Assessing Local Climate Impact on Energy and Emission Performance in Türkiye s Standardized Post-Disaster Housing

Designing energy-efficient buildings for reconstruction in disaster areas is essential for mitigating environmental challenges and supporting sustainable recovery. However, in Türkiye, standardized mass housing is often implemented following disasters for rapid reconstruction, frequently overlooking local climatic conditions. The Housing Development Administration of Türkiye (TOKİ) has initiated standardized mass housing projects across 11 provinces in the disaster area of the 2023 Türkiye Kahramanmaraş earthquake. This study conducts a comparative analysis of heating and cooling energy consumption and CO₂ emissions for a reference TOKİ housing using DesignBuilder simulations across the 11 impacted provinces, to show the environmental impact of standardized material selection. The evaluated archetype features a rectangular geometry with a symmetrical floor plan, comprising 20 dwelling units and a fixed façade configuration governed by orientation. The façade consists of reinforced concrete shear walls, vertically perforated brick walls, and PVC-framed double-glazed windows. The analysis utilized the updated climate zoning of the Turkish Standard for Thermal Insulation in Buildings (TS 825), which recently expanded from four to six climate zones. Findings indicate significant variations: intra-zone annual heating and cooling energy consumption differed by up to 184.85% and 52.84%, respectively. CO₂ emissions showed relatively limited differences, with a maximum of 12.35% intra-zone. These findings show that energy consumption varies significantly both between and within climate zones, highlighting the limitations of relying solely on generalized climate zone data for building design and material selection. Moreover, an evaluation of the latest TS 825 revision shows that the updated classification does not yield consistent heating and cooling energy outcomes for certain provinces. The study concludes that province-specific climatic data should be integrated into post-disaster housing design, particularly during material selection, to improve energy efficiency, reduce emissions, and support sustainable recovery.