Evaluation of the Impact of Sustainable Architecture on Reducing Environmental Pollution and Improving Energy Efficiency in Residential Buildings
Keywords:
Sustainable architecture, environmental pollution, energy efficiency, Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), residential buildingsAbstract
The present study aimed to evaluate the impact of sustainable architecture on reducing environmental pollution and improving energy efficiency in residential buildings through a comparative analysis of physical-spatial and environmental components in selected urban neighborhoods. This study employed a mixed-methods approach combining qualitative and quantitative analyses to assess sustainability indicators in two neighborhoods, El-Goli and Khiyaban, in Tabriz. Data were collected through structured questionnaires, expert interviews, field observations, and document analysis. The Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) was utilized to determine the relative importance of criteria and sub-criteria related to physical-spatial and environmental components. Pairwise comparison matrices were developed using Saaty’s 9-point scale, and the data were analyzed using Expert Choice software to compute weights, priorities, and consistency ratios. The evaluation framework included indicators such as accessibility, housing quality, environmental cleanliness, air quality, infrastructure efficiency, and resource management. The results indicate that the El-Goli neighborhood demonstrates significantly higher performance compared to the Khiyaban neighborhood across both physical-spatial and environmental components. The relative weight of the physical-spatial component for El-Goli was 0.723, compared to 0.277 for Khiyaban, while in the environmental component, El-Goli achieved a weight of 0.766 versus 0.234 for Khiyaban. The consistency ratios of the AHP analysis were below 0.10, confirming the validity of the comparisons. Mean scores of environmental and physical-spatial indicators were also higher in El-Goli, indicating superior environmental quality, better infrastructure efficiency, and improved spatial organization. The findings confirm that the application of sustainable architectural and urban planning principles significantly enhances environmental quality and energy efficiency in residential areas, and the superior performance of the El-Goli neighborhood highlights the effectiveness of integrated design, modern infrastructure, and sustainable resource management in achieving these outcomes.
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