The New ARCH Vol1 No1 (2014) PDF

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ISSN 2198-7688
The New ARCH
International Journal of Contemporary Architecture
Vol. 1, No. 1 (2014)
Sustainable Architecture
DJURIC TARDIO ARCHITECTES
enforma
GRAFT
has cook zemmrich STUDIO2050
Philippe Rahm architects
STUDIO NICOLETTI ASSOCIATI
SADAR+VUGA
Ziegert I Roswag I Seiler Architekten Ingenieure
OVERVIEW AND HIGHLIGHTS
The 1
st
International Conference with Exhibition S.ARCH
International Journal of Contemporary Architecture
The New ARCH
Peer-reviewed open-access E-journal
ISSN 2198-7688
Vol. 1, No. 1 (2014)
www.The-New-ARCH.net

Editor-in-Chief
Arch. Marina Stosic, GERMANY
E: Editor@The-New-ARCH.net

Editorial Board
Arch. Prof. Dietmar Eberle Baumschlager Eberle, AUSTRIA; ETH Zurich, SWITZERLAND
Arch. Prof. Kengo Kuma University of Tokyo, JAPAN; Kengo Kuma &Associates JAPAN, FRANCE
Arch. Rafael de La-Hoz Rafael de La-Hoz Arquitectos, SPAIN
Arch. Prof. Branislav Mitrovic University of Belgrade, SERBIA
Arch. Luca Francesco Nicoletti Studio Nicoletti Associati, ITALY
Arch. Jose Luis Vallejo Ecosistema urbano, SPAIN
Arch. Bostjan Vuga Sadar+Vuga, SLOVENIA
Arch. Philippe Rahm Philippe Rahm architects, FRANCE
Arch. Dr. Manfredo Manfredini University of Auckland, NEW ZEALAND
Arch. Dr. Paola Leardini University of Auckland, NEW ZEALAND
Arch. Ass.Prof. Wah Sang WONG University of Hong Kong, CHINA
Arch. Nikola Novakovic Enforma, MONTENEGRO
Arch. Dr. Milos Dimcic Programming Architecture, GERMANY
Arch. Ass.Prof. Laila Amer Al Kahtani Princess Norah Bint Abdulrahman University, SAUDI ARABIA
Arch. Dr. Dina Ahmed Ahmed Elmiligy Princess Norah Bint Abdulrahman University, SAUDI ARABIA
Arch. Hassan Estaji Hakim Sabzevari University, IRAN, University of Applied Arts Vienna, AUSTRIA
Arch. Mirjana Uzelac Filipendin Atelje Krstonosic, Architect & Journalist ArchIntention, Ambijenti, SERBIA
Eng. Ass. Prof. Vincenzo CORRADO Politecnico di Torino, ITALY
Arch. Prof. Despina KYPRIANOU SERGHIDES Cyprus University of Technology, CYPRUS
Arch. Prof. Dusan VUKSANOVIC University of Montenegro, MONTENEGRO

Publisher
Get It Published
Verlag e.k.
Allee am Rthelheimpark 14
91052 Erlangen GERMANY
T 00 49 (0)9131 917 96 14
E info@get-it-published.de
W www.get-it-published.de

Copyright
This journal and all published articles, including all illustrations contained in authors papers block, are protected by copyright. Upon
an article being accepted for publication, all rights of publication, for translation, further reproduction, distribution, transmission,
display, broadcast, of storage in any electronic form and producing photocopies are transferred to the publisher. Without the written
permission of the publisher, any usage outside the limits of the copyright act is forbidden.
Copyright by Get It Published Verlag e.K.

Notice
The publisher does not assume any responsibility for any harm and/or injury to property and persons resulting from any ideas,
instructions, methods or products contained in the material published in this journal, as well as a matter of inattention or creation
liability, or from any use or operations.

Cover Illustration
Studio SADAR+VUGA, Slovenia: Butchers Bridge
International Journal of Contemporary Architecture The New ARCH Vol. 1, No. 1 (2014) ISSN 2198-7688
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A Word from the EditorinChief

A WORD FROM THE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Founding Editor & EditorInChief
Architect Marina Stosic

I am very pleased to announce the release of the very
first issue of the International Journal The New ARCH,
a platform where architects from all corners will discuss
current architectural themes and researches will have
an opportunity to publish their articles.
The idea of founding this Journal was born in parallel to
the preparation of the first International Conference
with Exhibition S.ARCH2014, which had the aim to
bring together architects and researchers in a discussion
about sustainability in architecture.
Apparent lacking in journals devoted to both academic
communication and the sensibility of international
design practice was a motivating force to initiate The
New ARCH. Therefore, the Journal reflects the wide
variety of approaches to contemporary architectural
themes to a wider public than a conference can do.
Because of the way the idea was born, the next logical
step was to devote the first issue of the Journal to the
S.ARCH2014 conference with themed Sustainable
Architecture.
Sustainability perhaps a word you are tired of hearing.
Everyone talks about it, everybody believes to know
what it is about, everyone wants to be green We are
confronted with this topic daily from all sides and in the
meantime it became a must for lot of people adorning
themselves with the wording sustainability. But, do we
really know what sustainability means? Do we know
what Sustainable Architecture is? Certainly, there is no
simple recipe for sustainability at least none that
should exist because sustainability is much more than
saving energy and resources. In the world of quick
changes, sustainability should not restrict our creativity,
but rather should be an exertion for it. It is not an
eschewal, but rather enriching. It is a broad line-up of
opportunities.
Some say adapting to change has always been important
to success.
But then how much does architecture have to change?
We discussed this international architects, and all of
them offer a unique perspective on sustainability, state
of affairs of architecture, and its outlook for tomorrow.
Let us talk about it once more

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A Word from the EditorinChief

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S.ARCH2014 Welcome Address of German Ambassador to Serbia

International Conference S.ARCH2014: Highlights and Overview

A Question to GRAFT

Production of Publicness Interview with Botjan Vuga

Some Thoughts about Architecture
Interview with Philippe Rahm, Eike Roswag, Botjan Vuga, Luca Francesco Nicoletti
and Nikola Novakovi

Karin Standler
Open Spaces for Young People Teens_Open_Space

Tarek Abdelsalam
A Vision for Future: Analysis of the Prominent Synthesis of Culture and Sustainability
in Hassan Fathy Architecture

Pavle Stamenovi, Duan Stojanovi, Dunja Predi
Extended Process of Architectural Design: Sustainable Development without a
Master Plan. The Case of Kagran Area, Vienna

Hassan Estaji
Flexible Spatial Configuration in Traditional Houses, The Case of Sabzevar

Manfredo Manfredini, Paola Leardini
Existing Stock for the Future: Problems, Opportunities and Strategies for Energy
Upgrade of 19401960 State Housing in New Zealand

Ljiljana Djukanovi, Milica Jovanovi Popovi, Ana Radivojevi
Potential Energy Savings in the Process of Rehabilitation of Residential Buildings
built before the Second World War

Saja Kosanovi, Milica Jovanovi Popovi
Ecological Assessment of Building Materials in Serbia: Constrains and Possibilities

Haris Bradi
Kromolj House in Sarajevo

About the Journal

Instructions for Authors

Advertisements

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International Conference with Exhibition
S.ARCH2014 Sustainable Architecture

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S.ARCH2014 Welcome Address of German Ambassador to Serbia

International Conference S.ARCH2014: Highlights and Overview

e3 Sustainable ARCHITECTURE The Inevitable FUTURE

e4 True Changes Comes Through Innovation

e10 More People Hear Our Call Each Year, but More Are Still Needed

A Question to GRAFT

Production of Publicness Interview with Botjan Vuga

Some Thoughts about Architecture
Interview with Philippe Rahm, Eike Roswag, Botjan Vuga, Luca Nicoletti and
Nikola Novakovi

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S.ARCH2014 Welcome Address of German Ambassador to Serbia e2

S.ARCH2014 WELCOME ADDRESS OF GERMAN AMBASSADOR TO SERBIA

H.E. Heinz Wilhelm, German Ambassador to Serbia

Minister Ilic, Ladies and Gentlemen,
of all the art forms architecture is the most integrated
into our daily lives. We live our lives surrounded by
architecture, we are constantly influenced by it.
Therefore, we often take architecture for granted, for
something which is easy to achieve.
The famous architect Mies van der Rohe said:
Architecture starts when you carefully put two bricks
together.
It is as simple as that. Or is it?....
Of all the art forms, architecture is the most durable and
long-living. The German poet Goethe said: Buildings
must be built right, because they are made to stay for a
long time. We humans may make mistakes, but we
certainly must not build mistakes!
This is the very core of the architects responsibility.
We have come together for this conference in order to
talk about this responsibility. How can we construct
buildings which will be durable, comfortable, affordable
and most of all: sustainable.
The German government has taken this question very
seriously. 40% of the annual use of energy in Germany is
used to heat buildings, a number which can and must be
reduced. The Federal Ministry for Transport and digital
Infrastructure has published guidelines for sustainable
architecture and sustainable housing.
And the Ministry put their own guidelines to use and
built Germanys most sustainable house: on 7
December 2011 after only one year of planning and
construction Federal chancellor Merkel opened the
Energy house plus, a slightly futuristic looking, highly
sustainable family home, located in a middle class
housing area in Berlin. The energy house plus offers
130 m
2
space for living, it was built exclusively from
material which can be recycled, and its solar panels and
warm water pump produce more energy than the family
living in the house can use. The additional electricity is
being stored in batteries and is used to power the
familys electric car!
The house features the best isolation currently available
on the market and proves, that with the right isolation
any house can be warmed up with a lot less energy costs
than currently needed in other houses of the same size.
Due to the reduced consummation of energy and the
use of renewable construction materials the house is
affordable. And the family living there has declared it
one of the most comfortable houses they have ever lived
in.
The German government has set the objective that from
2019 onwards newly built houses will no longer cause air
pollution. They will not create green house gas
emissions and they will be run on low amounts of
energy. This is only possible if we increase the energy
efficiency in architecture and construction.
New houses will be built as energy efficient as possible.
Old houses will not be torn down but rather equipped
with better isolation and more energy efficient heating
systems.
How can this new development be supported by the
Government? In Germany we have introduced an
energy passport for buildings. Every apartment, every
building will now have to be checked for energy use, for
isolation weaknesses and for the efficiency of the
heating system. Thus potential buyers can find out
about the future costs of heating and hot water. And
non-efficient houses will not find buyers any more.
Believe me, house owners will learn very quickly that
they have to look after their property and increase the
energy efficiency as much as possible.
Here in Serbia the German government has created a
project in order to promote and establish energy
efficiency in Serbian buildings. Together with the
German companies Henkel, Knauf and Viessmann young
Serbian engineers are being trained in recognizing
weaknesses in isolation and heating systems and they
will be able to suggest renovation measures in order to
make properties energy efficient and sustainable.
In 2013 the building complex 4 July in Belgrade, which
was constructed using the latest energy efficient
technology, was opened to the public. After one year the
results have been published: the heating costs could be
reduced to only 1/3 of the average costs for a similar
building!
Energy efficiency, sustainable architecture and the use
of renewables in construction these are the pillars for
our future buildings!
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International Conference S.ARCH-2014 Highlights and Overview e3

INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE S.ARCH2014
HIGHLIGHTS AND OVERVIEW

SUSTAINABLE ARCHITECTURE THE INEVITABLE FUTURE

It is almost twenty-five years since the Rio UNCED (UN Conference on Environment and Development) and Kyoto
protocol and the results are less than satisfactory. The new generations still have less green areas than there were in
the past and the lungs of the planet are getting smaller and smaller as each day passes. The critics will comment that
we did not accomplish anything in the last quarter of the century. Havent we learnt anything from our ancestors yet?
Now, let us discuss this subject from an architectural point of view and find answers as the professionals we are: Do the
architects, as dream creators and builders, only have to change their tools in order to create sustainable buildings? Or
do we need to fundamentally change our profession?! Is it enough to transfer from the humble sketching table to the
advanced computer simulations that will provide us with the best solution, or do we have to change how we think and
respond to the environment where we are building?! Are we ready for the future, or are we the proverbial dinosaurs
waiting for the inevitable helplessness in choosing between the tradition and trend?! None of them alone will do the
trick for numerous reasons.
The countries are making the laws, agreements, and challenging limits in order to become a more environmentally
friendly society in the future. We set our mind to one direction but we are moving very slowly and more problems
surface all the time. If we wish accomplish our goals for the sustainable future we need to be louder, smarter and
fearless. The architects are not the only ones who have to challenge the burden of change in the building industry. Yet
they are on the front line and they do possess the tools to make the transition more effective.

This sentence best describes the message that speakers
sent to the audience during the international conference
on "Sustainable Architecture". In the course of 14
th
15
th

May in Belgrade, the experts gathered at the first
international conference known as S.ARCH to discuss
and display their projects, experiments, methods or
recent findings in the sustainable architectural practice. This two-day event took place at the Hyatt Regency Belgrade
hotel and it was divided into two segments: the lectures and the exhibition of works from the creative people who are
practicing and exploring sustainability in architecture.
A few years back, Belgrade and Serbia did not even register on the professional green map as a place where experts
from the field of sustainable development, green building, design, innovative architecture, and others meet and
exchange their knowledge. You will be surprised by the series of events that redirected the course of conferences right
into the heart of the Balkans, to Serbia, where the S.ARCH conference was also held. Thanks to the organizers - the
company RENECON and its German partner Get It Published, as well as the initiator and founder of the International
Conference S.ARCH, Marina Stosic, an architect from Germany, the audience had the privilege of hearing the greats of
sustainable architecture in the Serbian capital this spring.
Upon the selection and invitation of the chairperson of the conference, the visitors were introduced to the world-
famous minds, authors from various countries who, through their work and progress, move the standards of
architectural practice. We are talking about creative people such as the Studio GRAFT (Germany, USA, China),
haascookzemmrich STUDIO2050 (Germany), Philippe Rahm architects (France), DTA / DJURIC TARDIO ARCHITECTES
(France), STUDIO NICOLETTI ASSOCIATI (Italy), enforma (Montenegro), SADAR + VUGA (Slovenia), and many more. Each
author uses their legitimate creations and unique attitude to weave their name into the world of renowned designers
of today.
The variety of topics and lectures that were presented demonstrate maturity and courage that is rare and
unconventional. The projects showcased are among the most radical, the ones that advanced the course of
development of cities, urban areas, buildings, and interiors. These projects opened the door to new dimensions of
I C@N'T CH@NGE THE DIRECTION OF THE WIND,
BUT I C@N @DJUST MY S@ILS TO @LW@YS RE@CH
MY DESTIN@TION. Jimmy Dean
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practice and confronted the modern world with the principles of sustainable development in architecture as the
inevitable future development.

During the conference, a series of constructive
discussions were conducted which raised some
important issues regarding sustainable building
practices. It can be rightly said that the S.ARCH
conference was a festival of unique views and creations
that celebrates but also questions architectural practice
and its methods.
Each delegate was thoroughly introduced to the problems of implementation of sustainable principles and the
narrowness of contemporary architectural profession in every corner of the Earth. Other major topics were the
challenges ahead of the new generation of architects who have to lead modern society and architectural practice
towards a sustainable future. The two main questions remain: What is the future of architecture? What is the
architecture of the future?
In support of this statement, an international exhibition of works followed the conference that introduced everyone to
the variety of works from the domestic and foreign architectural practice. The works of professionals, students, and
young designers all stood one next to each other with the integrity and determination in the common goal of promoting
the sustainable architecture. Research, projects, studies, and the results of experiments all showed the diversity of the
spirit in search of new, more advanced and more environmentally responsible buildings, urban spaces or theories.

Looking at all of the lectures, projects, and ideas we
heard during the S.ARCH conference, one can draw one
single conclusion: The main problem in practicing
sustainable architecture is the lack of quality
communication and flexibility in the profession. The
communication between clients designers builders
officials can be recognized as one of the basic problems and it needs to be improved. However, we (the architects) must
tackle the greater task that our profession prepared for us! Step out of our shoes, become the managers and messengers
of a sustainable future. It is a question of responsibility the imminent ethic that is determined by the ecological
consciousness based on sensitivity of the individual as an inhabitant of the environment, and not just the member of
the Chamber of Architects. It was clear that each individual sitting in the great hall was already on their way to make
this transition. But the problem was behind the door of that room how to transmit this idea to the rest of the
professional practice.

TRUE CHANGES COMES THROUGH
INNOVATION

On its first day the professional and creative S.ARCH
conference welcomed various lectures that practice the
architectural design process and its relation to the
environment. The initiator, founder, and chairperson of
the international conference and also one of the
moderators of the tandem ensemble program was
architect Marina Stosic. The professor from Belgrades
Faculty of Architecture, Milica Jovanovic-Popovic, was
the second half of the moderator duo and one of the
speakers. These two ladies skilfully conducted the
lecturers and the audience through the maze of
sustainable architecture of today and guided them with
excellent synergy.

DESIGN PROCESS AND CASE STUDIES

The last two centuries brought some astonishing
discoveries that changed the world forever.
Improvements in the quality and diversity of materials
and structure formed the foundation for todays
contemporary architecture, especially the high-rise
buildings and cities. It is our duty, as the future creative

CHANGE IS INEVITABLE. CHANGE FOR THE BETTER
IS A FULL-TIME JOB. Adlai E. Stevenson
YOU MUST BE THE CHANGE YOU WISH TO SEE IN THE
WORLD. Mahatma Gandhi
WE CANNOT SOLVE OUR PROBLEMS WITH THE
SAME THINKING WE USED WHEN WE CREATED
THEM. Albert Einstein
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David Cook

minds, to follow these steps and introduce our
profession and modern community to the new
architecture, the one that will fulfil the needs of its
inhabitants and the one that respects and preserves the
natural environment. One of the studios that follows this
path is haascookzemmrich STUDIO2050 from Germany.
Architect David Cook, one of the partners, held a lecture
with the title The City as Resource and showed the
synergy between the modern cities and sustainable
development.

Haas, Cook and Zemmrich are well known for their
numerous projects that have been built worldwide and
always have a special focus on the environment, quality
of life, embedding the latest of innovations, and
intelligent use of the space beyond cultural fulfilment.
One of the recent projects is the German pavilion for the
World Expo 2015 named Feeding the planet energy
for life is the idea, and the result is a structure that is at
the same time confident, humorous, entertaining, and
attractive. The German pavilion is a clear and legible
composition, immediately recognizable as a poetic
landscape sheltered by a dynamic canopy. It shows that
reconfiguring the future structures and cities must be in
line with the reinforcement of the place along with the
increase of the individual identity.
Our out-dated cities are having a hard time to cope with
modern society and the prognoses of their growth are
disturbing, since nearly 70% of the future world
population will live in cities by 2050. Therefore, an
individual redevelopment plan must be established
and not necessarily an architectural one. Cities of the
future will be developed as a coexisting component of
individual identity. The potential of context and
sustainable development and the organism "city" are
inextricably linked.
We do not have the luxury to start fresh. We need to
transform what already exists and not repeat the
mistakes from the past in order to welcome the
sustainable future. It will not happen overnight since
building and natural environment cant be treated
isolated. Synergy of everything, sharing, and co-working
is needed. These words best describe the projects that
Cook presented focusing on the value of our existing
urban ambience in search for a solution for the
uncertain sustainable future.

