Early-Stage Building Performance Simulation for High-Performance Buildings: A Systematic Review of Methods, Workflows, Uncertainty Handling, and Design Decision Support

This systematic review of the literature examines how early-stage building performance evaluation can assist designers while they are still able to make alterations to their designs. The literature covered in this review comprised all peer-reviewed publications in English from 2013-2025. The review has synthesized the literature into four separate themes: (1) Performance Evaluation and Performance Assessment; (2) Simulation-based Design; (3) Collaborative and Sustainable Workflow Processes; and (4) Early-Stage Simulation Practices. The results show that the evaluation approach now emphasizes performance early in the design process rather than compliance at the final stage. Initial simulations target the building's massing and envelop in relation to climate considerations; later stages will focus on technical enhancements, verification, and ensuring adherence to building codes. The effectiveness of these procedures depends on the ability to establish decision-phase milestones, integrate design tools with performance analysis software, and openly discuss uncertainties throughout the design journey. Effective early-stage performance evaluation is restricted by a number of factors, including inconsistent conversion of Building Information Models (BIMs) to Building Energy Models (BEMs); a lack of verification/validation techniques; and several situations in which the building's actual performance differs from its anticipated energy performance. To improve the integration of performance evaluation into architectural design practice, these obstacles necessitate significant improvements in interoperability, systematic uncertainty reporting, and workflow-oriented methodologies for buildings and building codes.