Assessment of the Energy Demands for Heating in an Historic Building. Case Study: Renewal of a Functionalist Building of the Infectious Diseases Pavilion in Topoľčany, Slovakia

The case study seeks an optimal solution for preserving the cultural values of a functionalist building so that it fulfils the legislative essence of the protection of a historic building and, at the same time, contributes to the improvement of its thermophysical properties. The paper focuses on the degree of the application of energy performance requirements for the adaptive reuse of a historic building. The efforts to preserve cultural values (architectural, aesthetic, the value of the authenticity of an area and its building constructions, etc.) in legally protected buildings often do not permit the application of building construction processes such as those used in ordinary older buildings. The research responds to a situation where a building with historic values, built in a functionalist style (the 1940s), permits variants of the surface treatment of the facade so as to not disturb the essential stylistic values of that facade and, at the same time, reduce its energy demands to the required value.

Heat demands for heating have a significant effect on the energy needs for heating and thus on the overall energy need of a building. The heat demands depend on the efficiency and quality of the thermal protection in buildings. In the case of cultural monuments, the calculation of the thermophysical properties of building structures forms the basis for determining the heating and cooling demands. Building structures and their elements that form the building envelope must meet current and demanding thermophysical requirements in accordance with the applicable standards, if technically and economically feasible. When restoring cultural monuments in the Slovak Republic, it is not required to meet requirements for energy efficiency. On the other hand, it is necessary to verify the thermophysical requirements in accordance with the applicable standards in each specific case.

The paper responds to a continuing interdisciplinary discussion on this topic. The analysis is conducted within the scope of the KEGA 016STU-4/2017 project.