The German Pavilion, EXPO 2015
Source: haascookzemmrich STUDIO2050

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Followed by that were the works of the French architect
Philippe Rahm who considers the climate itself as a new
language and teaching method for architecture. In his
lecture Towards a Meteorological Architecture, Rahm
disposed new proverbial bricks through his work tools
for building and creating the future structure.
David Cook: FOR A TRULY SUSTAINABLE DESIGN TO TAKE ON A
MUCH GREATER RELEVANCE, FOR IT TO BECOME THE RULE
RATHER THAN THE EXCEPTION, THEN IT IS INEVITABLE THAT WE
MUST LOOK BEYOND THE BUILDING AS AN OBJECT AND REASSESS
THE CONTEXT OF OUR ARCHITECTURAL ENDEAVOURS.
Philippe Rahm: ARCHITECTURE MUST BUILD SENSUAL
EXCHANGE BETWEEN BODY AND SPACE AND INVENT NEW
AESTHETICAL APPROACHES CAPABLE OF MAKING LONG-TERM
CHANGES TO THE FORM AND THE WAY WE WILL INHABIT
BUILDINGS TOMORROW.
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Philippe Rahm

With the climate change in mind, a meteorological
architecture analyses convection, evaporation, and
conduction and introduces them as new principles of
modern constructions. The building in which the right
climatic factors of interior space guide the disposition,
and link between the functions and ambient, shifts the
creative process towards a more natural, sensual
approach. The focus of creating is transposed from
strictly visual to more sensitive and almost invisible
giving the profession a totally different perspective. This
unconventional approach finds its origins in the basic
principles of building and architecture from the times
when laws of nature and the environment influence
more on the human inhabitant. The climate was the
primary condition for the shape, structure and material
used for every building just like the interior organization
was the best practice in terms of energy, space and size
of the community inspired by external influences.
Transforming these principles into the 21
st
century
architecture shows that current practice still has the
ability to incorporate the climate factor in a more
adequate way. Creating public ambient that is dictated
by pressure air organizes the form, shape and
materials of public space. Imagine the apartment
designed using the thermal scheme of suggested
temperatures of facilities based on clothing and activity.
This is the ambient where you no longer occupy the
space but the atmosphere, and you live life not
horizontally but spatially. Think of an urban park as
balanced ambient in terms of its climate by mapping the
bad sectors with more heat, humidity and pollution and
improving it by designing adequate natural and artificial
elements alongside the existing climate conditions.
Maybe future museums can be the result of the
thermodynamic tension where the microclimate is
based on two polar temperatures the higher 22C and
lower 16C creating an internal air Gulf Stream. The
users are moving freely through the space in search for
the right climate and temperature or particular activities
that condition the disposition of the buildings program.
These suggestions represent the method that indicates
defection from the current architecture as an inventive
solution to coexist with climate rather than wrestle with
it.

Hammam Lyon
Source: Philippe Rahm architects

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Analysing modern society we can discover that because
of the power of innovation and the strength of the
pioneers the contemporary world is living in a different
place now than it did decades ago. Even further in the
architectural world, where creations directly influence
its users physically and socially, the willingness to detach

and experiment marks the debut authors as the leaders.
Next was the lecture given by the GRAFT studio
(Germany, USA, and China) that was presented by its
three founders: Wolfram Putz, Thomas Willemeit, and
Lars Krueckeberg. They told the story of radical but
simple ideas. Their lecture GRAFT Distinct Ambiguity
spoke about the projects, different in scale, but with
huge positive impact on the environment, society, and
economy. The GRAFT is known as the studio that uses
unique philosophy based on ambiguities, the kind of
INNOVATION DISTINGUISHES BETWEEN A LEADER
AND A FOLLOWER. Steve Jobs
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Wolfram Putz Lars Krueckeberg Thomas Willemeit

robust hybrid, a marriage of different sources.
Believing in the inventive course of the future, they
practice architecture that can be explained by the
authors as a change of seeing what everybody has
seen, but thinking what nobody has thought.
One of the projects that the audience had the
opportunity of seeing was the process of revitalization
of New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. This particular
project is important because it describes how they,
designers by professional calling, stepped out of their
native profession and took the directions of another
profession in order to restore and build a different, more
sustainable city. During several phases and years they
managed to raise the finances, gather the experts,
educate the community, make the plans and drawings
together with other studios involved, and finally to start
rebuilding the ruined New Orleans. Entirety of the
process was under the mission of the charity Make It
Right (MIR) run by actor Brad Pitt that was very clear:
To build safe, Cradle to Cradle inspired homes,
buildings and communities for people in need (MIR).
The famous photo of the art installation Pink Houses
in New Orleans, became the statement of inventive
architectural re-thinking, which determines in its roots
spreading need for co-work between the context and
humans.
Another project that GRAFT studio showed was a
business research project The Solar kiosk currently
installed in several African countries as an innovative
process of connecting and opening up new
opportunities in undeveloped countries. This is a
business idea rather than an architectural project, and
its small proportion wasnt crucial when it comes to the
positive result of its implementation. Solar kiosk is like
planting an innovative grain into the community that
over time develops into a strong incubator of ideas and
opportunities for the sustainable future for everyone.
This idea aims to educate and unite rather than to just
house its users and functions.

Autopavillon in Wolfsburg
Source: GRAFT

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DESIGN IN LINE WITH ENVIRONMENT

The S.ARCH conference was a place to hear about some
marvellous works from authors who chose the nature as
their ultimate teacher, and this segment was marked by
the innovative use of natural materials and construction
systems. The first was the lecture Natural and
Traditional Architecture in Dialogue presented by
architect Eike Roswag, a frontman of the office Ziegert |
Roswag | Seiler Architekten Ingenieure (Germany). In his
presentation, the sustainability of future facilities and
practices is reflected in the implementation of
intelligent approaches and the need to design and work
in harmony with the natural cycles.
The current contrast of building regulations and nature
can be avoided by fusing them together and developing
buildings that are made from the environment and that
are capable of breathing and living with the
environment. Usage of materials that are more natural
and hygroscopic like soil, wood, and natural fibre
contributes to the vision of a more sustainable future.

Eike Roswag

One of the current Ziegert | Roswag | Seiler studio
projects is the H-House An international research
project on healthier indoor environment of dwellings
that aims to develop elements i.e. eco-inventive
building components for retrofitting or building
structures. Scientific teams from twelve different
research centres from four EU countries along with
Roswags office work together on finding suitable wall
structures that will be prefabricated from natural
materials. It is a collaborative research effort, focusing
on improving the housing sector to become more
energy efficient and healthier for its inhabitants. The
studio builds numerous projects connecting natural
materials, inherited techniques and todays practice.
They are recognized as the office who works with the
people globally creating architecture, structural
engineering projects, earth building consultancy, and
assessment and take active participation in research and
laboratory works and teaching. One of their famous
projects, the built-by-hand school in Bangladesh,
represents a public structure built from natural
materials and using technologies fit for community and
nature. It is a cob and bamboo building resting on the
brick-mud foundations created for the METI (Modern
Education and Training Institute). Another project with
the same naturalistic approach is the haus ihlow, the
load-bearing rammed earth house built in Germany. This
is a great example of how traditional earth architecture
can become excellent contemporary ambient exposing
all of its robust characteristics. All of these projects
celebrate the exploration and investigation of
performances of the materials as the motional principles
for the sustainable practice, education, and knowledge.

School Hand-Made in Bangladesh
Source: Ziegert | Roswag | Seiler Architekten Ingenieure

Education is the most powerful weapon
which you can use to change the world.
Nelson Mandela
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___________________________________________________________________________________________________________


Branislav Mitrovic

The idea of coexistence with nature and usage of natural
materials was followed by the lecture given by Professor
Branislav Mitrovic, professor at the Architectural faculty
of the university in Belgrade and founder of the MITarch
studio. His presentation focused on his idea of a sensible
treatment of the faade which he elaborated in his
lecture: The Material, Materialization and Texture.
The constant dialogue between the nature and the
building is based on the possibility of putting the
building envelope as a director of the situation.

He practices architecture with the respect for the quality
of natural aesthetic aspects of the materials he uses. The
sustainability is interpreted in a unique way in his works.
Sometimes the colour of the faade distinguishes the
artificial structure from the natural environment. Other
times, he uses the surrounding and traditional materials,
which communicate with the surroundings, expressing
the cultural inheritance of the new structure. Also,
architectural elements on the external envelope often
are inspired by the existing urban heritage, establishing
the link and imbedding the structure within the ambient.
Some of the recent projects from Mitrovics studio
(office building in Andricgrad, two residence in Belgrade)
all represent the design that emphasizes the aspect of
the environmental proposition in architecture resting
upon the acts of imagination.

Andricgrad
Source: MITarch studio

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Creative professionals that are inspired by new,
unconventional methods are often not recognized by
the contemporary society. This historical fact proved
that strength and belief in ones own work and ideas is
the most important characteristic for any mission. The
lecture "Responsive Architecture" is an interesting
individual interpretation of applying contextual inputs
with respect for the environment. This lecture was
presented by the architect Nikola Novakovic, a head of
the studio enforma (Montenegro), who found his own
way for practicing the sustainable architecture by the
application of responsible architecture.

This method is based on the relation of ethicaesthetic
vis--vis the relations dialogue responsibility. It is the
architecture whose creator is an awakened professional
and his works are simply an ethical and aesthetic
response to the impacts of the natural environment.
Novakovic questions the individual responsibility over
the social spiritual poverty as the key for achieving
sustainable objects. If the creation is aggressive and
unresponsive by nature, then the architecture cant be
aesthetical, beautiful, and in harmony with its
surroundings.
Novakovics work shows the courage in embracing the
tradition, adapting it to the modern lifestyle, and
Branislav Mitrovic: THE PREVALENCE OF THE OBJECT
BECOMES THE DESIGN FOCUSED METHODOLOGICAL PROCEDURE,
THE RELATION OF FORM, FUNCTION, AND STRUCTURE AS THE
MATERIAL BECOMES EVIDENT IN THE ACTIVE PERCEPTION.
Most of us have far more courage than
we ever dreamed we possessed.
Dale Carnegie
Nikola Novakovic: RESPONSIVE ARCHITECTURE IS NOTHING
BUT AN ETHICAL RELATION BETWEEN BUILT ENVIRONMENT AND
IMPACTS. SOMETHING UNETHICAL CANNOT BE AESTHETICAL!.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________


Nikola Novakovic

interpreting it with the contemporary architectural
language in mind. His inspiration for the sustainable
buildings comes from the quality of current built and the
natural environment. To achieve this he uses the
successful traditional building techniques, available
surrounding materials and follows the morphological
restrictions of the natural environment. Various projects
that were presented on the conference (Vila Stoliv,
Lustice complex, Salt tower, etc.) all possess respect for
the environment, treating it as an integral part of the
building, incorporating it rather than isolating it.
Another aspect of his work can be found in his
determination to follow his responsive architecture
rather than the local aggressive and profit oriented
architecture. This is a rare example of stepping outside
of architectural trends and understanding the quality of
context, profession and sense for aesthetics.

Lustica Village
Source: enforma

MORE PEOPLE HEAR OUR CALL
EACH YEAR, BUT MORE ARE STILL
NEEDED

On the second day of the conference, the continued
stream of brave designers contributed to the whole
vision of a brighter path for the sustainable future. The
hosts duo of female architects and experts, Stosic and
Jovanovic-Popovic, connected designers and their
creations from all over the world, which are on a quest
of searching for the right answer to the question: How is
tomorrows sustainability related to architecture?!

COURSE OF ADAPTING ARCHITECTURE

Individual presentations of knowledge and attributes
comprise the beauty of art and architecture. Learning
and understanding the environment we work in, holds
the answer to performing adequately and responsibly.
With this thought in mind, and his own architectural
interpretation of gained knowledge, the architect Luca
Francesco Nicoletti held the lecture as the co-founder
and director of the STUDIO NICOLETTI ASSOCIATI from
Rome, Italy. The lecture: Urban Ecology through Total
Architecture gathered some current and some early
works of Nicolettis that apply green principles in
architecture long before the movement was even
established. As the heir of the sustainable architecture
pioneer that is his father, Nicoletti believes that
eloquence and power of creative architectural language
must be in harmony with the natural environment.

Understanding is a two-way street.
Eleanor Roosevelt
Luca Francesco Nicoletti: ONLY THROUGH A TOTAL ALL-
ENCOMPASSING ARCHITECTURE, CAN WE CREATE WITH AND NOT
AGAINST. THE VERY NATURE OF AN ARCHITECT SHOULD BE TO
STAND UP AGAINST CONVENTIONS, TO TRANSFORM THEM, TO
LOOK AT THE FUTURE, TO CREATE ARCHITECTURE IN DIALOGUE
WITH THE NUMEROUS COMPLEXITIES THAT OPERATE ON IT.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________


Bio Istanbul Research and Commercial Center
Source: STUDIO NICOLETTI ASSOCIATI

The misuse of the language often results in the
meaninglessly transplanted structure and the incorrect
processing of information, so the creation becomes lost
in translation. The key problem of monotonous
architecture is "blindfolded" following of, and building
by standards, using certain profiles, which stagnate and
cause problems in ecosystems, turn a blind eye to the
future and are simply harmful to the environment.
Breaking out of this clich provides a spectrum of
undiscovered territory and non-linear thinking. It is not
enough to simply mimic the surroundings, it is necessary
to acknowledge total inclusion and integration of all
disciplines during the creation of a building or a city.
Through displayed works (Moncada housing, a
residential waterfront development in Kuala Lumpur or
the Bio Istanbul Research and Commercial Center, etc.)
Nicoletti pledges the principles of bioclimatic
architecture and takes it to the next level of creating
modern spaces that accommodate contemporary
lifestyle. The quality of the projects lays in resembling
artificial roots in the context that are interpreted with
contemporary architectural language, where
conversation with the ecosystem is the main reference.

Luca Francesco Nicoletti

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

Paola Leardini
One of the southern countries of perpetual spring, New
Zealand, was represented through the analytic eyes of
the University of Auckland. The joint lecture prepared by
Dr. Paola Leardini and Dr. Manfredo Manfredini:
Existing Stock for the Future Problems, Opportunities
and Strategies for Energy Upgrade to Passive House
Standard in New Zealand was presented by the female
team member. The focus was on the development study
of renovation and reconstruction of the built
environment, which aims to increase the energy
efficiency of settlements and urban areas in the
segments of its capital.

Paola Leardini: BECAUSE EXISTING BUILDINGS COMPRISE THE
LARGEST SEGMENT OF THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT, ENERGY
CONSERVATION RETROFITS BECOMES THE REAL TARGET TO
ACHIEVE TANGIBLE EFFECTS IN TERMS OF RESOURCES AND CO
2

EMISSIONS.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Carefully choosing the right segment of the city, the
team managed to deliver the energy analysis that
proved the low level of energy performance from
historical and new buildings. Beside this, it had shown
the structure of built stock, the value of existing
buildings and social/health statistics that all
demonstrate a need for reconstruction and
refurbishment. Retrofitting the example that included
the buildings from the mid-20
th
century, the team
created a case studies house type that will be used as
the main resource of the future retrofitting packages.
The option was to apply the EnerPHit Standard which
includes certain level of thermal comfort, no
moisture/mould problems, reduction of CO
2
emissions
and minimal life cycle costs. The study is meant to
become the ground strategy to collect data and provide
the possible scenarios for upgrading by applying the
Passive House standard and prepares the ground for the
pilot project in Auckland.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

Marija Golubovic

In the sustainable building industry architects are not
the sole and even main members of the decision making
team. Structural, mechanical, electrical, civil, and other
engineers are all playing equally significant roles in the
integrated design process, and this is becoming the most
effective way of creating and building contemporary
structures. Experts do the work together and share their
knowledge in every phase of the buildings life, so that
the construction can perform in the best possible way. It
is important to understand their presence and how
solving of ones problems can affect the whole building
positively or negatively at the end, and how through
integration of all the professions time, energy, resources
and environment can be saved. Therefore, it was
refreshing to welcome the presentation of the solo
mechanical engineer by profession, but great expert and
leader in the green building industry, Madam Marija
Golubovic, LEED professional and president of the
company ENERGO Group (Serbia / Italy). In her lecture
Transparent, Effective, Performance she spoke about
the role of all stakeholders during the
design/construction process and during the period of
building, the transparency and the willingness to review
these actors to act responsibly at all phases of the
building process.

The presentation has shown how much modern
technology and experts can simulate and predict the
behaviour of the objects, but also how much the
practice of living in these facilities is far from theoretical
predictions. For numerous reasons the correct answer
to this situation is not easy but the key to create a clear
picture of how our buildings are performing is to set the
transparency as the inventible approach.
One of the projects that ENERGO studio worked on was
the LEED Platinum awarded Vodafone village. The
project included the sophisticated energy models that
proved how very important it is to incorporate
sustainability in the early designing phases if we wish to

Italian Pavilion, EXPO 2015
Source: ENERGO
Marija Golubovici: WE MUST BE TRANSPARENT ABOUT HOW
BUILDINGS ARE ACTUALLY PERFORMING TO SILENCE THE CRITICS
AND ENSURE THAT OUR EFFORTS ARE REALLY ACHIEVING THE
GOALS WE SEEK.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

save energy. Designers, contractors, and commissioners
all play equally significant roles in achieving the
sustainability goal of every building. However, the
results of different studies carried out by various
institutions point out that the occupants and their
behaviour are also an important aspect of the building
life, because these effects compose between 25-75% in
proposed and measured savings for the structure.
Golubovic questioned the reality of incorporating the
post occupancy evaluation of the green buildings as the
measure that will provide us with the honest and
valuable data, which can be used to switch from the
never ending prediction of potential problems to the
clear path of solving them. Likewise, it will avoid shifting
the process of green certification of the buildings from
simple additional paperwork to the valuable process of
getting to the sustainable future.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

BUILDINGS FOR TOMORROW

Architectural professionals can find it tricky to meet the
artistic goals with the demanding social, economic, and
industrial context. However, in order to create better
visual identity for the future, the search for answers
enriches our profession every day, and the exchange of
this knowledge gets us closer to the sustainable future.
One very interesting opinion of how modern society can
reach this goal was presented by the architect Bostjan
Vuga, from the studio SADAR + VUGA from Slovenia,
with his fresh approach of how the use of space is very
important in the matter of its sustainability. His lecture
Production of Publicness rises this new term above the
concept of importance, setting it as a golden rule of
sustainability, where the final users and public nature of
buildings hide interesting theory of sustainable
development in architecture.

The quality of publicness of each building claims the
proverbial race for the population of the ambient, which
helps the built environment become a viable structure
imbued with "living" areas. Useless, elegant space with
strictly visual identity and no public value or active users
becomes wasted and unsustainable ambient. If the
design doesnt communicate with the public you have
no dialogue and correlation with the environment, built
or natural. Few presented projects affirm this principle
of publicness.
The studio SADAR+VUGA is famous for its special
approach that they call formulas. These formulas are
not mathematical and are not restricted to a single
project. They are a group of synonyms, expected

Bostjan Vuga

University College Ghent Campus
Source: SADAR + VUGA
The future belongs to those who prepare
for it today. Malcolm X
Bostjan Vuga: PUBLICNESS IS THE RESULT OF AN ARCHITECTS
ABILITY TO ENVISION THE WIDER EFFECTS OF THE ARCHITECTURAL
OBJECT ON THE INDIVIDUAL AND SOCIETY.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

reactions, or special functions that become the centre
piece and the identity of the building. This method is
based on imaging the experience that users will have
with the space they are creating. The way we use,
perceive, and walk through the space is in direct
dialogue with the architectural phenomenology the
way how the building influences the users or perceivers.
Adding the public quality in constructing the bridge, for
example, means transforming it to a new, vibrant
meeting place - as the studio did with the project of
Butchers Bridge. They envision the house bridge with
three platforms creating a new plug-in mezzanine that
becomes new public space. There is no exception in
incorporating the same principle to the public buildings
as well. The studio was awarded for the project of
rehabilitating the existing 'Chamber of Commerce and
Industry of Slovenia', by proposing the retrofit of the
building conceiving it as a megastore. It became the
place for consultation, information, training
departments, and services. It acts as a local lead-in to
economic globalization. The front plaza, new office
space, and the added garden all attract people and
increase the number of visitors and help the exchange
of business ideas. Another project the Cultural Center
of EU Space Technologies (KSEVT) takes this quality to
the next level, and was done in collaboration with three
more Slovenian architectural offices (SADAR+VUGA,
Bevk Perovic arhitekti, Dekleva Gregoric arhitekti, OFIS).
This building serves as science and research centre,
exhibition gallery and cultural centre for the local
community. It is a focal point of a small village, and it
was inspired by the geostationary space station
described in Noordungs book. Every segment of the
building the ground floor, the roof terrace, the spiral
ramp, and the interior space has the ability to welcome
various functions and users, increasing the quality of life,
and use of the space in the present and in the future.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

Architect Mirco Tardio from France and studio DTA |
DJURIC TARDIO ARCHITECTES talked about different
aspects of urban planning and how the correct density
and innovative eco oriented principles can contribute to
more sustainable urban structures in the future. His
lecture EcoControlled Urban Density spoke about
environmentally controlled density of the urban
creation the suburb that in each segment politely
respects energy, nature and its users.

