Improving the life cycle energy performance of apartment units through façade design

Abstract

The construction and operation of buildings require huge amounts of resources and contribute to climate change and resource depletion. In Australia, apartment buildings are increasingly being erected and are typically characterized by fully-glazed façades with a limited understanding of the life cycle implications of such design. This study uses a typical apartment unit in three climates (Melbourne, Australia; Brisbane, Australia; and Dunedin, New Zealand) and tests 87 different façade variations involving a range of window-to-wall ratios, window types and wall types. For each variation, the life cycle energy demand is quantified over 50 years and compared to that of the base case. Results s..