Architectural solutions to reduce the latent energy in the construction of the residential building in Bandar Abbas

The energy consumption of the building during construction is one of the issues that designers and architects face. The energy used in the construction process of a building consumes plenty of resources. Thus, by evaluating the energy of construction time, called latent energy, it is possible to save energy by choosing the most appropriate materials and solutions. This article focuses on reducing latent energy through architectural implementation strategies. The study aims to reduce energy consumption to protect the environment. The research hypothesizes that some solutions in the construction phase can be effective in reducing the latent energy of the building in Bandar Abbas. To this end, first, the latent energy of a 6-storey building in Bandar Abbas was calculated. Then, based on how the variables affect the total latent energy, which is extracted from the theoretical framework of the research, the latent energy is calculated and analyzed once more by changing the variables. Based on the research questions that seek the variables and strategies to reduce the latent energy during the construction of the building, the conclusion is two-faced: firstly, the theoretical results based on the text review, and secondly, experimental results obtained from calculations. The findings of this study show that the latent energy per square meter of the building in Bandar Abbas in the architectural sector is between 1.9 to 18.5 gigajoules. In this study, the variables affecting the latent energy during execution including mortars, transportation, building maintenance, reconstruction instead of demolition, and use of recycled materials have been investigated on the latent energy of the whole building. Findings show that the choice of materials can increase up to 89% of the total latent energy of the building, which is equivalent to 33 years of energy consumption of the building and has the greatest impact on latent energy. Therefore, by performing latent energy calculations, architects can have the greatest impact on reducing the latent energy of the building through the selection of materials, details, dimensions and spaces. In this article, solutions are presented to reduce the latent energy of the building during the construction of the building.