Typical Residential Building Research Articles

Qualitative Mechanisms of Perceived Indoor Environmental Quality on Anxiety Symptoms in University

The indoor environment is widely acknowledged as a non-pharmacological tool for regulating residents’ mental health. In dormitory environments with relatively high residential density, the mental health of university students requires particular attention. This study surveyed 445 students from a northern Chinese university and used structural equation modeling (SEM) to analyze the impact of perceived indoor environmental quality (IEQ)—including thermal, lighting, acoustics, indoor air quality, and overcrowding—on self-reported anxiety symptoms. The results indicated the following: (1) students’ perceptions of dormitory IEQ significantly affected anxiety symptoms, explaining 40% of the variance; (2) anxiety symptoms associated with the IEQ were mainly characterized by anxiety and panic (r = 0.91, p < 0.001); (3) subjective perceptions of the acoustic environment (r = −0.55, p < 0.001) and indoor air quality (r = −0.15, p < 0.05) were key predictors of anxiety, while thermal environment, lighting environment, and overcrowding were not significant. The findings enrich the IEQ system and provide directions for optimizing the dormitory indoor environment from the perspective of student mental health, with implications for other types of residential buildings.

Evaluating Energy Consumption in Residential Buildings in Qatar: A Case Study on Compounds

The global urgency to cut carbon emissions and pollution is clear. Qatar, rich in fossil fuels, is shifting towards sustainability to reduce carbon emissions. This paper analyzes the energy consumption patterns in residential buildings in Qatar, categorizing them by size and ownership, and establishing energy benchmarks for each building type, offering insights to guide energy efficiency policies. By examining the building size and ownership, the study helps establish benchmarks, supporting Qatar’s sustainability goals in reducing carbon emissions. The study was conducted from 1 January 2019 to 31 December 2021, utilizing data from the Qatar General Electricity and Water Corporation (KAHRAMAA). A total of 172,796 residential buildings were analyzed, with data on building characteristics and demographic information incorporated into the analysis. A quantitative analysis revealed that the building size, ownership, and demographics significantly impact energy consumption, guiding efficiency strategies. The ownership and floor area significantly impact energy consumption. A strong positive correlation (R = 0.97) was found between energy consumption (kWh) and the total built area (m2). The patterns of energy use varied across different residential building types. The findings highlight the importance of considering the ownership and building size in energy efficiency policies. Identifying specific energy use patterns supports the development of targeted strategies. This research offers valuable data on residential energy consumption in Qatar, providing a foundation for energy benchmarks. These benchmarks can guide policy decisions and strategies to enhance energy efficiency and promote sustainability in the residential sector. This study uniquely connects the ownership and building size with energy consumption patterns in Qatar, supporting the development of effective energy policies and contributing to global sustainability goals.

Architectural Modernisation in Panevėžys During the 1930s: Exploring the Works of Civil Engineer Antanas Gargasas

Summary In contemporary studies of Lithuanian interwar architecture, so far the greatest attention is paid to the analysis of the architectural development and modernization processes that took place in the city of Kaunas, the temporary capital of the country at the time. The work of architectural specialists who worked there is also analysed more. However, at the same time, little is known about the development of architecture created in the smaller cities of Lithuania at that time and its modernization. Thus, this article aims to more thoroughly reveal and analyse the processes of modernization of Panevėžys city architecture that took place in the 1930s, choosing the designs of Antanas Gargasas, who worked there as a municipal engineer in 1931–1940, as the research object. This is done in the article by analysing and presenting the majority of his designed public buildings and the most significant and typical residential buildings. The article, which was written based on archival material, the press of the research period and the contemporary studies of the interwar architecture, contains an assumption that the buildings designed by Antanas Gargasas had a significant influence on the processes of modernization of the Panevėžys architecture at that time and the spread of new stylistic trends in it. The article is supplemented by the drawings and photos of the buildings designed by the engineer.