The suburbs are designed according to the principle of
environmental density opposed to the disproportionate
parasitic cities. The aim is to create a strong identity of
the suburb using architectural, urban, and social wealth
so that the area becomes more sustainable in every
aspect of its existence as the sustainable suburban
epicenter. This awarded project included designing 14
houses in Gennevilliers all with the low-carbon
principle, expanding the existing spaces, providing
better usage of the available land, and adding value to
the ambient and the life of its users with the intelligent
architectural and natural components. Bioclimatic
concept, special constructions, renewable resources,
and selection of the materials together create a new
energetic urban model that allows savings on every level
providing a high level of comfort to its inhabitants, while
achieving sustainable goals.

Mirco Tardio
Mirco Tardioa: GOING AGAINST THE CURRENT MAINSTREAM
THINKING IN TERMS OF DENSIFICATION, IT IS POSSIBLE TO FIND
DURABLE SOLUTIONS FROM THE ARCHITECTURE ON A SMALL
SCALE, WITHOUT DRAINING THE REFLECTION ON THE INDIVIDUAL
HABITAT. DENSITY ECO-CONTROL IS AN INVESTMENT
CONCEPT FOR SUBURBAN AREAS THAT FOCUSES ON RESPECT FOR
THE URBAN AND ARCHITECTURAL HERITAGE WHILE DENSIFYING
AND OPTIMIZING ENERGY.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________


Vue saint Marie
Source: DTA | DJURIC TARDIO ARCHITECTES
The presentation of this approach was illustrated by
numerous projects that the studio recently delivered.
The Laboratory is a series of Individual Eco-Sustainable
houses in peri-urban areas of France that are designed
projects and are carefully created to emphasize the
natural advantages of the location and to give users the
green and healthy home that perfectly suits its
surroundings. Providing better synergy between the
according to the principles of sustainable development.
New buildings, extensions, and retrofits are all designed
to meet the delicate, inviting, and warm facades of these
habitats, city and sustainable energy allows the existing
architectural heritage to preserve its identity against
oversized grey cities.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

Professor Milica Jovanovic-Popovic held her
presentation Energy Efficiency and Renewal of
Residential Buildings Stock and spoke about the
findings from the conducted energy efficiency study of
the existing residential fund in Serbia and what the
possibilities for future development are.
As professor at the Faculty of Architecture in Belgrade,
she presented the current results of the study that
showed a strikingly negative energy performance result
and state of the existing housing stock. Based on the
Tabula methodology, the project scope simulates the
impact of increasing energy efficiency in buildings in
relation to the energy sector of the country. By applying
various measures, the study showed options for creating
a national strategy to reduce energy consumption and
implement a more rational approach to the
management of all natural resources.
Starting from the existing building regulations, over the
international treaties to the process of harmonization
with EU regulations, Serbia is encountering high
demands that are difficult to achieve with the current
massive unsustainable urban environment. Joining the
TABULA Intelligent energy Europe project in 2011,
Serbia as an associated partner managed to collect
statistical data gathered through statistical
investigation, performed by IPSOS along with twelve
other EU countries.
The study was organized in two segments, and the
results surprised everyone. For example, the majority of
the residences are single family houses that have no
external wall insulation and windows that are 20 to 40
years old. Nearly every family in Serbia still uses the
unsustainable heating resources (coal, wood, and gas)
for their single residence. However, the study also
provided several constructive solutions for these
alarming figures to be improved by collective work of
the society and experts, and with quality regulations.
With better thermal envelope, an upgrade of the
heating systems, and a distribution network for
domestic and heating water, it is possible to reach more
than 72% savings of energy needed for heating, and a
further 57% by renewal of single family house stocks.
The study concluded that the upgrade to nearly zero
energy buildings should start with single family houses
that should incorporate the strategy, methodology,
financial support and optional user friendly software
that will be publicly available, and which will provide the
owners with the best feasible solution for their house.

Milica Jovanovic Popovic

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________


At the end of this powerful journey with the S.ARCH
conference it was wonderful to see how professionals,
young graduates, and students raised their hands to
support the sustainable architecture in a country that
has one of the lowest annual gross national incomes in
Europe.
Determined in their goal of raising the awareness of sustainable architecture the organizers have already announced a
new event same time next year, with the new theme "Architecture and Environment". The second international
conference S.ARCH will be held in the city Budva, Montenegro, during the period of 19
th
20
th
May 2015 and we are
thrilled to invite you to participate in this event.

Text: Mirjana Uzelac Filipendin

Enthusi[sm mov_s th_ worl^.
Arthur Balfour
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A Question to GRAFT e17

A QUESTION TO GRAFT

After the presentation of the studio GRAFT we asked all of the three partners the same single question. The result is
astonishing because their individual answers actually emphases the richness of the studios creative charge and some
interesting new perspectives.

In your work we can find numerous examples of the outstanding communication between the community and you as the
authors. Could you please explain to us the following: Is the city of tomorrow actually a city that is built either based on
the communication and the choice of its inhabitants or is it based on ideas and the work of architects, urban planners
and other professionals that are usually involved in the planning process? What percentage of the decision making can
be given to the future inhabitants?

Wolfram Putz: In my opinion it is hard to predict or
guess a percentage, however, we also can see of course
how it is done within the cities that we are working in.
For example in Berlin we can definitely see that people
like to engage more into the process of urban planning.
Berlin has the extreme luck, that since the unification
many redevelopment opportunities came up, such as
the closure of an airport in the middle of the city. And
during the 1
st
year, we used the typical 1920
th
century
top-down approach and it failed. It was basically not
accepted. So, today there is a mixture of different
instruments that top-down officials try to use to either
appease citizens meaning that it is a fake participant
process, or there is now this growing attempt to create
real citizen participant processes, so people become a
real democratic decision making body within
government and its institutions. We think as architects
that psychology and democratic value of people having
a say in decision making process is great. The problem is
not everyone that participates has the same knowledge,

GRAFT: Wolfram Putz, Gregor Hoheisel, Thomas Willemeit, Lars Krueckeberg
Source: Studio GRAFT
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

A Question to GRAFT e18
as lets say, an architect receives in school. So it is a
balancing act between a pure democratic decision
making process and the proverbial oligarchy-like powers
that architects used to have in these processes. We can
see that the public opinion of new technologies moves
in cycles, from the state of public euphoria to the state
of universal distrust of government officials since the
NSA incident, so we are in a kind of a flux moment right
now considering this situation, and it is impossible to
predict how it will settle in the end. But we like this
approach much more than the monotony of the former
top-down decision making process.

Lars Krueckeberg: The question is difficult because, in
Berlin for example, we see this kind of thing a lot. People
are taking projects into their own hands and are taking
the role of the planers for granted, practically deciding
to plan and build for themselves. Several families are
getting together, pool their resources, purchase a site,
hire an architect and build the house of their dreams.
They basically cut off the real-estate agents and the
developer of course, saving a lot of money. Therefore,
the overall costs are cheaper and projects are made in
the way that future tenants intended it to be. We see
this happening more and more. However, this is of
course a very small percentage of what is happening in
the world, being only Western Europe and Berlin. China
officials, in an attempt to boost their economy, want
more of their people to live in the cities, so they now
have a problem of, in a next decade or so, moving more
than 250 million people from rural areas into cities.
These cities have to be built. Think about it, this is an
entire population of USA being relocated within China
into new cities. Is this viable? No. Is it natural? No. But,
they will still do it, meaning it will be a completely top-
down project that will probably create horrible, horrible
burden scenarios. There are for instance cities in South
America like Rio or Mexico City, that are growing
incredibly fast and you could say it is a bottom-up
approach since nobody is planning these developments
people do it by their own, with all the problems that
result from it. So, in my opinion, from an Euro-centric
perspective there is hope of achieving full
communication during projects in the future; the rest of
the world not so much.

Thomas Willemeit: Well, if you ask about percentages,
maybe it is ok to say that it will be a 50/50 mixture in the
end. If we look at cities not only as planned
environments or built solely with the freedom of
expression, but as a mixture of both, we might come
very close to what would be a good basis for building
cities. If we do not understand cities simply as planned
environments that everyone needs to fit into, but see
them more as a kind of user interface that you as a unit
can use and explore how your personal interest can be
realized through it we may become a part of it. This
will enable you to explore your own dreams and allow
you to gain what you personally want to gain from a city
you live in. To use a very drastic example: What is the
difference between the idea of communism and the idea
of an iPhone? The idea of communism was to create a
better world, and they did it in a way that some people
got together and discussed how that better world will be
defined, and then everyone will just need to fit into this
new better world they made. The idea of an I-phone was
to make a tool and pack it with as many applications and
helpful tools as possible, creating a perfect omni-tool
that has infinite ways of helping you, enabling you to do
all the things you long for. It is a completely different
approach, not using age-old methods of fear and control
but enabling people to find just how much control they
actually need to do these kinds of projects with
maximum efficiency.

Interview: Mirjana Uzelac Filipendin

Platoon Kunsthalle Berlin (Source: GRAFT) Tor 149 Berlin (Source: GRAFT)
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Production of Publicness Interview with Botjan Vuga e19

PRODUCTION OF PUBLICNESS
INTERVIEW WITH BOTJAN VUGA

Sustainability as a term can be recognized as the answer to the current ecological crises. In the beginning, the term
described sustainable economic development that continues to sustain on natural resources. However, with the turn of
the century the term sustainability begin to experience a much wider usage as a description that often can be confusing
and vague. With all of the complex issues connected with sustainable development there are numerous discussions
about replacing the term sustainability with something more appropriate.
Focusing now on the term 'sustainable architecture' it can also be said that this term suffers from the same weakness
of diluting its meaning, because of all possibilities that creative profession such as architecture can offer to the world.
One may be surprised how even a slightest change of perspective in philosophy or design process can strongly influence
architectural identity to embed a different story of its sustainability. This is exactly why we chose to ask Botjan Vuga
from studio SADAR+VUGA, Slovenia, for his own vision of sustainable architecture. This studio is practicing unique and
interesting architecture that treats sustainability through new prism and continues to discover the true meaning of it.

In your works we can recognize many important aspects
of sustainable architecture, but one is the most
important: the society the users the quality of correct
population of buildings and cities. Would you tell us
more about this approach?

Botjan Vuga: I would describe our work with a word
publicness. What are we interested in is to graft a
public character in each architectural project we are
dealing with. This means that buildings which are not
meant to be really public also gain a public character by
the way how they are architecturally consisted,
conceptualized and designed. Why is inclusion of public
into the spatial domain of the architectural building
important for publicness? We think the cities are
influenced and changed by people with different social
behaviour in different buildings. Therefore, we are
proposing spaces where social behaviour can be
challenged. Basically, buildings and people are not two
different entities, but they are actually in a constant
interactions and they simply influence each other. This
means that the social behaviour is influenced by the way
how buildings are conceived, and on the other hand,
peoples use of the buildings alters them too.
How is publicness sustainable?
Botjan Vuga: Here is a simple example: If you take a
building that was built for one purpose only and for one
type of performance lets say an office building this
building will be empty 5060% of time available. If you
build a stadium, which serves just as stadium or sports
hall, it will be empty and unused much more, maybe 80
90% of time accessible. This is an indicator for spending
lot of energy, finances and resources for the
construction of something that is not really being used.
Im referring not only to stadiums and sports parks,
which are in fact clear examples, but also to schools,
galleries, museums etc., all the buildings and premises
that have a very straightforward and defined program.
Therefore, by including and developing the public
character for all these buildings, and including users into
Botjan Vuga
Source: SADAR + VUGA
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

the domain of public use will create that buildings
become a sort of a hybrid. The space will be used not
only for the specific or primary function, but it will be
used also for very non-programmed, undefined and
unthinkable activities. This process increases the public
performance in the building and, in my opinion, this
increases sustainability of the project. The buildings that
are not used are not sustainable and this is the main goal
of publicness and its connection to sustainability.

How do you perceive the users/inhabitants of your
creations? Are they inspiration or resource or something
else?
Botjan Vuga: When we start designing, we always ask
ourselves how this particular building will be used and
what spatial and architectural effect will have to its user.
On the other hand, we also investigate what kind of
influence the users will have on the public space. People
are not just a statistical facts and data, they are specific
individuals or social groups with their own needs,
desires, emotions, ideas and as such a defined target
group the target group of our work and creations. If
we talk about the New Entrance Hall for the National
Gallery of Slovenia project, the idea was to bring those
people into the area of the institution who had no
intention to visit the show. Imagine, for example, what
a mother with a kid will do within the domain of the
building. Let's say it's a winter day, thus you need to
consider what kind of space will be appropriate for
them? Another example may be a reception for... let's
say, the German ambassador or me, a common citizen,
going there to read a book while having a nice view to
the park. You have to create public spaces that are more
like an open stage, which can be changed, altered and
adapted to different usages. It is very important and I am
really happy to see how some buildings from our
creation are living and how they are used and how they
are aging. If buildings are not used they are not aging
well, just like human beings.

The space for the city and the citizens is a sort of synergy
of people and space. How do you accomplish it? Where
do you find the connections and how do you enable
links?
Botjan Vuga: It refers to what I have been mentioning
before. If you do not conceptualize and design with
people in mind, then a building becomes just an empty
object that could be very difficult to bring to life. To
explain a little bit further: I am very attracted to the
modernist architecture of Ex-Yugoslavia and since many
of that is unused and abandoned the question is how
they can be reanimated? What I am trying to find out
with the group of students and through the workshop I
have conducted in Montenegro, is how these buildings,
which were planned, designed and built in a different
country, condition and with a different program how
they could be brought back to life? This means that
instead of demolishing massive concrete constructions
and replacing them with the new structures, I think that
one can imbue them with more social/sustainable
peoples use. Therefore, for all the existing memorial
houses, abounded hotels along the Adriatic coast or
museums etc., you may find new, more suitable users.
Of course you cant chose the hotel from the 70s which
is built for different purpose and by different standards
and construction techniques and turn it into a new hotel
which will respond to all current high standards of
tourism. However, you can actually find a different type
of users, different target groups, maybe younger
generations, who will come and not require such
comfort that the standards are setting. This creates links
to different target groups and users within the existing
mass that reanimate the particular architectural space.

Air Traffic Control Center ATCC, Brnik, airport 2013
Source: SADAR + VUGA (Photograph Miran Kambi)
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How do you conquer the challenge of creating in a strong
context of identity that does not have the emblematic
appearance?
Botjan Vuga: If you had asked me this question 56
years ago, you would have got a very different answer.
Then I would say that it would be by studying the micro
context and creating something that will not be in the
contradiction to the context, but to contribute and
enrich the context itself by its architecture and visual
presence. Therefore, this means that provided formula
makes it so that you will never repeat yourself, because
the context will always be different having strong
influence to the concept to the design of the building.
Now, I am less interested in this kind of iconic or
emblematic appearance than I used to be.
Before it was OK to say: If you wish to influence social
behaviour within a society with an architecture, you will
need to create a strong iconic identity. Through the
publicness I think that this is not necessary. We dont
need iconic buildings per se but we need more
recognizable and identifiable spaces. This is what I am
interested in how to create an environment on one
hand spatially and architecturally strong and on the
other hand to leave enough gaps for you as a user and
perceiver, visitor or inhabitant to have adequate space
for changing and adapting it to your own vision i.e.
creating your own micro environment in the building. It
my be said that what we are doing is more like a
hardware for software which will come with users.

What is more important for the future of a building: A
method of its creative process or the communication
with its users?
Botjan Vuga: I think these two entities cant be
separated from each other. I still believe that
architecture should be innovative. This means that
innovation in every discipline is a strong fact to get or to
push the profession forward. So, what is an innovation
in architecture and how do you actually innovate? By
this, I do not refer to technical innovation, but rather to
the connection to the users. To be innovative in
architecture, in my opinion, is to create a spatial
situation that will actually have a different impact on
users. For example: The ramp in the Guggenheim
museum is a very innovative spatial element because it
changes the way how people observe art and at the
same time they move vertically through the space. It
always has to do with the impact or effect on users. How
is this possible? It is possible if you are really open to
different resources, rather flexible than open to
resources which are not only in architecture. Today it is
impossible to work on your own. You need to work in a
very integral connection with all other professions. So, it
is open on one hand and integral on the other and this
could bring innovative result.

Looking beyond the buildings as objects, how do you use
architecture as an innovative tool to make a change in
the environment in a physical and psychological way?
Botjan Vuga: We need to create environments that
have a certain impact on the way how people will
perceive, move or use them. This is our role, and I am
not talking in a political way but more from the social
perspective and psychological way, the buildings always
have influence on the society and the way how people
use, perceive them etc.

Cultural Center of EU Space Technologies KSEVT Vitanje 2012
Source: SADAR + VUGA (Photograph Toma Gregori)
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Some Thoughts about Architecture e22

SOME THOUGHTS ABOUT ARCHITECTURE
Interview with Philippe Rahm, Eike Roswag, Botjan Vuga, Luca Francesco Nicoletti
and Nikola Novakovi

At the very beginning of our professional education we will find the school, the university or personal mentor that guides
us and introduces us to the very foundations of our profession. At some point students choose their own path and
become researchers curious people searching for their own way to express creativity. For some of them the search
continues long after the books and exams are done and the innovation becomes their unique creative language. Others
found their language before they even start any training and use schools as fine tool for defining their style or attitude.
Either way, it is always an honour to work and/or talk with creative minds that actively bring changes into the world,
particularly into the architectural one.
Therefore, a dialogue is the opportunity to examine personal response to some of the basic questions and to provide
readers with spectra of various answers and opinions. We asked few questions some of the lecturers from the S.ARCH
2014 conference and this is the collage of their interesting answers. If we wish to move the standards of our profession
it is crucial to stay open minded and join discussions. We may find them interesting or annoying but they may inspire
some of us to rethink or even question our own projects, theories or opinions.

Philippe Rahm Eike Roswag Botjan Vuga Luca Francesco Nicoletti Nikola Novakovi
France Germany Slovenia Italy Montenegro

Do you find architecture to be an open or a closed book (in a matter of flexibility for the improvement of the profession
and the correspondence with other professions)?

Philippe Rahm We thought we were the grandchildren of Marcel Duchamp and we discovered that in reality
we are the descendants of Claude Monet. We were taught to distrust science and here we are
rediscovering an artist engaged with the scientific avant-garde of his time, working on the
principle of a colours optical mix of Charles Blanc or the law of simultaneous contrast theorized
by Michel-Eugne Chevreul. In a current analysis of the vaporized and meteorological work of
Claude Monet, a possibility exists to draw another genealogy of French contemporary
architecture, which would go back up, through spectral music and Nouveau Roman, in a
straight line to the Impressionists. What matters most is not the subject but the shapes that
may arise from analytical dissociation of the methods we work with. We explore the infinitely
small, we analyse the optical or sound spectra, we decompose reality into visual,
electromagnetic or thermal particles, then we recompose it but only with a number of its
elements, not all of them. In all these works, there is a sort of French light, this rational
brightness of the enlightenment, the whiteness of writing, this almost chemical objectivity, a
lack of narrative, but from which emerges something magical, a "disturbing unreality", related
to "a further realism more than a deliberate fiction" as Gerard Genette said about Robbe-
Grillet. My work is coming within the scope of this descent: I am an impressionist too.
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Eike Roswag

Botjan Vuga

Luca Francesco
Nicoletti

Nikola Novakovi

Architecture is a structural part of our society, lasting very long and having a major effect on
everybodys life. Architecture has a huge responsibility for the built environment and the
global environment. After the carbon period, a new "environmental" period is rising with
fundamental changes. The major changes can only be tackled with an integrated design in
communication within our and with other professions and in dialogue with the society.

