Energy budget in an educational building in KSA: The case of cladding with terracotta and aluminium

Buildings' façades significantly impact human thermal comfort and the energy budget of buildings. It is estimated that 73% of heat losses or gains are immediately linked to the configuration and types of materials in the buildings' envelope. Building styles in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia witnessed a large and growing expansion in curtain walls, glass facades, metal cladding, and precast concrete. It is striking that terracotta cladding is most often associated with school building façades, especially the government ones, with very limited applications in other building types. This paper investigates the energy-related budget of using Aluminum and terracotta cladding in an educational facility in KSA. The article follows the experimental approach. Data about both cladding materials' specifications were obtained and input into the virtual model building in DesignBuilder software for simulation and analysis. The comparative analysis of energy consumption during the building's operational phase in both cases revealed that more energy budget was needed in the case of Aluminum cladding to provide thermal comfort to the occupants. The study concludes that the efficiency of thermal insulation of Terracotta is better than the Aluminum sheets. On the other hand, and in the long run, the study underscores the preference of using Aluminum cladding for its extensive reuse and recycling potential. Brittleness of Terracotta limits its prospects for recycling; therefore, it might be more energy-consuming when frequently reproduced for new applications or maintenance purposes throughout the building life cycle