A population-level framework to estimate unequal exposure to indoor heat and air pollution

As people in the UK spend 95% of their time indoors, buildings are an important modifier of exposure to both non-optimal temperatures and air pollution. High ambient temperature and high PM2.5 (particulate matter) concentrations often occur together in urban areas. Residential building types prone to overheating (e.g. purpose-built flats) are often also more common in urban areas. Together, this may lead to spatial and demographic inequalities in indoor exposure to heat and PM2.5 from outdoor sources. By combining building simulations (EnergyPlus), a spatially distributed description of the residential building stock—from publicly available Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) data, ambient temperature, PM2.5 data and area-level (40–250 households) socio-demographic data—we estimated these inequalities in exposure for the population of England and Wales. Maximum indoor temperature was higher in areas with larger ethnic minority and infant populations, and lower in areas with a higher proportion of people aged ≥ 65 years. Indoor concentrations of outdoor-source PM2.5 were higher in areas with larger ethnic minority and low-income populations. With rising inequality in England and Wales, housing and environmental conditions play an important role in contributing to health inequalities from social disadvantage. Policy relevance Differences in environmental exposures may partly explain inequalities in health outcomes. These differences are mediated by dwelling type and quality. Identifying the driving factors for differences in environmental exposures may allow for the development of interventions to address health inequalities more effectively. This study finds differences in indoor exposure across socio-demographic groups due to both location and housing. This could be of interest to national, regional and local authorities responsible for targeting building retrofit interventions across the housing stock.

Fulfilling the potentials of residential solar energy in Egypt

Energy plays a very important role in Egypt’s economic development, but the country has a gap between its produced energy and the demand of its growing population. Utilization of solar power systems in Egypt could help the country to close this gap and fulfil its national and international obligations. However, since 1980, the focus in Egypt has been on large-scale industrial solar projects. Limited attention is given to smaller systems for typical residential buildings. The aim of this research, therefore, is to highlight the potential of small residential solar systems (SRSS) in Egypt. With the huge number of residential buildings accommodating more than 115 million Egyptians, SRSS could be the unearthed gem of a sustainable source of energy in Egypt. The geographical location of Egypt and climate were used to generate solar data using the Global Solar Atlas application. The amounts of monthly and annual solar irradiations were calculated and analysed to decide the best orientation of the system (facing east, west, north, and south), identify the optimum tilt angle of the system, and determine the size of the solar panels. A case study was used to illustrate the procedures of designing SRSS for a typical residential building in Egypt. The results showed that a 26 kWp SRSS oriented facing the east with an optimum tilt angle between 15° and 30° could produce an annual total output of electricity more than the annual demand of the occupants of the studied residential building. Such a system would fit easily on the roof of the building. It was concluded that the installation of SRSS in Egypt could help the country meet the demand of its ever-increasing population if properly regulated, financed, and managed. It is recommended that Egypt develop and implement policies to make installations of SRSS an attractive choice among homeowners and investors by introducing encouraging incentives and creating a competitive market with affordable SRSS.

Research on Energy-Saving Transformation of Rural Residential Building Envelope Structures and Heating Modes in Northeast China

Rural areas in Northeast China present a large demand for heating energy in winter, but there are problems in such areas with poor thermal performance of building envelopes and poor indoor thermal comfort. In addition, coal-fired boilers are still widely used. China’s “Dual-Carbon Goals” and “Clean Heating” policy call for the creation of a green and comfortable living environment for rural residential buildings. This paper considers the impact of the improvement of the thermal performance of envelope structures on the initial investment of the transformation program and the rated power of the ASHP and proposes an energy-saving transformation method to replace traditional coal-fired boilers with the ASHP on the basis of the improvement of the thermal performance of envelope structures. By establishing a typical rural residential building model in Northeast China, this energy-saving method is simulated based on TRNSYS. The results show that the payback period of investment of the transformation method of “envelope structure + heating system” is not superior to that of the transformation method of only improving the thermal performance of the envelope structure, but it has advantages in the comprehensive life-cycle benefits and it has great advantages in improving the satisfaction of rural residents in the use of heating systems.

The impact of living environmental factors on cognitive function and mild cognitive impairment: evidence from the Chinese elderly population

