A network theory tool for evaluating synergies and conflicts among resilience strategies for buildings in early decision making

Source abstract

Buildings function within interconnected urban systems where resilience strategies can synergize or conflict. Understanding these interactions is essential for early-stage decision-making but remains underexplored. This study develops a network-based decision-support tool to evaluate and optimize building-level resilience strategies in cold climates (Köppen Dfb) based on their synergies and conflicts, informing prefeasibility studies. Strategies and their interactions are identified through relevant literature and represented as weighted, undirected adjacency matrices. Synergy and conflict networks are analyzed using centrality metrics—weighted degree ( WD ), betweenness ( B ), harmonic closeness ( HC ), and eigenvector ( E )—interpreted as reach, bridging, catalysis, and influence to support intuitive use. Composite synergies (Syn) and conflicts (Con) are calculated. Results show that renewable energy systems of photovoltaics, Trombe walls, envelope insulation, high window-to-wall ratios, and heat pumps exhibit strong synergistic potential. In contrast, compact buildings, vertical greening systems, and highly airtight envelopes demonstrate higher conflict tendencies despite their benefits. Heat pumps and smart building operation systems achieve the highest net synergies. Findings also highlight key trade-offs, where the same strategies both synergize and conflict, emphasizing the importance of coordinated strategy selection. Application to a case study in West 5 neighborhood, Ontario, demonstrates that adding strategies to the existing resilience system can increase overall synergies while maintaining manageable conflict levels. Multi-objective optimization and Pareto analysis support prioritization and sequencing. Sensitivity analysis reveals optimal strategy selection converge around similar strategies with some dependence on objectives (synergy-focused or conflict-focused). The tool enables systematic evaluation, scenario testing, and evidence-based prioritization for early-stage resilience planning.