A synergistic approach: Automating PCM and passive strategies for climate-resilient, low-energy buildings

• With climate change, there is an urgent need for climate resilient building design. • With expert analysis of PCM, shading and natural ventilation with EMS, we arrive at optimal strategies for indoor thermal comfort. • By integrating parametric analysis and providing practical insights, we fill the gap between theory and practical application. • PCMs have a very high effect in reducing indoor critical temperature. • Extreme climate changes in the future can be controlled by combining passive systems. The accelerating impacts of climate change require fundamental innovations in building design to reduce the risks of overheating and energy inefficiency. While passive cooling strategies such as phase change materials (PCM) and dynamic shading have been investigated separately, their integrated optimization under future climate scenarios remains a major gap. This study introduces a novel, system-based approach that synergistically integrates PCM thermal buffering (Q23), adaptive shading, and predictive energy management systems (EMS) to achieve unprecedented resilience in indoor environmental quality (IEQ). Unlike previous works that focused on single-component solutions, our approach uniquely provides a variety of scripts for different thermal sensor temperatures and window fractions to open and close in a closed-loop method. The EMS strategy synergizes with the PCM by aligning night ventilation with the PCM’s solidification phase and modulating cooling during its melting phase. In other words, the synergy of these two points to the optimal scrip, fraction, and sensor temperature, in conjunction with the optimal points and percentages of PCM use. Using parametric modeling (EnergyPlus) and future climate data (CC World 2080), we quantitatively demonstrate how a multilayer passive design can cope with increasing thermal stresses. Our results demonstrate three key improvements: (1) optimal PCM distribution (50 % Q23 in walls) reduces the internal overheating degree (IOhD) by 54 % compared to centralized applications; (2) coupling the PCM with an AI-based EMS (responsive to thresholds of 17–34 °C and adaptive openness [0.1–0.9]) reduces the IOhD to 1.117 – a 68 % improvement over the baseline; (3) The triple intervention system (PCM + 5-panel awning [0.4 m deep] + low-emissivity glazing) achieves a nearly neutral IOhD (0.979) under 2080 projections, outperforming standalone strategies. Further research could explore cost-benefit trade-offs and real-world validation.