Educational module in Bovec

Lectures were prepared by experts from the Ljubljana Faculty of Architecture and Civil Engineering Institute (ZRMK) and were presented to 50 participants from different parts of the country. The main focus was held on the construction of passive houses and in particular, on the advantages of such construction. Professor Martina Zbašnik Senegačnik, ph.d. from the Faculty of Architecture presented passive house as a standard and an imperative for construction in the near future. Since the main advantages of a passive house are particularly in low operating and maintenance costs and ecological contribution to the environment, as CO2 emissions are fifteen times lower than usual, passive house is gradually paving its way to Slovenia. Experts from the ZRMK institute, Silvija Kovič m.sc. and Miha Praznik m.sc., presented a program PHPP 07 and the difference between the heating and ventilation systems in modern and classical buildings.

The event served as an introduction to the upcoming architectural competition (call for tenders), which was presented by the author of the call Mr. Mitja Skubin. The aim of the competition will be in creating modern architectural solutions through combining passive standards with distinctive architectural typology of area. Through the competition the architects will design three types of a one-dwelling house that will have to fulfill the passive standard and will at the same time meet the architectural pattern of the area and therefore the characteristics of traditional architectural elements of three types of houses in the area: the Bovec house, Tolmin-Kobarid house and Cerkno house. One of the goals is certainly to consolidate the landscape image and preserve (as well as re-create) harmony in the environment.

Competition is expected to be launched in early July and the deadline for submission is scheduled for late September 2010. Based on the results of the competition PRC will prepare criteria for spatial planning in the area of Upper Soča valley, specifying the placement of new buildings that fulfill the passive standard and are also compliant with the architectural typology of the area in which they are situated.

In the afternoon the participants visited restored traditional homes (examples of Bovec house architecture) in the villages of Soca and Trenta.