Optimizing Building Configuration and Orientation for Social Housing Projects in Iran

Energy efficiency Energy efficiency in buildings is a critical aspect of sustainable development (SD), especially in developing countries with significant construction volumes like Iran. The National Housing Project (NHP) in Iran aims to provide affordable housing for the middle class, with a strong emphasis on energy efficiency and sustainable development. This study examines the combined impact of orientation and configuration on visual and thermal comfort (VC, TC) using multi-objective optimization (MOO) techniques. By simulating thermal behavior in EnergyPlus and applying optimization with the Wallacei-x plugin in Grasshopper, this study identifies optimal solutions using the weighted sum method (WSM). The research consists of two parts: analysis of isolated buildings and Multi-family buildings. The linear configuration, with a 0º angle, showed a 4.9% reduction in Energy Use Intensity (EUI), a 3.9% increase in Useful Daylight Illuminance (UDI), and a 2.6% improvement in Predicted Mean Vote (PMV). In the second part, it was found that, overall, increasing the distance between blocks reduces energy consumption, enhances daylight efficiency, and improves thermal comfort conditions. The impact of horizontal distance changes in linear and U-shaped configurations is greater than that of vertical changes. In the courtyard, this trend is reversed, with vertical distance changes having a greater impact. However, in the L-shaped organizer, the effects of these distances on various parameters vary. These data offer the potential to create sustainable cities in the future.