Abstract
Dwelling environments that can help elderly farmers to live more safely, independently, and conveniently are becoming more and more important. Many rural houses are built without any particular architectural or energy-related criteria, so most of them have poor insulation. The construction technology used is also not precise, which increases the loads for heating and cooling. Therefore, rural houses need to be improved. Also, there is more and more need for plans to realize eco-friendly dwellings, so the principle of nature-oriented plans related to the direction, insulation, or landscaping of a house is being emphasized. Insulation is one of the most effective ways to save energy for heating and cooling. This preliminary study to improve the insulation of rural houses examined three regions in South Korea: the central region, the southern region, and the Jeju Island. A field investigation was conducted on a total of 18 houses, including six from each town in the selected regions. The information was used to figure out the current status of rural houses and the characteristics of the buildings. The main living spaces are the living room for the central region and the main room in the southern region and Jeju Island. The southern regions are plane shapes surrounded by rooms, and all ventilation is accomplished by windows. The studied houses were mostly masonry structures with slate rooftops. Additions and improvements included room expansions and bathroom interior installations.