The issue of thermal performance and protection and modernisation of traditional half-timbered (bondruk) style houses in Serbia

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Traditional rural houses are one of the most endangered forms of cultural and built heritage in Serbia today. In the past, the building of rural houses was in interaction with nature and the conditions of the immediate environment, especially in terms of its climatic and geographic properties. Today, they are often abandoned to decay, or replaced with new buildings, removing any connection with tradition. Problems related to their protection and regeneration to a great extent could be connected either with the properties of the original materials used for their construction, since they are usually not very durable, or with the level of how comfortable they are, which falls below modern living standards. Through a review of types and methods of building of the so-called half-timbered (bondruk) style houses, as well as an analysis of their achieved thermal performances and potentials, this paper strives to point out the real need for their modernisation and optimal possibilities for their energy improvement, with respect to the need for the protection of their integrity and authenticity during the renovation process.