It is a very open book with many pages still to be written. Maybe the role of an architect has
changed. I would say that architects need to have a manifold role and be up to date with
everything in the contemporary society. Architect is like a conductor in integral design process.
He has to be a great communicator, to still inject new inputs into the society and to contribute
to the future development in both physical and digital environment. What I mean is that this
architect of today I do not perceive him as a kind of a master in his own studio always
sketching his ideas and then someone else would draw it, but is more like a person who has
visions or scenarios, while at the same time very much aware that all these things are not
possible without strong collaboration with other people.

Being an architect is about knowing about all the professions. One does not have to be an
expert, but one has to know about sound, pedagogy, psychology, mathematics, about every
field of interest that acts upon the life of a man. Architecture is an open book.

In my nature, I am very energetic and curious person, so I felt in love with our profession
because it never ends and never repeat. Always new tasks, locations, new clients and new
wishes and what is the most important, new ideas.
Architecture is an open field. We are facing constantly with new materials, new construction
solutions, and new technologies in architecture. The beauty and difference from other
professions are the issues that architecture keeps you in shape to constantly learn and explore,
to follow and to train your spirit and imagination.

Is there a space and time to rewrite our profession?

Philippe Rahm Museum, magazines and lectures are the place for a critical approach of our profession. But
critical is only the first step. It leads to a new language that will be used in forthcoming projects.
Many architects of my generation show projects in museums or galleries and the difference
compared to previous generations is that we do not present drawings or models, but real
experimental spaces that you can enter. It is exactly what Aaron Betsky, and he was right,
wanted to do with the Venice Biennale in 2008 and it is the notion that Kazuyo Sejima also
adopted for the Biennale in 2010. It is strange that when architects want to create real spaces
for exhibitions, that one could actually enter, some people think that they are trying to make
art or design objects. It is absurd. The truth is exactly the opposite. When an exhibiting
architect presents plans and models, which we cannot enter, it is like he/she is imitating
literally the modes of representation of painting and sculpture. But besides this polemic, I think
what interests us about working in a museum, is the rethinking of the language with which we
work in this way we share a common concern with artists. It is redefining our tools and
objectives, revolutionizing our practices and order of hierarchies, renewing our view and
modes of action on the real. When an architect renews the language of architecture, it is then
that he/she becomes an artist. Bernard Tschumi, Le Corbusier, Aldo Rossi or Peter Eisenman
to cite a few, they are artists, because they are not content with applying a predefined
language to different contexts and programs and because they redefined the architectural
language itself. They took on new ways of thinking, seeing and acting on the real related to
their moment in history. Working on the shift of architectural language towards the
physiological and meteorological, I am trying to redefine the language by changing its
priorities, confronting the contemporary challenges of climate and ecology. And it is the way
my architecture practice could be defined as artistic, because it touches on the very essence

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Eike Roswag

Botjan Vuga

Luca Francesco
Nicoletti

Nikola Novakovi
of architectural language. However, in fact this has nothing to do with the medium. The work
I do in a museum is still architecture.

The major steps we have to take in the nearby future will bring along changes to our
profession. Design will focus less on an artificial design and more on an environmental design.
We need to relearn to design in relation with climate and develop an environmentally driven
design that suits our future society. We are already in the period of change. For the
environmental situation we created, change is the only way to succeed as a profession and as
a society. If we as architects offer responsible, society adapted solutions for the built
environment, society will respect our profession more than in the past. That means, we need
to change the focus but not to rewrite our profession. We hold the necessary skills and
experiences for future steps; however, we need to set our focus on the environment.

I hope that what I do in our office and with my students and through all other activities is
writing a piece in it, like a short chapter. Also, if we talk about a matter of the word
'sustainability' itself it has become so proliferate that we simply need a new word. We need
to find a new term that will really express the future development. Sustainable should be
almost substantial and integral as functional. It is not an issue anymore and the sustainable
design is part of the architectural design same as the function, same as the context. It is
something that enriches, which is important to an architectural design. This is the reason why
I can connect publicness to social sustainability. That connection to the public is something
that I really think should be more developed in the future.

Every project I develop, every client I work with is approached with a different professional
attitude. Fundamentally, though architecture will always remain an expression of an
unsatisfied man wanting a better world.

It is difficult to rewrite our profession. It exists as long as a mankind and follows the progress
of the society and needs. I can talk only about architecture and rewriting profession in my
country, because as far as I know there is no plan or strategy for its improvement and
everything is on us, the individuals. I think that education, codes, laws and standards should
be changed and improved. Sustainability is not a trend, it is a matter of awareness and it should
be a part of everybody's life. It is not normal to import a stone from India, Asia for paving and
constructions, till everybody knows that Montenegro is a country with lot of types of stone
around.

What is by your opinion the architecture of the future and what is the future of the architecture?

Philippe Rahm The true subject of architecture is space: space as a research subject, a project subject but also
a subject in itself that, as such, has all the hallmarks of the neutral it which is to say, of the
thing located outside human subjectivity, without narrative and without emotion. Over the
past fifty years, however, postmodern critical theory has defined space as something to be
registered through its signs, by the means of contextualization, analogy, reference, allusion,
representation, symbolism or narrative and by invoking collective memory and popular
culture.
Climate change has brought about a reassessment of postmodern thoughts, as articulated by
Bruno Latour in his 2004 essay Why Has Critique Run Out of Steam? From Matters of Fact to
Matters of Concern.. He claims that the critical theorys methodology the search for a
meaning beyond the thing itself, reducing all scientific knowledge to the question of a story
(as Jean-Franois Lyotard puts it) has fallen into the hands of revisionists and conspiracy
theorists, who deny global warming and cast doubt on scientific method. Lamenting this turn
of affairs, Latour has contributed to an effort to surmount critical theory and to stop reducing
things to stories, which thinkers like Hal Foster call post-critical. For Latour, the current
ecological crisis brings back the earths archaism and the neutrality of the thing. In practice,
the thing has always remained outside of narrative and human subjectivity; it has never
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Eike Roswag

Botjan Vuga
attained the status of a fully humanized object. Today, as Peter Sloterdijk asserts, the thing is
like an atmosphere where the human is within rather than faces the object.
To define space as a (or the) thing beyond all metaphorical meaning and to recognize its
neutrality, is to leave behind the games of semantic analogy for a physical, chemical,
electromagnetic analysis of things and space and human interaction with them. This is, for me,
the coming architecture.
I would like to write another genealogy of architecture that starts with Roland Barthes degree
zero, Maurice Blanchots blankness, Alain Robbe-Grillets neutrality and continues today in
Marie Darrieussecqs molecular literature, in which space and object are dissolved into
elementary particles and Aurlien Bellangers so-called white writing, which reintroduces an
objective narration. The first step is to strip space of all sentimental burdens and psychological
descriptors and to dispose of its genre in order to access the neutral, to define space as a thing
that is only material. This project differs from the degree zero of the 1950s, which, in a certain
sense, moved the neutral toward the pure, colourless and inert. In contrast, the neutral we
seek today is polarized, intensified, dynamic; heavy or light, hot or cold, arid or humid;
composed of waves, particles, pressure. Space that no longer carries meaning and significance
becomes a thing, without gender and without psychology, but nonetheless completely
endowed with physical, electromagnetic, chemical, biological and thermodynamic properties.
The future of architecture lies in the same post-critical tendency: we must empty architecture
of its narrative superstructures through the erasure of subjectivities in order to rediscover a
certain blankness or psychological neutrality of things. In this process, we can discover the
formal and programmatic possibilities of things for the design of spaces and buildings through
quantifiable scientific knowledge. This is a paradigm shift, where space no longer has a
meaning but instead has physical and chemical presence. We must engage the targets of
critical theory (subjectivity, multiplicity, alterity, diversity) but change its tools (narrative,
story), replacing them with objective, scientific, neutral and non-narrative approaches. This is
where the semantic gives way to the somatic and where storytelling and fiction make room
for the measured properties of the world, in a new objectivity of things, of space.

The present movement of sustainable architecture puts its main focus on energy efficiency.
We are able to design zero carbon and plus energy buildings, but most of the buildings are
looking exactly like in the past. I think future architecture will be climate adapted. A glass box
in the desert makes no sense at all. We need to adapt buildings to climate and society.
Especially in Germany, we are trying to solve all problems with a technical solution, which
means building services. At the moment, we are going to mechanically ventilate all our
dwellings in Germany, what is a wrong direction.
After energy efficiency, Roswag Architekten focus on resource efficiency. We will use more
and more natural materials such as earth, wood, straw, bamboo etc. These materials are
vapour active and benefit the indoor environmental quality. If we specify hygroscopic
materials, we can reduce building technology while improving occupant comfort.
Spectacular architecture, as events showcasing economic power, is a sign of a consumer
society, trusting in economic growth. My personal design approach is based on modesty.
Beautiful, humble buildings in all parts of the world could be a sign for a future global society.

I would be happy to see that architecture of the future will ne very basic or primary, that we
will live in very responsive environments, spaces that are responsive to the context, even to
the climate or season changes, but also responsive to our needs (moods). Try to imagine living
in a house where you can actually move or migrate within the house and use it in a different
way during the winter time and summer time as our ancestors did two millenniums ago.
Besides that, you will have all these digital devices that will help you interact with your house
and a house to interact with users. Lets say the minute you feel sad the house will react to
influence your mood. I believe that the architecture of the future will be back to basics and
open to responsiveness on one hand and very digital on the other hand. However, this digital
aspect will be so hidden and integrated in spatial design that will not be visible.
The future of architecture as a discipline... I think this question refers to the one 'what is the
role of an architect?'. The role of an architect is to explore and think, and not only to design
possible connections between the existing buildings and new users or between new buildings
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Luca Francesco
Nicoletti

Nikola Novakovi
and new users. It is always up to the architect, and I think and believe that this is a very top
down strategy. I as an architect, still believe my role is to propose and then to be flexible
enough to negotiate and find out what is better.
I think that architects and architecture will not disappear and although our role as a
mastermind has drastically decreased, we are still needed as visionaries and generators for
future projects.

Perhaps I am repeating myself but architecture is about future. It is an individual wanting to
build a better future. Therefore, from the day, man began to build and to design it was about
creating a tomorrow. There is an infinite future to architecture.

It is hard to say, but in my opinion, form is explored through our history, so new creations are
mostly based on existing and already designed forms. On other hand, progress of society is
moving so fast that it will not be able to tolerate certain form, and designed function for
decades. So, my vision of the future of the architecture is that the objects will need to be easily
changed and transformed, so the buildings will always have to respond to peoples needs. That
will also cause losing a form. Form will be generated from transformation, function or users
needs. Also, this concept is same for urban planning.
Anyway, the future of architecture has to have the power to change the way that we live to
be better.


House Ihlow Load Bearing Rammed Earh House, Germany
Source: Ziegert | Roswag | Seiler Architekten Ingenieure
Residential Waterfront Development Kuala Lumpur, Mallaysis
Source: STUDIO NICOLETTI ASSOCIATI
Holick House
Source: enforma
Jade Mateo Park Taiwan
Source: Philippe Rahmarchitectes
Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Slovenia
Source: SADAR + VUGA (Photograph Hisao Suzuki)
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Authors Papers

1

7

17

26

36

43

51

58

Karin Standler

Tarek Abdelsalam
A Vision for Future: Analysis of the Prominent Synthesis of Culture and
Sustainability in Hassan Fathy Architecture

Pavle Stamenovi, Duan Stojanovi, Dunja Predi
Extended Process of Architectural Design: Sustainable Development without
a Master Plan. The Case of Kagran Area, Vienna

Hassan Estaji
Flexible Spatial Configuration in Traditional Houses, The Case of Sabzevar

Manfredo Manfredini, Paola Leardini
Existing Stock for the Future: Problems, Opportunities and Strategies for
Energy Upgrade of 19401960 State Housing in New Zealand

Ljiljana Djukanovi, Milica Jovanovi Popovi, Ana Radivojevi
Potential Energy Savings in the Process of Rehabilitation of Residential
Buildings built before the Second World War

Saja Kosanovi, Milica Jovanovi Popovi
Ecological Assessment of Building Materials in Serbia: Constrains and
Possibilities

Haris Bradi

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K. Standler: Open Spaces for Young People Teens_Open_Space, pp. 16 1


Karin Standler

Technical Office for Landscape Planning
Seidengasse 13/3, A-1070 Vienna, Austria, office@standler.at

Abstract

For young people, public space is an important part of their
growing up, a requirement for social interaction and the
development of social identity. The project teens_open_space
is a process of youth participation within city and municipal
development and in the use and designing of public spaces.
The idea, the method and the process were developed by the
landscape planning office Karin Standler in Vienna.
teens_open_space is the project idea to change public open
spaces in the city in the interest of young people and under
their active cooperation during a methodically trained
planning process. The goal is to include young people into a
planning process as active partners and to activate their
perception and action resources. In the teens_open_space
project, teenagers have the opportunity to take over
responsibility in their environment. In the process they
discover their spaces new and redesign them with the help of
landscape architects. In planning workshops they built models
of their ideas, which will be presented to the members of the
city council. In construction workshops the designs of the sites
are constructed by the teens themselves with the help of the
citys construction department.

1. Introduction

For young people, public space is an important part of
their growing up, public spaces are a requirement for
social interaction and the development of social
identity. Teenagers hang out in public spaces, they use it
as spaces for communication and interaction, for
exercise and as retreat. They are one of the strongest
user-groups of public spaces [1]. The importance of
open space for young people however is hardly reflected
in town planning strategies or the design of public
spaces. Juvenile demands for open space are
underrepresented and have literally little space.
Partly the lack of open space for young people is due to
the radical attribution of large areas to only one
legitimate use: ramps for skaters, children's playgrounds
for children, football fields for associations. This mono-
functionalization and specialization affect especially
young people, since they intensively use public spaces.
The common open spaces hardly suit everyday life,
multifunctional and variable elements are hard to find
and the gender aspect is not accounted for.

2. Teenagers in public open spaces
A disregarded user group

A differentiation of the term "young person" seems
important to us. Experience shows that young people
between 13 and 15 have other priorities in their lives
and thus different demands concerning open spaces
than young people at the age of 16 or 18. Girls have
different preferences than boys. In the contrary to
recognized infant needs, the demands of young people
for more space are hardly legitimized and appropriate
equipment for them does not exist. There are
quantitative and qualitative regulations concerning
infants play areas, both in housing developments and
public spaces. They are entitled to a certain amount of
(semi) public space and guaranteed quality. Teenagers
on the other hand are "expelled". No special
design/planning reference is made concerning teenage
Keywords: Youth participation, Open space design,
Landscape Architecture, Planning
process, City planning
Article history: Received: 3 July 2014
Revised:
Accepted: 25 July 2014
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leisure behavior and the characteristics of young people.
Quality open space for young people must not only offer
the appropriate equipment for the satisfaction of their
basic needs (communication, retreat and exercise) but
must also present the important chance to provide
social distance, to be unobserved and to gain
experiences in their own social structure. It is therefore
justified and necessary to define young people as an
important user group in public space in order to waive
the isolation of juvenile interests.
Young people use public spaces in a different way from
most other users. More self-determined and sometimes
aggressive, they are no longer "sweet" to attract enough
affectionate tolerance. A small group of young people is
already felt to be disturbing or threatening and nobody
knows what to do with theirs demands and desires. That
may be the reason that research and open space
planning are putting far less attention on their spatial
demands than on those of the sweet children [2].
The way teenagers use open spaces often contradicts
the value conceptions of adults and is often seen
negatively. The claim is made that young people should
integrate themselves quickly into the world of the
adults, thus ignoring their realities and their legitimate
wishes and negating consequences for planning [3].

3. The teens_open_space project

In line with the Austrian Ministry of Sciences research
project on cultural landscapes in 2000, the
teens_open_space method for youth participation in
open space design was developed. Young people in
Bruck an der Mur in Styria (Austria) were the first to
participate and to adapt three public spaces according
to their needs (Figure 1).
teens_open_space is co-funded by the European Union
and takes place in cities in Austria and Slovakia and can
take place everywhere. The examples and experiences
put together in this paper represent a synopsis of six
years of the project.
3.1. Starting point: Personal experiences

Starting point for the work with young people is finding
out about their personal experiences in public spaces
and about the demands they have for open space in
their municipality. This personal approach triggers
considerations about spatial conditions and their
influence on young peoples actual experience of the
public space. The teens_open_space youth participatory
process has the goal to carry out the design suggestions
of participating young people and to create spatial facts
and publicity for the topic of public open space design
and ensuing change of quality of young peoples
environments. The project offers various possibilities to
articulate their spatial needs by offering different
activities and methods (drawing sketches, building
models, drawing plans, negotiating with mayors and
responsible officials, presenting ideas, working in a film-
team etc.). teens_open_space lets teenagers speak for
themselves and get active for the improvement of their
most used open spaces: They analyse their open space
situation, plan their open spaces, discuss and negotiate
their plans with decision makers. Together with the
municipality they are searching for possibilities to realize
their ideas for newly equipped spaces.
The work on the project is based on the following
process: Perception articulation reflection design
transformation. Four workshops take them through this
process: City Walk, Planning workshop, City-line
conference and Building workshop.

3.2. Planning workshops

The participating young people analyse qualities and
deficits of their places in city walks. With the description
of positive and negative experiences, they realize the
influence of public open space and the built
environment on their lives. Their experiences become
more conscious. They show places they really relate to,
which affect their daily experiences, places they spend
their spare time in or alleys they have to pass through

Figure 1. Revaluation and improvement of a dysfunctional open space under a bridge in Bruck an der Mur
(Styria, Austria) through local youngsters
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Figure 2. Models help to transfer the idea and the image of the perfect space for the young participants
to municipal authorities in the city_line conference

Figure 3. The building workshop: Young people realize their ideas and open space wishes
with the help of the municipal building department

on their way to work/school. In small groups (approx. 6-
12 people) the teenagers take us landscape designers to
these places. They analyse the site, discuss amongst
each other, state why it is a favourite or a scary place
and express their wishes and needs. First ideas are
found, what improvement this space needs, what design
could do to help the place become less scary or even
better.
In the planning workshop participants start drafting
design ideas for their chosen site with the guidance of
the landscape architects. The ideas are represented in a
model. Choice of materials, dimensions and feasibility
are discussed with the planners. Personal demands,
innovation and feasibility are in the centre of attention.
The participants present their work in the city_line
conference to the mayor, responsible officials of the
town planning and youth authorities, interested parents
etc. They explain their drafts and models, express those
points of criticism and desire, which are the basis for
their ideas (Figure 2).
Selected elements are then realized in the building
workshop. Teenagers and planners do the construction
work with the support of the municipal building
department and the public parks authority (Figure 3).
"Spatial" products have been e.g. communicative
benches in public places, weatherproof meeting point in
open spaces, new spatial concepts for parks, areas for
group games and sports, especially for girls (Figure 4).
Public spaces and teenagers needs are reviewed and
actual changes are initiated. This leads to improvements
in public spaces not only for the young people
themselves, but also for other user groups and opens
discussion about the municipal open space policy. The
new designs cause lasting quality improvements and a
revaluation of the municipalitys green spaces (Figure 5).
The qualitative improvement of the urban green belts
and perspectively also the quantitative improvement of
public open spaces can be promoted by special activities
in public spaces, as suggested in this project. In Austria
the project creates attention not only for young people
and their demands for open spaces, but it also lobbies
for the neglected municipal open space planning. It tries
to embody open space planning strategies as
independent planning discipline into urban and
municipal panning. teens_open_space has its focus on
the societal role and the social use of public spaces.
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Figure 4. Successful implementation of the youngsters ideas of desired open spaces: Beach volleyball field
in Prambachkirchen and youth pavilion in Eferding (Upper Austria)

Figure 5. From the built model in the planning workshop, to the creation and the final result
of a weather protecting concrete tube for sitting in Hartkirchen (Upper Austria)

4. Young peoples demands on open space
Results of teen_open_space

Favourite places of young people are open access public
spaces, usually squares or parks, rarely private sites.
They are defined areas, not fallow or unused areas, no
building sites or no man's land. These open spaces are
usually used as intentioned (sport sites for exercise,
parks to hang out). Corners in public parks are popular,
where teenagers cant be seen, but can themselves
observe others. Calm atmosphere is a prerequisite for a
favourite place. The common basic leisure activities of
young people of all age groups are, before all,
communication and social contacts and exercise/sports.
Both female and male teenagers agree on them.
Depending on age and situation of the teens, these
demands have to be differentiated. Pedestrian precincts
are popular meeting places and places to hang out,
particularly for girls or mixed groups. Hanging out and
communicating "are combined" with an "activity": e.g.
exercise, watching others, studying, shopping. The
favorite places are not visited alone, usually in groups
with friends.
Scary places are impaired by traffic or other interference
factors (alcoholics, supervisors). They do not have an
atmosphere, they are loud and dont invite to linger. The
equipment is mono-functional, the vegetation
monotonous and there are only a few possible ways of
use. They show the decline of public space. These places
are often scary places for girls.
Demand for public space is gender-specific only at first
sight. For social and spatial reasons it looks as if young
males only wanted to do sport and young females chat
and watch the on goings around them. Girls sports and
game needs have little attention in public space. Even
they themselves are often not conscious of their desires
to play ball games or jog around. Only in longer
discussion they express their demand for team
sports/playing areas. Girls like boys want exercise, but
the way they exercise is different. As opposed to the
publicly recognized soccer games of boys of all ages, girl
games are not recognized and not supported. The layout
of open spaces reflects this picture: appropriate areas
for girls games or areas not only dedicated to soccer are
missing in most places.
Young people hang out at special places, which have
meaning and their own social identity for them. Places
with social identity and social security result from
"allocation" of a place, from its use with a group of
friends. But only those places are "allocated", which
offer a spatial framework within which young people can
find their identity and live accordingly. Therefore it is
rarely possible to simply "shift" juvenile meeting places
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to another site. When planning a new space for young
people, it is important to consider existing spatial
references and the special mobility patterns of young
people [4].

