Exploring a strategy for tall office buildings based on thermal energy consumption from industrialized perspective: An empirical study in China.

Faced with urban high-density environment, current energy-saving measures are focused on climatic design and technical improvement, which might not align well with China's national policies on extending the longevity of high-rise buildings to realize life cycle sustainability. Therefore, this paper explores energy-efficient strategies for tall office buildings in response to the time-varying operational parameters to realize spatial malleability from industrialized perspective. The results from a case study show that, first, the model of office + multi-courtyards has positive impact on climatic adaptation, in terms of ventilation, air temperature, thermal radiation environment, and effectiveness of thermal energy conservation. Second, the average energy efficiency rate of the model of office + multi-courtyards is from 12.8% to 4.7% with the interior space coverage of 20%–80%. Third, when the interior space coverage ranges from 50% to 60%, the average energy efficiency rate appears substantial fluctuation from 10.3% to 6.5% and appears the change point when the interior space coverage is 58%. • Office + multi-courtyard mode suites tall office buildings in subtropical zone. • The thermal energy efficiency rate of courtyard-style layout is around 4.7%–12.8%. • Energy efficiency rate sees large reduction when the interior space coverage is 58%. • Building separation is regarded as an essential condition for spatial malleability. • An energy-efficient strategy has been proposed from the industrialized perspective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]