Examining the Impact of House Size on Building Embodied Energy

The effects of buildings on the environment can be reduced with research-based alternative building designs. This study focuses on reducing the building space to lower the overall size of a building as a strategy to reduce the building’s embodied energy. The aim of this study was to investigate the initial embodied energy (IEE) of a residential building that was systematically reduced in size. Using input–output-based hybrid analysis, the IEE for three architecturally distinct four-bedroom residential prototypes (P1, P2, and P3) was calculated. The IEE for P1 (525 m²), P2 (266 m²), and P3 (109 m²) were 3555, 2008, and 1000 GJ, respectively. This indicates a 72% reduction in embodied energy consumption when the largest prototype (P1) was transitioned to the smallest (P3). When analyzing IEE/m² and IEE/m²/occupant, it becomes apparent that larger spaces tend to have a lower IEE/m². However, when the occupancy increases, the IEE/m²/occupant decreases by 25–33%. Therefore, considering occupant-centered design for residential buildings, the benefits of a large house are not justifiable. These findings can help inform decisions regarding the optimization of residential spaces to minimize environmental impacts.