Studying the Effect of Orientation and Building Massing on Energy Performance, Case Study: Teba Building, IUG

Achieving the optimum thermal performance of buildings is widely proposed. It determines how thermally comfortable the building is for its users, and how energy-efficient it is. It’s undeniable that improving the energy efficiency of buildings is needed worldwide to be considered as part of the solution to the problems of energy use in buildings, especially in the Gaza Strip which suffers from energy deficit for many years. Accordingly, this paper aims to find out the potential of reducing building energy consumption through the better orientation of buildings and their massing. and it indicates to what extent they affect the building thermal performance. Ecotect Computer program was used to carry out the simulation and validate the result. For the orientation study, 18 angles were taken by rotating the building by 10 degrees for each case. For the massing study, changing the building rectangular shape dimensions graduating from the rectangle shape to the square, creating 3 forms other than the reference, with the same volume and area. The outcome result reveals clearly that the optimum orientation and better building massing affect the building thermal performance so positively, that reduce the energy consumption by the building. The optimum orientation was at the east-west orientation, and the best massing for this climate and orientation is the square. Therefore, the study recommends applying passive solar design strategies, especially with regard to the orientation and geometric shape. Thermal simulation programs have to be used in order to evaluate the thermal performance of building