Completely practicable

This interview with Peter Hartmann and Hansruedi Preisig takes a look at the question why today's housing should be mechanically ventilated, why in spite of this such installations are quite few and far between and what must be done to change the situation. Questions covered include the reasons why housing should be equipped with such systems, the damage due to condensation and dampness resulting from too low an air-exchange rate. The use of such ventilation systems in northern countries is discussed and the history of efforts made in this direction in Switzerland is reviewed. The reasons for the limited success of fan-assisted balanced ventilation are reviewed. Health aspects are also discussed as are the main arguments for the installation of such systems in modern housing. The weak points of present day systems are looked at and measures to be taken are discussed. Finally, the role of architects in propagating the idea of fan-assisted balanced ventilation is discussed