Sustainable Tall Buildings: Summary of Energy-Efficient Design

초록

Tall buildings are frequently decried as unsustainable due to their excessive energy usage. Early skyscrapers used natural light and ventilation to facilitate human comfort and applied organic materials such as stone, glass, wood, concrete, and terra cotta for cladding and finishes. With the advent of fluorescent lighting, modern heating, ventilation, air-conditioning (HVAC) systems, and thermally sealed curtain walls, tall office buildings no longer had to rely on natural light and ventilation to provide comfort. Energy efficiency was not a significant factor when the operational costs of buildings were relatively inexpensive. However, today's skyscrapers must become more energy-efficient and sustainable due to energy crises and climate change. This paper highlights vital energy-efficient design principles and demonstrates with illustrative case studies how they are applied to tall buildings in various parts of the world. It shows how sustainable environmental systems do not act alone but are integrated with advanced curtain wall systems, sky gardens, and atria, among others, to regulate and sustain thermal comfort and conserve energy.