<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">

Without effective treatments for the infectious disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, governments were forced to apply non-pharmaceutical preventive measures, including lockdowns and quarantines, which exposed residential spaces to extreme conditions. The aim of this research was to verify how COVID-19 quarantines have changed functioning of living spaces and their readiness to accept such changes. The literature review provided an overview of the major weaknesses of home during quarantine identified by research studies: insufficient sanitary protection, insufficient house size, overcrowded houses, insufficient daylight, improper air quality, thermal discomfort, poor acoustics, lack of ergonomics, excessive consumption of resources, nature disconnection, digital disconnection and violated privacy. Identified weaknesses exposed socio-economic stratification of households. Quarantine posed the most significant challenge for vulnerable households occupying low-quality homes. It showed how privileged are access to daylight, nature, or the Internet during lockdowns.
</abstract>

Home during quarantine: living space weaknesses revealed by COVID-19 pandemic

<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">

Ukraine’s independence in 1991 changed the direction of society’s development, the most important of which was the revival of the spirituality of the Ukrainian nation, which is connected with thousands of years of religious traditions. The purpose of the article is to demonstrate the development of sacred construction in the environment of modern Ukranian cities as an important factor of reviving the nation and building a new national identity. The article analyzes selected realized objects in the residential environment, systematizes architectural prototypes, which architects turn to nowadays in search of a modern image of a sacred building. Based on the methods of comparative, synchronic and semiotic analysis, the significance of new sacred objects for the formation of the image of the city was revealed, and their social and symbolic meanings was also clarified.
</abstract>

Prof. D.Sc. Ph.D. Eng. Arch., University of Agriculture in Krakow

Prof. D.Sc. Ph.D. Eng. Arch., Opole University of Technology

Church Construction and the City in Ukraine After 1990: Social and Semantic Dimensions

<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">

The escalation of war run by the Russian Federation against Ukraine has caused one of the largest housing crises in the world. As a result of the hostilities, more than 14 million Ukrainians have become refugees and internally displaced persons. This paper aims to develop guidelines for the selection of an implementation strategy for aid architecture in the context of the armed conflict in Ukraine. The scope of the work includes: research, including materials research; design, including adaptation of designs to Polish market and climatic conditions; prototyping and implementation of two types of housing aid architecture: emergency shelters and temporary housing. The projects presented in the article by arch. Shigeru Ban: Paper Partition System and Styrofoam Housing System were developed and executed between March and September 2022.
</abstract>

Wrocław University of Science and Technology

Aid architecture. Implementation of the Paper Partition System and Styrofoam Housing System in the context of the war in Ukraine

<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">

In the face of successive waves of the pandemic caused by the Sars-CoV-2 virus, the boundaries between work and home are blurred. Innovative workspaces seem to be a new direction, both in office architecture and in residential architecture. The article concerns the issue of coworking spaces in the residential environment of newly built housing estates. Nowa Letnica in Gdansk and 33 Bond St. at 300 Livingston Street in Brooklyn. As a research method, a comparative method was used using survey tools in the form of diagrams and bar and pie charts. The research results are a response to the needs of employees who work remotely and are a hint for modern construction when designing co-working zones in housing estates in the post-pandemic period. The aim of this article is to fill the research gap in the field of arranging coworking spaces that do not meet the needs of users.
</abstract>

Coworking spaces in a housing environment – case study

<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">

The subject matter of this article is the conversion of post-industrial architecture for residential usage. <italic>Lofts</italic> (or <italic>loft apartments</italic>) are typical of such conversions. Definitions of this type of architectural building determine their specificity. The aim of the research was to answer the question <italic>Do modern-day adaptations of post-industrial buildings for residential usage in Poland meet the criteria of the definition of lofts</italic>? The first section of the article introduces the origins of the loft and the evolution of its definition from the 1950s to the beginning of the 21st century, taking into account international context and considerations in Poland. The fields of objective research determine the criteria for buildings that qualify and meet the definition of <italic>lofts</italic>.
The second part of the article presents the findings of analyses of four examples of conversions of post-industrial buildings, completed in Poland between 2008 and 2020, and which have been designated as <italic>lofts/loft apartments.</italic> The case studies focus on the following areas of research: <italic>general information about the building, the range of conversion, the typology of the apartments, functional layouts</italic> and <italic>affordability of the apartments</italic>. The findings of the analyses are summarised with conclusions.
In the final section of the article the findings of the analyses are set against the qualification criteria, allowing for the formulation of an answer to the research question. The entire study is then summarised and the authors’ recommendations presented.
</abstract>

Conversion of post-industrial architecture for residential usage - analysis of selected examples in Poland centred around the criteria of the definition of <italic>loft</italic>.