5. Key concluding points

5.1. Open space demands of young people are
specifiable and spatially assessable

Teenagers fundamental demands are spaces for
communication and social contacts, areas for
games/sports and retreats. Differentiations concerning
the furniture of open spaces happen according to sex
and age. Activating participation procedures go beyond
inquiring young peoples opinions. Young persons are
actively integrated into the planning process. The
project explicitly promotes equal opportunities for girls
in public space.

5.2. Integration of the participatory process
into the municipal structure

A participatory project happens in the context of existing
structures (e.g. politics, administration, district
institutions). It requires the openness of these
institutions to allow new questions with new answers,
new action fields and new dynamics. The quality of the
integration of the participatory procedure into these
existing structures considerably influences the success
of the project and secures sustainable results

5.3. New resources from the participatory
process

Apart from the tangible results of the project, e.g.
improved open spaces designed and built by the
participants, a perspective and an atmosphere change
takes place, which affects ensuing similar projects.
Briefly said: Dealing with open spaces opens mental
spaces!

5.4. Connection between professional
guidance and quality of results

The technical support given by landscape architects to
the young people during the participatory process
secures the quality of the results, guarantees multi-
functionality, innovative design and sustainability. A
new element (e.g. outdoor seating) affects the spatial
structure and cannot be left out of relation to the
original place. Therefore it is necessary for the
municipality to consider restructuring and redesigning
the whole site.
5.5. Participation only with consequences

Substantial motivation for participating in the
participatory process is the effectiveness of its results,
the visible, noticeable improvements, new spaces and
built elements in consequence of ones own
commitment. A goal of the process must be the
implementation of results, at least small immediate
measures. The construction has to actively involve the
participants.

5.6. Sustainable participatory process

If the project is terminated and the implementation of
the results has not been fully completed (that seems to
be the rule, rather than the exception), it is important to
hand over the responsibilities of project management to
an "integrative" figure (professional or non-
professional), who pursues completion. This
"integrative" figure is crucial for the sustainability of the
process and its result.

6. Conclusion

Young people hang out at special places, which have
meaning and their own social identity for them. Places
with social identity and social security result from
allocation of a place, from its use with a group of
friends. But only those places are acquired, which offer
a spatial framework within which young people can find
their identity and live accordingly. Therefore it is nearly
impossible to simply shift juvenile meeting places to
another site. When planning new spaces for young
people, it is important to consider existing spatial
references, the special mobility patterns of young
people and acknowledge their wishes and ideas.

Acknowledgement

Gratitude towards the municipality of the city Bruck an
der Mur and the Leader+ region of Eferding for the
cooperation.

Funding source

Research funding from the Austrian Ministry of
Sciences research project on cultural landscapes.

References

[1] Paravicini, U, et al., Neukonzeption ffentlicher
Rume im europischen Vergleich,
Forschungsbericht (New concepts for public spaces
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___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

in an European comparison, research report,
German language), Niederschsischer
Forschungsverbund fr Frauen-
/Geschlechterforschung in Naturwissenschaften,
Hannover, Germany, 2002.
[2] Kammer fr Arbeiter und Angestellte fr Wien (The
Chamber of Labour in Vienna) (ed.) Grnraum fr
Wien. Anforderungen an eine soziale
Grnraumplanung und versorgung (Green space
for Vienna. Requirements for a social green space
planning and provision, German language), Vienna,
Austria, 1995.
[3] Keller, U.; Nagel, G., Qualittskriterien fr die
Nutzung ffentlicher Freirume (Quality criteria for
the use of public space, German language) Institute
for green space planning and garden architecture,
University Hannover, Germany, 1986.
[4] Karow-Kluge, D., Gewagte Rume. Experimente als
Teil von Planung zwischen Wissenschaft,
Gesellschaft und Kunst (Daring spaces.
Experiments as part of planning between science,
society and art, German language), Reimer, Berlin,
Germany, 2010.

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T. Abdelsalam: A Vision for Future: Analysis of the Prominent Synthesis of Culture and Sustainability in Hassan Fathy , pp. 716 7

A Vision for Future: Analysis of the Prominent Synthesis of
Culture and Sustainability in Hassan Fathy Architecture

Tarek Abdelsalam

University of Modern Sciences and Arts (MSA)
5141 street 43, Almokattam, Cairo, Egypt, tareqslam@gmail.com

Abstract

Sustainability in architecture has become a global concern as one
of the consequences of energy crisis and the calls for reliance on
renewable energy resources. In the last two decades, Arab
architecture has been witnessing an increasing interest in
sustainability. A large number of attempts were carried out by
Arab architects to present truly sustainable design solutions. Yet,
most of these attempts have failed to expand the general meaning
of sustainable architecture from designing environmentally
friendly buildings to architecture incorporating culture and local
identity into design process. Ignoring the local cultural
peculiarities, while dealing with sustainable architecture in the
Arab society, deprives architecture from expressing identity of the
local community. The Egyptian leading architect Hassan Fathy,
who passed away 25 years ago, has successfully addressed this
issue through his work and left a great wealth of buildings that
reflect the prominent synthesis of culture and sustainability. These
buildings that Fathy designed through his fruitful and
distinguished journey include numerous significant lessons for
future.
Although a large number of researches and studies were carried
out to investigate and analyze Fathy's work, yet the synthesis of
sustainability and culture in his work has not been touched.
Through focusing on this issue, this paper explores and analyzes
the implications of integrating sustainability principles with
cultural dimensions in Fathy's work to present an appropriate
paradigm of sustainable architecture that engages culture and
local identity of the community. This paradigm moves away from
universal and absolute technologically based design
methodologies to avoid the contradiction with cultural values of
the local community. This paradigm is expected to guide
architects, researchers, and decision makers in dealing with
sustainable architecture in particular localities. To attain this
objective, this research will discuss Fathy's thought and principles,
in addition to investigate and analyze a number of his distinctive
projects in Egypt.

1. Objectives and methodology

This research aims to introduce an appropriate
paradigm that engages culture and local identity while
dealing with sustainable architecture in the Arab world.
To attain this objective, the research methodology will
rely on; firstly: a documentary analysis of thought and
principles of Hassan Fathy in dealing with sustainability
issues. Secondly: in-depth analysis and investigation of
examples of Fathy's work that integrate clear cultural
dimensions and sustainability principles.

2. Culture

Before discussing the syntheses of culture and
sustainability, we need to review the cultural
dimensions in architecture. Robert Downs indicates that
culture represents a mental map which guides us in our
relations to our surroundings and to other people [1]. In
general, culture is the predominating attitudes and
behaviours that characterize the functioning of a group
or organization. It is the totality of meanings, beliefs,
values, customs, norms and symbols relative to society.
It includes all creations, material and non-material
achievements, the inherited expectations, the past and
present gains as a result of living together [2]. It is
important to discus beliefs, values, and norms as key
elements of culture. Beliefs are the means by which
people make sense of their experiences, both personal
and social. Values direct people on what should and
should not be done, what is good or bad, and what, why,
and how to choose. Norms are shared patterns of
behaviour in a particular culture that informs its
members what they should or should not do in a given
situation [3].
Culture refers to material and non-material aspects.
Material culture refers to the physical, tangible, and
concrete objects produced by people. Behind the
artefacts or material objects is the pattern of culture
that came from the ideas of the artefact, its use and
function and the techniques of using or applying it.
Keywords: Sustainable architecture, Hassan Fathy,
Culture, Arab architecture, Eco-culture
Revised:
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Material culture determines the physical options and
opportunities of the society like the kind of foods eaten,
the kind of clothes worn, the kind of houses lived, or the
settling of the community in which one lives. These
physical objects (art, crafts, food, costumes, and
architecture) are products of culture. Technology also is
a product of culture. It refers to the techniques and
knowledge in utilizing raw materials to produce food,
tools, clothing, shelter and means of transportation. Yet,
the form of dwelling for example cannot be understood
only by a consideration of the technique and material
used. It is first of all necessary to be aware of how the
principles of the local group are applied and what kinds
of work are performed by this group, and in which rules
[4].

3. Sustainability

Principles of sustainable development have three main
dimensions. Firstly: the economic dimension which is
based on increasing the welfare of society (household)
through the optimum utilization of natural and human
resources. Secondly: the social dimension which refers
to the relationship among human beings and between
them and nature. Thirdly: the environmental dimension
and the preservation of the resources that are based
upon physical, biological and ecological systems [5]. At
this point, it is important to indicate that the clues for
the development of a more sustainable order lay in the
examination of what was. It is self evident that many
ancient cultures necessarily held a symbiotic
relationship with their environment [6].
The previous three main dimensions can be interpreted
in detail through six principles that together could build
into a sustainable architecture: (a) conserving energy; as
a building should be constructed so as to minimize the
need for fossil fuels to run it, (b) working with climate;
buildings should be designed to work with climate and
natural energy sources, (c) minimizing new resources; a
building should be designed so as to minimize the use of
new resources and, at the end of its useful life, to form
resources for other architecture, (d) respect for users;
sustainable architecture recognizes the importance of
all the people involved with it, (e) respect for site;
buildings should respond to site conditions and the
context influence, (f) holism; all the sustainability
principles need to be embodied in a holistic approach to
the built environment [7].

4. Culture and sustainability

At this point, it is important to answer a crucial question;
is there any link between culture and sustainability in
the realm of architecture. Culture which is expressed
through the community as well as the individual,
involves a system of rules, attitudes, values, beliefs and
norms and conveys the sustainability of vitality of the
community [8]. Guy and Farmer classifying sustainable
architecture under six different categories based on the
main logic and methods as: eco-techno, eco-centric,
eco-aesthetic, eco-cultural, eco-medical and eco-social.
The eco-cultural logic highlights the preservation and
conservation of the variety of the existing cultural
archetypes with a concern for cultural continuity. This
logic leads to transformation and re-use of traditional
construction techniques, building typologies and
settlement patterns for expression of the cultural
sustainability. This approach denies universal and
technologically based design methodologies that often
fail to coincide with the cultural values of a particular
place and people [9].
This logic emphasizes the significance of sustainability of
the culture to be provided through design in
architecture. It argues that the existence of a critical
interaction between culture and environment through
which they continually redefine each other.
Environmental and cultural sustainability could be
achieved through adopting a regional design approach.
In regional approach, design regards the climate and
intends to sustain the culture of the region through
considering the existing pattern of the region, the
existing architectural features of the buildings, the
existing lifestyles of the inhabitants and the existing
cultural issues. In brief, regional design meets the goals
of eco-cultural logic of sustainable architecture [10].

5. The problem definition

To explain the current problem that faces sustainable
architecture in the Arab world, we need to highlight two
recent projects in the Gulf States that are known as
successful sustainable buildings. The first project is
Qatar National Convention Centre (Figure 1), which
operates efficiently with over 3,500 square meters of
solar panels that provide 12.5% of the needed energy for
the building. The building meets the standard for gold
certification from the US Green Building Council's
leadership in LEED. The second project is Bahrain World
Trade Centre (Figure 2), which comprises two identical
50-storey commercial office towers overlooking the
Arabian Gulf. With its three 29-meter diameter wind
turbines that are supported by 30-meter bridges
spanning between the two towers. The turbines
generate 11-15% of the energy required in the two
towers. It is clear that both of the two projects can be
seen everywhere around the globe which means that
they do not reflect any local identity or cultural aspects
of their contexts. To crystallize the problem, we can
argue that a large number of attempts are carried out in
the Arab states to present truly sustainable design
solutions. Yet, most of these attempts have failed to
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Figure 1. Qatar National Convention Centre Figure 2. Bahrain World Trade Centre

expand the general meaning of sustainable architecture
from designing environmentally friendly buildings to
architecture incorporating culture and local identity into
design process. The Egyptian leading architect Hassan
Fathy has successfully addressed this issue through his
buildings that reflect the prominent synthesis of culture
and sustainability.

6. Hassan Fathy Thought and principles

To analyze the prominent synthesis of cultural
dimensions and sustainability principles in Fathy's work,
it is important to review his architectural thought and
guiding principles. At this point, it is important to
indicate that architecture of Hassan Fathy is an innate
product of reactions between factors of nature and
socio-cultural influences, which reflects the
environmental thought of this architecture. There may
be said to be six general principles which guided Hassan
Fathy throughout his career: his belief in the primacy of
human values in architecture; the importance of a
universal rather than a limited approach; the use of
appropriate technology; the need for socially oriented,
co-operative construction techniques; the essential role
of tradition; and the re-establishment of national
cultural pride through the act of building [11].

6.1. Implications of cultural dimensions in
Fathys work

Fathy's belief in the primacy of human values in
architecture can be seen at many levels. He has
anticipated many concerns about the destruction of the
environment that are being voiced with increasing
urgency today. He set himself apart from the majority of
practitioners of his time by rejecting the temptation to
reduce the role of the building users in the design and
building process. In his design for the village of New
Gourna, he astonished critics with his insistence on the
custom design of each house in a settlement intended
for seven thousand people [12]. Respecting human and
social values of the New Gourna community was
apparent in Fathy's design by utilizing elements that
reflect these values. Fathy introduces "magaz" or offset
entry into not only the houses of the village, but also the
mosque plan to act as a valve between the large public
square outside and the quite sanctity of the interior and
prepare the worshipper for prayer (Figure 3). This magaz
was provided with a "mastaba' or a large step to be used
for sitting, making this a social space where people may
gather after prayers to talk (Figure 4).
Fathy encouraged a deeper respect for the use of
tradition in architecture as the social analogy of the
personal habit. He believes that it is the responsibility of
each architect to develop a heightened awareness of
such habits, and to incorporate them into each design.
For Fathy, the discovery of traditional form also involved
the search for a missing link in a cultural chain that had
been cut by the intrusion of the industrial age, especially
in his own country. In his wish to keep tradition alive,
and to provide a place for visitors and townspeople alike
to see authentic rituals, Fathy designed an open-air
"palestra" or fighting stage to be located near the
gateway of the New Gourna public square (Figure 5). In
addition to folklorique performances, singing,
conferences, film projection, and many different kinds
of gathering, the stick-fencing championships are also
contested here (Figure 6). In spite of the real danger
involved, it is considered as much a traditional art form
as the oriental disciplines [13].
Fathy attempted to reawaken a sense of cultural pride
among the Egyptians, and to make them aware of their
rich architectural heritage. Because of his efforts, many
young people are more informed about the Islamic
architecture in the medieval part of Cairo. This new
awareness is no longer confined to Egypt alone, as
Fathy's name has become associated with the re-
establishment of architectural tradition throughout the
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Figure 3. Plan of New Gourna mosque showing Figure 4. Main elevation of New Gourna mosque
the use of "magaz" in the entrance space

Figure 5. Plan of the theatre of New Gourna Figure 6. Open air theatre of New Gourna

Figure 7. Heritable elements of courtyard Figure 8. Vaults and domes as heritable elements
in Fouad Riad house in Fouad Riad house

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developing countries. At this point, it is important to
indicate that Fathy studied the elements and
vocabularies of Islamic architecture with particular focus
on Ottoman houses and reused them in his designs [14].
In this way, his architecture was distinguished by its
domes, vaults, internal courtyards, thick walls, small
openings and mashrabiya as a contemporary expression
of Islamic architecture. If we look at Fouad Riyd house
(Figure 7), we find most of these elements are utilized
but in a contemporary local spirit. His careful delineation
of the exterior character of the house conveys a strong
feeling of a distinctive local identity (Figure 8), due in
part to the juxtaposition of a pigeon tower, malqaf (wind
catcher) and domed qa,a (reception hall) combination
and extensive turned woodwork.

6.2. Implications of sustainability principles in
Fathys work

6.2.1. Economic dimension

As discussed earlier in this research, the economic
dimension as one of the principles of sustainable
development focuses on the optimum utilization of
natural and human resources and the response to site
conditions and the context influences. Fathy called for
building with the available building materials, as he built
with adobe, stone and clay and if the wood or steel was
available, he would build with it. Fathy's adoption of
building with the local and available building materials
was not only based on his understanding of the
materials specifications at all levels, but also on his
special capability of dealing with forms and
compositions produced from utilizing these materials
[15].
At this point, it is important to indicate that "Dar Elislam
Complex" in New Mexico, which is one of the prominent
projects of Fathy, played a significant role in conveying
messages that reflect one of the sustainability principles
in Fathy's architecture. Actually, this complex
contributed to propagating the concept of using adobe
in building contemporary facilities in USA (Figures 9, 10).
One of the American citizens who has built his house by
adobe indicates that because of the limited budget that
he had, he did not able to build a new house in New
Mexico. When he heard about Fathy and his adobe

Figure 9. Using adobe in building Dar Elislam Figure 10. Internal space of the mosque of
Complex in New Mexico Dar Elislam Complex in New Mexico

Figure 11. The use of sand brick in New Baris Village Figure 12. The use of local lime stone in
Hassan Fathy's Sidi Krir house
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___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

buildings in New Mexico he bought his book
"Architecture of the Poor" and read it. He admired the
architect and his works and decided with his wife to
build their new house themselves by adobe [16].
Respect to site conditions and reliance on local building
materials was apparent in his project of the village of
New Paris in the Kharga Oasis. He decided to develop a
new technique for making sand brick as an appropriate
quality of sand is available in the site (Figure 11). While
he built his house in Sidii Krier on the northern coast
using local limestone faced with plaster (Figure 12). This
house demonstrated that Fathy's formal vocabulary and
spatial thesis were not restricted to the use of a single
material, but could adapt to local conditions.

6.2.2. Economic dimension

At the social dimension of sustainability principles, Fathy
emphasized the need for socially oriented co-operative
construction techniques or what is now called "self-
help". Having originally put this idea into practice in the
construction of the village of New Gourna more than
sixty years ago, he was finally to see it accepted in
principle throughout the world. This project reflected
another important social dimension through respecting
the building users and involving them in the design
process (Figures 13, 14). He built some twenty houses in
the early stages to show the Gournis the kind of
architecture he was proposing as they couldn't
understand plans. It was an opportunity for him to
observe the families actually living in them and consult
them by seeing their needs in practice [17]. Inhabitants
participation in the design and construction process was
one of the main pillars of Fathy's thought. Through this
process he enhanced the people sense of belonging and
pride which led them to preserve their houses and react
to them in a positive way.
Inhabitants' participation in the design and construction
process provided a unique personal identity to the
house. At this point, it is important to indicate that Fathy
believed that the humanistic approach in providing the
housing for poor people through community
participation is more appropriate than the conventional
approach of producing large numbers of houses in a
short time by repeating prototypes in rows of houses
[18].

