Energy-Efficiency and Technological Conservative Recovery of Historic Turkish Wooden Houses Emre KISHALI*, Rachele PEREGO** * Faculty of Architecture and Design, Kocaeli University, Izmit, Turkey (emre.kishali@kocaeli.edu.tr) ** Department of Architecture, Built environment and Construction engineering (ABC), Politecnico di Milano, Italy (rachele.perego@ingpec.eu) Keywords: Vernacular artefacts, energy efficiency, conservative recovery. Field of Interest: refurbishment and rehabilitation; Topic of Interest: sustainable retrofitting. Main paper focus: general framework; Paper Content Classification: practical. Abstract In Turkey, traditional wooden houses are historic minor buildings that ought to be preserved and renovated. To date, pre-20 th century domestic architectures are only one per cent of the original 150,000 buildings [5]. Historic integrity of such artefacts is at risk. Urbanisation processes have caused the abandonment of timber-frame techniques. The tendency is to replace such houses with concrete buildings. Several surviving artefacts have been endangered by insects, humidity, demolitions, fire, lack of maintenance, etc. In recovering actions, different approaches have been used until now, but an unique codified approach still misses. Energy-efficiency recovering approach seems to be a challenging issue. Altering thermal performance of such buildings is not without risks. Older buildings need to be evaluated individually to assess the most suitable recovering action [4], but please consider that the risk of adopting several recovering approaches may cause historic-integrity loss of a vernacular manner. The paper aims at introducing alternative conservative scenarios for recovering Turkish wooden houses. Current recovering solutions – supported by a preliminary focus on possible wood types to be used – are presented. A case study was investigated. The paper is the starting point for a practical tool, valid for different addresses. It combines practical technology with energy behaviour of recovering alternatives, notwithstanding to consider legislative constraints. 1. Introduction In several European countries, a new environmental awareness together with EU drives in terms of favourable energy tax benefits play a positive role in the conservation of high- value wooden buildings. As an example, a notable experience is [4]. In Turkey, the abandonment of wooden houses seems to be in countertendency with EU and world studies/inventories concerning the use/conservation of important vernacular techniques. Turkish notable researches have been carried out, but conservative rehabilitation measures are a current opened issue. A model structure of municipalities and local governments aimed at supporting a convincing model approach in recovering Turkish wooden houses is the Directorate for the Inspection of Conservation Implementations (KUDEB) [1]. It states that wooden buildings produced by ȆTurkish traditional manner needs an integrated conservation approach through scientific principles to be passed accurately and honestly to the future generationsȇ [1]. In this view, responsibility of local authorities, inhabitants and owners is essential. Current unfavourable socio-economic conditions play a negative role in the conservation of traditional wooden buildings.