<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">

The paper presents the problem of sustainable design in terms of multi-criteria evaluation methods focusing on the selection and use of building materials in the design. Based on the guidelines and procedures of such assessment methods as <bold>LEED</bold> (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design), <bold>BREAM</bold> (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method), and others, environmentally friendly building materials were selected for the design of specific building structures was made. For the construction of low-rise single-family homes, products made from waste were used. For the construction of a multipurpose, high-rise building, the material chosen was cross-laminated timber (CLT), which is characterized by good environmental performance. The design of a multipurpose urban complex used environmentally friendly concrete, the manufacturing process of which has a dramatically reduced carbon footprint. An analysis of the properties of the building materials, their selection in terms of sustainability, and their use in designs provide tangible benefits in terms of the quality of formation of the built environment.
</abstract>

Sustainable design in terms of use of environmentally friendly materials

<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">

The renovation and opening of tram lines in Polish cities in recent years provoke comparisons with similar practice and long tradition abroad. The subject of this article is the spatial relationship between multi-family residential complexes and a tram line. Of course, the solutions adopted differ from each other, but there is a clear trend in the West to bring both elements closer to each other, despite the environmental costs that rail lines cause. In the model approach, there are numerous cases of planning the route through the “centre of structures”, which creates conditions for symbiosis in terms of “transit oriented development” (TOD). Sometimes it appears in the classic form of intensive building up provoked by the earlier construction of the tram, and sometimes in a reversed form - with retrofitting tram into previously existing structures. Sometimes there are mixed cases, with structural infills next to tram corridors – not always just residential, but often with service facilities, complementing the program of housing estates and districts aimed to capitalise on the economic potential which results from the presence of tram users. Infilling the tram line strips fosters the creation of a friendly urban environment and shortens the access routes. How space overscaling and overly dominant traffic are avoided is decisive for a good solution to the problem. Numerous examples could serve as a model for Polish cities.
</abstract>

A Tram Line In Residential Structures – Planning Mistake or Necessity?

<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">

A housing environment that is attractive to users must be functional, beautiful, and induce a sense of safety. The housing environment of the twenty-first century must also meet challenges specified in the idea of social inclusion. The objective of the study presented in this paper was to determine the impact of natural and cultural heritage on the design of interiors used for social integration within the housing environment. The study was conducted as a part of the Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway Grants. The study investigated the heritage aspects considered during interior design in Norway, where the idea of social inclusion plays a leading role in the country’s development. The findings were compared to the situation in Poland. Conclusions were used as a starting point for defining directions for architectural interior designs based on natural and cultural heritage, illustrated with interior arrangements designed by first-year students of the Faculty of Architecture of the Cracow University of Technology. The designs, inspired by nature and art, were prepared with consideration for social inclusion.
</abstract>

Inspirations with natural and cultural heritage in interior design

AHEAD OF PRINT

Volume 46 (2024): Issue 1 (March 2024)

Volume 45 (2023): Issue 4 (December 2023)

Volume 44 (2023): Issue 3 (September 2023)

Volume 43 (2023): Issue 2 (June 2023)

Volume 42 (2023): Issue 1 (March 2023)

Volume 41 (2022): Issue 1 (December 2022)

Volume 40 (2022): Issue 1 (September 2022)

Volume 39 (2022): Issue 1 (June 2022)

Volume 38 (2022): Issue 1 (March 2022)

Środowisko Mieszkaniowe/Housing Environment

The journal 'Housing Environment' is an international periodical that has been published since 2003. It focuses on research related to the housing environment, which is understood as the fundamental living space and activity area for humans, satisfying their psycho-physical needs. The journal's aim is to connect architectural and urban aspects of living spaces with spatial planning, urban sociology, aesthetics, information technologies, and other scientific fields that influence contemporary housing environments. The housing environment is described as a space composed of both living and non-living elements that impact and are processed by humans. The physical shape of this space influences the well-being of its residents, addressing their need for safe shelter, psychological and physical comfort, hygiene conditions, a sense of belonging, a clean environment, and contact with nature. The journal is particularly interested in research concerning new phenomena in the architectural and urban design of living spaces, multidisciplinary activities that support research on the quality of the housing environment, the functioning of residential areas in modern cities, and solutions to dysfunctional problems related to the housing environment, such as those associated with climate change. The editorial team encourages the involvement of students in scientific work, and each issue of the journal publishes student design projects  Archiving Sciendo archives the contents of this journal in Portico - digital long-term preservation service of scholarly books, journals and collections. Plagiarism Policy The editorial board is participating in a growing community of Similarity Check System's users in order to ensure that the content published is original and trustworthy. Similarity Check is a medium that allows for comprehensive manuscripts screening, aimed to eliminate plagiarism and provide a high standard and quality peer-review process. 