Glossary

Planning concept in which homes, shops, schools, work and parks lie within a short walk or bicycle ride of each other, reducing reliance on cars.

Directional lighting that highlights specific surfaces or objects to create visual interest and depth, distinguished from ambient and task light by contrast ratio and beam angle.

A secondary residential unit on the same lot as a primary home, with its own kitchen, bathroom, and living space, requiring planning approval and sometimes a separate utility meter depending on Slovak building law.

How a building keeps sound out: mass, decoupling, airtight junctions and absorbent cavities. It is not the same as sound absorption inside a room.

Wall or ceiling elements that absorb sound inside a room, reducing echo and reverberation. They do not stop sound passing into neighbouring spaces.

A ready-mixed latex-based facade coating with colour throughout, elastic finish, and low vapour permeability suitable for EPS ETICS and masonry.

Giving an existing building a new use it was not designed for, retaining its structure and most of its fabric, which keeps the embodied carbon already spent instead of writing it off at demolition.

Comfort model for naturally ventilated buildings where occupants adjust clothing and behaviour to accept wider temperature ranges.

Government fees charged by the building authority for processing permit applications, extensions, appeals, and other official acts during the construction approval process. Amounts vary by building type and procedure.

Sun-dried, unfired brick of clay, sand and straw. Traditional in southern and western Slovak villages, and damaged by cement render.

Silica-based aerogel insulation in thin blankets, boards or plasters, used where wall space is tight or a historic facade must keep its appearance.

Air changes per hour at 50 Pa pressure difference. Measures building envelope leakiness via blower-door test. Passive House standard requires n50 ≤ 0.6/h.

A reverse-cycle system that extracts heat from outdoor air to warm a building in winter and reverses operation to cool it in summer, serving as both heating and cooling with high seasonal efficiency.

A renewable system that extracts heat from outdoor air and transfers it to water for radiators or underfloor heating.

A single-number acoustic rating, measured in decibels (Rw), quantifying how effectively a building element blocks sound transmitted through air. Higher Rw values indicate better insulation against voices, music, traffic, and other airborne noise.

The ability of the building envelope to prevent uncontrolled air infiltration. Measured by blower-door test and expressed as n50 value (air changes at 50 Pa pressure difference). For passive houses, the required value is n50 ≤ 0.6/h. Airtightness is crucial for energy efficiency and condensation prevention.

Window frame of extruded aluminium profiles with thermal breaks to reduce heat transfer, commonly used where durability and slim sight lines matter.

The general illumination that fills a room evenly and sets its mood. It is the base layer of a lighting plan, under the task and accent layers.

A self-levelling calcium sulfate binder for underfloor heating, chosen for low shrinkage and superior thermal conductivity over cement screeds.

A formal procedural remedy filed by a party to building proceedings who believes the decision violates applicable law or contains factual errors. Appeals are governed by the new Act 25/2025 (effective April 1, 2025) and have automatic suspensive effect.

A covered arcade under the upper floors of a burgher house on a market square, and its rural cousin, the sheltered porch along a village house.

Compensation for architectural services, calculated as a percentage of construction cost, hourly rate, or fixed fee, covering design documentation, permitting assistance, and project coordination.

A transparent selection process where an investor requests multiple architects to submit independent design proposals, judged by an expert panel to select the best solution for a planned project.

The initial design phase where an architect translates a client's intentions into visual spatial proposals, including floor plans, sections, elevations, and 3D visualizations, to test and refine design solutions before permit documentation.

A computer-generated spatial depiction of a building's future exterior and/or interior, used to communicate design intent to clients before construction.

An animated or interactive presentation of a 3D model revealing spatial flow and sequence, conveying transitions that static renders cannot.

Sealed glazing unit with argon gas in the gap between panes, slowing heat transfer by conduction and convection compared with ordinary air.

An articular wooden church is a Protestant timber church built under the 1681 Diet of Sopron rules: outside town walls, without nails or a tower.

The complete technical record of a completed building, documenting what was actually constructed, deviations from approved plans, system performance tests, and material certifications—essential for occupancy approval and future maintenance.

A 3D BIM model of a building as it was actually built, corrected for site deviations and carrying data for handover and renovation.

A post-construction geodetic survey documenting the actual location, dimensions, and elevations of completed structures to verify compliance with approved plans and enable cadastral registration.

A residential building organized around an internal courtyard or central void, turning inward to create private outdoor space while moderating climate and distributing natural light.

The roof space between a house's top ceiling and its pitched roof, used for storage, services or living rooms depending on the envelope and headroom.

The adaptation of underutilized attic or roof space into habitable rooms by adding insulation, ventilation, and interior finishing while meeting minimum ceiling height and usable floor area requirements.

Expert oversight of construction by the original architect or designer to ensure the design intent, aesthetic choices, and technical specifications are faithfully implemented, protecting design quality and budget compliance.

A lightweight autoclaved concrete with a closed pore structure that lays fast and true, insulates well for a masonry unit, and absorbs water readily.

A mechanical system where supply and exhaust airflows match to maintain neutral pressure, preventing uncontrolled infiltration or exfiltration.

A platform projecting from a facade, usually cantilevered from the floor slab, whose junction is a major thermal bridge and a water-risk point.

The protective barrier along a balcony, terrace or stair edge, whose anchors carry the load and can bridge heat or collect water at the slab edge.

A house designed from the outset to stay usable for life: level entry, doors sized once on the plan, a wet-room shower and room to turn a wheelchair.

A below-grade structural wall resisting soil pressure and water, with external waterproofing and insulation to create dry habitable basement space.

Design school (1919-1933) combining art, craft, and industrial production. Weimar-Dessau-Berlin; profoundly influenced 20th-century modern design.

Ceiling system of prefabricated beams, ceramic infill blocks and a reinforced concrete topping, widely used in Slovak family houses.

A bathroom opening directly off the main bedroom, usually through a walk-in wardrobe that doubles as the acoustic buffer between sleeping and washing.

A detailed itemized list of all materials, labor, and work quantities required for a construction project, used as the basis for contractor bids and cost comparison.

An open standard for exchanging coordination issues as viewpoints and comments, letting consultants review clashes in their own software.

The iterative process of comparing and resolving conflicts between separate discipline models (architecture, structural, MEP) before construction begins, usually via a shared digital environment.

A document agreed between client and delivery team that specifies roles, responsibilities, information standards, and delivery schedules for a BIM project.

A formal statement issued by an affected authority that specifies requirements and conditions affecting a building project, binding on the building authority's decision under Slovakia's Building Act 25/2025.

A formal statement from a utility or network operator confirming the presence, route, and connection conditions of their infrastructure at a building site; required documentation for building permits and construction projects in Slovakia.

Umbrella term for insulation made from renewable plant and animal materials, such as wood fibre, cellulose, sheep wool, cork, hemp and straw.

Building materials derived from renewable biological feedstocks such as timber, straw, or cork, offering carbon storage during the building's lifetime.

A legal requirement in England to leave a site's biodiversity measurably better than before development through habitat surveys and metrics.

Carbon that plants absorb from the air and store in timber, straw, hemp and cork, and how life-cycle assessment counts its uptake and release.

A heating appliance that burns organic matter (wood, pellets, or agricultural waste) to generate heat for domestic water and space heating. Biomass boilers are renewable energy systems eligible under Slovakia's Zelená Domácnostiam subsidy programme.

A hybrid system combining PV panels with an extensive green roof to generate electricity while regulating temperature and managing stormwater.

Flat-roof waterproofing built from two bitumen sheets modified with SBS or APP, torched, bonded or mechanically fixed, with the laps of the two layers deliberately offset.

A thin lean-concrete layer placed on prepared ground to provide a clean, level base for reinforcement and waterproofing membranes.

A diagnostic test that measures the airtightness of a building envelope using a calibrated fan mounted in a door frame. The result is expressed as the n50 value — the number of air changes per hour at a pressure difference of 50 pascals.

A network of water and vegetation systems in urban space that manages stormwater, reduces flooding, and mitigates urban heat as functional infrastructure.

A planted roof with an engineered water-retention layer beneath the growing medium, designed to store stormwater and provide irrigation during dry periods.

Interwar urban modernism in 1920s-30s Bratislava: social housing, commercial buildings, and high-rises using reinforced concrete and geometric simplicity.

Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method - the oldest and most widespread certification system for building sustainability assessment. Originated in the United Kingdom in 1990. Evaluates buildings in categories: management, health and wellbeing, energy, transport, water, materials, waste, land use, and pollution. Certification levels: Pass, Good, Very Good, Excellent, Outstanding.

Fixed external shading using fins or louvres to block solar radiation, sized by window orientation and latitude.

The process of remediating and repurposing abandoned industrial or commercial properties to remove environmental contamination and enable new productive uses.

A post-World War II architectural style using raw concrete and massive geometric forms, notably popular in Eastern European socialist countries.

Online registry of shared BIM property definitions, classifications, and values with persistent identifiers for consistent terminology across tools and teams.

The legal right and technical feasibility to construct on a specific plot according to zoning regulations and municipal land-use plans; verified before purchase via territorial planning information.

The legal party responsible for initiating and financing a construction project from planning through occupancy approval, who holds the legal right to the property and bears statutory responsibility for compliance.

Slovakia's new building code effective since April 1, 2025, replacing the 1976 act with streamlined procedures for construction permitting, design approval, and occupancy verification.

The municipal or regional government body responsible for reviewing, approving, and overseeing residential and commercial construction projects under the new Slovak Building Act 25/2025.

Networked control system that runs a commercial building's heating, ventilation, cooling and lighting through open protocols and central supervision.

A zoning metric expressing the percentage of a plot's area that can be covered by building footprint, used to control development density and ensure adequate open space in residential and commercial zones.

The continuous boundary between conditioned and outdoor space, formed by three unbroken layers: thermal insulation, air barrier, and weather protection.

Transfer of a completed building from builder to owner, including defect inspection, keys and documents, and commencement of the warranty period.

A digital process of creating and managing an intelligent 3D building model with structured data that serves throughout the entire lifecycle from design through construction to operation and maintenance.

Unified project documentation combining location approval and basic building design under Slovakia's 2025 law, replacing the previous two-stage territorial and building permit process.

The primary authorization document issued by Slovak building authorities under the 2025 Building Act, replacing the old building permit by consolidating zoning approval and construction authorization into a single decision. Valid for 2–3 years depending on project type.

The unified administrative process under Slovakia's 2025 Building Act that consolidates zoning and construction permitting into a single proceeding, replacing the previous two-tier system.

A regulatory boundary established by municipal spatial plans that defines where a building must align with or be set back from a street, controlling street frontage and urban form.

An integrated system that coordinates heating, ventilation, cooling, and lighting using sensors and logic to optimise comfort and energy use.

A temporary prohibition or restriction on construction activity in a defined territory, typically declared by municipal authorities during spatial planning to protect public interest.

The legal authorization issued under Slovakia's 1976 Building Act permitting construction; legally replaced by the Building Intent Decision (rozhodnutie o stavebnom zámere) since April 2025, though still the highest-volume search term.

Technical documentation package for building permit applications under Slovakia's 1976-2025 system, replaced by building intent documentation since April 2025.

The official and real-world timeframe required to obtain a building permit in Slovakia; official deadlines were 30–60 days under the 1976 Act, but practical processing often took 3–9 months due to prerequisite authority opinions.

A parcel of land legally designated for construction under Act 25/2025, either through zoning designation, existing building structures, or formal removal from agricultural soil.

A digital roadmap that guides building owners through staged deep energy renovations by outlining sequential improvement steps, energy savings, costs, and timelines aligned with EU climate targets.

Downward movement of a foundation and structure over time. Uniform settlement is normal; differential settlement causes cracks and structural damage.

Geodetic marking of a building's precise location and elevation on the ground before construction begins, performed by licensed surveyors to transfer architectural plans into physical site markers.

Photovoltaic technology seamlessly incorporated into building materials—roofs, facades, windows, or thermal systems—that generates electricity while serving as structural or weatherproofing elements.

Legally mandated minimum spacing between buildings and property boundaries, typically 7m between residential structures and 2m from boundary lines in Slovakia; reduced distances apply on constrained sites.

Seating fixed to walls, typically in dining or hallway areas, with integrated storage and upholstery. Needs early coordination for comfort and use.

Built-in shelving anchored to walls for books and display; requires planning for load, deflection, and lighting to work as both storage and design.

Bespoke joinery made to fit one exact space, worth its cost for awkward geometry and fixed services, but successful only when locked in before electrical and plumbing first fix.

A recess built into a wall for shelves, a shower, a splashback or a bed. It saves floor space but needs checks for structure, insulation and waterproofing.

A made-to-measure bedroom or hallway cupboard fitted between walls, sized during design to avoid rework after plastering.

A single-story residential house with all rooms on one level, requiring a larger plot and foundation but offering barrier-free living and simplicity of layout.

A medieval town house on a narrow street plot with vaulted ground floor and deep courtyard, common in Slovak heritage towns like Bardejov and Levoča.

The final administrative step that formally records a completed building in the national land cadastre, securing ownership and enabling property transfer, financing, and mortgage registration after occupancy approval.

