Optimising Energy Efficiency and Daylighting Performance for Designing Vernacular Architecture—A Case Study of Rawshan

Raed Alelwani, Muhammad Waseem Ahmad (), Yacine Rezgui and Kaznah Alshammari
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Raed Alelwani: Department of Architecture, Faculty of Engineering, Al-Baha University, Alaqiq 65779-7738, Saudi Arabia
Muhammad Waseem Ahmad: Built Environment and Sustainable Technologies (BEST) Research Institute, School of Civil Engineering and Built Environment, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool L3 3AF, UK
Yacine Rezgui: BRE Centre for Sustainable Engineering, School of Engineering, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF24 3AB, UK
Kaznah Alshammari: Department of Information Technology, Faculty of Computing and Information Technology, Northern Border University, Arar 1321, Saudi Arabia

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 1, 1-33

Abstract: Building optimisation techniques provide a rigorous framework for exploring new optimal design solutions. In this study, a genetic algorithm (GA) was used to investigate the energy efficiency of a vernacular architectural element (Rawshan) in Saudi Arabia. Two objectives were optimised using a GA simulation enhanced: energy consumption optimisation and useful daylight illuminance (UDI) optimisation. A calibrated simulation model of a typical house in Saudi Arabia was used in the study. Several metrics, such as light interference from shadows or other windows, were considered to indicate the importance of the Rawshan. Computational studies were performed using different climatic conditions, and the results were compared with and without a Rawshan element using the weather data of Mecca, Jeddah, Riyadh, and Al-Baha. In this study, the blind thicknesses on the front and sides of the Rawshan were used as optimisation variables. The results showed that using a GA with energy consumption as an objective can reduce energy consumption. One of the methods proposed in the paper can reduce energy consumption by 3.6%, 3.6%, and 16.6% for Mecca, Riyadh, and Al-Baha, respectively. The single-objective optimisation method demonstrated that Rawshan provided sufficient UDI in four cities: Mecca, Jeddah, Riyadh, and Al-Baha. The research provided optimised values for Rawshan blind thicknesses on the front and lateral sides under different optimisation constraints. The results showed that using Rawshans in modern building architecture can reduce energy consumption and improve useful daylight illuminance.

Keywords: Rawshan; vernacular architecture; evolutionary optimisation; genetic algorithms; energy efficiency; energy consumption; daylight; single-objective (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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