Architectural Design Follows Energy Analysis: A Case of Residential Buildings in Bahrain

This research paper explores the key role of energy analysis in the initial phases of architectural design. The main research question is as follows: How can energy analysis shape and optimize architectural design variables? To address this question, the research paper identifies key architectural design variables, including structural system, roof, window-to-wall ratio (WWR), and building envelope, all of which are influenced by energy efficiency strategies. Through case studies of residential buildings in Bahrain, the research investigates the optimization of these design variables. Energy models are employed to explore the impact of energy analysis on the design and performance of the selected residential buildings. The findings reveal a significant potential for energy reduction in annual consumption through the collective optimization of passive strategies. Furthermore, specific energy reduction for each sole variable is observed, as follows for structural system material (3.63% to 11.29%), roof thermal insulation (0.75% to 3.37%), WWR optimization (0.61% to 1.27%), and building envelope (7.39% to 13.5%). These findings establish energy analysis as a fundamental design approach for initial design phases or selection between design alternatives, and can be generalized to similar arid, humid climates and residential building designs.