A Comparative Study of Design Strategies for Energy Efficiency in 6 High-Rise Buildings in Two Different Climates

Due to the ever growing trend of urbanization and population growth, the construction of high-rise buildings is inevitable and will also continue at an ever increasing pace. However, typical high-rise buildings (the traditional template of a rectilinear, air-conditioned box) are not energy efficient in many aspects of their design. In this research the impact of architectural design elements on building energy performance will be studied through a combined literature review and case study research on 6 high-rise buildings with different degree of sustainability and located in two climate types, sub-tropical and temperate. The exterior envelope, building form and orientation, service core placement, plan layout, and special design elements like atria and sky gardens are the subject of investigation. This study found that a double-skin facade with automated blinds and operable windows besides a narrow floor plan, the correct placement of core services in regards to solar heat gains, and the application of vertical shafts like atria, which bring daylight and natural ventilation deeper into the plan, are the strategies that effectively can provide energy savings for tall buildings. However, when the building has this potential to use energy efficient design strategies, the real performance depends on how the building is used by the occupants. Designers should therefore take user behavior into account during the design stage.