6.2.3. Environmental dimension

At the environmental dimension of the sustainability
principles and the preservation of resources, Fathy's
belief in the need for appropriate technology in
architecture distinguished his work from that of the
modern movement. For Fathy, technology must be
applied in a way appropriate to both its users and its
context, and be controlled by what he described as the
"innate knowledge" that comes directly from the
emotions without study or analysis. His approach to
technology was closely related to the Greek meaning of
the root of that word, techne, which stands for skill or
craft, rather than the blind application of science [19].
Fathy believes that it is unavoidable for poor and
developing societies to use the compatible and
appropriate building technology. This technology relies
on local building materials and local craftsmanship. In
the meantime it addresses all the functional and
environmental human needs without relying on
imported western techniques.
To support his philosophy Fathy carried out valuable
researches and studies on sustainability. He gave a great
interest to the study of local building materials. He
studied the specifications of clay and the structural
capabilities of clay brick to utilize it in building domes
and vaults wherever this material is available. In
addition, he was interested in climatic research to
demonstrate empirically the appropriateness of thick
mud brick walls, vaults and domes for the hot arid
climate. He also carried out researches and studies on
organizing and activating the people participation in the
building process [20].

Figure 13. New Gourna houses, example of Figure 14. Ground floor plan of New Gourna
community participation in the design process housing unit
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According to Hassan Fathy; "any architect who makes a
solar furnace of his building and compensates for this by
installing a huge cooling machine is approaching the
problem inappropriately" [21]. Fathy indicates that
successful solutions to the problem of climate did not
result from deliberate scientific reasoning. They grew
out of countless experiments and accidents and the
experience of generations of builders who continued to
use what worked and rejected what did not. They were
passed on in the form of traditional, rigid, and
apparently arbitrary rules for selecting sites, orienting
the building and choosing the materials, building
method and design. Table 1 illustrates sustainable
solutions in Fathy's work that address environmental
issues.
The concern for the cultural sustainability, continuity of
space characteristics, use of local materials and proper
responses to nature can be seen in the previous
examples of Fathy's work. New Gurna Village is a new
reinterpretation of a traditional urban and architectural
setting. It provides sustainability both in culture through
use of local materials and techniques and in
environment with its extraordinary sensitivity to climatic
problems. It is an outstanding example of the
integration of vernacular technology with modern
architectural principles. Fathy brought back the use of
mud brick (adobe) and with special techniques keep
building cooler during the day and wormer during the
night [22]. Fathy believed that architecture was about
bridging the gap between new architectural techniques
and older techniques. These older techniques are
sustainable and energy efficient helping the villagers to
reduce their reliance on modern technologies, which are
not only expensive, but have negative effects on their
culture and environment [23]. Table 2 illustrates the
integration of cultural dimensions with sustainability
principles in Fathy's work.

7. Conclusion

Based on the carried out analysis of examples of Hassan
Fathy's work, and discussion of his thought and
principles, we built a framework for a paradigm that
engages culture and local identity in dealing with
sustainable architecture in the Arab world. Arab
architects and architects from other regions can utilize
this paradigm while dealing with the issue of sustainable
architecture in order to achieve the synthesis of culture
and sustainability in their designs. This paradigm reflects
the following principles: respecting cultural values and
traditions and reflecting economic, social, and
environmental dimensions. Graphic 1 illustrates the
framework of the proposed sustainable architecture
paradigm.

References

[1] Downs, Robert B., Famous American Books, Mac
Graw-Hill, 1973.
[2] Toffler, Alvin, The Culture Consumers, Random
House, New York, 1973.
[3] Downs, Robert, op. cit.
[4] Izikowitz, K.G. and Sorensen, P., The House in East
and South East Asia. Curzon Press, London, 1982.
[5] Edgar, Goell and Lahham, Nisreen, A Future Vision
for Sustainable Egyptian Cities, Lessons Learned
from the International Experience, in Architecture
Urbanism & Time, Vision for the Future,
proceedings of ARUP 2008, second international
conference , Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt,
October 2008.
[6] Tyrrell, Roger, Culture, Climate & Place: a Cultural
Perspective of Sustainable Architecture, a paper in
Medio Ambiente Comportamiento Humano, 4 (2),
2003.
[7] Vale, Brenda and Robert, Green Architecture:
Design for a Sustainable Future, Thames and
Hudson, London, 1991.
[8] Matsumato, D.R. and Juang, L., Culture and
Psychology, Wadsworth Publishing, San Francisco,
2003.
[9] Guy, S. and Farmer, G., Reinterpreting Sustainable
Architecture: The Place of Technology, Journal of
Architectural Education, Vol. 54, 2001, issue No. 3,
pp 140-148.
[10] Kultur, Sinem, Role of Culture in Sustainable
Architecture, Archi-Cultural Translations through
the Silk Road, proceedings of 2
nd
International
Conference Mukogawa Women's Univ., Japan, July
14-16, 2012.
[11] Steele, James, An Architecture for People: the
Complete Works of Hassan Fathy, Thames and
Hudson Ltd, London, 1997.
[12] Ibid.
[13] Fathy, Hassan, Egypt, Nou Veau Village de Gourna,
L' Architecture d' Aujourd' hui, volume 39,1968,
issue no. 140, pp 12-13.
[14] Steele, James, The Hassan Fathy Collection, The
Aga Khan Trust for Culture, Geneva, Swetzerland,
1989.
[15] Ibrahim, Abdelbaki, The Arab Architects: Hassan
Fathy, Centre for Planning and Architectural
Studies, Cairo, Egypt, 1987.

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Table 1. Addressing environmental issues through sustainable solutions in Fathy's architecture

Environmental issues Sustainable solutions Examples
- Regulating the heat
temperature
the concept of courtyard with water
features and plants, using thick walls
externally, and using the local
building materials.
Courtyard of New Gourna mosque
- Noise insulation using double and thick walls, internal
courtyards, roof gardens, and
skylight all attain the desirable noise
insulation in his works.
Thick walls of New Gourna houses
- Providing homogenous day
lighting
this was achieved through utilizing
internal courtyards and small
openings covered by mashrabiya
(wooden lattice screen) on the
external facades.
Mashrabiya in Nassif house
- Protecting the building
from dusts and insects
by utilizing the concept of courtyard
and bent entrance (for dust) and
wire mesh on the small openings and
wind catcher openings.
Bent entrance in Murad house
- Protecting the building
from sun heat
the building roof as a roof garden,
domes and vaults as a roofing
systems, exposed masses in the form
of corbel, courtyard, arcades, and
mashrabiya.

Vaults and shallow domes in Baris market
- Natural ventilation Utilizing wind catchers, mashrabiya
and small openings in the external
facades and respecting the
orientation of the prevailing wind.
Wind catcher in Nassif house
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

[16] Mortada, Hisham, Contemporary Architecture of
Desert Sustainable Living: The American Southwest
as a Case Study, proceedings of the International
Conference: Urban Development in Arid Regions &
Associated Problems, Ministry of Public Works &
Housing, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, 11/2002.
[17] Fathy, Hassan, Architecture for the Poor, University
of Chicago Press, Chicago, 1973.
[18] Ibrahim, Abdelbaki, op. cit.
[19] Steele, James (1997), op. cit.
[20] Ibrahim, Abdelbaki, op. cit.
[21] Fathy, Hassan, Natural Energy and Vernacular
Architecture: Principles and Examples with
Reference to the Hot Arid Climate, University of
Chicago Press, Chicago, 1986.
[22] Schoeman, A., Hassan Fathy: An Early Visionary of
Sustainable Architecture,
http://www.theinnovationdiaries.com/2613/
(20.03.2012).
[23] UNESCO WHC, Safeguarding Project of Hassan
Fathy's New Gourna Village,
http://whc.unesco.org/en/activities/637/
(20.03.2012).

Table 2. Integrating cultural dimensions with sustainability principles in Fathy's work

Building Cultural dimensions Sustainability principles

New Gourna house

Courtyard as a place for social interaction Domes protect the building from sun heat

Fouad Riad house
Small openings in facades to ensure privacy Using stone as a local building material

Nassif house

using mashrabiya as a heritable element Skylight to provide natural day lighting

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___________________________________________________________________________________________________________


Graphic 1. Framework of sustainable architecture paradigm

1.1 respecting social values by utilizing elements that reflect
these values

1. Cultural Dimensions 1.2 the use of tradition by incorporating personal habits
into design

1.3 enhancing the cultural pride by enhancing the awareness of the
rich architectural heritage

2.1 economic dimension optimum utilization of natural and
human resources

2. Sustainability Principles 2.2 social dimension respecting the building users and
involving them in the design

2.3 environmental dimension regulating the heat temperature,
providing natural ventilation,

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___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

P. Stamenovi, D. Stojanovi, D. Predi: Extended Process of Architectural Design: Sustainable Development , pp. 1725 17

Extended Process of Architectural Design: Sustainable Development
without a Master Plan. The Case of Kagran Area, Vienna

Pavle Stamenovi
1
*, Duan Stojanovi
1
, Dunja Predi
2

1
Faculty of Architecture, University of Belgrade;
2
Subventive Research Unit, Belgrade
Bulevar Kralja Aleksandra 73/II, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia, pavle.stamenovic@gmail.com

Abstract

The model of architectural design proposed in this paper aims
to incorporate contingencies of everyday life into the project
itself. By loosening the parameters of the master plan, this
trial-and-error approach can catalyze the sustainable process
of urban development. Over recent decades we have
witnessed the failure of great urban expectations and
promises. Therefore, the paradigm of testing could be an
efficient tool in preventing the shortcomings of conventional
urban planning models.
Testing as a method in architectural design and urban planning
allows for bottom-up planning, starting from a unit towards
the urban system, therefore offering a possibility for reflection
and reaction. Most importantly, it introduces the trial-and-
error approach in architectural design and planning that
presents the opportunity to learn from ones preliminary steps
and adjusts the plan if necessary. By generating scenarios
rather than functions, one can verify that the preliminary
assumptions were correct and that the project should
continue developing in a certain direction, or that the
preliminary assumptions were wrong and that different
solution is needed.
The issues that are going to be addressed in this paper
are focusing on the role of architectural design process
in relation to sustainable urban development. These
issues will be analyzed through a case study project for
urban development of Stadlau Shopping Park in Kagran
area, Vienna.

1. Introduction

A complex task like growing a city community demands
a strategy. It is not primarily about aesthetics and the
appearance of objects, but rather about the sequential
design of the order in which they appear and the
resulting relationships thus created. Cities are
developing at an accelerated rate, making it difficult to
predict contingencies that any architectural design will
have to face.
The proposed extended process of design based on trial-
and-error method corresponds to incremental planning
model developed by Lindblom: [] the development of
an area proceeds step by step, adapting over the long
term to changing factors and actors. New developments
grow, as it were, out of existing uses, on the basis of
place-specific characteristics. [1] This model
incorporates risk management into the proposal. By
loosening the parameters of the master plan, this trial-
and-error approach can catalyze the sustainable process
of urban development. According to Lindblom and his
Incremental Development, change is understood as
evolutionary and not as revolutionary, therefore the
design is focusing not merely on delivering typologies
and finite architecture but rather on designing a
potential which can evolve over the time responding to
the needs of both users and market.
Lindbloms model of incremental development has been
successfully used for decades in various disciplines, but
it hasnt been applied to design process so far. The topic
of the research is a proposal of how incremental model
can be applied in design process itself.

2. The problem of divergent durations

The pace of contemporary life inevitably raises the
question of duration in architecture. The physical object
of architecture presumably lasts longer than merely to
meet the current needs of those for whom it was
intended; it lasts longer than what constitutes the
duration of the contemporary socio-political processes.
Keywords: Extended process of design, Inhabiting,
Interim, Contingency, Trial and error,
Sustainable design
Revised: 1 August 2014
Accepted: 4 August 2014
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[2]. Therefore the answer to the question of duration in
architecture could be found in shifting the focus from
the conventional procedures of urban planning and
architectural design towards the relation between
individual and generic. According to Iain Borden, social
and political aspects of architectural production lead to
the understanding of architectural space as a social
category, rather than merely a question of building [3].
This research project argues that the conventional
understanding of a building as a typologically
determined product with an imposed function implies
the divergence between architectural project and the
life of the building. This paper questions the status of
architecture of housing as an over-defined structure,
both in space and in time. In this research, the existential
space is seen as an interface (a mediator) influencing
socio-political processes in order for the inhabitant to
appropriate the space.
At the same time, the sustainability of architectural
project is seen in the scope of extending the process of
architectural design and overlapping the design process
with the physical lifespan of architecture. Lifespan of the
physical object of architecture inevitably exceeds the
intent, purpose and function of the users for whom it
was created, therefore making presumed program
compromised and obsolete. Thus, there is a distortion of
two durations - the lifespan of architecture as a physical
object and the temporality of content, users, and
circumstances. In relation to this, Jeremy Till argues
that time, not space, should be seen as the primary
context in which architecture is conceived. [4]
From this discussion we can conclude that the over-
determined physicality of an object of architecture is
incapable of allowing and supporting the contingent
elusiveness of everyday life. What is needed to
overcome this discrepancy of two durations? How to
encode a change into design process itself?

3. The extended process of architectural
design for sustainable planning

The projected space of the urban plan or the
architectural project is produced through the drawing.
Commonly, this process of producing the space through
a drawing presents a one-time, limited situation,
because only after the design is finished begins the
duration of building of architecture in physical space.
Despite the inevitable loss in translation from the
architectural drawing towards the physical building as
Jeremy Till notices [5], the architectural project is
nonetheless conceived as a crucial link in the iterative
procedure between intentions and results, and
therefore may be nominated as a tool for research in the
field of architecture during the extended process of
searching for the intelligent spatial configuration. [6]
Unlike commonly criticized open-ended design models
(flexibility in space), this approach implies the extended
duration of architectural design process (flexibility in
time and space). Since it is carried out according to
previously defined values, this iterative procedure
establishes a specific set of results that can later be
evaluated (trial-and-error).
Bringing the user's needs closer to the design process, as
well as involving the users in designing and building their
own environment, incorporates ones personal
experience, character and thought into the process of
spatial decision making. After a user is included into a
process of constructing (his own) territory, the user has
a distinct feeling of ownership of the space. In theory, a
user is being transformed into an inhabitant. This
understanding of the notion of inhabiting theoretically
approaches Heidegger's concept, whereas building
means dwelling [7]. This research project introduces a
strategy of encouraging negotiations and identity
building into the process of community planning, into
what is conceived as an extended process of
architectural design.
The extended process of architectural design
transgresses the linear logic of decision-making process
and consolidates itself in the iterative method where
feedback information creates new positions for
observing and understanding the design task. The design
process is expected to provide answers to the constant
need for dynamics and transformation, as well as to
provide the position that encompasses multiple
solutions. Christopher Alexander in his doctoral thesis
published in a book "Notes on the Synthesis of Form
argues that the process of adapting and the concept of
variability are associated with the process of
architectural design, rather than the spatial
characteristics of form. The discussions about the
operationalization of diagrams, and a review of the
analytical nature of architectural design take the central
spot of his thesis. According to Alexander, architectural
drawing is expected to offer more than its conventional
meaning and understanding - that it is an exact
information-transferring document [8]. The diagram
does not have a relationship with the visual
representation, yet it builds relation with the act of
identifying and overcoming a problem. If we adopt
Deleuze's idea that diagram has a generative role in the
process of creating, the same model can be seen as an
apparatus for using feedback in architectural design. [9]
All the information obtained through the iterative
process can be applied to modify the existing, or
creating new fields of activity. The method used to
establish the extended process of architectural design
and urban planning is based on the theory of change [10]
and is pursued through trial and error method of design.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

3.1. Trial and error: Testing as the method

Testing as a design method allows for bottom-up
planning and opens possibilities for reflection and
reaction. Most importantly, it introduces the trial-and-
error method in architectural design and urban planning
that presents an opportunity to learn from ones
preliminary steps (mistakes and successes) and adjusts
ones plan and design if necessary. By generating
situations, one can verify that the preliminary
assumptions were correct and that the project should
continue developing in a certain direction or that the
preliminary assumptions were wrong and that different
solution is needed.
In relation to everyday life, the trial-and-error method
enables us to acknowledge individual specificities as a
variety of needs existing on all levels, which defers from
the logic of designing standardized spaces. Instead of
implying presumed optima, testing enables inhabitants
to express individual spatial needs as to incorporate
them into the design process itself.

4. Trial project: Kagran area urban
development case study

The issues raised in previous section concerning the
design process and methods in relation to sustainable
city growth will be explored further through a case study
for Kagran area development project. This research
project is produced as a proposal for European 12
competition with a topic The Adaptable City. Kagran
area is situated in the city of Vienna whose population
grows annually for 20.000 new inhabitants. One of the
city strategies is to converse large dispersed areas and
re-qualify them for being suitable for populating. The
site is positioned between two intensive traffic
infrastructures- the rail tracks and the motorway. This
feature at the same time isolates as well as connects the
site to the city and region on the wider scale. Recently,
the new tramline is introduced, which is a precondition
for inhabitation. Still, the area is based on car and truck
logic that affects dimensions, distances, character and
texture of the space. Therefore, the site has to be
redesigned in order to attain anthropometry.
How can the impact of the new tramway stop be
exploited in order to develop a new kind of urban
quarter around this node within the next decades? How
can a hyper-fragmented, car-driven area be converted
into a sustainable and attractive urban quarter without
neglecting the current reality? How can the existing
structure adapt, step by step, to another idea of
urbanity? [11].
The proposal offers creative possibilities for a project to
incorporate uncertainty, lack of funding and the long-
term territorial transformations that affect the site.
This waiting period before actually implementing a
project is designed to facilitate multiple scenarios, to
involve numerous stakeholders and ultimately to allow
changes to the initial vision. The project depends on
different processes that emerge out of the dynamics of
the site context; therefore it can organically grow out of
the site.

4.1. The specificity of the site: The context of
Stadlau Shopping Park in Kagran Area

The area of interest is divided into three zones based on
their main features, problems and possibilities. The
intention is to orchestrate the process of three different
areas to function as a harmonious whole (Figure 1).
The most prominent feature of the Zone I is the fact that
it is the single empty area; the only building on this site
is used as infrastructural support for the flea market,
happening once a month. The location is, from time to
time, used to accommodate travelling circuses.
Dominant in Zone II are the shopping malls, with the vast
empty space between two sides of the street, occupied
with the parking lots. Unprogrammed and unused space
between the shopping malls is recognized as the biggest
obstacle in transforming this location into an urban
neighbourhood, as well as the biggest spatial
opportunity.
The most striking negative characteristic may be
attributed to Zone III. As the consequence of long-term
activity of the oil refinery this location is contaminated.
The main intention is to take the responsibility and
repair what previous generations damaged, while
promoting a truly sustainable model of urban existence.

4.2. Planning without a master plan

The focus of the proposal is not on the end product
itself, but rather on designing and stirring the process in
order to satisfy the needs of the potential inhabitants,
through understanding the dynamics of changeable
circumstances. The main characteristic and intention of
this project is developing sustainable design process,
both in the field of architectural design and in the field
of designing social relations. Hence, there are four
stages to the proposal as four acts in a scenario. The
scenario starts from a structural framework, and as the
vision extends further into the future, the form of the
proposal is becoming looser, guided by the inhabitants
rather than controlled by the vision of a planner. The
first and fourth stages of the process deal directly with
the physicality of space through building, while the
second and third stages are program-based and
mutually informative.
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___________________________________________________________________________________________________________


Figure 1. Stadlau Shopping Park

Figure 2. The infrastructural backbone

4.3. Trial and error: Methodology and
evaluation

In this research, a set of criteria is proposed, for both
organization at the beginning of each phase and for the
evaluation at the end. For each phase separately, these
criteria are: Intention, Goal, Tool and Target Group. If
the Goal is achieved then the next phase starts, if the
goal is not achieved, then the Organization process
starts from the beginning while redefining one or all of
the proposed criteria.
Three criteria used for the evaluation: Intention, Goal
and Tool are typical elements of Goal Based Planning
used to create business strategies. The fourth criterion
Target Group is specific to the projects task to make
the site public, with the purpose to attract diverse
potential inhabitants over different periods of time
through exemptions, favorable building or renting
condition etc.
A special advantage of Lindbloms model of incremental
development, from which the methodology of this
design research departed, is that it supports and follows
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

an organic progression where the project evolves over
the period of time. This is achieved through periodically
conducted evaluations that trigger either redefining or
sustaining previously defined goals. In other words,
extended process of architectural design proposed in
this research should challenge rigidity and linearity of
the conventional planning. On one hand it is
economically much more efficient as the risk of failures
often assigned to urban planning is reduced to a
minimum, and on the other hand much more flexible
and open for timely creative solutions.

