Building and Architectural Details of Tenement Houses Built at the Turn of the 19th and 20th Centuries in Central European Region—Hygrothermal Analysis

Abstract

Restoring historic buildings is a challenging task in an environment where any insensitive or unprofessional intervention can cause irreparable damage. Among the most important demands currently placed on the construction industry are the protection of structural details, materials and technologies, and the extension of the life of these historic buildings. In this context, we should mention the protection of the high number of tenement buildings in European cities from the second half of the 19th and early 20th centuries, whose structural quality is relatively high and where many other building details and elements have been preserved. The brick dwellings of the period, which are between 85 and 170 years old, do not fully comply with many of the requirements and provisions of the current regulations and standards. The serious shortcomings of brick tenement buildings include, among other things, the inadequate thermal resistance of the envelope and infill structures and the high energy consumption of the operation of these buildings. This paper focuses on analysing this situation and defining the requirements for renovation, while preserving the architectural and historical values of urban buildings; achieving acceptable compliance with the requirements and provisions of the currently applicable regulations and standards; and demonstrating cost-effectiveness.