ObjectivesMild cognitive impairment represents a pivotal stage in the cognitive decline of older adults, with a considerable risk of advancing to dementia. Recognizing how living environmental factors affect cognition is crucial for crafting effective prevention and intervention strategies. This study seeks to elucidate the relationship between various living environmental factors and cognitive function, with a specific focus on mild cognitive impairment, within a Chinese elderly population.MethodsThis is a cross-section and longitudinal study. Utilizing data from CHARLS, our cross-sectional analysis included 4,401 participants, while the cohort study comprised 3,177 individuals. We assessed living environmental factors based on household fuel types, water sources, indoor temperatures, residential building types, and ambient PM2.5 levels. We employed multiple linear regression for cross-sectional analyses and Cox proportional hazards regression models for longitudinal assessments to determine the effects of living environments on cognitive function and MCI risk. Stratified analyses, interaction tests, and sensitivity analyses were conducted to further validate our findings.ResultsThe findings revealed that, compared to those in high-risk environments, participants in low-risk settings exhibited higher cognitive scores (β = 1.25, 95%CI: 0.85, 1.65), better mental status (β = 0.70, 95%CI: 0.48, 0.92), and improved episodic memory (β = 0.27, 95%CI: 0.13, 0.41). Over a 7-year follow-up, the use of low-risk living environments (HR = 0.67, 95%CI: 0.49, 0.91), including clean fuels (HR = 0.74, 95%CI: 0.57, 0.95) and tap water (HR = 0.84, 95%CI: 0.71, 1.00), demonstrated a protective effect against MCI development. This correlation remained significant regardless of age, gender, residence, education level, smoking, alcohol consumption, and depression.ConclusionThis research provides substantial evidence that living environmental factors significantly affect cognitive function and MCI risk in Chinese older adults. Enhancing living conditions may be a key strategy for promoting cognitive health and preventing MCI in this demographic. Further research is necessary to explore the long-term impacts and potential intervention strategies to optimize living environments for better cognitive outcomes in aging populations.

Application of Cadna/A software to the prediction of traffic noise on residential envelope sound insulation

The primary issue influencing residential structures' interior sound insulation environments is urban traffic noise. When choosing sound insulation for residential windows and doors, it is essential to consider the influence of road traffic noise. In conjunction with the examples, a three-dimensional simulation prediction model is created early on using Cadna/A software, and it is configured in accordance with the measured data of the road environmental noise to predict the sound pressure level of the outer surface of the residential building's enclosure structure at various locations and floors. This serves as a foundation for choosing the residential building's interior sound-insulated windows and doors as well as for the building's construction. In order to confirm that interior doors and windows are structurally sound-insulated, sound insulation measurements of typical residential sample buildings are made later in the building process.It offers some reference value for using Cadna/A in the assessment and forecasting of traffic noise's impact on the soundproofing of residential building envelopes.

Selecting suitable passive design strategies for residential high-rise buildings in tropical climates to minimize building energy demand

Passive design strategies (PDS) are a fitting solution to reduce the ever-growing energy cost of residential high-rise buildings in tropical regions. However, PDSs’ building energy saving potential significantly varies with local climate conditions, but it has been sparsely investigated. Hence, this study investigated the energy-saving efficiency of eight common PDSs integrated into a typical residential high-rise building in three sub-climates: extremely hot humid (0A), very hot humid (1A), and warm humid (3A) defined by ASHRAE for the tropical climate. This study developed a Building Performance Analysis (BPA) workflow with a BIM-based simulation framework and local and global sensitivity analyses for the building energy analysis. The global sensitivity analysis revealed that low e-coating on glasses is the most influential PDS for 0A and 1A climates, but it has a negative effect in the sub-climate zone 3A. The low-conducting exterior walls are the most effective PDS in the sub-climate zone 3A, but they are poorly performed in the other two sub-climate zones. Based on the energy calculation and sensitivity analysis, this study proposes the best PDS groups, saving up to 40.1%, 63.5%, and 31.7% of average annual building consumption in the sub-climate zones, 0A, 1A, and 3A climates.

Cultural heritage and modernization: the evolution of Lifen neighborhoods in Wuhan

ABSTRACT The paper probes into the modernization and conservation of Hankou old Lifen which is a typical residential building with high historical value in Wuhan, China. This research emphasizes the range of government and community structures, using analysis on three different modernization models: Xian’an Fang, Changnian Li, and Tongxing Li. This includes qualitative analysis using a mixed method approach; on-site observation with photography to capture the spatial features as well as narratives from residents within these areas; and semi-structured interviews. The findings highlight the importance of conserving Lifen neighborhoods in view of its historical knowledge, cultural legacy and other urban development experience. In the end, maintaining and evolving them can be sustainable only through a hybrid that pairs state support with community involvement. This research provides key insights for policymakers, urban planners and conservationists working to balance heritage preservation with the contemporary needs of cities.

