A review of multi objective optimization in sustainable architecture: enhancing energy efficiency through dynamic facades

As urbanization fuels a 50% rise in global building energy demand since 2000, façades have become critical for sustainable architecture, supporting UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy) and 11 (Sustainable Cities). While multi-objective optimization (MOO) enables the balancing of energy efficiency, daylighting, and thermal comfort in façade design, its application remains limited in real-time adaptability and high-energy contexts like India’s hospitality sector. This study offers a novel bibliometric review of MOO in sustainable façade design, drawing publication trends from a Scopus dataset of 9,581 papers (2001–2024), which show a surge from 504 papers in 2001–2009 to 3,673 in 2010–2019, and 5,404 in 2020–2024. Detailed analysis, however, was conducted on 1,598 unique papers from an earlier Scopus dataset of 7,250 + articles, using VOSviewer and scientometric tools. Results indicate that the USA and China dominate (45% of output), while India contributes less than 5% despite its cooling demands. Evolutionary algorithms are prevalent (e.g., 6,122 mentions of ‘thermal’ optimization), yet gaps in dynamic shading (64 mentions) and life-cycle assessment persist. This review addresses these gaps, providing a roadmap for climate-responsive design in energy-intensive typologies by leveraging evolutionary algorithms, promoting dynamic shading integration, and advocating for real-time optimization frameworks tailored to regional climates. While the reliance on Scopus may limit coverage, the large datasets mitigate bias by capturing diverse trends. By highlighting MOO’s potential to reduce hotel cooling loads by up to 15.27% (Agharid et al. Energy Engineering, 121(12), 3549–3571,2024), this study advances performance-driven architecture, fostering sustainable urban development through innovative façade solutions.