Abstract
The selection of the appropriate façade is a critical decision in building design, impacting energy performance, aesthetics, occupant comfort and overall sustainability. Selecting between different glazing materials is a complicated process due to the various alternatives and the different performance criteria that need to be evaluated and ranked. Multi-criteria decision making (MCDM) is an important method to help decision makers choose between different alternatives based on different criteria. MCDM is not about selecting the best option, but is a complicated process in which criteria may clash, requiring a systematic approach to assess different alternatives This paper aims to develop a conceptual decision-making framework to select the optimum glazing system in building and validated by a hypothetical demonstrative case study. It also explores the key selection criteria for glazing facade systems, within the context of smart buildings emphasizing the role of MCDM in the selection process. It also provides a complete comparison of the most common MCDM approaches and methodologies types, criteria selection and ranking.