. -  ANNOTATION The book deals with a modern intensively growing trend towards designing and experimental constructing of effective low houses. Different kinds of effective houses are described: energy-effective, resource-effective, bio-effective, etc. The notion of "ecological house" (eco-house) is formulated. A concept of ecological dwelling (eco-dwelling) as the living environment of eco-houses-composed settlements is proposed and the role of ecological dwelling in solving the problems of towns and other settlements is discussed. The possible eco-dwelling influence on economic, social, ecological and other global processes is studied. The book is intended for ecologists, designers and all people, interested in ecological problems. PREFACE Quite recently, one used to have the opinion that if the humans want to avoid causing any damage to nature, the only alternative to their life with all modern conveniences is returning to the life in caves. This means that ecological damage was excused as the inevitable evil and as inevitable cost of habitual everyday amenities. Nowadays it is getting clear that this view has become obsolete. Modern technologies offer opportunities for the third way: building the houses, which ensure the living conditions worthy of man, simultaneously diminishing their negative influence on the environment. Moreover, it is greatly important that this does not concern so much the houses themselves, influencing directly on the environment, as the whole dwelling sphere, including engineering infrastructure and the servicing sector of economy, influencing profoundly on the environment. Thus, dwelling turns out to be an important factor, able to influence deeply on solving of more and more aggravating global problems. The work deals with the problem of the movement, being formed at present time, which aims at transition to ecological dwellings. This vast theme needs to be discussed on different levels: On the technical level, concerning the issues of construction and maintenance of individual houses; On the level of dwelling environment and settlements, including towns and urbanized zones, and On the global level. The author of the work has attempted to consider all mentioned issues conceptually.  . : , , .. . . , , . , , .  , , , . , . , . , . , , , , . , : : " , ". . . - - , .. . .   , . - . domus , , , . . : " , ". : " , ". , , , - .. , , , .. , , . , , , , - . . . , , , . , , , , , . , , . , , - , , . - . , , . . - , , , . . , , - .   . 70 - . , . , , . , . 20 */, 50 . 120 */ 3% . , . , . , , , , . , , , , , , . , , . . . ___________________________________________________________________________ , . , , . ( ) , , , . 4-5 . , . , . . , . . , . : , . , , . " , ". , , . 10 * . . . . . , , . , . . - . (). , . . , . " " , , . . 1.1 */[2],[ ] - 2.3 */[2]. 0.7 */[2]* 1.5 */[2]* . 1. . */[2]* */[2]* 0.85 1.26 0.93 1.14 1.01 1.29 1.1 1.38 100 [2] 160 * , . . . 45 - 60%. . - . , , , , . . . , , . , .. , - . . - . V - ( , , ) . - , . . , . , . . , . , , . , " ". . . . , . . . , , . , , . , . . , , . . . . . , . , . , , . - , . , 3-5 . . , . , . , . , . . (), (), (, ) . , . , , . . ( ) . . . , - . , (, , ..). - , , .. , . 7 *. . , - . , "" , , . , , - 7 . . 3.5 . , . , . . . . , 20-35% . , 6-7 . , .. , , .. . - . - , . - . , . . , . , - . , , . , . . , - . 300-400 . . . . , , . . . , - . . , - . (3-5) . , , . , . . , . , . (). ( ) . , , . . 1.5 - 2 . , . . , , , . " ". . , , : " ". , () . . , . . , . . - , ( .. ), . . , . . . , . , . . - . , , , - , , . , , , , , , , . 30% 50% . , (), , .. , . , , . , , "". "" , . "". . . , . . , , , . . . , , 77% , 84%. , . , , .. "" . . . , . . , , , .. "" , , , "" . . , , . ( ). "-" .