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The European Union has adopted legislation aimed to increase the use of renewable energy and improve the effectiveness of conventional-form energy use. Additional structure insulation helps to decrease heat energy loss. Airtightness of the building envelope (building airtightness) is an additional factor that determines comfortable and energy-saving living environment. The conformity of heat energy loss with the object’s design energy class is one of the mandatory indicators used in the obligatory building energy performance certification procedure. Optionally, the objects to be certified are the entire buildings or separate units (flats). There is an issue of concern whether a flat assessed as a separate housing unit would meet the requirements of design energy class depending on the location of the unit in the building. The study is aimed to determine the change in heat loss of end units in terraced houses (townhouses) as a result of various factors, leading to uneven airtightness of the building envelope. The non-destructive assessment of building airtightness was implemented through the combined use of methods, namely Blower Door Test (around 200 measurements) and Infrared Thermography. The hollow clay unit masonry showed ca. 7–11% less airtightness than the sand–lime block masonry structure. The end units were up to 20% less airtight compared to the inside units.

The paper presents the results of two last year's research in digital education computing using object-oriented building modeling methods including parametric modeling, component-based design approaching to the concept of building information modeling (BIM) as a base concept of contemporary architectural digital design. This paper summarizes results of research in BIM application in architectural design, attempts to determine the problems, capture the trends of object-oriented modeling in computer aided architectural design (CAAD) education. The results of the analysis of various aspects of BIM using surveys of architecture postgraduate students and undergraduate students of the last year are discussed. The methods of statistics for analysis of data are used. The interrelations between various factors of building information modeling as a part of CAAD education are investigated. The results of the work could be important for the definition of the guidelines for the future of architectural digital design education.

http://www.ktu.lt Developments in the field of computer science and architecture are leading to the new relationships between these two areas, which influence architectural education, and practice. The contemporary architectural design process in its individuality and uncertainty is characterized by the integration of different media and design instruments. There is an urgent need for architecture schools to recognize the value and use of the computer as an essential tool in the teaching and practicing architects' activities. This paper describes the results of experiment, which concerns new policy and objectives for teaching CAAD. The experiment also outlines relationship between the lecturing in CAAD and the use of CAAD in architectural projects. We discuss the problems and opportunities in teaching architecture students the CAAD and with the CAAD.

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