A technical document prepared by an authorized surveyor that graphically represents changes to land parcel boundaries, required for property division, easement registration, and cadastral documentation in Slovakia.

A structural member fixed at one end only, projecting freely to support balconies, canopies, and overhangs without posts or bracing beneath.

A reinforced-concrete L- or T-shaped wall whose base slab lets the soil on the heel help hold back the ground on sloped sites.

A balcony slab that continues the floor slab outward on its top reinforcement, and often the worst thermal bridge in a Slovak home.

A staircase whose steps are fixed only at the wall, with no stringer or post beneath, so the wall itself must be designed to carry the full load.

Water drawn upward through masonry pores by surface tension, often misdiagnosed and over-treated with chemical injection despite simpler solutions.

A district or street network where private cars are kept out of daily life, mainly through parking limits and managed access for residents and deliveries.

Total greenhouse gas emissions caused by a person's or household's daily life, or by a building over its lifetime, in carbon dioxide equivalent.

Carbon sequestration is the capture and long-term storage of atmospheric CO2 in forests, soils, building materials or technical systems.

The wooden building tradition of the Carpathian arc across Slovakia, Poland, Ukraine and Romania: log walls, shingle roofs and tiered church towers.

An open-sided structure sheltering vehicles with minimal zoning requirements, offering substantial cost and design advantages over enclosed garages.

The primary horizontal structural element separating one floor from another, bearing loads from above and providing lateral bracing for walls below.

Thermal insulation made from recycled paper fibers, blown into cavities and attics. Vapor-open and hygroscopic, commonly used in ecological retrofits.

A fired hollow clay unit and the material behind most load-bearing house walls in Slovakia, built either as a single leaf or as a structural block with external insulation.

A formal document issued by the building authority confirming that a completed building is technically suitable for its intended use. Under Slovakia's new Building Act 25/2025 (effective April 2025), it replaces the previous occupancy decision and authorizes permanent building operation.

Any deviation from approved construction documents during building implementation, requiring formal authorization from the building authority before the structure can be completed and occupied.

A formal modification to how a building is used—such as converting an attic to an apartment or a house to an office—that typically requires authorization from the building authority under Slovak building law.

A vertical structure venting combustion products from heating appliances to the atmosphere, using natural draft or mechanical assistance.

The outer structural shell of a chimney that carries the stack, houses the flue, and keeps it separated from timber and insulation.

Weatherproofing metal assembly at a roof penetration where a chimney passes through, preventing water infiltration between the chimney and roof surface.

The internal passage of a chimney that carries combustion gases from a stove, fireplace or boiler up to the outside air, sized to suit the appliance.

The top section of a chimney above the roof, including the cover slab, drip edge and flue outlet, and the part most exposed to weather.

An inner lining, usually stainless steel, ceramic or plastic, inserted into an existing chimney flue to carry flue gases safely and suit the appliance.

An economic model for building that retains material value through reuse and recovery, replacing linear take-make-dispose with closed-loop material flows.

Circulation space is every square metre in a house whose job is movement, not use: halls, corridors, landings and stairs, built at the same cost as living space but never furnished.

Slovak land-use category for public facilities such as schools, clinics, shops, culture, sport and administration, reserved in the municipal land-use plan.

An automated geometric test that compares discipline models and flags every overlap or clearance violation before construction, distinct from a human design coordination meeting.

Plaster bound with clay that hardens as it dries and softens with water. Vapour-open and humidity-buffering, it suits dry interiors only.

A fired clay tile laid on battens, the traditional Slovak pitched-roof covering. Its colour is in the fired body, so the shade stays stable for decades.

The design and retrofit strategies that help buildings withstand and remain comfortable during climate impacts like extreme heat, water scarcity, storms, and drought, independent of reducing emissions.

Design enabling buildings to remain safe and habitable through heat, storms, drought, and power loss, adapted to the climate of 2070-2100.

Ratio of heat output to electrical energy input for a heat pump at a specific test point; meaningless without stating the source and sink temperatures.

A roofing system with a ventilated air gap that prevents condensation by removing interior moisture through continuous air circulation.

Horizontal timber member joining a rafter pair in the upper roof, reducing rafter span and bending under normal and asymmetric wind or snow loads.

Traditional pitched roof frame in which each rafter pair is stiffened by a horizontal collar beam (hambálok), often leaving the attic clear of posts.

The hue of a light source in Kelvin: low values give warm yellow light, high values cool bluish light. A core lighting specification alongside colour rendering.

A measure on a scale of 0–100 of how accurately a light source reproduces the colours of objects compared to natural daylight; abbreviated Ra or CRI, where higher numbers mean better colour fidelity.

A system that simultaneously produces electricity and usable thermal energy from a single fuel source, achieving overall efficiency of 65–90% by capturing waste heat that would otherwise be lost.

The single, status-controlled location where the current revision of every project document and model lives, with a full audit trail of who approved what and when.

Planning ideal of dense, mixed-use neighbourhoods where homes, shops and transit sit close together, the opposite of sprawl.

A residential house with a simple cubic or near-cubic form designed to minimize exterior surface area relative to volume, reducing heat loss and achieving low-energy or passive house standards cost-effectively.

The ratio of a building's external surface area (A) to its enclosed volume (V), expressed as m2/m3. Lower ratios indicate more compact forms and less heat loss; a key <a href="/en/glossary/passive-house">passive house</a> design metric.

Machine-pressed earth block, unstabilised for dry interior walls or stabilised with cement or lime for water resistance. Dried, not fired.

A ceiling-mounted curtain rail set flush into a recess or plasterboard soffit, so curtains hang floor to ceiling with no visible rail.

A minimalist frame system hidden behind wall lining, with only the Z-profile visible; installed before wall finishing for seamless frameless doors.

Concrete curing is the deliberate protection of freshly placed concrete, keeping it wet and at a workable temperature so hydration can continue and design strength develop.

A pressed cement and sand tile laid on battens, the budget pitched-roof covering in Slovakia. Its pigment sits in a surface layer, so the colour softens with age.

A Portland-cement-based floor levelling layer reinforced for strength and thermal mass, widely used over underfloor heating and chosen for durability in wet rooms and exterior applications.

A gas boiler that recovers latent heat from flue-gas water vapour when return water is cool, reaching high efficiency only with low-temperature heating systems.

A proposed Slovak building-law reform enacted in 2022 but never entered into force; superseded by Act 25/2025 Z. z. effective April 1, 2025. Relevant for understanding legislative history only; refer to the current Building Act for active law.

Mixed materials generated during building construction, renovation, and demolition, including concrete, wood, metals, and gypsum. Proper sorting on site reduces disposal costs and enables material recovery.

A cost estimate of all materials, labor, and services required to complete a construction project, which evolves from preliminary orientational figures to itemized detailed budgets as the design progresses.

A mandatory daily record of construction site activities, progress, inspections, and compliance documentation maintained throughout the building phase until occupancy approval.

Protection against physical damage to the building, materials, and equipment during construction, typically covering all parties involved from site preparation through practical completion.

Expert oversight of construction work on behalf of the builder, performed by an authorized professional to ensure compliance with project documentation, technical standards, and safety regulations under Slovak law.

The statutory period during which a contractor is legally responsible for construction defects; in Slovakia, 3 years from handover for buildings built under Civil Code contracts.

An architectural approach that designs buildings in response to their specific physical, cultural, and social surroundings rather than applying universal design principles.

A binding legal agreement between a client and contractor that defines the scope, price, timeline, and warranty for construction work. The contract specifies essential clauses such as payment terms, milestones, penalties, and defect liability.

A legally qualified person or entity responsible for executing construction works according to approved plans, technical standards, and the building owner's requirements.

A structured procurement process where a private client, with their architect's guidance, invites multiple construction contractors to bid on a defined project, evaluating bids on cost, qualifications, and methodology to select the most capable team.

Deliberate crack in concrete or masonry that guides shrinkage during curing, preventing random cracking and controlling material movement.

A technique that guides AI generation using geometric maps, letting architects lock massing while AI fills surfaces and materials.

A roofing system with high solar reflectance and thermal emittance that reduces roof surface temperature, cooling buildings and mitigating urban heat.

The process of determining peak heat gain entering a building or room to properly size air conditioning and mechanical cooling systems for summer comfort.

The process of integrating mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and structural systems by ensuring all building professions communicate and align their designs before construction begins. Poor coordination leads to clashes, costly rework, and delays.

Premium metal roofing and facade material valued for exceptional durability, distinctive blue-green patina, and minimal maintenance needs.

A resilient floor finish made from cork oak bark, warm and quiet underfoot, but prone to denting and to fading in direct sunlight.

Insulation board from granulated cork oak bark, bound by its own resins without glue. Moisture- and rot-resistant, but costly, imported and combustible.

Weathering steel that forms a stable rust-coloured patina instead of paint, used for facades, edging and planters. Its run-off can stain nearby paving.

The energy performance level of a building that minimizes total lifecycle costs, used by EU member states to set minimum energy performance requirements.

The Slovak and Czech culture of self-built weekend cabins and village second homes, and the small timber buildings it left in recreation areas.

A passive heat-recovery core where exhaust and fresh air flow in opposite directions, achieving the highest sensible efficiency (80–90%) in MVHR systems.

Indirect lighting installed in a shallow recessed detail at the ceiling perimeter, where LED strips bounce light off the ceiling surface to create soft, shadowless ambient illumination.

An outdoor space with a roof structure that extends from a building facade, serving both as usable living area and as a passive solar-shading device to control seasonal sun exposure on adjacent windows.

A product-level certification that verifies materials can cycle indefinitely through biological or technical loops without degradation, assessing material health, reuse potential, renewable energy, water, and social fairness.

A design philosophy in which materials circulate in biological or technical loops, so waste becomes food for the next product or for soil.

A lifecycle assessment boundary covering raw material extraction through manufacturing and transport to the factory gate, excluding use and end-of-life.

Modern architecture grounded in climate, topography, and local culture, resisting international style placelessness and superficial historical imitation.

Engineered timber made from multiple layers of solid-sawn lumber glued at perpendicular angles, providing high strength and dimensional stability comparable to reinforced concrete.

Physical facilities for safe bicycle movement, including lanes, tracks, paths, parking, and wayfinding that form a connected network.

Interwar movement (1920s–1938) using reinforced concrete, ribbon windows, and efficient housing design to address rapid urbanization and housing shortage.

DALI (IEC 62386) is a wired lighting protocol that lets each fitting be addressed, dimmed and grouped on its own, unlike simple phase dimming.

A horizontal barrier installed at foundation level to prevent ground moisture from rising into walls via capillary action, essential for protecting building interiors from rising damp.

A spatial grouping of living, dining, and kitchen functions into a cohesive residential area, distinguished by intentional transitions that balance openness with separation and thermal or acoustic control.

Climate-based daylight metric giving the share of occupied hours a room point gets enough light from the real sky, computed with hourly weather data.

Ratio of indoor to outdoor illuminance under a standard overcast sky, used to quantify natural lighting availability in building interiors.

Optimizing window placement, size, and external shading to maximize natural daylight availability while controlling glare, overheating, and heat loss.

A small through-wall ventilation device for one room, often installed in pairs with a ceramic heat store. A retrofit option where central ducts do not fit.

Planting deciduous trees to provide summer shade and allow winter solar gain, exploiting leaf cycles for passive cooling without energy input.

Labor-intensive dismantling of a building to recover and reuse materials, conducted in reverse order of construction rather than rapid demolition.

Slovak regulatory instrument implementing the EU Energy Performance of Buildings Directive into national law, establishing minimum energy performance standards, certification requirements, and renovation obligations for residential and non-residential buildings effective from 1 April 2025.

The fraction of the outdoor temperature swing that still reaches the inside through a building element, expressed as a ratio from 0.0 to 1.0.

A foundation transferring loads to deep soil or rock via piles when surface ground is inadequate for shallow foundations.

A comprehensive renovation targeting 50–60% energy reduction through simultaneous upgrades to the building envelope, air sealing, heating systems, and ventilation, often supported by Slovak subsidy programs like Obnov Dom.

The legal period following building handover during which a contractor is responsible for correcting defects; distinguished from warranty period by its focus on liability mechanisms, hidden defects, and retention money practices.

The bending or sagging of a loaded structural member, measured as its vertical displacement from the original position and checked against limits.

The energy actually consumed by a building at the point of use, measured in kWh and invoiced to the building owner—distinct from primary energy, which accounts for extraction and conversion losses.

Shifting or reducing electricity use in response to price or grid signals, so heavy loads run when power is cheap or the grid is less strained.

Ventilation that varies the fresh air supply from live CO2 and humidity readings, so the rate follows real occupancy instead of a fixed schedule.

An official authorization from the building authority required to legally remove or demolish an existing structure, issued under the Building Act.

Technical and organizational documentation that specifies how an existing structure will be safely dismantled, including waste management and environmental protection measures.

Adding dwellings and floor area to existing parcels in established urban areas, reusing infrastructure and services without expanding city boundaries.

A measure of building intensity regulated by lot coverage and floor area ratio indices in municipal zoning plans, controlling how much you can build on a plot.

A foundational document that captures the client's project objectives, spatial requirements, lifestyle preferences, budget, and constraints, developed collaboratively between client and architect to guide all subsequent design decisions.