Health risk assessment of residential overheating under the heat waves in Guangzhou

During extreme heatwave events, indoor overheating caused by power outages poses a significant threat to human health, especially for low-income groups exposed to hot and humid conditions for extended periods. However, currently, the definition and quantification standards for indoor overheating are not well-defined, and relying solely on thermal comfort indicators is insufficient to accurately assess the health risks associated with indoor overheating. This study proposes the use of maximum heat index (HImax) and heat index hazard hours when the heat index exceeds the caution level (HIHHCaution) to assess the health risk of indoor overheating. Taking various types of residential buildings in Guangzhou as examples, the study employs field surveys, simulation analysis, and statistical regression to analyze the impact of power outages during heatwaves on the indoor thermal environment and key human thermal physiological parameters, thereby establishing the basis for measuring indoor overheating and reference thresholds for assessing heat health risks. The results indicate that for young adults and the elderly, HIHHCaution exceeding 1174 °C·h and 850 °C·h respectively, or HImax nearing 55 °C, are likely to result in heat-related illnesses. In Guangzhou, most urban village housing with poor insulation cannot withstand the risk of power outages lasting more than a day during heatwaves, while old housing and commodity housing that meets the energy-efficiency standards of different periods still face varying degrees of indoor overheating risk. The findings enhance understanding of indoor overheating health risks and provide a scientific basis for strategies to improve living environments during heatwaves.

Effectiveness of Cool and Green Roofs Inside and Outside Buildings in the Brazilian Context

Several studies have assessed the thermal performance of green and cool roofs. However, few have comprehensively addressed Brazilian buildings and climates, considering indoor and outdoor environments. Considering three Brazilian cities, this study aims to assess the performance of green and cool roofs compared with traditional fibre cement roofs in a typical multifamily residential building. Energy consumption, thermal comfort, and outside surface temperature were assessed using computer simulation. The results show that the cool roofs performed better in cities with warmer climates (e.g., Cfa and Aw), reducing electricity consumption by up to 24.8% compared with traditional roofs. Green roofs are better suited for colder climates (e.g., Cfb), with up to 28.2% energy savings. Green roofs provided the highest percentage of thermal comfort hours in all climates. Cool and green roofs provided hourly reductions in outside roof surface temperature of up to 16.5 °C and 28.4 °C, respectively, compared with the traditional roof. This work reinforces that the choice between these two roof types for each city depends on the parameter used for comparison. Based on the relevant information applied to Brazilian buildings and representative climates presented, this work provided recommendations for urban planning policies and building regulations in Brazil.

Heritage Regeneration Models for Traditional Courtyard Houses in a Northern Chinese City (Jinan) in the Context of Urban Renewal

The fundamental disputes in urban heritage regeneration stem from variations in power dynamics and inherent value systems among stakeholders. Addressing conflicts and power differentials involving governmental bodies, market forces, community residents, experts, and scholars is crucial for fostering sustainable urban heritage development. Recently, these contradictions have grown more pronounced as China’s urbanization has transitioned from rapid expansion to a phase focused on existing urban assets. In the present research, the typical traditional courtyard-style residential buildings in Jinan, a historic city in northern China, were selected as the object of study. These houses often suffer from problems such as outdated infrastructure and low living conditions and have become difficult to adapt to contemporary urban life. A case study approach was employed focusing on a representative courtyard house to develop models for renewing and regenerating urban heritage, specifically tailored to traditional courtyard houses. The aim was to address conflicts and power disparities among urban heritage stakeholders through diverse mechanisms. Methodologically, the research integrates historical study and field investigation, participatory analysis, and policy analysis. Primary data sources include field surveys, historical research, oral interviews, and drone aerial photography. Models were constructed in the present study—namely, the heritage self-renewal, heritage revitalization, and heritage transformation models—for traditional courtyard houses. These models were designed to foster sustainable urban heritage development through collaborative efforts across various stakeholders and administrative levels. They will optimize the renewal mechanism of urban heritage, thus providing diversity and multiple possibilities for the preservation and reuse of architectural heritage in China. They aim to realize comprehensive urban heritage values, including vitality, health, efficiency, and equity, while accommodating the interests of diverse stakeholders.

