Co-model for urban density permutations and building form optimization with high-performance energy criteria

Computational models capable of generating accurate site metrics for building performance analysis are often limited, complex and time-consuming. To address this gap, a new procedure has been developed with a five-step optimization process relevant to examining urban forms with buildings density constraints, window-to-wall ratio, incident solar radiation and energy production potential in façades. Factors analyzed include floor space intensity (FSI), building height (H), spatial daylight autonomy (sDA), annual sun exposure (ASE) and the effect of façade tilt angles on efficiency targets in cold climates. A myriad of parametric functions has been incorporated in the process through Grasshopper, DIVA, ArchSIM, and evolutionary algorithms in Galapagos. The study revealed effective results of energy production across prominent façade design options. Increasing FSI was found to decrease sDA, for a fixed H. In contrast, increasing H for a fixed FSI decreased sDA with an insignificant magnitude of 4%. The ratio of increase in glazing to increase in sDA was in the order of 1:1.47. Overall, the findings showed novelty in optimizing each façade panel to achieve best performance demonstrated by different urban densities with low/mid/high-rise building conditions. Energy production reached 13 kWh/m2 with integrated photovoltaics, as a renewable source. High-rise buildings showed the best conceivable energy improvement as opposed to other height conditions. The improvement percentage was observed to be directly proportional to the height difference between the studied building and the surrounding context. •Five-step method to determine the impact of different urban densities on energy production.•Novel optimization method to achieve optimum performance for each façade panel.•Demonstrating the relationship between urban context and renewable energy production.•Parametric workflow that can be re-applied to different contexts and case studies.