Simulating the Impact of Solar Energy on Pyramid and Stair Urban Blocks

Developing countries like Iran are rapidly expanding, putting pressure on non-renewable ener-gy resources. The building sector takes a major share of the total energy consumption of the country and is projected to increase further, which calls for strategies to reduce energy use by improving the thermal performance of buildings. This study addresses the compelling need to provide optimum design guidelines for future apartment buildings in the city of Shiraz by in-vestigating two urban cluster typologies of the Stair and Pyramid arranged at five orientations. The results showcase the ideal combination of 155° for the Pyramid typology, which contributes the least to the annual energy loads of the buildings.