4.4. The timeline of infrastructural backbone:
Planning and inhabiting as parallel
processes

The common element for all three zones and all the
phases is the infrastructural backbone. During the first
phase the infrastructural backbone is a basic frame,
while in the second and third phase, the backbone is
program-oriented. In the fourth phase, when
architecture and urbanization are taking more
permanent presence, the backbone has completed its
role as the engine of growth and it begins to
dematerialize, serving as an extension of the street as a
part of citys slow mobility network (Figure 2).

4.4.1. Phase 1. The frame:
Introducing infrastructural backbone

Intention: facilitating; Tool: legislation; Goal: opening up
a spatial possibility for an event to happen; Target
group: school children, educational institutions.
New spatial and constructional structures generate
freedom, taking time as their departure-point. [12].
The city of Vienna introduces a new spatial policy for
businesses that operate in this area. During the one-year
period each business is required to release the existing
parking lot and transform it into a green public space.
Parking space should be located in the newly formed
central axis that runs through the middle of the area,
above the existing street. Each individual business must
independently fund the prescribed changes. In the case
of non-compliance with the new spatial regulations,
businesses will have to pay a fine. The income raised
through fines is used to improve the structure. Adopting
these new spatial regulations regarding parking areas is
intended to secure new public spaces.
The first stage involves building the infrastructural
backbone of the site, providing plenty of parking spaces
above the ground level enabling the site to become an
open public space. At the same time, this spatial
structure is built to open up the possibility for a program
to take place. In order for the test site to grow and
develop in a natural and organic manner, the structure
needs to be habitable. The proposed infrastructural
backbone of the site is conceived as a structure for a
variety of programs, interconnected to a program of
living. The grid is based on the spatial requirements of a
car park, therefore generating maximum flexibility for
adaptable space above, that can easily be turned into
flats, offices or host public programs (Figure 3).
The existing contaminated area is cleaned through the
process of phytoremediation the use of plants that
mitigate the environmental problem without the need
to excavate the contaminated material and dispose of it

Figure 3. The Frame: maximum structure and minimum program

Figure 4. Inhabiting infrastructural backbone with the mixture of programs

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___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

elsewhere. Three annual crops have demonstrated the
best results forbio-remedating soil contaminated by oil
products: maize, oat and lupine. These plants were
tested for the phytoremediation of polluted black soil of
an oil refinery plant [13]. The maize plants revealed the
highest remediation ability: oil content in the soil
decreased by 40% in one month. Using
phytoremediation is cost effective, has aesthetic
advantages, and long-term applicability.
The installation of the main infrastructure on the site
facilitates the process of phytoremediation over the
contaminated zone. A research institute, as a state
founded project, should slowly start to inhabit the site,

Figure 5. Bottom-up planning: From the unit towards the urban system
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________


Figure 6. Maximum infrastructure and maximum program

Figure 7. Infrastructural backbone becomes slow mobility network

at the begging on the very temporary basis daily
activities and workshops. The main objective of the first
phase is to start building up the identity of the place by
conducting research and education on the site, focusing
on finding solutions for the contaminated part of the
site.

4.4.2. Phase 2. Inhabiting:
The temporal state of living

Intention: Making the site public, Inhabiting; Tool:
Promotion through events, favorable rental conditions;
Goal: Raising interest, attracting future users/residents;
Target group: People in interim The main purpose of this
stage is to make the site public through a series of events
and programs with the different time spans, from one
day to a few months. This time window is used to display
the new vision for the area as a result of the previous
stage, what used to be parking for shopping malls is now
green public space. Together with the inhabitable spatial
structure the site is becoming a field of possibilities for
events to occur (Figure 4).
To promote the site as an emerging urban quarter one
needs to attract an audience. The goal is to generate a
heterogeneous mass, creating a schedule that will bring
diverse groups of people through various events, to
activate the site during all seasons, at different times of
day, different days of the week, fortnightly, monthly,
quarterly.
In order to sustain the mixture of programs, project
proposes a model of temporal housing that would
attract citizens of all incomes and variety of social
backgrounds, but with one particular common
preference - need of temporal housing solution.
Initial design is based on a generic unit that would be
able to host different programs and activities attached
to basic dwelling- concept of living and working -home
office, workshops, shops, recreational activities,
activities linked to the concept of neighbourhood
everyday life.
As mentioned earlier, the project proposes the concept
of inhabiting instead of housing. Inhabiting is different
from housing because it can last from a few hours to few
decades and it is not strictly connected to dwelling as
housing. It also questions and decomposes the
conventional notion of a house, while introducing
contemporary concept of living and working.
During the two-year period, until the infrastructure is
completely developed, low cost and favorable
conditions, temporariness above all, are what can
attract users (Figure 5).

4.4.3. Phase 3. Towards a permanent
community

Intention: Fostering dynamic urban development; Tool:
Favorable ownership or construction terms; Goal:
Creating a hybrid compound of positive urban qualities;
Target group: Potential owners, private investors
In this phase the backbone reaches its full capacity both
spatially and programmatically. It gains stability as an
urban space and the whole site becomes a place in the
city. After the mixture of programs and services is
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

developed during the first two stages (acting as an
infrastructural foundation for subsequent residential
development), new residents are attracted with
favorable ownership, rental or construction terms. In
the previous phase the target group consisted of people
in the interim of their lives: those who have recently
moved to Austria, students, people with new
businesses, alternative theatre, bars, a flea market In
this phase, due to favorable ownership conditions or
construction terms, permanent residents are attracted.
Here, one can build/buy ones home, business and social
life. The plug-in working/dwelling units are located in
the longitudinal structure, the backbone, and now in the
third phase there is the possibility of conventional
building to emerge. Residents who moved here earlier
and who helped developing urban qualities have the
most favorable conditions for obtaining their own
permanent residence (Figure 6).

4.4.4. Phase 4. Social density:
Sustainable urban growth

Intention: Steering; Tool: Evaluation, Consultation and
Guidance; Goal: Cultivating and improving attained;
Target group: Public investors.
This is the rapid construction stage of the development.
It is reaching its most urbanized state, the area is densely
populated and the programmatic diversity is getting
very high offering a multiplicity of choices. Design of this
stage observes the city of Vienna as a whole and involves
the development of an overlapping transport network:
public transport, highways and bicycle paths. What is
valued and fostered for the future is therefore
connected with other strategic points on a larger urban
scale (Figure 7).
A special advantage of the backbone is that people dont
have to be dislocated from the site during this rapid
construction and development. While the permanent,
conventional, housing is being built, residents can
continue to live in the infrastructural backbone. After
the buildings are finished the residents can easily move
in. In this moment the backbone completed its previous
function and slowly begins to deconstruct until when it
becomes purely infrastructural again, collecting
elements such as pedestrian and bicycle lanes, slow
mobility network of the city.

5. Conclusion

Over recent decades we have witnessed the failures of
great urban expectations and promises; the paradigm of
testing could be an efficient tool in preventing the
shortcomings of urban planning. It is suggested that the
emphasis would be on improving the tools, and drawing
time instead of space, therefore simulating scenarios,
rather than merely representing the upcoming spatial
configurations. Nowadays, architectural techniques for
representing and rendering reality are developed to
perfection. The proposal is to use these tools for
simulation of different scenarios, offering virtual reality
as testing ground, rather than merely portraying finite
architecture.
A project shouldnt offer just a final product but also
steps to get there, allowing more organic development
of the project, increased flexibility and therefore
decreased risk of financial or programmatic, thus social
failures.
Finally, it should be noted that in order for the extended
process of architectural design to be possible, it is not
sufficient to have the understanding and tools for
dealing with the contingencies of urban life, but it is
crucial to initiate and define new legislative framework
that would allow a productive feedback between
divergent times of planning/designing on one hand, and
building/inhabiting on the other.

Acknowledgement

The present work benefited from the input of Msc in
political sociology Mina Lazarevi, who provided
valuable comments to the writing of the research
summarized here. The authors wish to thank architect
Brian Hoy for his help in shaping the present work, both
in language and content. Also, the authors would like to
mention Dipl. ing. Arch. arko Uzelac, as a co-author of
the project analyzed in this research paper.

References

[1] Lindblom, Charles, Science of Muddling through, In
Public Administration Review 19, Vol. 19, Number
2, Blackwell Publishing on behalf of the American
Society for Public Administration, (1959) pp. 79-88.
[2] Pitek, Grzegorz, Trybu, Jarosaw, Warsaw's
Polonia Hotel. The Afterlife of Buildings, exhibition,
the Polish Pavilion, Venice Architecture Biennale,
Venice. 2008. The exhibition was awarded the
Golden Lion for Best National Participation.
[3] Borden, Iain, Inter Sections: Architectural Histories
and Critical Theories, Rutledge, London, UK, 2000.
[4] Till, Jeremy, Architecture Depends, MIT Press,
Cambridge, USA, 2010, p.111.
[5] Schneider, Tatjana, Till Jeremy, Flexible Housing,
Architectural Press, Oxford, UK, 2007.
[6] Steenbergen, Clemens, Composing Landscapes:
Analysis, Typology and Experiments for Design.
Birkhuser, Basel, Switzerland, 2008.
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___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

[7] Heidegger, Martin, Poetry, Language, Thought,
(trans.) Hofstadter, A, Harper Colophon Books,
New York, USA, 1971.
[8] Alexander, Christopher, Notes on the Synthesis of
Form, Harvard University Press: Cambridge, USA,
1964.
[9] Deleuze, Gilles, Difference and Repetition, (Trans.)
Patton, P., Columbia Press, New York, USA (1994)
In recent architectural theory that deals with the
question of existence, the main theoretical
strongpoint is the thought of the French
philosopher Gilles Deleuze, according to whom an
individual transcends repressive forms of identity
in order to develop a continuous process of
creation, becoming and transformation.
[10] Teymur, Necdet, A Theory of Change in
Architecture (-with Limited Metamorphosis), In
Socio-environmental Metamorphoses:
Proceedings, 12th International Conference of the
IAPS. IAPS, Aristotle University Press, Halkidiki,
Greece, 1992.
[11] Excerpt from the competition brief: Europan 2013
Competition brief, available at
http://www.europan-
europe.eu/en/session/europan-12/site/wien-
kagran
[12] Heyden, Rene, Time-Based Architecture:
Architecture Able to Withstand Changes Through
Time, 010 Publishers, Rotterdam, Netherlands,
2005, p.11.
[13] Telysheva G., Jashina L., Lebedeva G., Dizhbite T.,
Solodovnik V., Mutere O., Grigikis S., Bakys E.,
Aikaite J., Use of Plants to Remediate Soil Polluted
with Oil available at
<http://zdb.ru.lv/conferences/4/VTR8_I_38.pdf

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H. Estaji: Flexible Spatial Configuration in Traditional Houses, The Case of Sabzevar, pp. 2635 26

Flexible Spatial Configuration in Traditional Houses,
The Case of Sabzevar

Hassan Estaji

Faculty Member, Hakim Sabzevari University, Iran
PhD Researcher, Institute of Architecture, University of Applied Arts Vienna
Building Technology Department, 1010 Vienna, Austria, estaji@student.uni-ak.ac.at

Abstract

The Ideal House is a building that covers all the human
needs. But the biggest problem is: the house users, their needs
and the environment rapidly change during the time. Due to
the building technology of traditional Iranian architecture,
especially the use of thick and load bearing walls, rearranging
the position of walls to make changes is impossible. But the
traditional Iranian houses by changing in the relationship
between spaces try to respond to the changes. In this paper,
Space Syntax theory is applied in analyzing the relationship
between spaces of traditional houses in Sabzevar (northeast of
Iran). This research indicates that nested space, multiple
entrances for each space, selective connectability and
disconnectability enable the houses to create a wide variety of
spatial configuration. The flexible spatial configuration lets
Iranian traditional houses to adapt themselves to changes.

1. Introduction

Living in an ecosystem- with predictable and
unpredictable variables- needs a flexible and changeable
Organism. From the beginning of Earth's life, those
species have been preserved, which were better
adapted to changing conditions. The adaptation and
flexibility deal with three main changeable issues:
system, environment and user (Figure 1). In general,
Flexibility is the system's ability in changing to meet the
needs of users (or coming users) in response to the
physical and cultural environment and user changes.

Figure 1. House system

Before addressing the issue of the flexibility and
adaptability in housing, the basic question is: What
needs must be met by a house for the occupants? In
other words; what do people expect from a house?

1.1. Needs theory

The first comprehensive study of human needs was
Maslow's hierarchy of needs theory. Maslow,
Abraham Harold [1] in his theory in psychology believed
that there are five levels of needs in every human being
that when a need is fairly well satisfied, the next
Keywords: Flexibility, Adaptability, Space syntax,
Iranian houses, Sabzevar
Revised:
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

prepotent ('higher') need emerges. Maslow divided
these five levels of needs into the basic and being needs.
(Figure 2).
The basic needs:
1- The 'physiological' needs: These physiological needs
are human essential requirements such as: Air,
Water, Food, Rest/Sleep, Clothing, Shelter, Warmth,
Sex, etc. without one of them survival is impossible.
These survivals needs form the base of Maslows
pyramid. In case of any shortage of the physiological
needs the body warns biologically and automatically,
warnings such as feeling thirsty, hungry and tired.
These alarms motivate men to eliminate the need as
soon as possible. This stage of needs is similar to the
animals' needs.
2- The safety needs (Comfort): Once the physiological
needs are mostly fulfilled, human try to control and
stabilize the condition they want to be assured that
their survival needs will be provided in the future and
they will be protected from diseases, neighbours and
environment. In the case of sense of security and
defending against danger, it does not matter the
threat is real or unreal, it is important to feel safe and
secure.
3- The love and belongingness needs: When
physiological and safety needs are largely satisfied,
The first category of social need will emerge, the love
and affection and belongingness needs [1]. People
like to be a member of a group or a family; this desire
to belong to a group helps them to feel safer and
more secure. Being accepted by the group gives self
confidence to the members and helps them to feel
they are more powerful than before.
4- The esteem needs: This stage of needs is divided
into two categories; self respect or self-esteem, and
other-esteem.
The being needs:
5- If all four previous human requirements are met the
final stage of Maslow's hierarchy of needs, Self-
Actualization, will emerge. The ultimate goal of
human is to achieve their maximum personal
potential; What a man can be, he must be.[1] All
humans have the same basic needs, but the wishes
and personal potential are very different from
person to person. Maslow in his book, Toward a
psychology of being, called it B-cognition. B-
cognition (B=being) is in contrast to D-cognition
(D=deficiency-need-motivation) or human-centered
and self-centered cognition.[2]
Clayton Alderfer [3] reorganized and redefined the
Maslow hierarchy in ERG theory. In Alderfer's ERG
motivation theory, the human needs are summarized
and classified in three categories, (Figure 2):
Existence needs: physiological and physical safety
needs
Relatedness needs: social relationships and external
esteem
Growth needs: self-esteem and self-actualization
ERG Theory is based on Maslow theory, but contrary to
it states that the human needs are not hierarchical and
one by one, they may emerge at one time. Instead of

Figure 2. Maslow's hierarchy of needs and Alderfers ERG theory, data source [1, 3]
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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Maslows hierarchical logic, there are three mechanisms
between the categories: satisfaction-progression,
frustration-regression and satisfaction-strengthening.

1.2. Ideal hypothetical house, based on the
needs theory

The Ideal House is a building that covers all of the
human needs. Based on the amount and type of met
needs by a building, we can evaluate the house. Human
needs can be divided into two main groups; objective
and subjective needs. For example the shelter is a
building that only meets very limited physiological
objective needs. According to this criterion, the most
ideal house is Motivational house, a house that helps
users to flourish and reach their maximum personal
potential. But the biggest problem is: the environment,
the house users and their needs and their wishes change
rapidly during the time. The house requires a flexible
spatial configuration to respond to the changes, changes
such as seasonal climatic changes (physical flexibility)
and changing in family size and family structure (social
flexibility) and changing in wishes (cultural flexibility).
There is no clear boundary between social and cultural
issues because the beliefs, religion and personal and
social wishes can affect relationships between members
of a family or a group, (Figure 3).

2. Why is the flexibility in housing more
important than other types of building?

If we divide the human life into twelve steps, the house
as a place for living from birth to the end of life must
cover all of these phases of human development, while
other kinds of building deal with a small number of the
phases, for example kindergarten and working places
only deal with three phases (Figure 4). A flexible spatial
configuration can cover all the phases in the entire life.
A house is a place for human activities during days and
nights in all years. The wide variety of human activities
as well as a wide range of times spent in the house
emphasis on the necessity of flexibility in housing
design, (Figure 5).

Figure 3. Levels of the house based on the needs theory

Figure 4. Comparing the coverage of human development phases by different buildings
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Figure 5. Human activities

Figure 6. Characteristics of house users

Any changes in the house users affect the space
requirements, but the problem is we cannot predict and
control the changes, for example the family size and
family structure change during the time without any
fixed patterns.
As an architect you design for the present, with an
awareness of the past, for a future which is
essentially unknown. Norman Foster [4]
In Figure 6 the characteristics of house users and their
activities are classified. Most of them are changeable,
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Figure 7. Vertical and horizontal movements in Iranian traditional houses

only a few of them are fixed e.g. gender. A house is not
necessary to cover all these users needs at the same
time, but it must be ready for any changes.

3. Research methodology

Buildings and cities exist for us in two ways: as the
physical forms that we build and see, and as the
spaces that we use and move through. Bill Hillier [5]
The first approach deals with physical form, but the next
way is concerned with relationship between spatial
layout and users. In this paper, In addition to the
qualitative analysis of traditional Iranian houses from a
morphological point of view, the quantitative analysis
with space syntax method is also applied.

4. Spatial configuration in traditional Iranian
houses

Climatic conditions and Privacy are two main factors
that affect the form and the spatial configuration of
traditional Iranian houses.
The traditional Iranian houses in hot and dry regions
were designed based on the a simple climatic principle;
avoiding the sun on hot days and taking maximum
advantage of solar heat in cold days, for this purpose the
traditional houses provide a flexible spatial
configuration to let the user move between spaces.
These movements can be performed in two ways: daily
and seasonally, and from spatial point of view: vertically
and horizontally, (Figure 7).
Privacy in Iranian houses is originated from the Iranian
culture and Islamic beliefs. The house manages the
social interaction between family members and guests
by separating the private and reception areas.

4.1. Ideal hypothetical house

If we want to design an ideal hypothetical house
according to climate and privacy based on Iranian
traditional architecture we need four spaces, two spaces
for responding to the climatic conditions and two spaces
for separating the family and guest zones, (Figure 8).
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Figure 8. Ideal hypothetical house based on Iranian traditional architecture

Figure 9. Moslem house in Sabzevar

Moslem house in Sabzevar
1
was designed based on this
concept in the last years of Qajar era (before 1925). In
Moslem house, vertical-seasonal movement was applied
in response to climatic changes during the year (Figure
9).

5. The main question

Is it possible to use this ideal concept for contemporary
houses? In other words; is it a sustainable solution
currently?
To answer this question, another ideal hypothetical
house is assumed based on maximum spatial flexibility.

1
Sabzevar is located in the Northeast of Iran, south of Sabzevar mountain range on the outer edge of the Central
Plateau of Iran.
This model is formed according to the following
sustainable strategies:
- maximum land use
- compact living
- mixed land uses
- using land efficiently
- multifunctional spaces
- minimum resource and material use
- minimum need for Energy and water
- minimum circulation
In this model all functional areas are located on each
other (maximum overlap), (Figure 10 Right).

