Scientific Association of Waste Management Human Ecology 3041-9255 5 14 2026 05 22 Enhancing Building Envelope Efficiency for Energy Optimization: A Case Study of Educational Buildings in Shiraz Enhancing Building Envelope Efficiency for Energy Optimization: A Case Study of Educational Buildings in Shiraz 243473 10.22034/he.2026.553999.1158 FA Elahe Nouri Segherlou Department of Architecture, ShQ.C., Islamic Azad University, Shahr-e Qhods, Iran. Ghazaleh Nouri Segherlou Department of civil engineering, CT.C., Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran. Alireza Pahlavan Hassan Kashani Department of Architecture, ShQ.C., Islamic Azad University, Shahr-e Qods, Iran. Journal Article 2025 10 18 With the excessive increase in global energy consumption, the need for energy-saving strategies has become increasingly important. Over recent decades, energy consumption in public buildings has risen significantly. So far, various policies with different levels of effectiveness have been implemented to improve energy efficiency in the building sector across different types of structures. This study aims to propose a retrofit strategy for enhancing energy efficiency, focusing on higher education buildings located in hot and dry climatic regions, with Shiraz as the case study. Improving certain characteristics of building envelopes can enhance indoor comfort without compromising functional requirements. Comfort needs, including thermal, visual, and acoustic comfort, can contribute to reducing energy consumption. In this research, the emphasis is placed on thermal comfort as a means of achieving energy efficiency. Some of the key criteria used in the building envelope retrofit process include external walls, insulation, window glazing type, airtightness (air infiltration rate), and shading. The results of this study indicate that several simple retrofit strategies, such as shading, window glazing improvements, airtightness enhancement, and insulation, can reduce energy consumption by an average of up to 33%. From the perspective of building envelope characteristics, this research offers recommendations for design codes and standards, addressing thermal comfort, practical retrofit strategies, and providing a foundational reference for energy efficiency in educational buildings in Shiraz. With the excessive increase in global energy consumption, the need for energy-saving strategies has become increasingly important. Over recent decades, energy consumption in public buildings has risen significantly. So far, various policies with different levels of effectiveness have been implemented to improve energy efficiency in the building sector across different types of structures. This study aims to propose a retrofit strategy for enhancing energy efficiency, focusing on higher education buildings located in hot and dry climatic regions, with Shiraz as the case study. Improving certain characteristics of building envelopes can enhance indoor comfort without compromising functional requirements. Comfort needs, including thermal, visual, and acoustic comfort, can contribute to reducing energy consumption. In this research, the emphasis is placed on thermal comfort as a means of achieving energy efficiency. Some of the key criteria used in the building envelope retrofit process include external walls, insulation, window glazing type, airtightness (air infiltration rate), and shading. The results of this study indicate that several simple retrofit strategies, such as shading, window glazing improvements, airtightness enhancement, and insulation, can reduce energy consumption by an average of up to 33%. From the perspective of building envelope characteristics, this research offers recommendations for design codes and standards, addressing thermal comfort, practical retrofit strategies, and providing a foundational reference for energy efficiency in educational buildings in Shiraz.