Yielding from an overall quantitative study of the residential sector of Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H), this chapter concentrates on the ratio between single-family and collective housing, as well as on the urban-rural ratio of the single-family housing. Based on the data from the existing building stock (buildings built by 2014) and the statistical estimates, 23% of the buildings belong to the urban areas and 77% belong to the rural areas. The main goal was to study the correlation between the characteristics of the building envelope, the shape factor (A/V ratio) and the energy savings potential for the application of conventional measures of refurbishment of the building envelope of the single-family houses (type of buildings, which dominate in rural and urban areas). The chapter wraps up with recommendations for the adequate level of the energy performance indicator (energy need for heating) for the approved energy class for single-family houses located in the climate zone of the northern B&H.

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This paper intends to bring attention of both scientific and general audience to the status quo of the existing, residential building stock in Bosnia and Herzegovina, highlighting its energy savings potential. The research results presented in this text may be applicable on two levels: on a larger scale, the policy makers may use this data in the process of development of strategic and EE measures implementation plans, while, on a smaller scale, the individual users may gain practical insight into the benefits of energy saving measures and implement them in their own households. Moreover, the exposed data may be subject to further evaluations, studies and comparisons, while the presented methodology can be used by other researchers in countries where there have not been research activities on the existing residential buildings stock from the EE perspective.

The traditional architecture of Bosnia and Herzegovina echoes historical and cultural narratives of ancient Ottoman patriarchal society. The Oriental culture had specifically defined the way in which the gender roles in family and society were manifested in the domestic space, and vice versa, space itself was shaped according to the criterion of gender. While exploring the gender criterion of differentiation of space in the traditional Bosnian residential architecture, this paper will particularly focus on the link between female identity and the spatial characteristics of the traditional Bosnian house. Critical evaluation of elements and principles that compose the traditional model of residential space within its cultural and historical context will be followed by a contemporary insight and interpretation of its universal architectural meanings.