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It is with great pleasure that I am here today to greet and follow with great interest the proceedings of the scientific conference on "Thermal properties of ingot structures".
The mission of the Office of the Environment Commissioner includes, among others, the promotion of sustainable and viable practices for the protection of the environment, through horizontal cooperation with Ministries/Secretaries of State/Commissioners in relevant policies towards the achievement of the objectives set by the present Administration as well as at European and global level.
As an Architect and Environmental Engineer and as a member of the International Scientific Committee on the Architectural Heritage of the Earth (ISCEAH) as the ICOMOS Cyprus Representative, the current topic falls within my research interests, as it approaches equally the issues of the urgent need for climate adaptation, the redefinition and re-evolution of traditional architectural elements, as well as the preservation of our country's tangible and intangible heritage in combination with modern science and environmental sustainability.
During the conference, expert speakers will present data and technological developments on the efficiency and durability of the raw bricks as well as their thermal effect on constructions. These presentations will give us a comprehensive overview of how we can use this traditional material to meet modern challenges. For information, in this context, the Office of the Commissioner for the Environment has already reached a preliminary agreement with the Ministry of Education, Sports and Youth to introduce the subject of natural building in educational programmes in technical schools and environmental education centres in all provinces, through the Environmental and Sustainable Development Education Unit and the Network of Environmental Education Centres.
In Cyprus, as in many parts of the world, the use of building bricks has deep roots as one of the oldest building materials in the architectural tradition, being an integral part of the cultural heritage. From ancient times to the present day, their use demonstrates human ingenuity and adaptation to local conditions.
Traditional architecture based on raw bricks is distinguished by its durability and its ability to maintain indoor temperatures at normal levels, providing natural coolness in summer and warmth in winter, creating a healthy and comfortable living environment provided that basic principles of bioclimatic architectural composition are respected.
The current climate crisis calls for the use of bricks in the construction of new buildings.
Traditional architecture based on raw bricks is distinguished by its durability and its ability to maintain indoor temperatures at normal levels, providing natural coolness in summer and warmth in winter, creating a healthy and comfortable living environment provided that basic principles of bioclimatic architectural composition are respected. Research into the thermal properties of building blocks is vital to promote their use as a sustainable building material.
The production of building blocks requires much less energy than other modern building materials, is fully recyclable, with a minimal and/or zero carbon footprint.
Despite the aforementioned thermal benefits and the widespread use of building blocks in the past, there is still a lack of concrete scientific data on their thermal performance today. In various studies, there are often discrepancies between the results obtained from field research, laboratory tests and simulation methods applied to investigate the thermal characteristics of adobe bricks and this gap is addressed by the ADOBES research project of the University of Cyprus, adopting a concise methodological approach using laboratory research, field monitoring of adobe bricks and adobe walls, as well as simulation tools, in order to highlight the limitations of the thermal properties of adobe bricks.
