reklam

Host Organisation: The Faculty of Architecture The University of Ljubijana Slovenia 
Co- Organiser: The International Association for Housing Sience, USA
Organising Committee: Prof. Oktay Ural, Prof. Dr. Viadimir Brezar, 

Congress major Factors

ENVIRONMENT
Man is the only living creature aware of himself, of space and of time. His impact on the environment is active and may be controlled, although he is (as Homo Ludens) prone to making mistakes: his actions are creative, but often irresponsible. The concerns about climate, soil, water and air have to be discussed in detail, the role of material resources, energy consumption, pollution and waste must be analysed, and land-use and other issues have to be considered as real quantities. The most important change in this field is man's awareness of the future consequences of his activities.

CULTURE
The role of culture can be described in the various forms of living patterns, family structure, the creativity and skill in folk art and tradition, the degree of self-help and communal solidarity, the vernacular architecture and settlements both old and new. But these ways of life are in decline as a result of globalization, IT and fashion. During the 20th century the dwelling culture was changed: the sheer quantity of mass housing has moved the focus from architectural qualities to the efficiency of production.

GOVERNMENT
Governmental responsibility for housing comes in the form of housing policies, planning systems and land-use policies. These may be centralised and organised in order to meet the requirement of shelter as a constitutive right or alternatively they may be decentralised, left to the free market and private enterprise. The government may make possible or permit any kind of urbanisation, but it may also put in place strict rules. It can stimulate self-help and participation or it can provide appropriate financing, loans and subsidies. The role of the state in housing has been altered by general political and ideological changes and may change again in the future. This is also the case for countries where the "housing problem" seems to be "solved".

TECHNOLOGY
In the last hundred years building technology has been changed in order to meet the enormous demands for mass production in housing. Industrial methods and new materials have been introduced. The energy crisis has created a new attitude to the building envelope. The relationship between efficiency, usability and comfort, between investment and maintenance cost have become the major agents in developing the present state of the art in building theory and practice. Further changes may be expected in the future based on the recent trends in the twofold development of high-tech and ecological building production.