Modeling and design of high-energy performance, resilient building clusters

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This research proposal aims at developing modeling and design strategies to optimize the energy performance and resilience of building clusters. The following short-term objectives will be addressed: 1) Design of archetypes of urban building clusters and energy modeling of their representative buildings. Archetypes will be designed to combine different building types and designs, urban forms and building systems. 2) Develop scalable, flexible and holistic modeling strategies, and key performance indicators, that allow the integration of advanced technologies and energy concepts, at building and cluster scales. 3) Develop strategies for mitigating the negative impact of various stressors on the performance of urban building clusters. Stressors will encompass scenarios of hypothetical disasters (including pandemics). Detailed energy models of various building types and adjacent landscape will be developed, incorporating advanced energy efficiency measures (e.g. fenestration, smart materials, shading devices in buildings and surroundings). Energy models of single representative buildings will be merged into urban-scale models that account for neighborhood design (e.g. density, street layout) and for urban components and technologies designed in open areas. A platform of simulation tools will be employed to merge individual building models into large cluster model, which takes into account energy consumption, energy generation from various sources and the environmental impact of different energy solutions. The effects on energy performance of selected scenarios of stressors associated with specific disasters (e.g. power outage, displacement of inhabitants due to natural disaster (e.g. flood), pandemics, etc.) will be evaluated. Design aspects that can be adopted to respond to these stressors, such as density, change in building design and functions and mixes of technologies will be analyzed. This research is expected to have a significant impact across the academic, research and industrial domains. A database of building clusters is to be generated, based on simulation results, relating urban form with energy options and technologies. This can assist many sectors, including the government, in efforts to increase resilience and sustainability of Canadian communities. The research will indicate impact of various urban-level design parameters, energy systems, and mix of energy sources on energy and environmental performance of building clusters. The integrated urban-level modelling strategies present an innovative approach that combines building and neighborhood architectural and spatial aspects with advanced technologies and energy sources and systems. This research can provide an incentive for industrial developments based on innovative renewable energy technologies. The integration of such technologies in buildings and urban areas will provide local employment opportunities, in addition to the economic and environmental benefits.