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High moisture content, low ventilation levels, and changes in the hygrothermal design of wooden dwellings could generate environmental conditions favorable for developing the rot fungus Serpula lacrymans, which is known as the most destructive fungus of its kind. The purpose of this research was to develop an experimental methodology to determine the conditions of the appearance of the fungus S. lacrymans, through in situ measurement of biological and environmental frequency indicators for wooden dwellings in South Central Chile. The referential standards for the appearance of the fungus were determined based on specialized literature and measurements of dwellings with and without deterioration. The frequency indicators for the appearance of the fungus defined and studied were as follows: frequency of air temperature FATs (%), frequency of relative humidity FRMs (%), frequency of ventilation rate FVRs (%), and rot fungus spore concentrations (CFU/pp). The methodology was validated by being measured in various enclosures and spaces under the floor in wooden dwellings in the cities of Valdivia and Temuco. The results confirmed the strong relationship between environmental relative humidity frequencies, ventilation levels, and spore concentration regarding the appearance of the fungus, where the growth dynamics cannot be separately explained without a previous analysis of the variables. In general, the dwellings most affected by the presence of the fungus had the greatest moisture levels, lower ventilation levels, and greater spore concentration. This study is the basis to diagnose the phenomena of the appearance of the rot fungus in wooden dwellings in climates favorable for its development.

Primary care centers are establishments with elevated social relevance and high operational energy consumption. In Chile, there more than 628 family healthcare centers (CESFAM) have been built in the last two decades and with plans for hundreds more in the next few years. We revised the architecture, construction management and energy performance of five CESFAM centers to determine possible instances of overall improvement. Staff was interviewed, and state documents reviewed, which allowed the conceptualization of the architectonic and energy structure of the centers, as well as the process of implementation. At the same time, energy simulations were done for each one of the centers, controlling for different climates, construction solutions and orientations. Our study revealed that strategies employed by the primary healthcare centers in Chile have aided a progressive implementation of establishments with elevated costs and materialization times, as well as neglect for climatic conditions. These energy evaluations show relevant and consistent impacts of the architectural form and material conditions, especially in southern zones, demonstrating the need to work with shared knowledge resources such as BIM. There is a clear necessity to define technological, morphological and construction strategies specific to each climate zone in order to achieve energetically efficient and intelligent healthcare establishments.

La preocupación de los últimos años sobre la reducción del consumo de energía en los edificios denota una preocupación no tan solo en los países más desarrollados, sino que, países como Chile están impulsando iniciativas que definitivamente marcan un cambio de escenario en la concepción de la edificación. El crecimiento económico, la globalización de la economía y los avances en los sistemas de comunicación, han influido enormemente en el desarrollo de los mercados que, están cada vez más competitivos y exigentes en materia de calidad, fenómeno que es fácilmente apreciable en el mercado chileno de la construcción. La mayor demanda social por calidad, observada en nuestro medio nacional, ha tenido un impacto relevante en el sector de la construcción, que se ha visto obligado a incorporar conceptos tanto, de productividad para desenvolverse en un medio de creciente competitividad como, de calidad para lograr la satisfacción de un cliente cada vez más exigente. Esta creciente preocupación por la eficiencia energética de los edificios y las mayores aspiraciones de confort ambiental por parte de los usuarios, ha permitido que Chile avance finalmente hacia un escenario mucho más reglamentado para la industria, con disposiciones que pretenden asegurar la calidad, seguridad y eficiencia energética de la construcción. Destacan dentro de este contexto: la promulgación de la Ley de Calidad en la Construcción en Chile y, la Reglamentación Térmica vigente desde marzo del año 2000, que fija, en la primera etapa, los estándares de calidad mínimos para los complejos de techumbre para las distintas climáticas del país y; la segunda etapa de la Reglamentación Térmica, que regula las exigencias de aislación térmica de muros, ventanas y pisos, vigente a partir de enero del año 2007. Todas estas nuevas disposiciones legales y reglamentarias han generado un fuerte impacto en la industria de la construcción. La deficiente aislación térmica del parque de soluciones locales para muros de ce, (ARCH 3) -- UCL, 2009