Developing simplified metamodels for assessing urban park cooling effect on the thermal behavior of the residential buildings: A case study in Nantes, France during a heat wave

The objective of this research is twofold. First, it aims to evaluate the impact of an urban park on the thermal behavior of residential buildings. Second, it focuses on developing and validating metamodels for predicting the cooling needs and summer thermal comfort of three types of residential buildings: single-family houses (Low-rise), small collective housing (Mid-rise), and large collective housing (High-rise). The metamodels are created through regression analysis, using a set of dynamic thermal simulations conducted with TRNSYS software. The number of dynamic simulations is efficiently reduced using the design of experiments method, and the accuracy of the metamodels is further validated through additional simulations. This study was conducted considering the climate weather conditions of the city of Nantes, France. The results demonstrate that an urban park can achieve a maximum reduction of 12.53 % in cooling needs and a 12.50 % maximum reduction in degree hours of discomfort, particularly when the building is protected from solar radiation. Furthermore, developed metamodels show high accuracy with regression coefficients over 0.96. This study aimed to create a decision support tool for local government departments to optimize urban cooling, improve thermal comfort, and reduce cooling loads in buildings by guiding the design of parks and their surrounding built environment.

Egress Safety for STUDIO Residential Buildings

In recent years, the number of studio residential buildings has increased significantly in Korea, as well as in many other countries, due to changes in living patterns. In Korea especially, there have been many fire accidents in studio residential buildings, which have caused a huge number of casualties and property damages, because the buildings were not adequately equipped for firefighting. In this study, the egress safety of a typical studio residential building in Korea is analyzed. Fire simulations were performed with variables of the fire location and the capacity of the smoke exhaust system to estimate the available safe egress time (ASET); egress simulations were also performed with the variable of egress delay time, and the required safe egress time (RSET) was determined. Then, the egress safety was evaluated, and the criteria for egress safety evaluation were proposed based on the simulation results. A studio residential building with a floor plan different from the prototype was used to validate the proposed egress safety criteria. Finally, a simple evaluation model is presented to estimate the required safe egress time (RSET) without simulation and to examine the impact of bottlenecks.

Extended end-of-life carbon assessment and savings: A case study of steel-framed modular buildings in Hong Kong

Modular construction (MC) advances conventional approaches such as material efficiency, shorter construction time, and reduced onsite waste, leading to lower carbon emissions in some stages. However, the End-of-Life (EoL) carbon has never been made explicit, particularly for MC, and there remains a lack of evidence on how much carbon emissions are generated and reduced from the EoL stage of modular buildings. To address the gaps, the present study proposes an EoL carbon estimation model for MC based on the life cycle assessment (LCA) method. The developed model was empirically validated through a case study of a typical high-rise steel-framed modular residential building in Hong Kong. The results reveal that net carbon emissions during the EoL stage could be −764.40 kg CO2 eq./m2, presenting the great carbon savings potential of MC. Compared to those in traditional on-site construction areas, steel modular components have far greater capabilities to mitigate carbon emissions, as most of them can be reused. Nevertheless, an average of 41.56 kg CO2 eq./m2 of carbon is still released in the EoL stage, most of which is contributed by transportation, followed by waste disposal, demolition, and waste processing. This study makes an original contribution to understanding the extent of EoL carbon emissions and the potential of carbon savings in steel modular buildings. Also, these findings unveil the practical significance of reusing modules for EoL carbon mitigation and provide useful suggestions for demolition contractors and policymakers to mitigate carbon emissions to further promote the transition towards carbon neutrality.

Forecasting demand for air conditioning in the Brazilian residential sector

Brazil is among the ten largest air-conditioning consumers in the world. The estimated electricity demand for air conditioners in the residential sector has more than tripled in the last twelve years, while household air conditioner ownership increased by 9 % per year. This trend is expected to continue in the upcoming decades as a result of population growth rate, higher incomes, and individual preferences for thermal comfort. This work assess the current use of air conditioning in the Brazilian residential sector and attempts to forecast its future demand. Forecasting is based on a proposed methodology which includes weather data monitored by 265 meteorological stations during eight years. Empirical correlations are used to determine daily average indoor temperatures for typical residential buildings and the ANSI/ASHRAE standard for indoor thermal comfort is applied to estimate the average number of cooling days (CD) and heating days (HD). These two parameters indicate the yearly average number of days in which thermal comfort condition is not reached and consequently the use of air conditioning is necessary. Northern and Northeastern Brazil are the regions with the highest CD for masonry residential buildings, approximately 318 days annually. Efforts are made to project the electricity consumption by space cooling in the residential sector until 2035 considering several effects, such as population growth, ownership of ACs, cooling capacity, and equipment efficiency. Southeastern Brazil had the highest electricity consumption for space cooling in 2022, at 12.06 TWh. The research forecasts a rise to 44.77 TWh by 2035, though improved equipment efficiency could lower this to 33.51 TWh. Future energy policies should emphasize efficient AC usage and stricter EER standards.