Design that separates building layers by lifespan so structures and systems can change without replacement, extending usefulness and reducing demolition.

A design discipline using reversible fixings and separable material layers so building components can be removed intact for repair, replacement, or reuse.

Standardized steps from initial concept through building completion defined by the Slovak Chamber of Architects that structure how architects deliver work and calculate fees.

The licensed architect or engineer whose seal appears on construction documents and who bears legal responsibility for design compliance, code adherence, and engineering coordination throughout a project's lifecycle.

Money or works a developer gives a municipality for roads, utilities, schools or kindergartens, via a contract or a statutory local development levy.

The temperature at which air of a given humidity becomes saturated and its vapour begins to condense. It is a property of the air, not of the wall.

A holistic building sustainability certification system developed by the German Sustainable Building Council that evaluates environmental, social, economic, and technical performance across the full building lifecycle.

A timber frame wall stiffened against wind by diagonal braces or sheathing boards, so it resists racking instead of leaning over.

A machine learning model that makes images by iteratively removing noise, guided by a text prompt. Good for mood images, unreliable for architectural geometry.

A wall assembly designed to allow controlled water-vapour diffusion outward while maintaining airtightness, reducing condensation risk and improving durability in timber buildings.

Automated production of building components directly from digital designs using computer-controlled machines like CNC mills, 3D printers, and robotic arms.

A virtual replica of a building kept in sync with live sensor data and used to monitor and operate it, not only to describe its geometry.

HDPE plastic sheet with dimpled air gaps that channels groundwater to footing drains and protects waterproofing during backfill.

Heat produced centrally and piped to many buildings at once, the standard supply in Slovak housing estates and a constraint on renovating a connected flat.

An EU assessment framework requiring funded activities to avoid significant environmental harm across six ecological objectives, commonly applied to building and renovation projects seeking EU subsidies.

System that heats drinking water for household use to 55-60°C; in modern well-insulated houses, DHW energy demand now rivals space heating.

The handles, hinges, locks and surface finishes of a door, usually chosen late in a project and coordinated across all openings.

A roof structure protruding from a sloped roof to create vertical wall space for a window, gaining usable floor area and standing headroom in loft conversions.

Two glass panes separated by a gas-filled cavity, providing thermal insulation superior to single glazing but lower than triple glazing.

Engineered timber made from solid-wood laminations connected by hardwood dowels rather than adhesive, offering glue-free construction with improved indoor air quality and end-of-life recyclability.

A perforated pipe collecting groundwater around building foundations to prevent water damage, mold and structural deterioration through drainage.

Draught rate (DR) is the percentage of occupants predicted to be dissatisfied due to local air movement, calculated from air velocity, temperature, and turbulence intensity.

Traditional Slovak rural dwelling built from horizontal logs with corner jointing and steep roof. The defining vernacular type of the Carpathians.

A metal profile at balcony or terrace edges that directs water away from the facade, preventing stains and damage to walls below.

Drone-based 3D reconstruction builds a measured 3D model of a roof, facade or plot from overlapping drone photographs or laser scans.

Movable exterior shading that adjusts itself to sun, wind and temperature sensors, protecting against overheating without manual operation.

A legal right to use or restrict use of another's property, registered in the land registry and binding on all subsequent owners. Essential to verify before property purchase in Slovakia.

The horizontal overhang of a pitched roof beyond the wall, providing shade, rain protection, and gutter mounting while introducing thermal-bridge risk.

A spatially connected section of landscape enabling wildlife movement between protected ecosystem areas, designated in Slovakia's Territorial System of Ecological Stability and a binding constraint on rural site design.

An IFC-backed green building certification focusing on resource efficiency (energy, water, waste) designed for emerging markets and cost-conscious projects.

Costs meeting a subsidy programme's rules on scope, timing, documentation, and payment method; costs outside these rules are rejected at reimbursement.

Greenhouse gas emissions released during the manufacturing, transport, construction, and end-of-life phases of building materials and components, before a building is ever occupied.

Energy used to extract, make, transport and build a material, measured in MJ per kg or per m3. It counts energy, not the emissions that energy causes.

A professional who guides homeowners through renovation subsidy applications and energy-efficiency decisions; authorization limits are set by each programme.

A systematic professional assessment of a building's energy consumption and efficiency, identifying energy losses and recommending cost-effective improvements to reduce operating costs and carbon footprint.

A harmonized European classification system from A0 to G that rates a building's energy efficiency based on annual primary energy consumption. Class A0 represents nearly zero-energy buildings, while G marks the least efficient. This scale became mandatory across the EU from 29 May 2026.

A standardized visual rating from A to G that communicates a building's annual energy consumption and efficiency, mandatory for sale or rental in the EU since 2024.

A home energy management system (EMS) is software that coordinates PV, battery, heat pump, hot water and EV charging to maximise self-consumption.

A legal document that rates a building's energy efficiency on a scale from A (most efficient) to G (least efficient), based on its annual primary energy consumption. Required in the EU when selling, renting, or commissioning a new building.

A quantitative metric measuring a building's annual energy consumption per unit of floor area (kWh/m²/year), used to rate efficiency and compliance with building standards.

EU regulatory framework establishing minimum energy performance standards for buildings, mandatory renovation targets, and requirements for zero-emission new construction across all member states.

A household condition where energy expenditure represents a disproportionate share of income, linked in Slovakia to subsidy programs targeting low-income renovation.

A kitchen worktop made from crushed quartz bound with polymer resin, prized for a uniform, non-porous surface but weak under heat.

A composite flooring product with a real wood wear layer bonded to a plywood or hardwood substrate, engineered for dimensional stability and compatibility with underfloor heating.

A heat recovery membrane transferring both sensible heat and moisture between exhaust and intake air. Reduces winter humidity loss in airtight buildings.

A sheltering overhang above a doorway that protects from rain and snow while preventing moisture damage to frames, seals, and foundations.

A small enclosed vestibule or entry room that serves as a thermal buffer and transition zone between the exterior and interior of a home, containing storage for outerwear and dirt-trapping flooring.

A binding environmental opinion issued by the district office's environmental protection department on waste management, water discharge, and nature protection aspects of a building project.

A systematic procedure required by Slovak law to evaluate the environmental and health effects of larger development projects before construction begins. Projects meeting size or sensitivity thresholds must be screened to determine if a full EIA study is needed.

A verified document quantifying environmental impacts of a material or product across its lifecycle, expressed in kg CO2e and standardized indicators.

Synthetic rubber membrane installed as one continuous sheet for flat roofs, balconies, and water features, remaining flexible in both cold and heat.

Rigid polystyrene foam insulation: expanded EPS for facades and roofs, extruded XPS for plinths, inverted roofs and anywhere water and load meet.

An EU classification framework that defines technical criteria for buildings to qualify as economically sustainable, used to guide green investment and measure climate impact in the built environment.

Ventilation where extract fans remove air from wet rooms and fresh air enters through passive inlets, leaving the building under negative pressure.

A deliberate gap filled with flexible material that accommodates thermal and moisture movement in buildings, preventing cracking and damage.

Concrete cast and left as the finished surface, with appearance determined by formwork, concrete mix, and casting discipline.

The compulsory acquisition of privately owned land or buildings by the state for public-benefit structures, with fair compensation determined by law. Governed in Slovakia by Act 282/2015.

A formal request to extend the time allowed to begin construction after a building permit or decision expires, used when delays prevent the project from starting on schedule.

Lightweight vegetated roof with shallow substrate (4–8 cm), planted with drought-tolerant sedums, needing minimal maintenance and no irrigation.

A multi-layer external insulation system that improves thermal performance of building walls by combining insulation boards with protective coating layers. The most common facade renovation method in Slovakia.

Adjustable aluminium slat blind mounted outside the window that stops solar radiation before it reaches the glass, while keeping daylight control.

Flexible material applied to joints to prevent water and air leakage. Sealants require periodic renewal and are maintenance items, not permanent seals.

The framework carrying cladding on a ventilated facade. Brackets are thermal bridges; spacing and thermal design control the wall's effective U-value.

Fired clay brick used as the visible outer leaf of a masonry facade, with high frost resistance and low water absorption for durability.

Water-to-air terminal with a fan and heat exchanger, supplied by low-temperature water from an air-to-water heat pump for room-by-room heating and cooling.

A preliminary technical, legal, and financial analysis determining whether a project is viable to proceed, typically completed before detailed design.

Separate discipline models (architecture, structure, MEP) linked in one coordinate space for coordination and review, without merging source files.

Non-combustible facade planks or boards made from cement and synthetic fibres, mounted on a ventilated substructure to shed water and moisture.

Concrete with short steel, polypropylene or glass fibres to limit shrinkage cracking in slabs and screeds, never to replace engineered reinforcement.

Floor system combining factory precast panels with in-situ concrete topping for monolithic performance and speed.

The physical on-site inspection conducted by building authorities to verify that completed construction conforms to approved plans, meets all applicable technical and safety standards, and is ready for occupancy or use.

A mandatory binding opinion issued by the Slovak Fire and Rescue Service (HaZZ) during building permitting, confirming that the project complies with fire-safety regulations and structural fire-resistance requirements.

Glass built and tested as part of a fire-resisting assembly and classed E, EW or EI under EN 13501-2, which states how long it keeps its fire function.

Sound that bypasses a separating wall by travelling through the continuous floors, ceilings and facades running past it.

A residential house with a minimally sloped roof that is nearly horizontal, using modern waterproofing membranes for weather protection and enabling green roofs and solar installations.

A floor assembly decoupled from the structure by a resilient layer to reduce impact sound transmission. Performance fails when rigid paths bypass the isolation.

A land area with a documented risk of inundation from river overflow or extreme precipitation, requiring flood-resistant design and affecting both permitting and insurance costs.

Design and construction strategies that either resist floodwater entry or allow a building to survive, recover, and dry quickly after flooding.

A zoning metric expressing total building floor area as a ratio of plot size, used to control urban density in municipal land-use plans.

Horizontal timber or steel beams spanning between supports to form a floor or ceiling, common in older and renovated Slovak residential construction.

A cementitious layer that levels floors, distributes point loads, and encases underfloor heating pipes in modern residential construction.

The layered assembly from structural slab to finish flooring, where order and material choice determine thermal, acoustic, and moisture performance.

A construction detail eliminating raised sills at floor transitions, requiring integrated waterproofing and drainage to prevent water infiltration.

A floating foundation slab on foam-glass gravel that combines insulation, support, and drainage in one layer, eliminating thermal bridging at ground level.

The traditional rural house of Slovakia, built by local craftsmen in one-room to three-part plans, with log, earth or stone walls depending on the region.

A 50-meter buffer strip along forest boundaries where special building restrictions apply; exemptions require forestry authority approval and a binding opinion.

An architectural principle stating that a building's shape should emerge from and express its intended use, rather than decoration imposed from outside.

A computational and physical design methodology where structural forms emerge from equilibrium analysis of forces rather than predetermined geometry.

Formwork is the temporary mould, made from reusable system panels or site-built timber, that holds fresh concrete in shape until it can carry its own weight.

The bearing surface where foundation meets prepared soil; requires pre-pour inspection and frost-depth verification to prevent settlement.

A monolithic reinforced-concrete structure that distributes a building's entire weight evenly across the ground. The foundation system of choice for passive houses and poor soil conditions.

Heat transmittance of the window frame profile; always higher than glass Ug, combining with Ug and edge effects to determine whole-window performance Uw.

A door engineered to close flush with its frame, using hidden hinges and a recessed profile for a seamless, frameless appearance in minimalist interiors.

A cooling strategy using outdoor air or ground temperature to cool buildings without operating a refrigeration compressor.

How well a building material survives repeated freezing and thawing without cracking, scaling or crumbling as water in its pores turns to ice.

The depth to which soil freezes in winter, determining the minimum foundation depth needed to prevent frost heave and structural damage.

Early-20th-century architectural movement asserting that form should emerge from function and structure, rejecting applied ornament (1920s–1930s).

Wire mesh baskets filled with stone and stacked into a wall, used for retaining walls, erosion control and garden features.

Triangular masonry or timber wall at the gable end of a pitched roof, supporting the roof structure and resisting wind and snow loads.

A residential house with a peaked roof formed by two sloping planes meeting at a ridge, offering natural snow shedding, usable attic space, and compliance with Central European building traditions and land-use regulations.

A double-height living space overlooked by an upper-floor gallery. It buys light and volume, and costs floor area, heat distribution and acoustic separation.

An open gallery along the courtyard facade of a multi-storey building, giving each flat access from a shared walkway.

Steel coated with protective zinc to resist corrosion, created by hot-dip galvanizing; used widely in Slovak residential roofing and structural details.

A fully enclosed garage space built into or attached to the main house, functioning as a fire compartment and thermal weak point that requires careful envelope detailing, fire separation, and exhaust ventilation.

A small, typically seasonal structure in a garden designed for relaxation or temporary retreat, often subject to simplified building procedures under Slovakia's 2025 Building Act.

A qualified entity that contracts with a building owner to execute all construction works, manage all trades and subcontractors, and deliver a completed structure compliant with plans and legal standards.

A machine learning model where two networks compete to generate and evaluate images. Earlier generative approach largely displaced by diffusion models.

