The Effect of Building Blocks Layout on Indoor Thermal Comfort and Energy Consumption of Building in the Humid Subtropical Climate of Caspian Coast

Cities use a lot of energy sources and they form more than 70 percent of global carbon emissions. It is very important to measure the relationship between urban form and energy consumption. The form of different building blocks in the city can create different microclimates and subsequently affect the thermal comfort and energy performance of each building. Building blocks form includes different variables. The purpose of the research was to predict the effect of the layout pattern of building blocks on the thermal conditions of the building and the annual energy consumption of the building. The general pattern of building block layout (discrete, linear, centripetal) and its characteristics, including length, depth and direction, were considered as independent variables of the research and the annual energy consumption of the building as a dependent variable. The thermal conditions in the building are based on the PMV thermal index as a mediating variable. This research is a quantitative study that includes a literature review and research and software analysis. Accordingly, the samples of building block layouts based on typical patterns in the study area located in the CFA climate were simulated using DesignBuilder software and the results were compared with each other results. Energy consumption results have shown a direct relationship with the thermal conditions of the building. The layout patterns of the building block in the form of a medium-depth centripetal (annual energy consumption: 52718.5 wh/m2) and a short-length linear (annual energy consumption: 54127 wh/m2) can be considered as favorable options in terms of annual energy consumption. Also, changing the direction of building blocks with a linear form causes a significant change in energy consumption (It increases by 10.7% compared to the short linear pattern), and in the discrete pattern, considering designing strategy like insulation for external walls are important to prevent heat loss.