The quality of housing is differentiated

In the long-term trend, a gradual improvement in the quality of buildings can be observed in the Czech Republic, along with a gradual differentiation between average-quality buildings and those that are truly high-quality and timeless. The quality of above-standard buildings lies not only in thoughtful architecture but also in the use of modern building materials that ensure a comfortable and healthy living environment.

More than 15 years have passed since the first post-November construction boom, and many of the builders of family villas and houses back then are often building their second home now. Learning from their past mistakes, which they often recognized only after moving in, many have understood the role of a good architect. Young engineers and architects are coming out of schools, many of whom have already had the opportunity to live abroad, experiencing something different than living in a concrete panel building or a "Šumperk" structure made of břízolit. The buildings they are now constructing together often differ significantly from the ostentatious dysfunctional buildings of the 1990s. Those who are building for the first time now fortunately have access to a wealth of experience from their surroundings. The quality, or rather the timeless value of housing and lifestyle culture, is thus gradually increasing in our country, although it still lags significantly behind countries like Italy, Germany, or Scandinavia.

Quality environment and healthy buildings

The most significant shift in recent years is the fact that the quality of the indoor environment, the utility comfort of the buildings, and their health and safety standards (issues of ventilation, mold, mites, dust, allergens, or the radioactivity of materials) are becoming increasingly important in the field of residential properties. Many informed builders of family homes already know that thermal comfort in the interior or the humidity and acoustic climate of the home are much more crucial for a happy life than balustrades on the facade. Many investors have also found out that current construction does not always lead to the creation of a modern comfortable home. The quality of the building's microclimate will increasingly affect its market value in the future. Comprehensive assessments of the indoor environment are already common practice for new administrative buildings today. In several European countries, an energy label, which provides potential buyers or tenants with clear information about energy consumption for ensuring the thermal comfort of the home, is part of the building passport. From 2009, this will be mandatory for larger buildings in all EU member states. It is only a matter of time before similar principles are widely applied to smaller apartment and family homes as well.

The YTONG LAMBDA exterior walls with a thickness of 37.5 cm have the same thermal insulation properties as ceramic walls with ten centimeters of polystyrene, even without plastering. The high breathability of aerated concrete also allows the building to breathe and ensures an optimal humidity climate in the interior.

An above-standard indoor environment does not necessarily have to be associated with a higher investment. Modern building materials excel not only in their physical properties but also in low labor intensity, which results in significant savings in both finances and time.

Tradition versus reason

“People simply enjoy comfort and want to live healthily. Moreover, they gradually realize that the differences between various buildings and building materials can be genuinely significant in this regard and that development is rapidly advancing,” describes his experiences Igor Forberger, the head of marketing at Xella CZ, one of the world's largest manufacturers of building materials (known in the Czech Republic mainly as the producer of the YTONG aerated concrete building system). “The construction industry is very conservative and slow-moving. People who are deciding about their lifelong investment often, without much thought, rely on materials with inferior properties simply because they are traditional and proven in the past. However, an increasing portion of the public is realizing that today's housing demands are entirely different from those 20 years ago,” adds Forberger. The decision is ultimately in the hands of the investor. If they do not take a close interest in the issue and make decisions mainly based on tradition, they often prefer, for example, traditional lightweight ceramic block walls. The weaker properties of ceramic walls are often compensated for before completion by external insulation of the building. As a result, they get comparable wall properties for much more money and with greater effort, as if they had used a simple, thin YTONG aerated concrete wall without insulation. Practical experiences of builders favor modern materials. “Long-term research shows that if a builder has personal experience living in both a traditional and truly modern home with a quality and healthy microclimate, they place the main emphasis on the comfort of the indoor environment when choosing materials. They often then choose modern materials like YTONG. Personal experiences are, in fact, non-transferrable,” concludes Igor Forberger.