The Comfort of Living – Past and Present

The comfort of living depends on building materials, construction technologies, life-style, environmental conditions and other parameters. Throughout history, mankind has seen the formulation of various construction principles the evolution of which has gone parallel to technological development. The traditional construction principles attempted at making best use of the inherent characteristics of building materials. Consequently, fuel consumption and emissions were reduced to minimum. The employment of ecological building materials, such as wood, stone, clay, lime pointing and lime colours, construction technology characterised by thick walls, small windows and a fireplace situated in the centre of the dwelling, created a specific living environment. While the building materials produced no emissions, the construction and heating technologies, with the smoke produced by the fireplace and lighting, increased fire danger, uneven room temperature, relative humidity and draught, affected the dwellers' living standard. The last decades have witnessed an introduction of new building materials and construction technologies. New building materials, characterised by a negative potential, such as concrete, metal and other artificial materials, are constantly being introduced. These materials not only cause pollution, but also deteriorate man's health through direct emissions in the living environment. While the heating and ventilation technologies seem to ensure a high living standard providing even room temperature throughout the year in spite of enormous glass surfaces with the help of air-conditioning, they exert a negative influence on man with energy consumption and non-ionised radiation.

The paper analyses the living environment focusing on parameters, such as wall temperature, relative humidity, air quality, lighting, fire safety, toxic-substance emissions, their advantages and disadvantages and the ways the knowledge acquired in the past may improve the quality of life in the present.

complete paper in Slovene language