La residenza verso il terzo millennio

Within the disquieting context of ecological imbalances characterizing the end of the second millenium, hardly can the building industry afford to ignore issues of environmental protection. Consequently, the conception of the dwelling of the future should arguably be informed by principles of sustainable development. With respect to both building rehabilitation and new constructions, this involves a substantial reduction in energy consumption (thermal insulation and climate-related design), the application of renewable energy technologies (photovoltaics, passive solar systems), and the use of eco-compatible, recyclable and low-energy materials. The present study aims to review the practices connected to these three strategies, by investigating their global energy cost and verifying their sustainability.