Advanced Building Envelope Systems for Energy Efficiency: Implications for Architectural Design in Tropical Climates

Abstract

Building envelope systems determine energy efficiency, environmental impact, and occupant comfort in modern buildings. This systematic review of 101 Scopus-indexed sources (2020–2025) evaluates advanced envelope technologies for tropical climates, with emphasis on developing regions. Buildings consume 30–40% of global energy, with tropical regions exceeding 50% for cooling. This review evaluates performance advantages, implementation challenges, and current trends for advanced envelope technologies including phase change materials (PCM), adaptive facades, smart glazing, building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV), and IoT-enabled systems. Results indicate that climate-responsive envelope design, interdisciplinary collaboration, and policy support are essential for sustainable buildings. Tropical office buildings achieve 14.2–31.5% energy savings through PCM and adaptive dynamic facades with IoT monitoring. Developing regions face barriers including high initial costs, limited technical expertise, and inadequate regulatory frameworks.