Computational method that generates and ranks thousands of design solutions based on specified goals and constraints.

The distinctive spirit or atmosphere of a place—its unique character and identity that architectural design should reveal and reinforce.

The process in which renovation and wealthier newcomers raise prices and rents in an older district, often pushing out residents with lower incomes.

A precise measurement of a site's boundaries, topography, and existing features, accounting for Earth's curvature, that establishes the factual foundation for architectural design and permitting.

Concrete whose binder replaces Portland cement with alkali-activated fly ash, slag or metakaolin, aiming for a much lower carbon footprint.

A systematic investigation of soil, rock, and groundwater conditions at a building site to determine safe foundation design and construction methods.

Excess brightness or contrast in view that causes discomfort or reduces seeing, usually from low sun, large glazing, glossy surfaces or poor lighting.

Thin precast concrete panel that uses alkali-resistant glass fibres instead of steel bars, used for facade cladding, window surrounds, planters and sinks.

Thermal transmittance of glass panes alone; always lower and more attractive than Uw (whole window), the value that actually drives energy performance.

A single numeric value (in kWh/m² annually) that quantifies the total primary energy consumed by a building, accounting for energy source quality through conversion factors, and used to assign buildings to energy classes A0 through G.

A ratio expressing how much heat a gas traps in the atmosphere relative to CO2 over time, used to convert emissions into CO2 equivalent (CO2e).

Engineered timber made by bonding multiple graded boards (lamellae) with grain parallel, producing long structural beams and columns stronger and more dimensionally consistent than sawn wood.

A reinforced concrete beam spanning between pad footings or piles, carrying wall loads to discrete foundations where the soil cannot take a strip.

A retaining wall that holds back soil by its own weight, usually built from concrete, stone or gabion baskets, and dependent on drainage behind it.

A ring of protected open land around a city that limits sprawl. Slovakia has no statutory equivalent, so planners rely on other tools.

A price support mechanism that supplements market rates for renewable electricity injected into the grid, guaranteeing producers a stable income above wholesale prices for a fixed period. In Slovakia, it combines fixed feed-in tariffs for small installations and auction-based feed-in premiums for larger systems.

Vegetation on a vertical wall surface, either via climbing plants rooted in the ground or modular systems with integrated irrigation.

A network of natural or semi-natural elements, including vegetation and water systems, designed to manage water while providing ecosystem services like improved air quality, habitat, and soil health on residential properties.

A roofing system with layers of vegetation and growing medium that provides thermal insulation, stormwater management, and extends roof lifespan.

The layered stack of a vegetated roof: structural deck, waterproofing, insulation, drainage, substrate and plants, engineered to protect the building.

The ratio of vegetated land to total plot area, mandated by zoning plans as a minimum requirement for residential and mixed-use developments in Slovakia.

Undeveloped land at the settlement edge, typically agricultural, that costs less to buy but requires new utilities and consumes farmland.

Treating and reusing wastewater from showers and baths for non-potable purposes, kept strictly separate from the potable water supply.

A heat pump that extracts thermal energy from the ground via buried pipes or boreholes, delivering heating and cooling with seasonal efficiency 30-50% higher than air-source alternatives due to stable underground temperatures.

An underground heat exchanger that pre-conditions fresh air by exchanging heat with the stable ground temperature, reducing heating and cooling loads in buildings.

The external drainage of a pitched roof: gutters collect the run-off at the eaves and downpipes carry it to ground, away from the wall and the foundation.

Homogeneous gypsum reinforced with cellulose fibre throughout, offering superior sound performance and direct screw-holding without paper facing.

Paper-faced gypsum-core panel for interior partitions and ceilings. Performance depends entirely on the framing assembly, not the board itself.

Kitchen cabinetry opened without visible handles using gola channels or spring-release mechanisms. Cleaner aesthetics demand higher durability and cost.

The transfer of heat through a solid by direct contact, governed by the material thermal conductivity and its thickness. One of three heat transfer modes.

Heat transfer via fluid motion (air or water) carrying thermal energy. One of three fundamental heat transfer mechanisms in buildings.

The method by which a heating system transfers energy into a room: radiators, radiant surfaces, convectors, fan coils, or air heating.

A system that moves thermal energy from a lower source to a heating circuit using electricity; delivers more heat than electricity input.

A controlled ventilation system that recovers heat from exhaust air. The heat exchanger transfers energy from warm stale air to cold fresh air. Modern units achieve 75-95% efficiency. For passive houses, minimum required efficiency is 75%. MVHR (Mechanical Ventilation with Heat Recovery) ensures constant fresh air supply without heat losses.

Replacing an existing fossil-fuel boiler or heating system with a renewable energy source such as a heat pump or biomass boiler to reduce energy consumption and carbon emissions in residential buildings.

A bathroom radiator designed to dry towels and provide supplementary heat, available in hydronic (water-fed), electric, or dual-fuel versions.

A system dividing a house into independent heating zones, each with its own thermostat and actuator, enabling different room temperatures.

Lime-bound hemp shiv infill for walls. Vapour-open, humidity-buffering and carbon-storing, but not structural, so it needs a separate load-bearing frame.

The regional heritage office's statement on whether a proposed intervention is permissible and on what conditions; it binds the building authority and must be obtained before the building intent proceeding can conclude.

A territory declared under Slovakia's Heritage Protection Act because the area itself carries heritage value, so even unlisted buildings inside it need heritage consent for works affecting its character.

A wood flooring laying pattern where rectangular boards are arranged in a distinctive V-shaped zigzag, creating visual rhythm and depth in interior spaces.

The diagonal rafter at the external corner of a hip roof, where two slopes meet. It carries the shorter jack rafters (námetky) that frame into it.

A roof where all sides slope to the walls, with hip rafters at corners instead of a ridge. Common on traditional Slovak houses for weather resilience.

Prefabricated prestressed slab with hollow cores for long-span floors, enabling rapid installation in residential and commercial buildings.

A battery system that stores excess electricity generated by solar panels or drawn from the grid, enabling households to use energy when it's most needed and maximize self-consumption of renewable energy.

A dedicated media room in a family house, planned as an architectural and acoustic brief: proportions, isolation from bedrooms, darkness and cabling.

A small built-in desk workspace requiring daylight positioning, cable routing, and acoustic treatment to work well in open-plan homes.

A dedicated residential spa space (sauna, steam room, or hot tub) that combines high moisture generation with intense heat, requiring specialized vapour control, dedicated extract ventilation, and electrical safety measures to prevent interstitial condensation.

A thermal storage tank on the heating circuit that prevents heat pump short-cycling by absorbing temporary output mismatches.

A residential building constructed on terrain with significant grade change, requiring specialized site preparation, drainage, and foundation design that typically cost 10-20% more than flat-plot equivalents.

The positioning of a building on its site in relation to cardinal directions and the sun's path, affecting natural light, heating, cooling, and livability.

A housing estate of prefab apartments with neighborhood centers, schools and green space. One-third of Slovaks live in sídliská.

Proportioning buildings to match human body dimensions and the distances at which people perceive faces, hear voices, and navigate streets.

A heating system combining an air-source heat pump with a secondary heat source (typically a gas boiler or biomass burner) that automatically switches between them to optimize efficiency and performance across varying outdoor temperatures.

A ventilation strategy combining natural and mechanical airflow, switching between them based on weather and occupancy to optimize energy efficiency.

A scientific investigation of groundwater conditions—depth, availability, quality, and flow—conducted before construction to assess site hydrology and inform foundation, drainage, and building system design.

The capacity of building materials to absorb and release moisture, moderating indoor humidity swings and protecting indoor air quality.

Dynamic simulation of coupled heat and moisture flow through a build-up, used to judge condensation and mould risk where the Glaser method is not enough.

The process of exporting a discipline's BIM model into the open IFC schema, checking what actually transferred, and importing it elsewhere without relying on a shared software licence.

The ability of a floor to limit noise created by the structure being struck directly, by footfall or moved furniture. Measured as L’n,w in decibels, where lower is better.

Detailed technical documentation for actual construction, specifying materials, assembly details, and build sequences. Bridges the gap between design approval and site execution.

In-situ concrete is concrete cast in formwork on the building site and left to harden in place, the usual method for foundations, walls and ceilings.

An early-stage cost projection prepared during design development, typically ±20–30% accurate, to validate project feasibility and guide budget decisions.

The overall condition of the air inside a home, shaped by pollutants, moisture and the fresh air that ventilation brings in.

The amount of carbon dioxide in indoor air, in ppm, which mainly comes from occupant breathing and shows how well a room is ventilated.

Non-structural masonry that closes the openings of a frame. It carries only its own weight and wind, and is separated from the frame by movement joints.

A buildingSMART open standard that expresses BIM requirements as machine-readable rules, replacing prose-based compliance with automated model validation.

Rigid foam blocks that stay in place after concrete is poured, providing permanent formwork and integrated insulation in a single material system.

A roof with deep substrate supporting trees and shrubs, requiring structural design, irrigation, and ongoing maintenance for higher loads.

Interior acoustic comfort covers two problems: reverberation inside a room, fixed with absorbent surfaces, and sound transmission between rooms, fixed with mass, decoupling and sealed junctions.

The design document fixing fitting positions, layers of light, and colour temperature room by room, resolved before electrical first fix because every fitting is a cable route.

A small, limited set of floor, wall, joinery, and metal finishes, chosen from physical samples and held consistent across every room so a house reads as one design, not six schemes.

Heat generated inside a building from occupants, lighting, and equipment that reduces the heating load in winter but increases cooling demand in summer.

Modernist aesthetic codified at the 1932 MoMA exhibition, emphasizing volume, regularity, and elimination of ornament as universal design principles.

Water forming inside a build-up where the temperature falls to the dew point. The criterion is not zero condensation but an annual balance that dries out again.

A flat-roof assembly with insulation above the waterproof membrane, protecting it from UV and weather while supporting green roofs and terraces.

An investor's initial framing document outlining the concept, financial parameters, and feasibility of a construction project, prepared before formal design and legal approval processes.

Networked sensors in a house, such as CO2, humidity, leak and window contact sensors, that report readings over Zigbee, Thread, Wi-Fi or Matter.

The vertical side of a window or door opening, called ostenie in Slovak, where the frame meets the wall and renovation insulation has to continue.

Slovak stojatá stolica: a vertical-post timber frame that carries the intermediate purlins of a purlin roof. Nearest English equivalent: king-post truss.

The kitchen countertop material is the daily cutting and cooking surface, and the main families differ mainly in heat, stain and upkeep.

A freestanding counter surrounded by walkway, used for food prep or dining. Only feasible in kitchens over 20 m² with 1–1.3 m clearance per side.

A tall built-in cabinet integrated into the kitchen run, typically 1.8–2.2 m high, for dry goods and kitchenware storage without needing a separate room.

The wall finish between the worktop and wall cabinets, usually behind the hob and sink. It guards against water, grease and heat and sets the look.

A design principle positioning sink, stove, and refrigerator as three points of a triangle to minimize movement and optimize kitchen workflow efficiency.

Open standard (ISO/IEC 14543) for lighting, shading and heating control over one shared wired bus, where devices from different makers work together.

A residential footprint where two perpendicular wings form an L shape, creating a sheltered outdoor corner and allowing different building orientations on the same plot.

Safety glass with an interlayer that bonds fragments together when broken, preventing sharp shards from separating and containing the breakage.

Engineered timber made by gluing thin peeled veneers, mostly with grain parallel, into straight beams, lintels and ridge beams for long spans.

Reorganization of fragmented rural parcels into larger, more usable holdings through formal processes governed by Slovak law, often necessary before residential development on rural sites.

The official Slovak title deed proving real estate ownership, recording owner details, property description, and legal encumbrances across three sections (A: property, B: owners, C: burdens). Required for all construction projects and property transactions.

The legal and technical process of dividing one land parcel into two or more smaller parcels, requiring a geometric survey plan, municipal approval, and cadastral registration.

A non-binding planning tool that tests zoning options and sustainable development possibilities before a municipality amends its territorial plan.

The classification label assigned to a specific plot designating permitted, conditional, or prohibited uses under the municipal zoning plan.

A level platform between staircase flights, or at floor level, where stairs let people rest, turn and stop safely after a fall.

A systematic evaluation of distinctive landscape features and regional identity that guides architectural design and permitting decisions in rural and protected scenic areas.

LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is a globally recognized third-party green building certification system that rates the environmental performance of buildings across sustainability criteria including energy efficiency, water use, materials, and indoor air quality.

Control of Legionella bacteria in hot water systems through temperature management and system design, essential when using heat pumps.

Mies van der Rohe's modernist maxim that architectural restraint and elimination of ornament creates beauty through structural essentials alone.

Level of Development (LOD) states how far a BIM element may be relied upon at a given stage, from LOD 100 massing to LOD 500 field-verified as-built, distinct from how detailed it looks.

The EU's voluntary framework for assessing and reporting the environmental and sustainability performance of buildings across their entire lifecycle, combining lifecycle assessment with circular economy principles.

LiDAR measures distance by timing laser pulses that bounce back from surfaces, building a 3D point cloud from aircraft, vehicles, drones or phones.

