| Abstract: |
The global imperative to reduce carbon emissions from the built environment has intensified scholarly and professional interest in climate-responsive architectural design, particularly for high-rise buildings that disproportionately contribute to urban energy consumption. This empirical study investigates the efficacy of site-specific climate-responsive design strategies in mitigating energy consumption across five distinct climatic zones hot-arid, humid tropical, temperate, continental, and cold/subarctic using five internationally recognised high-rise case buildings. Drawing on quantitative data from building energy records, post-occupancy evaluations, and comparative facade performance metrics, the study demonstrates that targeted design interventions including high-performance glazing, passive solar optimisation, building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV), green roofs, and advanced insulation systems can achieve energy use intensity (EUI) reductions ranging from 29.5% in temperate climates to 39.2% in cold/subarctic zones. Corresponding CO2 emissions reductions across all zones average approximately 34.9%, confirming the measurable environmental benefit of aligning building design with regional climatic parameters. The analysis further reveals that thermal comfort indices (PMV) improve significantly following design intervention, with occupant satisfaction scores ranging from 79% to 88% across zones. Comparative benchmarking against prior literature validates the consistency and robustness of these findings. The paper concludes that the systematic adoption of climate-responsive strategies in high-rise construction is a quantifiable, implementable framework for sustainable urban energy governance, and proposes policy recommendations for integrating these strategies into national building codes across diverse climatic jurisdictions. |
