaining the tool’s working method. Afterward, different sets of inputs are examined and the values of the resultant environmental impacts of several suggested wall solutions are statistically analyzed. The application demonstrates the importance of the generative design tool. Proposing several solutions based on a set of inputs facilitates the selection of sustainable choices and allows comparisons between alternatives.FindingsThe prototype experiment confirms the research hypothesis. Unlike the available LCA tools, architects can make decisions with limited LCA experience if the data and equations are integrated into a generative design tool. The prototype proves its applicability for exterior wall alternatives.Research limitations/implicationsThe prototype is the initial step toward a whole-building LCA tool. It includes limited LCA stages and materials for the external wall. Future research is required to expand this parametric tool concept to include all the building components. The framework in Section 5 proposes a visualization.Practical implicationsThe prototype tool: EGY-LCA (http://egy-lca.com/). The value added to the design and construction sectors through the uncomplicated LCA application is fostering sustainable design, generative design tools can achieve this.Originality/valueThe novelty of this work is that it is the first initiative offering a parametric LCA tool. It promotes the application of LCA at the design stage using generative design, which contributes to sustainable development.

Causative factors of Abandoned Urban Housing Projects and Strategies for Revitalization in Ibadan, Nigeria

In Nigeria, over 56,000 projects have been abandoned, leading to negative societal and urban impacts, including wasted investment, job losses, increased crime rates, visual pollution, and disruption of urban planning. These abandoned projects, which include residential, commercial, and industrial buildings, have significant multiplier effects on the construction industry. As the housing sector plays a vital role in a country's economy, the issue of abandoned urban housing projects, particularly in Ibadan, Nigeria’s third-largest city, poses serious challenges. These challenges affect the city’s economic growth, social cohesion, and environmental quality, yet there is limited research addressing the problem. This paper investigated the causes of abandoned housing projects in Ibadan, aiming to find ways to revive them and prevent future abandonment. A structured questionnaire (n=45) was administered to consultants and professionals in the built environment (architects, engineers, quantity surveyors, and builders). Key causes of abandonment were identified, along with impacts such as building dilapidation, environmental decline, and urban visual displeasure. The paper recommended the establishment of regulatory frameworks for periodic inspections of ongoing projects and requiring developers to have exit strategies for financial setbacks. It also emphasized policies that promote repurposing abandoned buildings for public services, such as affordable housing or community centers. The conclusion stressed that without addressing the root causes, urban aesthetics and adequate housing provision will continue to suffer.

BIM-based parametric energy analysis of green building components for the roofs and facades

Buildings are distinguished by their high energy demand over their lifespan. Iimproving energy efficiency in buildings necessitates mitigating the operation energy performance by evaluating more sustainable building components such as green infrastructures. The novelty herein is to conduct a BIM-based parametric energy analysis of green building components for the roofs and facades, taking into consideration the climate classification and orientation of the building. The proposed framework of this study uses Autodesk Revit software and Autodesk Green Building Studio as BIM tools, and Minitab software as a parametric analysis tool to estimate the energy performance of several alternative components based on Energy Use Intensity (EUI) and Annual Peak Demand (APD). A case study of a residential building is examined in four cities within different climate zones in Brazil; Rio de Janeiro (climate zone 08), Macaé (climate zone 05), Petrópolis (climate zone 03), and Nova Friburgo (climate zone 02). The base model design of components of the building includes a reinforced concrete roof and ceramic masonry façade. The utilized alternatives are roof components (i.e. green roofs and expanded clay roofs), and green façade. This work insight using green façade for all elevations and green roofs to enhance energy efficiency in terms of EUI by (10,17 %) in Rio de Janeiro, (6,67 %) in Macaé, (11,43 %) in Pertópolis, and (16,43 %) in Nova Friburgo. While the efficiency in terms of APD would be about (28,07 %) in Rio de Janeiro, (22,79 %) in Macaé, (21,67 %) in Pertópolis, and (12,58 %) in Nova Friburgo. When the construction project is designed to install a green façade to the main elevation only, this work recommends using green roofs rather than the expanded clay roof or the base model design roofs to increase energy efficiency in such types of buildings. This work contributes to integrating green building components into building designs to improve energy efficiency and empower decision-making and sustainability in buildings.

Retraction Note: Optimization of residential building envelopes using an improved Emperor Penguin Optimizer

Retraction Note: Optimization of residential building envelopes using an improved Emperor Penguin Optimizer

A Recyclable Energy Storage Wood Composite with Photothermal Conversion Properties for Regulating Building Temperature

AbstractAddressing the challenges of energy storage liquid leakage and long‐term stability in energy storage is crucial for achieving sustainable energy efficiency. In this study, polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) is innovatively employed as an encapsulation film on the surface of the wood‐based phase change material, resulting in a recyclable wood‐based composite energy storage material (PPW). A novel energy storage liquid (PCMs) composed of lauric acid (LA), capric acid (CA), and polyethylene glycol (PEG) is immersed in the pretreated porous wood frame through vacuum impregnation. The PCMs imparted a phase change temperature of 21.0 °C, which is close to human comfort levels, and a high energy storage efficiency of 31.6 J g−1 to the PPW. Additionally, the PCMs provided the PPW with a photothermal conversion efficiency of 29.3%. Even after 200 freeze‐thaw cycles, the energy storage properties of the PPW remained nearly unchanged. Therefore, utilizing PMMA as an effective encapsulation material is a viable approach to prevent leakage of the phase change solution and enhance the recyclability of the PPW. Furthermore, the transparency of PMMA preserves the natural appearance of the wood, thereby broadening the application potential of PPW in residential buildings, thermal energy storage, and solar thermal conversion systems.

A review of approaches to assessment of potential radon hazard of land plots

According to Rosstat statistics, in recent years there has been a tendency in the Russian Federation to increase the intensity of construction, while both the number of buildings put into operation and their total area are increasing. The assessment of the potential radon hazard of land plots for construction provides the possibility of timely inclusion of the necessary protective (preventive) measures against radon in the design of buildings. This is a legal requirement in cases where the density of radon flux from the ground surface within the building area exceeds the established hygienic standards (action levels). The paper presents a review of Russian and foreign approaches to assessing the potential radon hazard of land plots conducted within the framework of engineering and environmental surveys. The current regulatory requirements to radiation safety indicators of land plots for construction of residential, public and industrial buildings and facilities in the Russian Federation are analyzed. The main drawbacks of the algorithm for determining the potential radon hazard of land plots, used in the current guidelines MU 2.6.1.2398-08 approved at the federal level more than 15 years ago, are described. Critical remarks (the unsuitability of the value of density of radon flux from the ground surface for designing radon protective and mitigation (remedial) measures, lack of consideration of seasonal variations of radon flux density, etc.) accumulated over the years as a result of practical application of these guidelines are presented. Benefits and drawbacks of foreign approaches to assessing the potential radon hazard of the territory based on the results of measurements of radon concentration in soil gas, as well as the very possibility of a transition in Russian regulations from the density of radon flux from the ground surface to the radon concentration in soil gas, are analyzed. Some rational proposals of various Russian research teams on improving the algorithm for determining the potential radon hazard of land plots are considered.