Standardized method quantifying environmental impacts of buildings and products across their entire lifecycle, from extraction through end-of-life.

Economic method summing all building costs over decades: initial, energy, maintenance, replacement, and disposal, to compare design options fairly.

A large sliding door whose leaf is lifted off its perimeter seals, slides on a carriage, then lowers back to seal tightly against air leakage.

A horizontal reflective shelf at window transom height that shades the lower glass and bounces daylight onto the ceiling, deeper into the room.

A cold-formed steel stud frame used instead of timber. Factory-precise and dimensionally stable, but every stud is a thermal bridge without continuous external insulation.

Preset combinations of circuit brightness levels stored and recalled by a single button or voice command, reducing manual adjustment of individual switches.

Concrete made with low-density aggregates instead of gravel, suited to thermal screeds and void fills in buildings where weight reduction matters.

A plaster bound with air lime that hardens by carbonation. On older Slovak masonry it is the correct finish because it stays vapour-open, soft and removable.

A thin, breathable coating made from lime and water, applied to masonry to provide weather protection while allowing vapor transmission.

In-between space that is neither fully public nor private, often transitional in temperature and light where people naturally pause.

LED strip in an aluminium profile, used for indirect ambient or task light in coves, under cabinets or recessed into plasterboard. Density and driver decide it.

Extra heat loss per meter of junction, W/(m.K), quantifying thermal performance at construction details that U-value calculations miss.

A horizontal beam spanning a window or door opening that transfers the load above the opening to the walls on either side, preventing the masonry or structure from collapsing into the void.

A building entered in Slovakia's Central Register of the Heritage Fund, which binds every owner to maintain it, to obtain heritage consent before restoring it, and to offer it to the state before any sale.

An ambitious regenerative building certification developed by the International Living Future Institute, requiring projects to generate their own clean energy and water, eliminate toxic materials, and restore habitat—setting the highest ecological and human health standards in green building design.

A wall that carries weight from the roof or floors above and transfers it down through the building to the foundation, distinct from a partition, which carries only itself.

Demolition of a wall that carries structural load from above (roof or floor), requiring a structural engineer's assessment, a replacement beam or lintel, and a written structural certification under Slovakia's Building Act 25/2025 before work can proceed.

A residential dwelling created by converting an industrial or commercial building into an open-plan living space, typically featuring large volumes, high ceilings, and minimal internal partitions.

A wall of stacked solid timber logs carrying the load, hand-hewn or machined. Strong and full of mass, but it settles, and the sealing joint decides its life.

A recessed balcony inside the building volume, covered from above and enclosed on three sides, whose floor and side walls interrupt the thermal envelope.

Loose fibres blown by machine into cavities, conforming without seams around obstacles. Ideal for retrofit where batt installation is not feasible.

A building designed and constructed to minimize greenhouse-gas emissions across its entire lifecycle—from material extraction and manufacturing through operation and eventual demolition.

Concrete made with less Portland cement clinker, using blended cements, optimised mixes and recycled aggregate to lower the carbon of a structure.

A thin metallic-oxide layer that reflects long-wave infrared back indoors while transparent to visible light, improving window thermal insulation.

A residential building designed and built to consume roughly half the energy of conventional houses through high insulation, efficient systems, and controlled ventilation, typically using 20–50 kWh/m² per year for heating.

A design approach that manages stormwater by keeping rainfall where it falls, using techniques like permeable surfaces and infiltration to reduce runoff and protect water quality.

A heating system delivering water at lower flow temperatures to raise the efficiency of modern heat sources, at the cost of larger emitter surfaces.

Lumen measures light leaving a fitting; lux measures light arriving at a surface. You buy lumens but need lux to light a room correctly.

A multi-level residential unit within a larger building where a single dwelling spans two or more floors, combining apartment efficiency with house-like vertical living.

A two-pitched roof with a lower, steeper slope and upper, gentler slope, commonly used to maximize habitable attic space in residential buildings.

Curved brick or stone structure that carries loads in compression and pushes outwards at its supports, so the sides and ties must hold it in place.

A large-format masonry unit, bigger than a brick, laid in courses to build walls. Families include ceramic, aerated concrete, concrete and sand-lime units.

The pattern in which bricks or blocks are staggered course by course so no joint lines up with the one below, letting the wall act as one body.

A wall-bearing system where stacked blocks carry loads and rely on reinforced concrete ring beams to tie walls into a closed structural loop.

A system where masonry walls carry loads from roof and floors to the foundation, common in Slovak residential building.

Building systems where large solid engineered timber panels and beams carry the load instead of concrete or steel, combining fast erection with carbon storage.

A strategic, usually non-binding design vision for a district or development area, setting out streets, blocks, public space and phasing.

A documented inventory of a building's materials, composition, and location, enabling recovery and reuse at end-of-life rather than landfill.

Air-conditioning using a compressor to remove indoor heat when passive cooling cannot maintain comfort during Slovak summers.

A residential energy system that generates both electricity and heat simultaneously from a single fuel source, achieving 75–85% overall efficiency while reducing reliance on grid power and conventional boilers.

Thin cementitious coating for seamless floor and wall finishes; requires stable substrate and sealing for durability.

A cement-lime dry-powder facade finish, the industry standard for ETICS. Vapour-permeable, durable, and painted for colour after curing.

Non-combustible fibrous insulation spun from glass or rock melt, with a conductivity of roughly 0.032 to 0.045 W/(m·K) and reaction to fire class A1.

The EU-mandated minimum energy efficiency standard that all new buildings must meet, defined as the cost-optimal level at which operational energy costs are minimised over the building's lifecycle.

An EU regulatory instrument that requires owners of worst-performing existing buildings to meet energy efficiency thresholds by specified deadlines, driving progressive renovation of the building stock toward decarbonisation.

A small single-story building up to 50 m² and 5 m high that can be constructed with only a notification to the building authority instead of a full building permit, under Slovakia's Building Act 25/2025.

A simplified authorization procedure under Slovakia's Building Act 25/2025 for small buildings (up to 50 m²), requiring notification to the building authority instead of full Building Intent proceedings; approval is presumed if the authority does not respond within 30 days.

Development combining residential, commercial, retail, and civic uses in integrated buildings to create walkable neighborhoods.

Twentieth-century movement rejecting ornament and embracing functional rationality, industrial materials, and standardization.

Factory-assembled room-sized units stacked on site to form a complete building, arriving finished with surfaces, systems and fixtures.

The amount of water absorbed by building materials, measured as a percentage of dry mass, critical during construction before finishes are applied.

A residential building with a single sloping roof plane that can be oriented to maximize solar gains or satisfy pitched-roof regulations while creating asymmetric interior volumes and contemporary aesthetics.

A reinforced-concrete slab cast in place as a continuous unit, creating moment continuity and allowing thinner, longer spans than precast systems.

A collage of images, materials and colors that agrees an interior's character before detailed design, useful only once it becomes a specification.

Traditional carpentry joint: a tenon on one timber fits a mortise in another and is held with a peg. Common in Slovak roof frames (krov).

The likelihood that mould colonises an interior surface, set by surface moisture, nutrient and temperature. Design can only remove the first of the three.

A single building containing separate dwelling units for multiple generations (typically parents and adult children with their families), designed with independent entrances, utility metering, acoustic isolation, and barrier-free access for aging residents.

A binding statutory planning document that designates how each part of a municipality's territory may be used—residential, commercial, industrial, or recreational—and establishes rules for construction.

A municipality's statutory right to purchase land at the offered price before any third party, typically triggered when building plots within zoned areas change hands. Rarely enforced in practice.

Solid wood panel made by stacking dimensional lumber boards face-to-face and fastening them with nails, creating one-way spanning panels with no adhesive.

Establishing plant species adapted to a site's regional climate and soil, cutting maintenance and irrigation while supporting local pollinators.

Passive air movement through a building driven by wind pressure differences, where fresh air enters on the windward side and exits on the sheltered side.

A bio-based resilient flooring from linseed oil, cork, and wood; fully biodegradable but less water-resistant than PVC, often confused with vinyl.

Durable, fire-resistant roof covering of naturally split stone slabs, valued for distinctive appearance and exceptional longevity.

A permanent stone facade finish applied as thin adhesive-bonded tiles or mechanical dimension-stone panels, chosen for durability and regional character.

Load-bearing walls of quarried stone laid in mortar, where the wall itself carries the floors and roof. Common in old Slovak village houses and cellars.

A kitchen worktop cut from a single slab of quarried stone such as granite, marble, quartzite or slate, each with different hardness and acid resistance.

A building with very high energy performance and minimal energy needs, with most or all of its required energy covered by renewable sources produced on-site or nearby, mandated by EU law for all new buildings since 2021.

A written agreement from adjacent property owners accepting a building project; not mandatory under Slovak law 25/2025 if the design complies with legal requirements.

The classic planning model of a self-contained residential area built around one elementary school, local shops and arterial roads at its edge.

Contemporary reinterpretation of traditional vernacular forms and climate strategies using modern construction methods and performance standards.

A billing mechanism that allows residential prosumers with solar PV systems to offset their grid electricity consumption with surplus electricity they generate and feed back to the grid, using a bidirectional meter to track net energy flow.

A building designed so total greenhouse gas emissions across its entire lifecycle—from construction through operations to end-of-life—amount to zero or are offset through renewable energy and carbon removal projects.

ML model that renders 3D scenes from photos at any viewpoint. Produces plausible images but not measured geometry, unlike photogrammetry.

Design movement that revives walkable streets, compact blocks and mixed-use districts, founded in 1993 and often criticised for nostalgic styling.

A passive cooling strategy that uses cool nighttime air to cool a building's thermal mass, reducing the need for active air conditioning in summer.

The part of a residential layout dedicated to sleep and rest, typically comprising bedrooms and bathrooms, designed for acoustic separation from day-zone activities and optimized for thermal comfort and good air quality during sleeping hours.

An expert acoustic assessment required for residential building permits when a site is exposed to transportation noise from roads or railways, evaluating predicted sound levels against permissible limits set by Slovak legislation.

A wall that divides space and carries only its own weight and fixings, not structural load, yet still has to separate sound, take fixings, host services and tolerate the structure's movement.

Post-1968 Czechoslovak architecture defined by state control and mass prefab housing. Panel estates now face the region's largest renovation challenge.

Smooth mathematical curves and surfaces defined by control points and basis functions; precision modeling standard for fabrication-ready geometry.

A formal written challenge filed by an affected neighbor or party during building proceedings to raise concerns about a proposed project before a final decision is made.

A Slovak government subsidy programme providing up to €11,000 per family home for energy-efficiency renovations, targeting households threatened by energy poverty with no energy certificate requirement.

Occupancy approval is the final decision by the building authority permitting use of a completed structure for its intended purpose. It certifies that the building complies with all applicable regulations and is safe for occupancy.

A historical occupancy permit document under Slovakia's old Building Act (50/1976), now replaced by the certificate of fulfillment of building purpose under the 2025 Act. It was the formal decision authorizing a completed building's use for its intended purpose.

Sensors such as PIR, microwave and presence radar that detect whether a room is in use, so lighting, heating and ventilation follow actual occupancy.

Exposed shelves for displaying dishware and decorative items without cabinet doors, creating an airy space with higher maintenance and organization demands

An open-air museum that gathers historic rural houses and farm buildings on one site, so architects can study folk construction up close and in detail.

An open-plan layout merges kitchen, dining, and living spaces into a single, uninterrupted volume—requiring structural, acoustic, thermal, and ventilation strategies to manage sound, smell, and comfort zones.

A collaborative BIM approach using open, non-proprietary standards like IFC to allow seamless data exchange between different software tools and project participants, regardless of authoring platform.

Greenhouse gas emissions from the energy a building uses in operation, mainly for heating, cooling, ventilation, lighting, hot water and appliances.

The average of air temperature and mean radiant temperature, weighted by air velocity, that determines how warm or cold a space feels.

A structural wood-based panel made from oriented strands bonded under pressure, widely used as sheathing and air barriers in timber frame construction.

Loos's 1910 essay arguing that ornament on useful objects wastes resources and moral effort, becoming a founding principle of modernism.

Building for yourself without a contractor. Act 25/2025 allows it for simple structures, family houses included, if a qualified supervisor leads the works.

An isolated foundation supporting a single column, pier, or post. Used for carports, terraces, and timber-frame structures.

A panel building system is a prefabricated construction method using factory-made reinforced concrete wall and floor panels that are assembled on-site to form the structural skeleton of a building. This method was widely adopted across Czechoslovakia from the 1950s onwards.

A panelák is a large apartment building constructed from prefabricated, pre-stressed concrete panels. These iconic housing estates emerged in Czechoslovakia between 1959 and 1995 as a rapid, cost-effective solution to post-war housing shortages.

A dedicated storage room adjoining the kitchen for dry goods, provisions, and kitchenware, traditionally sited on the north side to maintain cool temperatures with minimal mechanical conditioning.

A design method where geometry is defined by parameters and rules rather than fixed coordinates, automatically updating when inputs change.

A vertical wall extending above a flat roof's edge, containing the waterproofing upstand and defining the building's visual profile.

