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As a symbol of green architecture, double skin facade (DSF) represents a design which possesses many energy saving features, but due to the complexity of the system, the real performances and benefits have been difficult to predict. The objective of this study was to inform the applicability of DSFs, and contribute to the positive impacts of DSF designs. This study compared and contrasted energy savings in a temperate climate, where heating was the dominant energy strategy, and in a subtropical climate, where cooling spaces was the dominant issue. This paper focused on a university office building with a west facing shaft box window facade. The research method was a paired analysis of simulation studies which compared the energy performance of a set of buildings in two different climates. Simulation results showed a good agreement with measurements undertaken in the exiting building during a two-week period. The results specified that DSFs are capable of almost 50% energy savings in temperate and 16% in subtropical climates. Although these indicated DSFs are more suitable for temperate climates than warmer regions, the amount of energy savings in subtropical climates were also considerable. However, due to the costs of DSFs and potential loss of leasable floor area, investigations into other feasible ventilation options are necessary before final building design decisions are made.

INTRODUCTIONCurrent green building practice has been largely advanced by an integrated design process. This integrated design process involves multiple disciplines, such as architecture, civil, mechanical, and electrical engineering. The design method heavily relies on utilizing building performance simulation to illustrate how design parameters affect the energy consumption and quality of the indoor environment before actual design decisions are made (Anderson, 2014). The architectural design tools in the integrated design process supersede traditional geometrical exploration instruments, such as Sketchup, Revit, ArchiCad, and Rhino (Negendahl, 2015). More building performance simulating tools, such as Ecotect, Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD), Radiance, and EnergyPlus, have been developed to help architects measure building performance (e.g., natural ventilation, daylighting, solar radiation, and energy uses) in the design process and attain green building standards such as Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED). The information presented by these tools guide architects at a certain level in achieving green building goals. However, building simulation is generally beyond the architect's knowledge domain. Many architects have difficulty in understanding these technical terms and models, as well as their design implications. Therefore, specific consultants have emerged to help architects grasp the meanings of these numbers and models, which require architects to implement a high level of design collaboration and coordination (Aksamija, 2015; Gou & Lau, 2014). Simulation consultants can work in parallel with architects at the early design stage to intervene in the conceptual and schematic design; they may also work behind architects to verify the building performance after the design is finished and make their design green through technical alterations.Most existing literature argues for an early intervention of building performance simulation in the architectural design process and explores different algorithms or models for optimal intervention (Degens, Scholzen, & Odenbreit, 2015; Sick, Schade, Mourtada, Uh, & Grausam, 2014; Svetlana Olbina & Yvan Beliveau, 2007). However, the difference between early intervention and late verification is often not investigated. Few qualitative studies can help understand how the building performance simulation is actually implemented, and how it influences the quality of design solutions in addition to the quantity of performance outcomes. The current research presents two case studies that compare building performance simulation as an early intervention and a late verification tool in the architectural design process, which contextualizes the building simulation research in real building practices.

This study is to assess developers' market readiness to green construction including their ideas on green construction, their understanding of current green building policies, their awareness and familiarity with green building and related industries, and the barriers they are facing for implementing green building projects. By eleven face-to-face semi-structured interviews with locally-based developers, the study finds that the Green Building Market in Hong Kong is basically ready in technology level. However, the motivation for green development is confined to commercial buildings for lease. Legislation is agreed by developers as an effective motivator to green building development. An effective mechanism to provide incentives for market players to adopt green voluntarily is explored in this paper. Expedited permits and density bonus are thought to be major incentives.

Green buildings can have a more significant impact on their occupant health and productivity through improving indoor environment quality. However, post-occupancy studies invariably pointed out that green buildings were not always more comfortable and productive than non-green buildings. The article presents a comparison study between three buildings in Shenzhen aiming to examine the actual performance of green buildings from occupant point of view. The two green buildings marked a higher satisfaction on the health and productivity perception. However, in-depth examinations on IEQs showed some weaknesses in the two green buildings. On the comfort and satisfaction with the indoor air and temperature, the two green buildings performed better in summer but worse in winter. One of the two green buildings had significantly more noise from different sources than the conventional building. The other green building was significantly less satisfactory on the lighting environment than the conventional building. Implications were discussed for the green building designs and operations.