| Summary: | The energetic efficiency of buildings is a common concern among the EU countries, taking into account the commitments of the Kyoto Protocol, Europe's energy dependency and the limitations of fossil fuels. The purpose is to limit energy consumption and to guarantee energy certification for all buildings or parts of buildings. On the one hand, ventilation significantly contributes to thermal losses during the winter, leading to the need for a minimization of flows but, on the other hand, is absolutely necessary to ensure flows tha can guarantee the quality of room air, the safety of the users and the control of condensations risks. Current construction practices have evolved towards an improvement of quality in window frameworks and the installation of devices in kitchens and sanitary facilities that often do not ensure the minimum necessary air changes. This paper will explore the hygrothermal comfort demands and relate them to ventilation, as well as the constructive implications of implementing natural/mixed ventilation systems in dwellings. KEYWORDS: Hygrothermal behaviour; ventilation; building components
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