Model of Climate Adaptability Indicators Considering Energy Consumption Optimization in Architecture of High-Rise Buildings in Tabriz City

Rostami, Fatemeh; Moeini, Seyedmahmood; Yadegar, Kosar; Moradi, Fateme

doi:10.22034/ijumes.2026.2086773.1360

Model of Climate Adaptability Indicators Considering Energy Consumption Optimization in Architecture of High-Rise Buildings in Tabriz City

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Fatemeh Rostami ¹

Seyedmahmood Moeini ²

kosar Yadegar ³

Fateme Moradi ⁴

¹ Department of Architecture and Urban Planning, Faculty of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Technical and Vocational University (TVU), Tehran, Iran

² Department of Architecture, Mal.C., Islamic Azad University, Malayer, Iran

³ Department of Architecture,Tab.C., Islamic Azad University, Tabriz, Iran

⁴ Department of Architecture, Faculty of Architecture, IHES, Iran.

10.22034/ijumes.2026.2086773.1360

Abstract

High-rise buildings in cold semi-arid continental climates present one of the most demanding energy performance challenges in contemporary architecture: they must simultaneously resist severe winter conductive heat loss and prevent summer solar overheating two thermally opposing objectives that require careful integration across envelope, form, and mechanical systems. Tabriz, the capital of East Azerbaijan Province in north-western Iran. This study addresses that gap by developing and validating a structured indicator model for climate-adaptive, energy-optimised high-rise building design in Tabriz, using the Fuzzy Delphi Method (FDM) applied across four iterative rounds to a panel of fifteen domain experts in architecture, building physics, and environmental engineering. Beginning from twenty-one candidate indicators drawn from five conceptual domains opaque envelope thermal performance, transparent envelope and solar management, building form and orientation, active mechanical systems, and contextual passive strategies the iterative consensus process reduced the set to thirteen validated indicators, with Kendall’s coefficient of concordance (W) stabilising at 0.786 in the final round, confirming statistically significant and stable expert agreement. The four highest-priority indicators identified were wall thermal insulation compliance (mean 4.28), external shading device effectiveness (4.25), mechanical HVAC system efficiency (4.22), and glazing thermal performance (4.22), reflecting the dual-season energy imperative of Tabriz’s climate. The resulting thirteen-indicator model provides a coherent, empirically grounded, and operationally actionable framework for guiding the design of new high-rise buildings, the energy-based assessment of the existing stock, and the development of Tabriz-specific regulatory performance thresholds for tall building construction.

Graphical Abstract

Model of Climate Adaptability Indicators Considering Energy Consumption Optimization in Architecture of High-Rise Buildings in Tabriz City

Highlights

· A four-round Fuzzy Delphi Method (FDM) applied to a fifteen-member expert panel produced a final validated set of thirteen climate adaptability indicators for high-rise buildings in Tabriz, with Kendall’s W stabilising at 0.786.

· Wall thermal insulation compliance (4.28) and external shading device effectiveness (4.25) emerged as the co-highest-priority indicators, reflecting the dual-season design imperative of simultaneously minimising winter heat loss and managing summer solar overheating.

· Mechanical HVAC system efficiency and glazing thermal performance (both 4.22), air infiltration control (4.19), and building orientation (4.16) form a second-tier priority cluster directly relevant to minimum building code threshold specification for Tabriz.

· The elimination of renewable energy integration, BEMS, and floor-plate daylighting from the model confirms that climate adaptability indicators operate at the design-parameter level, distinct from operational management tools and project-specific technology choices.

· The three-tier indicator hierarchy (envelope thermal cluster → systems and form cluster → secondary thermal management cluster) provides a structured prioritisation sequence applicable to both new-build design and the energy retrofitting of the existing Tabriz high-rise building stock.

· Future research should develop quantitative threshold values for each validated indicator through dynamic energy simulation (EnergyPlus/DesignBuilder) calibrated to the Tabriz reference climate, enabling translation of the model into enforceable regulatory standards for tall building construction.

Keywords

Building energy optimisation

climate adaptability

Fuzzy Delphi Method

High-rise buildings

Tabriz

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