"Housing is absolutely essential to human flourishing. Without stable shelter, it all falls apart".

Matthew Desmond

The supporting structure of Portuguese houses is normally made of reinforced concrete, as it is often the case here in Europe. A solid construction and so is the rest of the house in most cases. The processing qualitiy is in most cases great which creates a very solid base to work with. The heavy materials do have their benefits as we will see in later explanations. The civil engineering part may not produce spectacular building designs, but it is very efficient and straight forward, nothing wrong about that.

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From our own experience and based on recently newly constructed buildings, it becomes obvious that in many cases insulation technic has not improved much if at all over the last 20 years. The obvious conclusion therefore is that most constructors are probably not sensitive to topics such as:

- thermal comfort (especially in wintertime)
- thermal energy household that keeps buildings warm or cool
- acoustic insulation and prevention of noise distribution
- mold infestation and preventative measures 
- little adjustments of layouts in response to the construction site

- little green area surrounding residential homes 

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The following essay explains why SHB can build residential homes that do not need a complex heating system to ensure the thermal comfort in winter. Some detail explanation may be needed to clarify any fundamental thoughts or common expressions. Often, we solve some of the comfort issues described later in our homes by simply turning up the heating. But we may not be aware of the actual source of the problem. In order to find unorthodox solutions, it is neccessary to understand the problem at first. Therefore some common details will be explained. This should make it comprehensible why SHB can do what is advertised and it should make the construction concept of SHB crystal clear. In fact, the question should arise why not all new buildings are designed after this basic idea. If you are still in doubt or wondering about certain aspects, please do not hesitate to hit the contact button and shoot your questions.