Assessing the 3E performance of multiple energy supply scenarios based on photovoltaic, wind turbine, battery and hydrogen systems

Supplying buildings with cost-effective, eco-friendly and reliable energy by hybridizing sustainable renewable energy systems (RESs) and energy storage methods is becoming increasingly interesting. This study investigates the energy, environmental and economic (3E) effectiveness of three energy supply scenarios (ESSs) designed to meet the electricity and thermal needs of a typical residential building under the Mediterranean climate of Morocco. The first scenario aims to directly supply the energy produced by two RESs, namely photovoltaic and wind systems, to the building and inject the surplus electricity into the grid. In contrast, in the second scenario, the excess solar and wind energy is stored in batteries, while in the third one a proton exchange membrane electrolyzer is used to produce hydrogen and store it for later use through fuel cells. To examine the performance of these scenarios, numerous software, such as EnergyPlus and PVsyst, as well as numerical models are used. The findings indicate that the second and third scenarios can achieve an energy coverage ratio of up to 100 %, whilst the first scenario reaches lower ratio of 52.56 %. Environmentally, the first scenario exhibits the best outcomes with a carbon payback period of one year and a reduction in carbon emissions of 18.21 tCO2e/year. On the other side, the carbon payback period and carbon emissions reduction are 1.66 years and 15.13 tCO2e/year for the second scenario, and 1.14 years and 14.82 tCO2e/year for the third scenario. Economically, the first scenario reveals the best economic findings, followed by the second one, while the third scenario is not economically feasible. The obtained simple payback period values for the first, second and third scenarios are 5.80, 7.89 and 16.30 years, whereas their levelized cost of energy shares are 0.05, 0.09 and 0.21 $/kWh, sequentially. The outcomes of this research significantly contribute to the field by providing crucial information for building owners and professionals to help them in discerning the most efficient ESSs in the 3E prospects, and hence improving their decision-making and implementation processes.

Impact of refrigerant undercharge faults on building indoor conditions and HVAC system operation in residential Buildings: A simulation study

This study investigates the impact of refrigerant undercharge on indoor temperature and HVAC system performance in residential buildings. Simulation models for typical residential buildings in Orlando, FL and Indianapolis, IN were developed using the ResStock database. A refrigerant undercharge fault model was then applied to the simulations with varying levels of fault intensity. The paper offers an extensive analysis, revealing that variations in supply air temperature, equipment runtime, and cooling energy consumption due to the level of refrigerant undercharge faults are notably significant on a summer representative day. Similarly, on a winter representative day, changes in supply air temperature and runtime are significant as well as changes in supplemental heat energy consumption. We find that occupants may remain oblivious to these faults during the cooling season, particularly when the HVAC system is oversized; in that case, supply air temperature data could help detect a fault. Another challenge is that during the heating season, when the supplemental heater operates, it is difficult to identify a refrigerant undercharge fault using only indoor and supply air temperature data. This study finds that supply air temperature, equipment runtime, and supplemental heater energy consumption data can help in detecting refrigerant undercharge faults.

Performance Evaluation of Foamed Concrete with Lightweight Aggregate: Strength, Shrinkage, and Thermal Conductivity.

Lightweight concrete offers numerous advantages for modular construction, including easier construction planning and logistics, and the ability to offset additional dead loads induced by double-wall and double-slab features. In a previous study, authors proposed incorporating lightweight aggregate into foamed concrete instead of adding extra foam to achieve lower density, resulting in lightweight concrete with an excellent strength-to-density ratio. This paper further investigated the performance aspects of foamed concrete with lightweight aggregate beyond mechanical strength. To evaluate the effect of aggregate type and foam content, three mix compositions were designed for the lightweight concrete. Specimens were prepared for experimental tests on thermal conductivity and drying shrinkage of lightweight concrete. Results showed that while both the increase in foam volume and the incorporation of lightweight aggregate led to higher drying shrinkage, they also contributed to improved insulating properties and reduced potential of cracking. Using typical multi-storey modular residential buildings in Hong Kong and three other Chinese cities as case studies, simulations were performed to assess potential savings in annual cooling and heating loads by employing the proposed lightweight concrete. These findings demonstrate the practical benefits of using foamed concrete with lightweight aggregate in modular construction and provide valuable insights for further optimization and implementation.