Mandatory minimum parking space requirements per dwelling unit, typically 1–2.5 spaces depending on apartment size and local transit accessibility, regulated by STN 73 6110 and municipal zoning plans in Slovakia.

A method of involving residents in shaping land-use decisions before proposals are finalized, distinct from statutory consultation which presents fixed plans.

A person or entity with legal standing to participate and object in building permit proceedings. Under Act 25/2025, only those objectively directly affected in their rights qualify.

A building standard for structures with very low heating energy requirements (≤ 15 kWh/m²/year). A passive house achieves this through a combination of excellent thermal insulation, elimination of thermal bridges, airtightness, heat recovery ventilation, and optimal utilization of solar gains. Certification is granted by the Passive House Institute in Darmstadt.

Three certification tiers for Passive House buildings defined by their combined efficiency level and renewable energy generation capacity, ranging from Classic (efficiency only) to Premium (net-positive energy generation).

Architectural strategy that uses building orientation, glazing placement, thermal mass, and shading to capture winter solar heat and reject summer solar gain, reducing mechanical heating and cooling needs.

A street or district where general motor traffic is banned by municipal traffic rules, with set delivery windows and resident exemptions.

A heating system that burns compressed wood pellets (small cylindrical fuel units) to generate warmth for space heating and hot water. Pellet boilers automate fuel feeding and combustion control, offering a renewable alternative to fossil-fuel boilers in residential settings.

Thermal insulation below ground that stops the foundation and floor slab from losing heat into soil, eliminating the thermal bridge at the plinth.

Underground pipes at foundation level that collect and redirect groundwater and rainwater away from below-grade walls, essential in poorly drained soil.

Permeable surfaces that allow water infiltration, reducing runoff and enabling you to meet land-coverage limits.

The timeframe between when a building intent decision becomes legally binding and when construction must begin; typically two years under Slovak law (25/2025 Z.z.).

A preliminary cost calculation prepared to support building permit applications, demonstrating project feasibility to authorities and lenders before detailed design is complete.

A material that stores and releases heat as it melts and solidifies, added to linings or screeds to give lightweight houses extra thermal mass.

A design philosophy holding that buildings are known through lived sensory experience rather than through plans or images alone.

Photogrammetry derives 3D geometry from overlapping photographs taken on foot or by drone, and suits facades, roofs and textured surfaces.

A device that converts sunlight directly into electrical current using semiconductor materials; a fundamental component in residential renewable energy systems.

A hybrid solar panel that generates both electricity and heat from a single aperture, combining photovoltaic cells on the front with an integral heat exchanger on the back to recover waste heat.

A deep foundation system where vertical members (piles) transfer loads through unsuitable ground to a competent bearing stratum. Used when shallow foundations are uneconomical or impossible.

Rigid polyisocyanurate foam with conductivity around 0.022–0.025 W/(m·K), foil-faced and vapor-closed, used where thickness is strictly limited.

The deliberate, participatory practice of designing and activating public spaces to enhance how people use, experience, and connect in urban environments.

An official document issued by a municipality summarizing land-use regulations and development permissions for a specific property under the municipal zoning plan.

A building that produces more energy from renewable sources annually than it consumes from the grid, achieving net energy surplus through efficient design and integrated generation systems.

Fanger's heat-balance model that predicts occupant thermal sensation (PMV) and dissatisfaction percentage (PPD) from six environmental factors.

Force concentrated at a discrete location on a structure, creating localized stress that differs fundamentally from distributed loads.

A point cloud is a large set of measured 3D points, each with X, Y and Z coordinates and often a colour, captured by laser scanning or photogrammetry.

Point cloud registration aligns several laser scans of one building into a single coordinate system, so each wall appears once and in the right place.

Extra heat loss in W/K at one point where a fixing or bracket crosses the insulation. Point values are summed over every fixing in the envelope.

Scan-to-BIM turns laser-scanned or photogrammetric measurements of an existing building into a coordinated BIM model, capturing its true geometry before a renovation with no reliable drawings.

A minimalist finish created by grinding and polishing concrete to expose aggregate, then sealing for durability and sheen.

A surface representation composed of connected vertices, edges, and faces that forms a 3D shape; the dominant geometry type in visualization and real-time graphics.

International architectural movement (1945-1975) emphasizing structural expression, prefabrication, and social housing across Europe and the Soviet bloc.

A long-term contract between an electricity producer and consumer that locks in a fixed or indexed electricity price, typically for 10-25 years, providing price certainty and guaranteed renewable energy supply.

The milestone when construction work is physically finished and the building is substantially ready for occupancy, preceding the mandatory fitness review by the building authority.

An informal early-stage discussion with the building authority before submitting formal project documentation, used to clarify requirements and identify potential regulatory obstacles to a design.

The foundational phase before architectural design begins where client expectations are clarified, site constraints assessed, and feasibility verified through surveys and research.

The systematic investigation and risk assessment of a building site before purchase, verifying legal ownership, buildability, environmental safety, utility access, and neighbor constraints to confirm feasibility before commissioning architecture.

Concrete elements cast and cured in a factory or yard, then transported and assembled on site. Common for stairs, lintels, floor planks and basement walls.

The manufacture of building components, panels or whole modules in a factory, then assembled on site. The levels run from single components to volumetric units.

The total energy extracted from nature before processing and delivery, calculated by multiplying delivered energy by a primary energy factor. It's the headline metric for Slovak building energy certification.

Theory that all architecture descends from simple shelter. A myth not history, but asking what buildings must do remains essential discipline.

Standardized rules that define how environmental impact data must be collected, modeled, and reported for products in a specific category, ensuring comparable Environmental Product Declarations.

A mandatory technical document that quantifies the expected energy performance of a building or renovation project, demonstrating compliance with Slovak and EU energy efficiency standards.

A legally defined buffer area around infrastructure or monuments where construction is restricted to protect public interests and operational safety.

The spatial strategy of organizing a residential plot into public, private, and service zones, with the street-facing side for arrival and services, and the rear for intimate garden space protected from view.

A binding statement from the regional public health authority (RÚVZ) confirming that a building project complies with health and hygiene standards and is safe for occupancy.

Land and structures owned by public authorities for collective use: streets, squares, parks and plazas where people gather, move and interact.

A building or infrastructure designated in approved spatial planning documentation as essential for territorial development or environmental protection; the legal basis for expropriation of land.

A horizontal beam supporting the mid-span of rafters, reducing their span and enabling wider buildings. Common in residential and industrial construction.

A timber roof frame in which purlins, carried on posts, support the rafters partway up the slope, shortening their span and allowing wider roofs.

Single-sheet plastic waterproofing for flat roofs, heat-welded at seams, mechanically fixed or fully adhered, with superior UV and ozone resistance.

A timber roof frame with inclined posts parallel to the rafters, tied by a straining beam, that carries the purlins and leaves the attic centre free.

Material resistance to heat flow, expressed in m²·K/W. Inverse of U-value, seen on product datasheets; not used in Slovak building codes.

Cooling via chilled water loops in floors or ceilings that absorb heat passively. Offers comfort but requires humidity control to prevent condensation.

A heating system delivering warmth through floor pipes at low temperature (35°C), ideal for heat pumps and continuously heated homes.

Localized thermal discomfort when one body side radiates heat to surfaces of vastly different temperatures, typical at single-glazed windows.

A gas-impermeable layer installed below foundation slabs to prevent radon diffusion from soil into buildings, required in radon-risk zones.

A soil gas measurement performed during site assessment to evaluate radon risk and determine foundation protection requirements before construction in Slovakia.

A sloping structural beam that forms the primary load-bearing member of a roof frame, carrying the roof covering and transferring loads to the walls below.

A roof frame made only of rafter pairs that meet at the ridge, with no purlins or collar beams, whose feet must be tied so the walls do not spread.

A legally defined buffer area along railway infrastructure where construction and certain activities are restricted to protect operational safety and public welfare. In Slovakia, the standard distance is 60 meters from the outer rail axis.

A shallow planted depression that captures roof or driveway runoff, letting water infiltrate soil and recharge groundwater rather than flow to a sewer.

The outer cladding layer in a rainscreen facade system, separated from the building envelope by a continuous, ventilated air cavity that drains water and allows moisture to evaporate.

A storage tank that collects and holds rainwater runoff from roofs and other surfaces for residential irrigation, toilet flushing, and other non-potable uses.

A water management system that captures, filters, and stores rainfall from roofs and surfaces for reuse in irrigation, toilet flushing, and washing, reducing mains water consumption and flood risk in residential buildings.

On-site storage that slows stormwater release and allows infiltration, reducing peak load on public sewers; increasingly required by Slovak zoning.

Wall built by compacting damp soil in layers inside formwork, creating a dense, massive earth wall known in Slovak as nabíjaná hlina.

The authoritative public register in Slovakia containing geometric descriptions, inventory, and ownership records of all real properties and associated rights.

Reality capture is the umbrella term for digitising an existing building or site with laser scanners, photogrammetry, drones or 360 photos.

Ceiling-mounted downlights installed flush within the structural depth, fixed during first-fix electrical because every fixture punches through the airtight layer of the building envelope.

Salvaged building materials reused in their original form, retaining embodied carbon and avoiding reprocessing energy, as an alternative to new production.

Slovakia's €6.4 billion EU-funded programme of reforms and investments (2021–2026) supporting green renovation, renewable energy, and climate resilience in residential and commercial buildings.

A recreational structure for seasonal or intermittent use, legally distinct from a residential dwelling in Slovak building law, requiring frost protection and special utility design to accommodate discontinuous habitation.

A standardized EU methodology for defining representative buildings that establish benchmarks for minimum energy performance requirements and cost-optimal renovation measures.

Thin insulation with reflective surfaces reflecting radiant heat, requiring an air gap to function. Effective in hot climates only; often oversold.

The working fluid in heat pumps and air conditioners that circulates through a vapour-compression cycle, changing between liquid and gas.

A binding territorial planning document adopted by a Higher Territorial Unit that establishes the spatial arrangement, development structure, and regulatory framework for land use across an entire region in Slovakia.

A binding zone-level planning instrument specifying built-form rules—placement, spacing, setbacks, and land use—for regulated areas in Slovak municipalities.

Concrete reinforced with steel bars to carry both compression and tension; durable as long as alkaline pore water protects the steel from corrosion.

A structural system of columns and floor slabs spanning between them. Used as an alternative to wall-bearing masonry for flexible residential design.

Steel bars embedded in concrete to carry the tension concrete cannot resist on its own; diameter, spacing, cover and lap position are calculated, not site improvisation.

The percentage of water vapour in air relative to the maximum the air can hold at that temperature. It determines comfort, condensation, and mould growth.

The computed transformation of a 3D model into a 2D photorealistic or stylised image, simulating light propagation and material properties.

A legal entity owned collectively by citizens, businesses, or local authorities that produces, consumes, stores, and shares renewable energy to benefit members and reduce reliance on grid-supplied electricity.

A Renewable Energy Source (RES) is any non-fossil energy that naturally replenishes itself during use—such as solar, wind, hydroelectric, geothermal, or biomass—providing sustainable alternatives to depleting conventional fuels.

The percentage of a building's total energy consumption sourced from renewable energy, including solar, wind, biomass, and geothermal; mandatory since 2022 under EU and Slovak building performance standards.

The European Union's strategy to double the annual building renovation rate by 2030, reducing GHG emissions from buildings by 60% while addressing energy poverty through coordinated national programmes like Slovakia's Obnov Dom.

A building or engineering structure that is technologically demanding or structurally unusual, requiring increased coordination, certified professionals, and stricter oversight under Slovakia's 2025 Building Act.

A structure that resists lateral earth pressure to hold back soil on sloped sites, where inadequate drainage causes most failures.

The time in seconds for sound in a room to decay by 60 dB after the source stops. Longer times mean more echo; more absorbing surfaces shorten it.

The final inspection and verification process confirming that a completed building meets approved designs, applicable regulations, and is fit for its intended use, replacing the old kolaudácia under Slovakia's 2025 Building Act.

The top horizontal member at the roof apex. Unlike a ridge board, a structural ridge beam carries the rafter tops and their loads.

A legal right allowing someone to pass through or access another person's property to reach their own building or land, typically recorded in the land registry.

Continuous reinforced concrete band at each floor level that ties masonry walls together and resists lateral forces and differential settlement.

The vertical board closing the gap between two stair treads, or the height of that step. Uniform risers across a flight matter most for safe climbing.

A legally defined setback area measured from the axis of a road or highway where construction requiring a building permit is prohibited, designed to protect traffic safety and road infrastructure outside continuously built-up areas.

Interwar style (1918-1925) combining Cubism's geometry with folk ornaments to express Czechoslovak national identity after independence.

Horizontal timber strips fixed to roof rafters that carry roof tiles and create a ventilated gap beneath the covering for moisture control.

The slope of a roof measured as the ratio of vertical rise to horizontal run, affecting drainage, snow load, attic space, and material performance.

The complete load-bearing structural system of a roof, comprising the timber or engineered frame that transfers roof loads to the supporting walls.

A secondary water-protective membrane laid beneath roof tiles or cladding that regulates moisture and prevents condensation in the roof assembly.

How sound behaves inside a space: reverberation, absorption by surfaces, and speech intelligibility. Fixed with absorbent materials, not structural mass.

