The article discusses the phenomenon of environment and methodological foundations of a typology of architectural and recreation environment with an analysis of its systemic-structural principles. In accordance with that is identified hierarchical levels of forming and development of recreation environment on examples of author’s designs.

The Paper investigates the different aspects and possibilities of a dialogue with water in contemporary practice of urban recreation. The place and importance of the value of waterfront territories in complex nature-based solution for the future urban growth have yet to be understood and realized. Now the city is regarded as an open system and, at the same time, the array of its waterfront territories in contemporary urban planning is in the focus of developers. The trends and tendencies of architectural & landscape organization of the urban territories near water are revealed on the analysis of international
project practice. This waterfront zones are shown as the most dynamic and claimed objects of planning practice, especially in dialogue with water, where the study of the relation: “the natural qualities of water – the naturally built environment - the psycho-emotional conditions of human beings” are passed over.

In accordance with the principles of sustainable design, the public spaces of modern cities are shaped first and foremost with the needs of their users in mind. Apart from factors related to aesthetics, a broad functional programme of public spaces makes it possible for them to become attractive points on a city’s map – the favourite meeting places of its residents, spaces for cultural and social events, as well as places of recreation for various age and social groups. The paper points the attention of the reader to the form of water bodies within the space of cities, which can enrich the recreational programme of public spaces. The diversity of the forms of water bodies, as well as the use of the physical and aesthetic properties of water makes it possible to create a recreational programme tailored to various groups of users, ranging from active recreation to spaces meant for rest and relaxation.

The orientation of a building in relation to the cardinal directions influences the amount of time during which its interiors are illuminated and, as a result, on the level of solar heat gains and the final energy consumption of heating. The minimum and maximum surface area of windows that a building can have is regulated through appropriate regulations of Construction Law. These regulations, however, do not provide separate guidelines regarding the amount of surface area of glazing for energy efficient buildings. Meanwhile, the recommended manner of designing windows in energy efficient buildings differs from the manner of designing them for normative buildings. Windows play a particularly important part in them, as the introduction of sunlight into a building is the simplest form of passively obtaining energy from solar radiation. According to the regulations, windows, balcony doors and external doors need to meet specific requirements regarding thermal insulation, and, as a result, need to be constructed in a particular way. The manner in which they are fitted into the opening in the wall and the proper montage of window jambs in relation to the structural layers of an external wall (its structural core and the thermal insulation layer) is also important.
Energy efficient buildings with large glazed surfaces from the southern side can suffer from interior overheating. In order to preserve thermal comfort during the summer season, it is advised to use shading mechanisms.
All of the design solutions regarding window selection for energy efficient buildings need to be verified through the use of appropriate energy analyses.

One of the directions of development currently proposed for the contemporary city is a return to multi functional structure and the co-existence of several, occasionally contrasting, modes of exploitation. Mono-functional areas, such as expressways, not infrequently become barriers within the fabric of the city, from both a morphological and a functional perspective. Their existence contributes to the degradation of surrounding neighbourhoods and impedes harmonious development. One method to counteract the adverse effect of such a barrier is the creation of a new pedestrian link above or below it. An important emerging element in a new approach to planning is the urban open recreation zone, which may act to attract potential users of urban space while simultaneously integrating with existing pedestrian routes. This article presents and analyses a selection of case studies of such projects, as implemented in Western European cities in recent years.

German horticultural shows Bundesgartenschau (BUGA) and Internationale Gartenausstellung (IGA) are a landmark not only in the calendar of people interested in gardening. Organised not in one, permanent venue, but as the event held in different cities, shows become a significant example of the urban regenaration and its influence on the whole structure of the city. The history of exhibitions dates back to 1950s and post-war reconstruction of the country. It was decided then to combine the presentation of latest achievements of the horticulture with work towards regeneration of run-down areas. A main purpose was to raise the quality of life of residents by introducing green areas and boosting the economy. When an exhibition expires its area is being opened to public as city park. For over 60 years these areas created places of leisure and contact with nature, which is very important in the urbanised environment.

Since the mid-90s of the twentieth century, shopping centers found their place also in the landscape of Polish cities. Their forms and function changes over time following the global trends and varying customer needs. Many of these objects are not only inscribed permanently in the city landscape, but also created added value, spirit of place (genius loci). Some have become a magnet for locals and tourists. Taking as an example Manufaktura in Łódź, Mokotów Gallery in Warsaw and Silesia in Katowice I would like to show that a shopping center can be a vivid center of residential district or neighborhood full of social functions. And it accommodates a wide range of entertainment and recreational as well as cultural and educational programs, such as art galleries, cinema, aquariums, planetariums, water parks, climbing walls, discos, bowling alleys etc. All under one roof in a secure, air-conditioned, carefully arranged space. All that is consistent with the plan of the mall creator Victor Gruen, for whom malls should imitate the atmosphere of the city, and the shopping was to do by the way.

