Ecology of the Building Geometry - Environmental performance of different building shape

The relationship of the building geometry with ecology is often described by commonplaces such as "compact shapes spheres and cubes are most favourable". But is this true? On the basis of environmental life cycle assessments of office buildings, during several years different shape and stacking typologies were studied for equal spatial demands. These studies led to interesting relationships between the building height and environmental performance. They were brought further into focus by studies of real high-rise buildings. Furthermore, the influence of large glazed spaces was studied. All assessments were done by means of a reference comparison model, using GreenCalc, a tool based on LCAs. Therefore, they provided outcomes that could be compared. This paper discusses these studies and their approach. The findings clarify the relationship between the building geometry and ecology, supporting ecological construction of new buildings anywhere in the world.