Energy-resilient performance-based generative design to adapt to future climate change using urban building energy model: A case study of residential block design

As global concern about climate change intensifies, optimizing building energy consumption, reducing carbon emissions, and enhancing urban energy resilience of buildings have emerged as critical priorities. This study presents a multi-objective optimization framework for urban residential blocks in the Yangtze River Delta, evaluating the impact of building morphology on energy performance and solar energy potential under future climate scenarios. Through performing parameter validation, parametric modeling, energy simulation, and multi-objective optimization using a real-world case study, the Pareto-optimal solutions we identified exhibited significantly improved overall performance. Energy consumption was decreased by at least 0.76 kWh/m² in 2020, 0.88 kWh/m² in 2030, and 1.30 kWh/m² in 2060, demonstrating that optimized building forms enhance both energy efficiency and climate adaptability under projected climate change conditions. Furthermore, the Pareto-optimal solutions indicate that the existing strategy of energy-efficient building layouts exhibits climate adaptability and energy resilience inherently. Compact building layouts with open spaces strategically positioned around buildings yield superior energy performance. Regarding building typology, minimizing unit high-rise structures while increasing standalone high-rise buildings is advisable. To maximize adaptation to prevailing monsoons, high-rise buildings should be concentrated on the western and northern sides of residential blocks, with lower heights and open spaces allocated to the southern and eastern sectors. In addition, maximizing solar energy potential through optimized spatial configurations can effectively eliminate climate change impacts on building energy demands.