The impact of urban morphology and energy demand of a residential buildings in Hebron city

Abstract

A comprehensive understanding of the urban form is a prerequisite for sustainable development, especially in cities where urban growth is confined to a limited geographical area, such as Hebron City, which faced rapid urban growth, increased density, as well as population growth and migration to the city in the last several decades, and where efforts focused mainly on optimizing land as an economic asset instead of taking into account its energy demand. Despite the fact that urban form is considered a major discourse in urban studies, little work has been done at the urban level in Hebron. This thesis examines the impact of urban morphology in the city on residential building selected in Hebron, West Bank. The energy building was examined in different urban patterns, which were classified using GIS. The urban variables, which are: built intensity, compactness, building height, and open space ratio, were identified at the urban level to express the differences in the urban fabric. The performance was assessed regarding energy demand (heating and cooling), using Design-Builder simulation software on a typical building, which was located by the Mean Center in GIS. Moreover, the obtained results were compared with values of CFD analysis aimed at improving energy demand to determine how far these results are from sustainability. This thesis demonstrated that the urban form plays a significant role in determining the performance of the building and its energy demand. It has also reached some general recommendations such as greenery which assist engineers and maker- decisions in the planning process and urban design. Moreover, it will help decision-makers understand the influence of these constraints of the urban form (urban variables) on the city development in terms of energy demand. It can further reveal important information about problems, and possibilities to be expected under different density conditions with better energy demand to cope with the challenges of a rapidly growing urban population through the equations that has been got. Keywords: Energy demand,GIS, Urban tissues, Floor space index (FSI), Ground space index (GSI), simulation software, Open space ratio (OSR), urban parameter, Ancient morphology science.