Recent climate changes around the globe, led to the occurrence of various weather anomalies such as droughts or heat waves. At the same time it reduces the amount of average annual rainfalls. We can observe continuously growing the Urban Heat Island effect in the developed urban areas. The main goal of both urban and architectural design is to protect the places of residence and work against adverse weather anomalies, by the creation of green and recreation areas. This is to minimize the adverse impact of climate change on humans. Minimizing the adverse impact of climate change to the human is aimed at it. Syria can be a good example of using green areas in both buildings as well as urban developed areas, a country with a very different climate than Poland, unfortunately completely devastated by the war. Greenery is treated as a very important element in historical building as well as new ones. In the twentieth century many Polish architects went to Syria to design in the Syrian architect companies to design. In many of their projects, we can find recreation areas aimed at fighting the improvement of climatic conditions and living standards.

Self-preservation instinct of a contemporary human being, an increasing scarcity of natural resources as well as rapid urbanisation of our globe in recent decades have led to individual reactions which result in “invisible investments” in the field of individual, almost intimate, leisure. The tendency to build modern and unique buildings, or even sublime structures within natural landscapes is not a new phenomenon. Probably, the idea was first published by a person who was not even an architect, an american writer Truman Capote, in his famous novel The Grass Harp (1951) which, in reality, is a manifest of personal freedom, freedom of opinion and untouchable, delicate personal zone of human emotions. In America, it inspired many people to start a new fashion of building “tree houses”. The need came back in the recent years in a little bit different form – building structures designed for individual leisure, recreation and contemplation of the most beautiful places on Earth.

This article presents contemporary design actions that apply outlines of a map or plan in the creation of a floor of recreational public spaces. The outlines may present a map of the world, region, city or its part. The design may depict the current or historical state of the pictured space, in a two or three dimensional manner.
Such action places the potential passer-by in the urban or regional context and serves both as information and orientation.
The actions can have a permanent or temporary character.
A selection of examples indicates that application of a map design in a public space is a beneficial phenomenon that enriches the public space. The action encourages the user to interact with the space, find themselves in it and become acquainted with its heritage. It stops and keeps the passer-by in the public space and is a starting point for recreation.

According to the 24. article of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights the right to have leisure is one of the immanent personal rights. The need to have a rest is especially necessary because of the pace of life and the need to concentrate on countless information from surroundings and virtual space. At the same time mobility and ‘space consumption’ individualize the perception. The image of space is identified as the same as personal needs and perceived only through the experience of the user. This then influence the forming of the space, especially the leisure space. The inhabitant becomes a tourist, and the traveler influence the everyday life of the citizens of a city because the attractiveness of the recreational space increase the economical value of the city itself. Considerations to the composition of the leisure space start a quest for a definition of the contemporary urban lifestyle trends and its influence on the urban structure of a city.

The article raises the issue of development of recreational areas of the city in terms of the so-called „re-use”. Many public areas of European cities are designed from scratch to give flexible features and custom arrangements in accordance with contemporary social needs, often using modern materials and/or technology. New use of public spaces including downtown recreation raises the spatial and aesthetic qualities of these places, becoming an attraction for the local population and the basis for integration.

The paper discusses the means of introducing recreational spaces into the structure of a modern service building, using the Cameleon building in Brussels as an example. It is a building which combines modern spatial and environmental solutions with energy efficient technologies, as well as an interesting philosophy of attracting clients.

Ensuring our own security has always been one of the main aims of humanity. When the walls of fortresses became a thing of the past along with World War I, it seemed that all manners of fences and walls are going to disappear from our cities forever. Seventy years later, along with Poland’s reclaimed independence, we are going back to the tall fences that are meant to give us protection. The housing developments of the 1990’s and of the first two decades of the XXI century have elevated a fence to a symbol of luxury. Polish cities started to resemble guarded ghettoes, in which tall walls delineate the borders between that which is worse and generally accessible and that which is superior, guarded and enclosed. Access to green areas has been restricted in a lot of places. They have been reserved for the residents of the nearby residential buildings and their residents only. Many recreational pathways have been severed, forcing their users to circle around the walled off enclaves, often using paths leading along streets with heavy traffic. What are the causes of this state of affairs and is it possible to once again bring back the continuity of the structure of the city, accessible to all of its inhabitants?

New York is famous for its numerous parks, squares and green areas. They are an answer to the needs of modern man in terms of public urban spaces. They contain within them numerous different functions: from basic recreation to being a circulation space, providing sports facilities, services, education, as well as culture. They fulfil an important social role. They are located in various parts of the city. The paper illustrates the manner of operation of urban designers, architects, administrators, as well as users, thanks to whom the selected parks of New York City have achieved the rank of outstandingly attractive public spaces within the city today.

The paper discusses the problems tied to the shaping of urban recreational spaces of small residential complexes. Recreation needs to be acknowledged as belonging to a set of important functions of human settlements, apart from that of providing housing, as it considerably influences the maintaining of the optimal physical and mental condition of man, as well as his health.
The paper is a presentation of thirteen award winning architectural and urban designs that were developed by students within the academic year 2015/2016 at the Chair of the Housing Environment of the Faculty of Architecture at the Cracow University of Technology. In the opinion of the author, they illustrate the diversity of pursuits and experiments in the shaping of a healthy housing environment in terms of function and space. One quality of these original creations and visions is the pursuit of achieving the mutual interconnectedness of the functional and spatial relationships of apartments, homes and housing complexes with the natural environment that creates optimal conditions for recreation.