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Improving
the quality of urban building envelopes is a real task in Europe.
This requires the development of new and suitable strategies for
local authorities, housing corporations and owners on one hand,
and for architects and civil engineers on the other hand.
Until
now engineering aspects on an integrated scale have been disregarded
in this process. In many European countries new technologies have
been developed, but these have either not yet been translated into
practice, or have been only locally used to achieve a higher quality
in urban buildings. This results in a limited impact on urban environments.
Therefor it is essential to bring all kind of local solutions together,
to learn from it and to come to a more general approach that can
be used for building systems. The wish to improve the quality of
an individual building envelope usually leads to local, project-based
solutions. To reach maximum value for money, it is essential to
integrate all the factors influencing urban building envelopes and
look at it in a broader scope.
The
main factors involved are:
1. Quantitative technical demands,
2. Qualitative aspects;
3. Social aspects
4. Safety aspects;
5. Environmental aspects, including energy use,
6. Aspects relating to sustainability.
7. Modifications in the use of the building
The
scope of the Action is to improve techniques and methods for envelopes
of buildings constructed during the last half of the 20th century
in the COST countries. In other words directed on the building envelopes
of the so-called non-traditional buildings, constructed in-poured
concrete systems, big prefabricated systems and/or with small concrete/mixed
elements. The demand for housing in the post-war period necessitated
the rapid production of large numbers of dwellings. Qualitative
aspects were less important. Furthermore dwellings of the types
then constructed no longer fulfil contemporary or anticipated future
demands for housing, with the possible exception of those dwelling
built during the last 5 years.
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