Optimizing Office Building Energy Performance Through Integrated Design of Space Layout and Envelope using eQuest

Abstract

Buildings account for one - third of the global operational energy consumption and GHG gas emissions. The report by the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) shows that office buildings show an increasing trend in energy consumption. The share of demand for heating, cooling, and lighting the spaces in the building sector is significant in office buildings, as these are the most frequently used spaces. The proper design of office buildings can help reduce the operational energy consumption at the gl obal level. This study seeks to find the optimum design solution for office buildings to achieve the objective. The space layout/plan form is a very important design parameter, along with the design of external walls. The Window Wall ratio is again an important design parameter in the design of the external wall/envelope. This study utilizes computer
simulations to study the impact of space layout/plan form and WWR on energy consumption in office
buildings in the semi - arid climate of Lahore. The tool used to generate the results is computer
software eQuest. The office plan of the 6th Floor of the EE-2 building at the University of Lahore,
Pakistan, is modelled as a case study. The findings indicate a significant 58.36% reduction in energy
consumption when using an open - plan office layout compared to a cellular configuration at a 0.5
window - to - wall ratio (WWR) with windows exposed to the north direction. This study offers meaningful insights to support architects in making informed design decisions early in the planning process.