ZEMCH 2015 - International Conference Proceedings | Page 600

the geographic position, which coincides with results from the homes in our study (in contrast
to general references and people’s perceptions). The one-storey house models gave better environmental performance results than the two-storey models (apparently due to have fewer wall
surface). Likewise, homes with party walls with neighbourhoods on one or both sides and simpler
geometric shapes enjoyed better comfort levels. When organised according to geometric characteristics, it was found that the greater the total outside wall length of the house models, the
higher the domestic energy demand. Hence, a two-storey, detached and irregular-shaped house
(most common in middle to high income sectors) would require almost three times more energy
than a one-storey terraced home with the same surface area and construction materials. This result reveals the influence of the urban typology and the overall architectural design decisions on
sustainable behaviour, without taking into account construction costs. In other words, with the
same budget, a more compactly designed home will offer much better energy performance and
comfort levels.

Fig.5. Examples of new designs of houses with better environmental performance (terraced, vertical
and extended models).
Additionally, a design experiment was carried out, based on the previously studied cases to improve energy performance, but using alternative house shapes that could offer enhanced performance and public acceptance. Three young architects with experience in house design and
simulation techniques were invited to design alternative projects for one of the real-estate mass
housing developments with good quality materials but high energy consumption rates. The proposals were made for a similar site, with the same number of rooms