Toward Economically Viable Climate-Responsive Envelope Solutions for Social Housing in Egypt: A Comparative Study

Improving energy consumption and internal comfort in social housing in Egypt has become an increasing priority for architects and decision-makers as one of the important solutions to the problem of population growth and the government's interest in providing affordable housing for the youth, and in the face of climate change and rising energy demand. This study examines the impact of climate-responsive envelope design modifications on both thermal performance and economic feasibility in social housing models in two distinct Egyptian climatic regions. The selected case studies are from the new fourth-generation cities: Capital Gardens in the New Administrative Capital (a hot-dry region) and Salam East Port Said (a hot-Mediterranean region). Several options were tested to enhance the envelope using modelling tools, including increasing wall thickness, improving thermal mass, and adding insulation layers. Simulations were used to evaluate the improvements in internal thermal comfort. In parallel, an economic analysis was conducted to determine the costs of constructing the envelope and the payback periods based on the expected energy savings. The results show that policymakers, designers, and developers can gain accurate insights by identifying appropriate envelope solutions for each climatic zone and achieving a balance between thermal efficiency and economic feasibility. This study contributes to the ongoing discussion on sustainable design by integrating environmental performance assessment and economic decision-making for social housing in Egypt.