Dynamic Building Envelope Systems for Urban Residential Architecture: A Theoretical Simulation Study of Adaptive Facades and Integrated Renewable Energy

Abstract

Static high?performance building envelopes can reduce energy consumption significantly compared to conventional designs; however, their inability to adapt to diurnal and seasonal variations limits potential savings. This study uses advanced energy simulation to evaluate the potential of dynamic envelope systems that incorporate adaptive facade technologies—such as electrochromic glazing, motorized shading, and variable insulation—coupled with integrated building?integrated photovoltaics (BIPV). A prototypical urban residential building is modelled in EnergyPlus, with dynamic components controlled via a custom MATLAB interface that implements a rule?based algorithm. Simulation results show that an adaptive facade employing dynamic shading and electrochromic glazing (Scenario A) reduces annual space-conditioning energy by approximately 9–10% relative to a static high-performance envelope, while a system combining variable insulation with integrated BIPV (Scenario B) further decreases net energy consumption by up to 24% when renewable generation is considered. These theoretical findings underscore the promise of dynamic envelope systems to further improve energy performance and occupant comfort in urban residential architecture.