Building Form and Site Conditions for Sustainable Low-Carbon Design: Evidence from Building Energy Consumption in Seoul, South Korea

Reducing building energy demand is essential for achieving carbon neutrality and advancing sustainable urban development. This study examines the associations between building-related and topographical characteristics and summer electricity consumption using large-scale empirical data from Seoul, South Korea. A Gamma regression model was employed, with geometric, scale, system, and topographical variables as predictors and building electricity consumption as the dependent variable. The results indicate that compact building forms are significantly associated with lower electricity consumption, suggesting their relevance for energy-efficient and low-carbon building design. In contrast, horizontal expansion appears to increase energy use more strongly than vertical, tower-type configurations. The findings further show that larger building scale amplifies energy demand even under similar geometric conditions. Among topographical variables, slope exhibits a relatively strong association with energy consumption, whereas elevation shows a weaker relationship. These results highlight the importance of integrating building form, scale, and site conditions into early-stage design decision-making. The study provides empirical evidence for sustainable built-environment strategies by linking architectural form, urban spatial context, and energy-demand reduction.