Factory-made panel with steel faces bonded to a mineral wool or foam core, used mainly for halls, workshops and cladding, not timber house structure.

A developer-built cluster of family or row houses attached to a village near a city, mostly residential and often short of civic amenities.

Slovak agency administering Obnov Dom, the household renovation subsidy programme funded by the EU Recovery and Resilience Plan under the Ministry of Environment.

A timber splice that joins two members end to end along a long sloping overlap, fixed with bolts, screws or adhesive so the pieces act as one.

Heat pump efficiency averaged over an entire heating season—accounting for real-world temperature swings and part loads, and more realistic than peak COP for predicting annual costs.

Materials recovered from demolition, renovation and industry, such as crushed concrete and steel scrap, reused in place of virgin raw materials.

A geographic region classified by earthquake risk level, defining design ground acceleration and structural requirements under Eurocode 8. Slovakia's western zones (Žilina, Komárno) have elevated seismic hazard requiring enhanced design measures.

Concrete that flows and fills formwork under its own weight without vibration, used for exposed finishes and dense reinforcement.

The share of electricity generated by an on-site photovoltaic system that is consumed directly by the building, rather than exported to the grid. Higher self-consumption ratios reduce grid dependency and energy costs.

Two identical or mirror-image residential units sharing a common wall, with each unit typically having separate entrances, gardens, and legal ownership.

The emotional and social meaning inhabitants invest in a location through dwelling; the experienced quality of belonging that transforms space into valued home.

Minimum distance from a building to a property boundary or street, protecting fire safety, daylight, privacy, and maintenance access.

Full-height structural separation allowing different parts of a building to settle independently without damaging shared walls, beams, or utility lines.

A decorative surface technique using scratched contrasting layers of lime plaster on Renaissance and historic facades. Two-tone relief created by removing the top coat reveals the layer beneath.

Fraction expressing how much solar heat a shading device blocks; multiplied by g-value to calculate effective solar gain through shaded glazing.

A recessed linear detail at junctions that creates visual separation, demanding tight tolerances and vulnerable to cracking from building defects.

A foundation system transmitting building load to ground at shallow depth. The standard choice for most residential buildings on competent soil.

Urban design removing kerbs, signals, and markings so drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians negotiate directly, naturally reducing vehicle speed.

A vertical structural wall that resists horizontal forces from wind and seismic activity, transferring lateral loads down to the foundation.

Natural insulation made from washed sheep wool fibres, sold as batts and rolls, that buffers indoor humidity by absorbing and releasing moisture.

A linear drain built into a shower floor to collect water along a channel toward a single outlet, enabling level-access showers with minimal slope.

The Slovak Innovation and Energy Agency, which administers Zelená domácnostiam and other energy subsidy programmes and keeps the registers behind them.

A facade finish based on potassium silicate that chemically bonds to mineral substrates, offering permanent durability and inherent algae resistance.

The systematic investigation and evaluation of a building site's physical, environmental, legal, and contextual characteristics before design begins, translating constraints into opportunities.

The formal, documented transfer of a construction site from the employer to the contractor, marking the legal start of construction work and establishing responsibility for site management.

A contractor-appointed professional responsible for organizing, directing, and controlling daily construction work and maintaining the construction diary on-site, appointed under Slovak Building Act 25/2025.

A scaled bird's-eye view drawing showing how a building sits on its plot, including property boundaries, setback distances, utility connections, and site features—the foundational document for all building projects.

The architect's first exploratory walkthrough of a building site with the client, conducted early to observe sensory qualities, understand constraints, and establish design direction before detailed site analysis begins.

A structural system where columns and beams carry all loads, while walls and facades become non-structural infill that can be repositioned or removed.

Trim at the base of walls that conceals the perimeter joint and accommodates the gaps required by floating floors.

A fixed or tilted glazed opening in a roof that admits daylight into rooms below, commonly used in attics to reduce reliance on artificial lighting.

Wall cladding of narrow timber slats with gaps. Decorative versions only change the look; acoustic ones hide felt and mineral wool behind to absorb sound.

A door system where panels move horizontally on tracks, eliminating swing space and enabling seamless indoor-outdoor connection in residential design.

A door that retracts into a wall cavity, saving swing space in tight layouts but requiring early planning and accepting acoustic compromise.

A 1–10 kW wind turbine for residential use that generates household electricity, eligible for Slovak green subsidies and works well paired with solar panels.

Glazing whose light transmission can be changed electronically, either tinting to control solar heat or switching to opaque for privacy.

US planning principles from the 1990s that steer growth into existing towns, mix uses, favour walking and keep open land free of sprawl.

Integrated rules that link lighting, shading, heating, ventilation and security in a family house, so routine functions run without an app.

Electronic control systems that allow occupants to adjust brightness, colour, and circuitry from a switch, app, or scene preset, without replacing the fixed wiring established in the lighting plan.

A digital electricity meter that records consumption in short intervals and reports it remotely. It is what makes photovoltaic self-consumption measurable.

An electronic device that adjusts heating setpoint via app or automation, learning occupancy patterns without changing the heating system itself.

Design load for accumulated snow on a roof, determined from mapped ground snow load and adjusted for roof geometry, insulation, and thermal properties.

Czechoslovak modernism (1956–1968) emphasizing structural expression, exposed concrete, and integrated public art within centrally planned constraints.

Czechoslovak state doctrine (1948-1955) combining Soviet planning with Renaissance and folk ornament. Now heritage requiring specialized renovation.

The maximum pressure a soil can safely support without settlement or failure, determined by site investigation and used to design foundations.

The compass direction a building faces, determining winter solar gain and summer heat rejection. The highest-leverage design decision available.

A passive ventilation system using solar-heated air rising through a vertical duct to drive natural airflow, without mechanical fans.

Window transmittance for solar radiation (0-1 scale), beneficial for south-facing winter heating but problematic for west-facing summer cooling without shading.

The solar energy quantity entering a building (kWh/m2a). A credit to heating in winter, but a cooling load if it arrives when heating is not needed.

A 0 to 100 scale combining a surface's solar reflectance and thermal emittance. Standard black scores 0, standard white 100; higher means cooler.

Systems blocking solar radiation. External shading stops heat before glass; internal blinds absorb it after, with vastly different cooling effectiveness.

An active solar device that captures sunlight to heat water for domestic use, typically mounted on roofs and connected to a storage tank; distinct from passive solar design and photovoltaic systems.

Natural flooring from solid wood boards that expand with humidity. Highly resandable but sensitive to climate and unsuitable for underfloor heating.

The fraction of incident sound energy a material absorbs at a given frequency, from 0 (fully reflective) to 1 (fully absorbent).

The unobstructed horizontal distance between supports of a beam, slab, or truss. Span is the primary driver of structural member size and cost in residential construction.

Slovakia's spatial planning legislation (Act 200/2022 Z. z.) establishing the framework for coordinated territorial development, land-use designations, and zoning that guide construction permits and building design approval.

Ordered series of spatial moments that shapes walking through a building, using compression, level changes and views to control sensory experience.

Energy required to raise one kilogram of material by one kelvin (J/(kg.K)). A material property that determines heat-storage behaviour in buildings.

Annual useful thermal energy a building needs per square metre under standardized climate, measured in kWh/(m2.year), for comparing envelope performance.

The rate of heat loss through a building envelope per reference area and per kelvin of temperature difference, measured in W/(m2.K).

Annual primary energy required per square meter of building floor area, measured in kWh/(m²·year). Used to classify building energy performance and determine compliance with EU energy standards.

A stair whose treads wind around one central column, giving the smallest footprint of the common stair types but a poor fit as a main route.

A residential house with floors staggered at half-level intervals, using short stairs to transition between zones. Ideally suited to sloped sites, offering spatial separation and structural efficiency but requiring careful accessibility planning.

Two-component polyurethane foam sprayed as insulation; open-cell and closed-cell types differ in density, vapour permeance, and moisture resistance.

Passive air movement driven by temperature differences, where warm air rises through high openings while cool air enters lower levels, without fans.

A phased approach to deep renovation that spreads energy-efficiency improvements over multiple years, prioritizing envelope and air-sealing work before mechanical system upgrades to avoid lock-in mistakes and reduce upfront costs.

A fixed structure providing vertical circulation between floors, whose position and geometry shape the layout of every floor it serves.

The continuous run of steps between two landings or floor levels, whose length, turn points and headroom set the footprint of each staircase layout.

The angle a staircase makes with the horizontal, set by the ratio of riser height to tread depth; it governs how steep a stair feels.

A sheet-metal roof of narrow bays joined by a folded, mechanically closed seam. A double-lock seam works from about 3 degrees of pitch.

The legal and practical milestone when a builder commences physical work on site, triggered only after obtaining an inspection certificate and marking the beginning of the construction period in which the permit remains valid.

A Slovak state-backed revolving loan fund offering long-term, subsidised financing for acquiring, constructing, renovating, and improving energy efficiency of residential dwellings.

Load-bearing skeleton of hot-rolled steel columns and beams, bolted or welded, that frees the walls for glazed spans, cantilevers and added storeys.

Slovak standard setting required sound insulation values for partitions between rooms and for the building envelope, including windows and doors.

Slovakia's national technical standard establishing thermotechnical requirements for building envelopes, component thermal resistance, and energy efficiency to ensure heat retention and reduced energy consumption in new and renovated buildings.

A building method that uses compressed straw bales as a load-bearing wall or as insulation infill in a timber frame, finished with breathable plaster.

The inclined beam that carries a staircase's treads and risers, and sets how the flight is supported and how it looks.

A continuous concrete footing beneath load-bearing walls that spreads line load into the ground. The traditional foundation type for masonry houses.

A written report by a qualified structural engineer certifying that proposed work on load-bearing elements is technically safe and feasible, typically required before structural alterations or changes affecting building loads.

A reinforced concrete tube, wrapped around stairs and lifts, that resists wind and seismic lateral forces in buildings.

A legal procedure under Slovakia's Building Act 25/2025 for authorizing modifications to existing buildings that do not substantially change the structure; renovation clients may use simplified notification (30-day review) or require formal permit proceedings depending on the scope and impact of the work.

Fracture in a load-bearing element caused by overstress, movement, or material degradation. Requires assessment to distinguish from cosmetic cracking.

A licensed professional who designs, analyzes, and assesses building structures to ensure they safely resist all loads. In Slovakia, structural engineers hold formal qualifications and professional registration, producing structural plans, calculations, and site supervision for new construction and renovation projects.

Glass fixed to its frame with structural silicone, so the frame is slim or hidden and the panes read as one flush glass surface.

Prefabricated panel with foam core between two structural boards, serving as framing, insulation, and sheathing combined in walls and roofs.

Engineering work to increase a structure's load capacity when renovation demands exceed its existing strength.

An insulated load-bearing connector that bridges a cantilevered slab through the building envelope while interrupting heat flow from interior to exterior.

A smooth surface generated by recursively refining a coarse control mesh, enabling complex freeform geometry in parametric design workflows.

The movement of people, homes and services from a city into surrounding villages, seen in Slovakia mainly as family-house growth around Bratislava.

A damper that routes supply air around an MVHR heat exchanger in warm weather, so the unit stops recovering heat the building does not want.

The risk that indoor temperature climbs beyond a tolerable level in summer because solar gains exceed the building’s ability to shed heat.

A technical assessment measuring daylight and sunlight access to ensure residential buildings comply with building standards and provide adequate natural light.

A group of neighbouring city blocks where through-traffic moves to the perimeter and the inner streets become shared, greened space for residents.

Visible water droplets or frost forming on an internal surface when its temperature drops below the dew point of the indoor air.

A regulatory mechanism allowing residential photovoltaic owners to sell excess electricity generated above their own consumption back to the grid at a predetermined rate.

A secondary ceiling hung below the slab on a metal grid, creating a service void for ducts, cabling and recessed lighting, with acoustic and fire benefits.

Drainage methods that capture and filter rainfall on-site, mimicking natural processes to manage runoff and reduce flooding while recharging groundwater.

Independent third-party verification that timber originates from responsibly managed forests, meeting strict environmental, social, and economic standards through FSC or PEFC certification schemes.

Bright, focused light directed at a specific work surface to enable precise activities like food preparation, reading, or grooming without creating glare or shadows.

Area-wide networks (water, sewerage, gas, power, telecoms, roads, stormwater) set in land-use plans. Plot-level hookups are utility connections.

A dimensionless metric (fRsi) that predicts internal surface temperature at thermal bridges to assess condensation and mould growth risk.

Heat-treated safety glass that breaks into small, harmless fragments instead of sharp shards, four times stronger than ordinary annealed glass.

A building constructed for a limited, predetermined duration and specified in the building authority's decision; must be removed or revalidated upon expiration. Governed by Slovakia's Act 25/2025.

An outdoor platform at ground or roof level, requiring waterproofing, drainage, and careful detailing to prevent water damage and frost failure.

An attached residential dwelling sharing structural walls with neighboring units in a continuous row, optimizing land use and reducing thermal losses through shared boundaries.

Durable flooring combining stone chips bound in cement or epoxy, polished to reveal decorative patterns. Available cast in situ or as precast tiles.

