TRADITIONAL RURAL HOUSES IN SERBIA –THERMAL PERFORMANCES AND 

POTENTIALS FOR ENERGY RETROFIT

Dr Ana RadivojevićAssociate Professor

Faculty of Architecture, University of Belgrade

BASIC MORPHOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF VERNACULAR ARCHITECTURE IN SERBIA

existing traditional rural houses in Serbia date from the time before the World War Two extinction of traditional

building techniques gradually started by the mid of the 20th

century

general characteristics of the rural houses depended on natural and climatic conditions in Serbia

typological diversity regarding: spatial and formative

characteristics structures and materials used

in the constructions

BASIC MORPHOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF VERNACULAR ARCHITECTURE IN SERBIA NORTH / VOJVODINA – RAMMED EARTH HOUSES

BASIC MORPHOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF VERNACULAR ARCHITECTURE IN SERBIA NORTH / VOJVODINA – RAMMED EARTH HOUSES

Typical spatial organization schemes with heated areas marked

Typical cross section schemes with heated areas marked

BASIC MORPHOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF VERNACULAR ARCHITECTURE IN SERBIA

WEST AND CENTRAL REGIONS – LOG CABINS

BASIC MORPHOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF VERNACULAR ARCHITECTURE IN SERBIA

WEST AND CENTRAL REGIONS – LOG CABINS

Typical spatial organization schemes with heated areas marked

Typical cross section schemes with heated areas marked

BASIC MORPHOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF VERNACULAR ARCHITECTURE IN SERBIA

EAST & SOUTH-EAST REGIONS – HALF-TIMBERED (BONDRUK) STYLE HOUSES

BASIC MORPHOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF VERNACULAR ARCHITECTURE IN SERBIA

EAST & SOUTH-EAST REGIONS – HALF-TIMBERED (BONDRUK) STYLE HOUSES

Typical spatial organization schemes with heated areas marked

Typical cross section schemes with heated areas marked

THE STATE OF PRESERVATION OF TRADITIONAL RURAL HOUSES IN SERBIA

serious problem of Serbian rural areas – depopulation

consequently – general negligence towards the traditional rural houses: mostly abandoned and left to the

effects of the march of time when they are still in use (typical for

houses that belong to the people of poor financial state) – they keep their original form but maintenance is not always adequate

Inadequate thermal comfort – one of the main problems of traditional houses!

rarely, traditional houses are “improved” by their owners – in the most of the cases in an unacceptable way: regarding preservation of their authenticity regarding the compatibility of the applied

contemporary materials (possible problems with vapor diffusion and condensation due to the use of vapor sealed materials)

PRESENCE OF VERNACULAR ARCHITECTURE IN NOWADAYS SERBIAN HOUSING STOCK

the 2011 national Census show that about 10% of total dwellings in Serbia were built prior to 1945

the majority of these houses are freestanding family houses, predominantly from rural areas – i.e. many of them represent traditional rural houses (especially those built before 1919)

end of 2011 - adoption of new Regulations on Energy Efficiency of Buildings energy efficiency comes into

the focus of the present building practice in Serbia

Research project:Energy Efficiency of Buildings - Assessment of Energy

Performances of the Serbian Building Stock

Specific Heating Energy demand per year (by building type per period)

Building type  1  2  3  4  5  Σ MWh/year 

A ‐ before 1919 

2317797  512229  38064  21129  52988  2942206 

B ‐ 1919‐1945  3402572  284831  196427  75299  272583  4231713  

Research project:Energy Efficiency of Buildings - Assessment of Energy

Performances of the Serbian Building Stock

Research project:Energy Efficiency of Buildings - Assessment of Energy Performances of the Serbian Building Stock

energy improvement measures investigated within the research:two levels of potential improvement of energy efficiency of buildings: standard measures enhanced measures

QUESTION – What would be more appropriate and more realistic measures for thermal renovation of

traditional houses?

pilot investigation was performed on the effects of certain “passive measures” for thermal renovation of a traditional house

experimental model-building was created, based on building principles of one-storey bondruk style traditional house containing 3 rooms and a porch

QUESTION – What would be more appropriate and more realistic measures for thermal renovation of

traditional houses?

“passive measures” addition of layer of, preferably natural, thermo insulation, in the

zone of a ceiling structure, above those spaces where such structure existed

addition of preferably natural, thermo insulation, in the zone of wooden floor structure towards the unheated cellar

insertion of additional, inner casement window, which basically did not exist in traditional rural houses (it should be made of wood, with thermo-insulating glazing)

adequate interventions on walls - the problem of authenticity!(measures should be applied on the inner side of a wall and with caution when choosing the exact thermo insulating material –preferably natural, i.e. reed)

Model-building – presumed elements of thermal envelope and their thermal

properties

MODEL-BUILDING Efficiency of applied energy improvement

measuresIntervention type

1. Walls 2. Windows 3. Door 4. Ceiling 5. Floor Qh/A [kWh/m2] old new old new old new old new old new

No intervention ∎ ∎ ∎ ∎ ∎ 357.6 (100%)

Type 1 window

∎ ∎ ∎ ∎ ∎ 273.8 (76.6%)

Type 2 window + ceiling

∎ ∎ ∎ ∎ ∎ 231.5 (64.7%)

Type 3 window+ceiling + floor

∎ ∎ ∎ ∎ ∎ 216.0 (60.4)

Type 4 window+ceiling + floor + wall ∎ ∎ ∎ ∎ ∎ 167.0

(46.7%)

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

originalstructure

type 1 type 2 type 3 type 4

kWh/m

2

Type of intervention

Qh/A

Problem of determination of thermal properties of traditional materials

in practice, there is a significant diversity of applied building materials and structures determination of their exact thermal properties is a complex problem!

Problem of determination of thermal properties of traditional materials

traditional building materials are not standardized!

difficult to define precise thermal properties even for the same type of the material or a building technique variations regarding the thickness, number

and sequence of layers

Type of (traditional) building material

Thermal conductivity

λ [W/mK]

naturally wet soil 1.535greasy loam and by- products 0.688loam with straw 0.518light loam 0.344armour of loam- straw wattles 0.344

Further investigations

1. field investigation, identification and systematization of the exact structure of building elements of traditional houses

2. measuring and identification of thermal properties of applied materials and structures

3. proposition of adequate/compatible thermal improvement measures (preferably “passive ones”) based on the real/exact characteristics of traditional houses (transition from the general to the particular)