The building sector is a major contributor to global energy consumption and associated greenhouse gas emissions, with building envelopes playing a critical role in mediating thermal performance and operational energy demand. This is particularly true in developing countries with hot climates, such as Pakistan, where inefficient envelopes lead to excessive cooling loads. This study presents a Building Information Modeling (BIM)-based approach to optimize the building envelope design for a six-story commercial building in Islamabad, Pakistan. Using Autodesk Revit for 3D modeling and DesignBuilder for dynamic energy simulation, the research evaluates the impact of three distinct envelope material configurations: a conventional heavyweight approach (Baseline), a natural/lightweight approach, and a high-performance approach featuring advanced insulation materials. The investigation quantifies key performance indicators, including heating and cooling loads, Energy Use Intensity (EUI), and indoor thermal stability. The findings demonstrate that transitioning from a conventional to a high-performance envelope can yield substantial energy savings, reducing the annual EUI by up to 30%. The study establishes a replicable BIM-to-BEM (Building Energy Modeling) workflow, highlighting its efficacy as a decision-making tool for achieving energy-conscious design in Pakistan’s construction industry. This research provides the first quantitative analysis of its kind for the region, offering empirical evidence to support the adoption of high-performance materials and integrated design processes, thereby contributing to national and global sustainability targets aligned with UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 7, 11, and 13.
Abbas et al. (Sun,) studied this question.