Terrestrial laser scanning records the visible surfaces of an existing building from fixed ground positions, producing a point cloud of its true geometry.

AI-generated images from text prompts using diffusion models, not 3D models. Rapid concept tool but geometrically unreliable for client depictions.

A roof covering of bundled straw or reeds, historically common in Central Europe. Now used in heritage projects and sustainable building design.

A fired clay block with its hollow cavities filled with mineral wool or perlite, sold for single-layer walls without a separate external insulation system.

An area in the building envelope with significantly higher heat transfer than surrounding constructions. Thermal bridges occur at construction junctions (e.g., wall-ceiling connections), penetrations through insulation (anchors, brackets), or at building corners. They cause increased heat loss and moisture condensation risk.

Thermal satisfaction determined by six factors: air temperature, mean radiant temperature, air velocity, humidity, clothing, and metabolic rate.

Time delay for heat to travel through building materials, determined by density and thickness. Enables summer comfort by shifting heat peak past sunset.

The ability of building materials to absorb, store, and release heat energy, moderating indoor temperature fluctuations and improving thermal comfort in residences.

Heat transfer via electromagnetic waves through empty space. One of three heat transfer modes, crucial for interior comfort and building performance.

A design strategy that groups rooms by heating needs, allowing each zone to maintain its own setpoint and reducing energy use.

Transition zone between public and private space, marked by layered devices and sensory shifts that slow arrival and enable psychological decompression.

Boards or battens hung on a ventilated substructure as the weather-facing skin of a facade. Larch is the usual Slovak choice, and greying is normal.

A load-bearing timber frame with the insulation inside the structural depth, so a thin wall reaches a low U-value with no wet trades on site.

Window frame made from solid wood or engineered timber, prized for heritage compatibility, thermal properties, and aesthetic warmth in residential design.

A window with a timber core for insulation and interior warmth, clad externally with weather-resistant aluminium casing, requiring minimal maintenance.

A hybrid structural system that bonds a concrete slab to timber beams via mechanical connectors, combining the materials to act as one unit for improved stiffness and span performance.

A small, compact home for everyday living, often prefabricated. In Slovakia its legal status depends on how it is placed, connected and used.

Premium metal roofing and facade material made from a zinc-copper-titanium alloy; highly corrosion-resistant and develops a protective gray patina.

A scaled technical drawing showing terrain elevation, existing features, and utilities—the foundational input document architects require for responsive design.

An official statement from the traffic authority confirming that a proposed driveway or building access meets safety and traffic flow requirements for connection to a public road.

Planning approach that puts homes, jobs, and services within easy walking distance of a public transport stop, so fewer trips need a car.

The horizontal walking surface of a step, whose depth, finish and edge decide how safely and comfortably a staircase is climbed.

Written authorization from the nature protection authority required before felling trees on Slovak land, determined by trunk circumference, location, and protected status of the site.

A small window-frame vent that admits controlled background fresh air, often humidity-controlled, in a house without mechanical ventilation.

A window glazing assembly with three panes of glass separated by two insulating gas-filled gaps, delivering significantly better thermal insulation and noise reduction than double glazing.

A design principle asserting that materials should be used according to their own nature and shown for what they are, rather than concealed or imitated.

A residential house with two stacked floors, using less land and energy than bungalows but requiring planning for accessibility.

The umbrella professional discipline covering all mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems in a building (heating, cooling, ventilation, hot water, drainage, electricity, fire safety). Each subsystem is designed by specialized engineers and must be coordinated with the architectural design from the earliest stages.

A measure of heat flow through a construction element per unit temperature difference. Expressed in W/(m²·K). The lower the value, the better the insulation properties. For passive houses, required values are: walls U ≤ 0.15 W/(m²·K), roofs U ≤ 0.10 W/(m²·K), windows Uw ≤ 0.80 W/(m²·K).

Flooring materials and finishes compatible with radiant heating systems, selected based on thermal conductivity and maximum thermal resistance of 0.15 m²K/W to ensure efficient heat transfer and material stability.

A site lying above underground mining operations where subsurface extraction creates risk of ground settlement, differential movement, and structural damage, requiring specialized geotechnical assessment and foundation design.

A remedial technique that reinforces or extends a building's foundations to prevent settlement or support deeper excavation.

UNESCO's 2008 listing of eight timber churches in Slovakia: two Roman Catholic, three Protestant articular and three Greek Catholic.

A load spread evenly over length (kN/m) or area (kN/m²), such as self-weight, screed, and finishes, that drives structural sizing and deflection limits.

A reference list of capped unit costs published by a subsidy programme to determine maximum reimbursement per unit of completed work, regardless of actual contractor quotes.

The physical pattern of a settlement formed by how streets, blocks, plots and buildings fit together to create coherent neighborhoods.

A planning line that separates land where a city may grow from land it must keep rural, first used in Portland, Oregon.

Cities are warmer than surrounding countryside due to dark surfaces, sealed ground, and removed vegetation. Effect peaks at night.

Building on vacant, underused, or fragmented parcels within established urban areas to consolidate urban fabric, increase residential density, and reuse existing infrastructure.

Urban mining treats existing buildings as a material bank, recovering doors, beams, bricks and tiles for reuse before demolition.

The study of how settlement form evolves over time, reading a place history from its street, plot and building structure.

Renewing run-down districts and brownfields, such as former factories and rail yards, instead of building on greenfield land at the city's edge.

Low-density, car-dependent growth that spreads over farmland with no clear centre. Slovak planners call it sídelná kaša, or settlement porridge.

Slovakia's central digital platform launched in 2024 for submitting, tracking, and managing all building permits, territorial decisions, and construction documentation through unified online proceedings.

A binding legal contract between a property owner and a utility operator (electricity, gas, water) that specifies the technical terms, timeline, and costs for connecting a building plot to public infrastructure networks.

The physical hookups connecting a building plot to public infrastructure networks (water, sewer, electricity, gas). Required before construction and a major cost factor in residential development.

A practical approval or informational statement issued by utility operators (electricity, gas, water, telecommunications) confirming feasibility of connections and stating conditions for construction work near their infrastructure.

A dedicated mechanical space in a residential building that houses heating, cooling, ventilation, water, and electrical systems. Essential for modern energy-efficient homes, particularly those with heat pumps and controlled ventilation.

A legally defined buffer zone surrounding gas, electricity, water, and sewer infrastructure where construction and excavation are restricted or prohibited.

Evacuated, gas-tight insulation board that is several times better per thickness than conventional insulation, but cannot be cut or drilled on site.

The diagonal rafter at an internal roof corner where two slopes meet, such as a wing or dormer joining the main roof. It collects water from both slopes.

A property quantifying how much slower a material transmits water vapour than still air. Used to calculate condensation risk in building assemblies.

A build-up with a vapour-tight layer on the warm side that stops moisture diffusing into the construction, so it depends on unbroken detailing.

A layer on the warm side of the insulation that all but stops vapour diffusing into the build-up. A true barrier starts at an equivalent air-layer thickness of 100 m.

A layer that slows vapour diffusion instead of stopping it, so the build-up keeps a drying reserve. Smart versions change their resistance with humidity.

A build-up whose layers become progressively more permeable towards the outside, so moisture that gets in can dry out. It is not a breathing wall.

Heating and cooling system in which one outdoor unit serves many indoor units, with refrigerant flow varied room by room. Used mainly in larger buildings.

The design phase where an architect explores 2–3 concept directions before committing to a single design direction, using sketches, models, and renderings to help clients understand spatial options and make informed decisions.

An insulated wall in which the cladding hangs on a substructure, separated from the insulation by a clear ventilated cavity of roughly 25 to 40 mm.

The open air layer inside a pitched or flat roof that carries air from the eaves to the ridge, removing moisture and summer heat from the roof structure.

The sloped edge of a pitched roof at the gable wall, finished with tiles and flashing to seal the roof perimeter and throw rainwater clear of the wall.

Building traditions shaped by local climate, available materials, and craft practices, developed without formal architectural training. Vernacular architecture solves practical problems through generations of inherited knowledge, creating regionally distinctive forms that respond authentically to their environment.

Waterproofing of basement and below-grade walls against groundwater pressure, the most expensive building defect to remedy after it fails.

Gases such as formaldehyde released by paints, adhesives, floor finishes and board furniture, and how to limit them in a new home.

A fully waterproofed (tanked) bathroom with level-access entry and a floor sloped to a point or linear drain, so no shower enclosure is needed.

A dedicated room for clothing storage designed for movement and visibility. Distinguished from built-in wardrobes by being a separate, walkable space.

The ease with which pedestrians can reach services on foot, determined by street connectivity, block size, mixed use, and safety.

A radiant heating system with pipes embedded in plaster walls, delivering warmth at low temperature without floor height or radiators.

Horizontal timber laid along the top of a load-bearing wall or ring beam, receiving rafter feet and spreading roof loads into the wall below.

Functional hardware, rails, drawers, and lighting that organize clothes inside a wardrobe carcass for efficient access and adaptability.

Sealed-window spacer that replaces aluminium with foam or composite, reducing thermal bridging and edge condensation.

Flat-roof assembly with insulation above the structural deck and waterproof membrane on top, common in passive houses for improved thermal performance.

A legally binding priority sequence for waste management: prevention, preparing for re-use, recycling, energy recovery, and disposal.

How easily water vapor passes through a building layer, shown by the μ factor and sd value. It decides whether a wall can dry after renovation.

A heat pump system that extracts thermal energy from a body of water—groundwater, surface water, or a closed-loop underground circulation—to provide heating and cooling for residential buildings.

Material installed at concrete construction joints to prevent water infiltration and protect structural integrity in wet and below-grade areas.

Heavy-duty waterproofing for foundations when the water table is above foundation level, resisting sustained hydrostatic pressure from groundwater.

A sheet material applied to foundations, roofs, and balconies to prevent water penetration, installed in layers with sealed seams and offset joints.

Monolithic concrete basement where concrete itself is the waterproof barrier, sealed with control joints and waterstops instead of applied membranes.

Traditional wall of woven wattle laths plastered with a clay and straw daub. Common in old rural houses, and repaired with clay rather than cement.

A grid of steel wires welded together at intersections, used to reinforce concrete slabs, screeds, and foundations for crack control and load distribution.

A performance-based certification system that measures and certifies buildings for human health and wellness, complementing energy and environmental standards like LEED and BREEAM.

The total greenhouse gas emissions from a building across its entire lifecycle, combining embodied carbon (materials and construction) with operational carbon (energy use during occupancy).

A landscape pathway enabling animals to move between isolated habitat patches, maintaining genetic exchange and reducing species loss from fragmentation.

Design wind force on building surfaces, determined from wind speed and pressure coefficients, acting as pressure on walls or suction uplift on roofs.

A sheltered outdoor entrance threshold that reduces wind-driven air infiltration and heat loss at the building perimeter, distinct from an enclosed mudroom by remaining semi-open to outside air.

A stair that turns on tapered winder steps instead of a landing, saving floor area in small houses while making the narrow inner end harder to use safely.

The splay surface where a window frame meets the wall. Controls thermal bridges, moisture drainage, and air tightness at the window junction.

A built-in bench set into a window reveal or bay with storage underneath; requires thermal detailing to avoid cold downdraught and thermal bridging.

A sloped element at the base of a window opening that directs water away from the wall and supports the window frame assembly.

The percentage of a facade that is glazed. WWR trades off heating, cooling, daylight and view, and the right answer depends on orientation.

Slovak vineyard press house: a gabled ground-floor press room over a cool cellar dug into a slope or loess bank, typical of wine country.

A glazed transitional space that may function as a thermal buffer zone (if unheated) or as an additional living room (if heated). The distinction determines whether it reduces or increases household energy consumption.

Thermal insulation made from wood fibres, supplied as flexible batts or rigid boards. Its strengths are summer stability in a loft and low embodied carbon.

Hand-split or sawn wooden shingles laid on a sloped roof, a vernacular Slovak roofing tradition associated with mountain houses and regional heritage.

Rigid board of wood fibres bound with cement, used for acoustic absorption and insulation in interiors and external building applications.

Design method for gardens that thrive on regional rainfall using plant zoning, mulch, efficient irrigation, and reduced turf to minimise supplemental watering.

A Slovak state subsidy programme administered by SIEA that covers up to 50% of costs for installing renewable energy and heat-pump systems in residential homes.

A highly insulated residential building that produces as much renewable energy annually as it consumes from the grid, achieving zero net energy over one year.

A detailed spatial planning document that establishes site-specific regulations for land use, building density, infrastructure, and environmental protection within a defined zone of a municipality, implementing the municipal plan at parcel level.

The mechanism by which territory is divided into functional zones with binding rules governing what land uses are permitted, conditional, or prohibited.

Legacy documentation required under Slovakia's 1976 Building Act for territorial decisions on site placement and utility connections; replaced by Building Intent under Act 25/2025 effective April 2025.

An official revision to a municipal land-use plan that changes the designated function or building parameters of a specific site, enacted through municipal council approval and public consultation.

The formal administrative decision issued under Slovakia's 1976 Building Act determining whether a proposed building's location, use, and site characteristics comply with territorial planning; legally replaced by the Building Intent Decision (rozhodnutie o stavebnom zámere) since April 2025.