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___________________________________________________________________________________________________________


Figure 10. Comparing two ideal house concepts

The lack of land and energy resources, the sharp rise in
the costs of construction and maintenance, technology
development and above of all changing in lifestyle and
family structure limit the using of single-purpose spaces
in contemporary housing design. In the other hand, the
highest level of space use (second idea) belongs to the
Solitary confinement! It is clear; nobody likes to live in
a box for all of its needs. Flexibility is the key of this
challenge. A flexible spatial configuration can provide
variable space according to the current and coming
needs. In second part of this paper the necessity of
flexibility in housing was mentioned.

6. Flexible spatial configuration

Space syntax is a theory and a set of methods about
space that according to the Hiller [5] is based on two
ideas:
1- Space is not a background to activity, but an intrinsic
aspect of it. Which is done in three ways: moving
through space, interacting with other people in
space and seeing space from a point in it.
2- Human space is not about one space, but about the
inter-relations between the many spaces that make
up a whole system. Hiller called it the configuration
of space.
The house is a spatial system to meet the users needs
and provide space for the family activities, at the same
time it must facilitate interaction and communication
with other family members, guests and neighbours. Any
changes in users and their lifestyle require a new spatial
configuration.
Due to the building technology of traditional Iranian
architecture, especially the use of thick and load bearing
walls, unlike Japanese traditional architecture
rearranging the position of walls to make changes is
impossible. But the traditional Iranian houses by
changing in the relationships between spaces respond
to the changes.
For a more detailed study the first floor of Aldaqi house
(end of Qajar era around 1925) as a case study is
analyzed by space syntax methods. The ground floor was
used for summer time and hot days, the service area
such as kitchen and stores are located in the ground
floor too, (Figure 11).
The first floor of Aldaqi house has a columned portico
four rooms and a connected room. Due to the large
number of access doors to each room, this house is able
to change its spatial configuration according to the
changes, some of these alternatives are presented in
Figure 12 (left).
At first look, all of them are similar together but from a
spatial configuration point of view they are very
deferent. The justified graph of these alternatives
reveals these major differences, (Figure 13).
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Figure 11. Aldaqi house in Sabzevar, convex break-ups spaces and justified graph

Figure 12. Possible plans and metric step shortest-path length maps

Figure 13. Justified graph maps for different plans
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Figure 14. Integration values

In Figure 12 (Right) a metric step shortest-path length of
alternatives is calculated by UCL Dephtmap
2
software.
The alternative F has the maximum step path length; it
can provide the maximum privacy for this layout in
comparison to other choices. The calculation of
integration
3
value shows the diversity of special
configuration clearly, (Figure 14).
These alternatives can respond to different probable
scenarios:
A: each room is dedicated to one of the family
members or guests.
B: by opening all doors and connecting to the portico
a large communal space is ready for guests at
summer.
C: communal space for guests at winter.
D, E: the house sub-divided to create two Independent
living units.
F: an extended family spends a hard winter, they
chose compact living.

7. Conclusion

Iranian traditional architecture spite of rigid physical
structure has been able to respond to changes. Nested
spaces, multiple entrances for each space, selective
connectability and disconnectability, and above all

2
UCL Depthmap is an Open Source application
developed at UCL for spatial analysis and performing
visibility analysis of architectural and urban systems.

multifunctionality enable houses to create a wide
variety of spatial configuration. This flexible spatial
configuration lets Iranian traditional houses to
rearrange themselves according to changes without
changing the main structure and form of the house. The
diversity of spatial configuration enables houses to
cover predictable and unpredictable scenarios.

Acknowledgement

This paper is a part of my PhD thesis which I am still
working on it. I would like to thank my supervisor Prof.
Karin Raith, University of Applied Arts Vienna, Building
Technology Department, for her comments.

References

[1] Maslow, Abraham Harold, A theory of human
motivation, Psychological review, 50 -4, (1943), pp.
370-396.
[2] Maslow, Abraham Harold, Toward a Psychology of
Being, Second Edition, Van Nostrand Reinhold Inc,
New York, US, 1968.
[3] Alderfer, Clayton P, An empirical test of a new
theory of human needs, Organizational behavior
and human performance, 4-2, (1969), pp. 142-175.
3
The integration of a unit space describes how closely
(or distantly) the unit is topologically accessible from
all other units. For more details about the integration
definition and calculation methods see The social
logic of space [6].
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___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

[4] Foster, Norman, A Green Agenda [Video file],
(2007), Accessed: [1 December 2013], Available
from:
http://www.ted.com/talks/norman_foster_s_gree
n_agenda.html
[5] Hillier, Bill, The art of place and the science of
space, World Architecture, 185, (2005), pp. 96-102.
[6] Hillier, Bill and Hanson, Julienne, The social logic of
space, Cambridge university press, UK, 1984.

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M. Manfredini, P. Leardini: Existing Stock for the Future: Problems, Opportunities and Strategies , pp. 3642 36

Existing Stock for the Future: Problems, Opportunities and Strategies for
Energy Upgrade of 19401960 State Housing in New Zealand

Manfredo Manfredini, Paola Leardini*

School of Architecture and Planning, University of Auckland
Architecture Building (421), 26 Symonds Street, 1010 Auckland, New Zealand, p.leardini@auckland.ac.nz

Abstract

A large part of current New Zealand housing stock was built
before compulsory home insulation was introduced in 1978. In
recent years, the low energy efficiency of these older houses
has aggravated significantly existing issues of health inequality,
fuel poverty and building decay. As they will constitute a
significant portion of future housing stock, their retrofit
provides a logical option to meet present and future
environmental imperatives and to tackle the most urgent
health issues of a country with the second highest incidence of
asthma in the world. State housing, in particular, includes a
relevant portion of problematic buildings, which are cold and
damp, often with evidence of mould growth. A consistent and
significant cohort of them was built between 1940 and 1960,
under the government-funded social housing scheme
introduced in 1937 by the Labour Party administration. These
houses, built with the iteration of few similar types, good
quality materials and sound construction prove to be suitable
candidates for effective energy upgrade interventions.
Drawing on results of long term research on State housing eco-
retrofitting, carried out at the University of Auckland, this
paper discusses meaning and value of conservation and energy
upgrade of this large State housing cohort built until 1978,
threshold to the new era of building energy performance
policies in New Zealand.

1. Introduction

According to the International Energy Agency, buildings
are responsible for 32% of the total final energy
consumption and around 40% of the primary energy
consumption in most of its member countries [1]. The
growing awareness of the impact of the built
environment on energy security that started with the
1973 oil crisis, has worldwide made building energy
efficiency a common target of national energy
conservation policies and has produced a wide variety of
certification and rating tools aimed at assessing and
enhancing the energy performance requirement of new
buildings. Those measures, however, have had a limited
effect as in the developed countries a large part of the
global building activity concentrates on existing
buildings. Only through a consistent energy efficiency
upgrade of the existing stock will it hence be possible to
achieve tangible effects in resource savings and CO2
emission reduction. Moreover, retrofitting is more
effective than reconstruction both in economic and
environmental terms. The potential environmental
impact reductions associated with building reuse and
renovation are confirmed by the study The Greenest
Building: Quantifying the Environmental Value of
Building Reuse, commissioned by the National Trust for
Historic Preservation [2], that considers new
construction over a 75-year life span. Furthermore,
when the retrofit involves buildings with historic or
cultural value, additional benefits need to be accounted
for: heritage retrofit not only contributes to the
development of local culture and economy - since that
kind of retrofit requires a wide array of skilled labour
provided on site but also enhances the quality of the
urban environment, while retaining its character and
heritage. Overall the conservation of existing buildings
positively influences local communities, eventually
promoting more sustainable urban living patterns.
New Zealand is not an exception: retrofit intervention
activity has largely exceeded new construction,
especially during the years that have followed the GFC.
According to a report published by the Building Research
Keywords: Energy retrofit, New Zealand State
house, House typology, Heritage
conservation
Revised:
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___________________________________________________________________________________________________________


Figure 1. Labour Party state housing, Orakei, Auckland (Courtesy of Renelle Gronert)

Association New Zealand (BRANZ) in 2008, alterations
and additions represented about one-third the total
value of the new dwellings, including approximately
33,000 residential consents [3]. A forecasted increase in
this activity is based on both the significant ageing of the
NZ housing stock and some urgent maintenance
interventions (i.e. earthquake strengthening). A
particularly positive aspect of the dwelling alteration
activity is its non-cyclical trend, in contrast to the figures
of new residential building activity, characterized by
sharp highs and lows over time [4].
Drawing on results of long term research on State
housing eco-retrofitting, carried out at the University of
Auckland by the authors, this paper discusses the
meaning and value of conservation and energy upgrades
of the large New Zealand State housing cohort that was
built between 1937 when the first Labour Party
housing scheme was enacted and 1978, the threshold
to the new era of building energy performance policies
in the country. The question of environmental,
economic and cultural sustainability of this stock are
evaluated in consideration of the relevant cultural
heritage of New Zealands urban environment.

2. Aucklands housing crisis

The city of Auckland has a steady growing population
(8% increase in 2006-2013 and a predicted shift from 1.4
to 2 million over the next 20 years) [5] and is currently
affected by a major housing crisis in both quantitative
and qualitative terms. The growth in housing demand
continues to exceed the growth in supply, as it is
propped also by speculative real estate investments
relying on a rather favourable financial and fiscal
frameworks (e.g. the absence of capital gains tax). The
perpetuation of this situation has made the city one of
the most over-priced house markets in the world [6]
with a steady price growth since 2008 that in 2013
reached +17.5% [7]. The situation has been confirmed
by an official survey that found Auckland to be the ninth
most expensive place among the largest cities of
Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, the United
Kingdom and the United States; the median house price
is 6.7 times higher than the gross median New Zealand
household income [8]. The consequent severe housing
unaffordability has been identified and recognised as a
major problem by both central and local authorities [9]
as it further aggravates other consolidated housing
related issues characterising the largest New Zealand
city, such as house overcrowding [10], socio-
spatial polarisation and social segregation [11], and
health inequality [12]. The policies and incentives
recently promulgated by the authorities to answer the
crisis by stimulating the construction of affordable
housing do not seem to lead to substantial changes in
new housing provision. One main reason lies in the
peculiar endogenous problems of the New Zealand
construction sector that has traditionally been affected
by fundamental issues of both a technical i.e. the
limited capacity and low efficiency of the organisations
[13] and structural, nature i.e. the size of the local
market, shortage of land supply and infrastructural
upgrades. The main effect of this situation is the
increasing pressure on the existing building stock, which
will constitute the largest portion of the countrys
housing for at least the next three decades [14],
assuming a fundamental role in this critical scenario for
the future evolution of Aucklands housing conditions.
A particular problem afflicting existing New Zealand
housing is their poor healthy and comfortable living
conditions. This is mainly due to the low energy
performance of the approximately 65% of New Zealand
homes built before 1978, in an age of cheap energy and
absence of regulation concerning thermal insulation.
The 1977 standard NZS 4218P Minimum thermal
insulation requirements for residential buildings
introduced a first mandatory set of requirements for
new construction [15] to improve the standard types
(mainly built as basement-less, timber-frame structures,
with weatherboard or brick veneer cladding and metal
roofing) that have very low thermal inertia, high heat
transmittance and minimal or no insulation.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The problems of unhealthy and uncomfortable living
conditions have been widely studied and documented.
The above-mentioned BRANZ Study Report [3] states
that the biggest housing cohort currently requiring
major renovation are houses built in the period from
1940 to 1960 (about 480,000). Recent studies assessing
their behaviour revealed critical thermal conditions,
with winter average indoor air temperatures that
recurrently fall below the critical limit of 18C [16] set by
the World Health Organisation [17], and frequent
formation of visible mould [18]. The consequent
negative impact on occupants health, in particular on
respiratory conditions, has been found especially among
less advantaged people [19]. Poorly performing houses,
associated with rising energy costs, have aggravated fuel
poverty issues and increased the incidence of
respiratory diseases and asthma, of which New Zealand
has among the worst rates worldwide. The cohort of
1930s - 1970s houses represents therefore the major
group to target for effective sustainable retrofit
interventions, also in consideration of the scarce
improvements gained by buildings that were upgraded
according to common New Zealand retrofit practices, as
recent surveys demonstrate.

3. Midtwentieth century statesupported
housing

The history of public housing in New Zealand started
with the early twentieth-century Liberal government,
but only with the extensive mass housing scheme of the
first Labour government, that built about 30,000 houses
during its 1935-49 term, did State houses start to be
associated with progressive living conditions and with
the iconic image of standard weatherboard and brick
and tile construction. They were based on a limited
number of types and construction systems, replicated
around the country regardless of different climatic
conditions for over twenty years.
As stated above, the houses built from 1940 to 1960 by
the State or by private firms with the States financial
support represent today the largest homogeneous
housing group in the country [20], and typically presents
features that are favourable for energy retrofit
interventions, such as the compact shape and the use of
good quality materials and sound construction. These
houses, despite their quite varied appearance, are
mainly single-storey detached buildings, generally with
small (around 100 m), rectangular or L shaped floor
plans. Usually they have hipped or gabled roofs, made
of tiles, asbestos-cement shingles or corrugated sheets;
a suspended timber floor on a concrete perimeter
foundation wall; a single fireplace and chimney; timber
weatherboard, brick veneer, stucco or asbestos-cement
cladding; small multi-paned timber-framed casement
windows and recessed front and rear porches [21]. A
characteristic feature is their usual orientation to the
north, allowing maximum sun penetration into the
interior of the living areas in winter, with eaves for
summer heat protection. Their windows are large, for
sunlight and fresh air, which was deemed very
important to avoid the recently experienced outbreak of
Tuberculosis and Diphtheria [22].
Notwithstanding their modern and progressive design
and their sound construction those houses ended up
being cold and draughty, and a few years after
completion mould was discovered in over 50% of them
[23]. Although some form of insulation was already
available in the 1950s, it was seldom installed, causing
houses to be difficult to heat with the single fireplace in
the living room - the most common form of space
heating until the 1960s. Supplementary heating was
supplied using solid fuel stoves, later replaced by gas
(reticulated only in the 1960s) and electric heating,
which became popular in the 1940s and 50s, despite the
unreliable electricity supply.

3.1. State housing retrofit programmes

The pre-1978 housing stock does not present significant
typological differences between public and privately
owned dwellings. However, the level of maintenance of
State-owned rental properties given low-income
tenants, peripheral location and budget constraints
has often been lower, with minimal interventions to
upgrade their quality over the time. After decades of
neglect, in 2001 the governments National Energy
Efficiency and Conservation Strategy set up the political
and financial framework to support a major energy
retrofit programme, providing a platform to extend
funding for pre-1978 home insulation retrofits around
the country, including State housing stock. That same
year Housing New Zealand Corporation - the largest
public landlord in the country with more than 69,000
rental properties - initiated the Energy Efficiency Retrofit
Program, addressing the lack of insulation of its pre-
1978 houses across the country with a 1012 year plan.
It aimed to upgrade two thirds of the stock with ceiling
insulation, aluminium foil below suspended floors, hot
water cylinder insulation and draught stoppers. Given
the magnitude of the programme, the University of
Otago was commissioned to monitor results of the
upgrade process [24]. Findings of this study seriously
challenged the efficacy of the retrofit programme,
revealing apparent limits of retrofitting to the ceiling
and floor only, which, in the South Island, this resulted
in minimal temperature increase.
The increased awareness of the importance of energy
upgrade of existing housing as a means to guarantee
healthy and comfortable living conditions has led to the
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

introduction of policies particularly directed to low-
income households, framed in the New Zealand Energy
Efficiency and Conservation Strategy 20112016 [25].
Retrofitting of the existing housing stock was also
introduced as a priority in the new Auckland Plan, the
citys regulatory framework for the next 30 years [26].
Its high socio-economic relevance among disadvantaged
social groups was confirmed by studies on the
relationship between density of State housing and
deprivation status [27], which highlight the key role of
the house in improving living conditions of
disadvantaged social groups. Accordingly, HNZC has
recently focused on upgrading its housing stock in
Auckland (where 43% of State housing lies), mainly on
pre-1978 detached houses, as this cohort represents a
significant portion of the urban housing stock [28].

3.2. Social and cultural relevance of mid-
twentieth century state-supported
housing

The active preservation of Aucklands mid-twentieth
century state-supported housing is a fundamental
measure to safeguard both the tangible and intangible
cultural patrimony of a specific form of urbanity: the
distributed post-colonial city. This represents the
evolution of Kiwi culture and its spatial approach, now
challenged by irreversible environmental, technological
and socio-economic changes. These houses in their
urban aggregations bear a unique testimony of the
extraordinary effort of modern New Zealand society to
perpetuate the happy dream of the foundational
nineteenth century colonial era; this core notion of
European colonisation would have the migrants
condition changed from pauperism to plenty,
transforming him into a man of property, able to
purchase land and build himself a nice house [29].
Following this collective vision of prosperity, the
construction of the city was made possible through the
institution of a State-controlled land supply: the
plentiful availability of land in the new colony was both
the greatest opportunity and a major threat, given its
indefinite excess against the needs of the society [29].
Control was maintained through the development of
governance means from land inalienability to zoning
regulation that allowed the State to instigate a period
of intrepid and elated construction of a steady extending
green-dominated suburban urbanism that still
motivates todays practices.
The Garden City model, introduced in 1919 with the first
New Zealand Town-Planning Conference, was reworked
into the idea of a green classless suburb with the
assimilation of various social groups into an overall
culture of family and home [30]. The detached family
home was conceived as a domestic idyll that deployed
an epic narrative, articulating four key elements of the
concrete utopia: (1) the ideal of retreat the creation
of a comforting domain granting independency, privacy
and isolation; (2) the paradigm of the private bucolic
space directing it to the integration into the natural
environment with care for the environment and
cultivation; (3) the spatial platform for the individual
path to emancipation through social identification
centring it on family life and its affirmation in the space
through the definition of a distinctive protected,
secured and cared territory within an established
community framework; and (4) the principal means for
originary self-expression fabricating and decorating
the house and its annexes as act of truth creation.
Over time, the concrete utopia reified through the
production of detached family homes became
mainstream and constituted the recognised New
Zealand norm for the construction of the city.
Permeating all physical, social and psychological
spatialities reflected in plans and regulation,
interactions and communication, behaviours and
everyday practices, it has continued to orient housing
choices until today. Its narrative probably constitutes
the core component of the intangible values responsible
for the obliteration of modern attempts to introduce
more dense urban forms. Its momentum has continued
to hinder any form of collective housing,
notwithstanding the social, economic and
environmental problems connected with low density
urban sprawl, that have been officially recognised since
the 1950s [31].
The political development of this idea in New Zealands
housing history was marked by the enactment of
dedicated planning regulations and housing policies
from the 1930s to the 1970s (i.e. from the post-Great
Depression era to New Zealands economic downturn).
This period saw the alternation of two distinct political
approaches, ideologically informed by socially-
orientated Labour party and market-orientated National
party visions: the housing programs introduced by the
first Labour government from 1935 to 1949 a
compound of substantial building and loan schemes to
provide all New Zealanders access to highest quality
public housing, framed in fundamental welfare state
reforms and the National governments less
demanding home ownership policies of the 1950s,
anticipating the principles of property owning
democracy (eventually developed by the Thatcher
government in Britain in the early 1980s). Finally, with
the advent of globalisation, the dream has dramatically
faded because of environmental imperatives and
socioeconomic changes.

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___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

4. Heritage conservation issues: Regulatory
framework and socio-cultural aspects

The current New Zealand retrofitting practice,
principally steered by economic drivers and supported
by basic technological principles, is characterised by a
limited consideration for both heritage and
environmental values. This extremely pragmatic
approach is resistant to the cultural orientation of
contemporary western conservation theory and
practice, entirely relying on the backward national
building sector that uses basic construction techniques
and often inhibits the penetration of innovative
practices targeting energy efficiency heritage
conservation. This custom reflects a modest
preservation and restoration culture consequent to the
relatively minor problems arising from the limited
patrimony of material legacy a fact reflected, for
instance, in the absence of UNESCO listed cultural sites
in New Zealand. (Napier tried to get UNESCO world
heritage status, but was rejected because of an adverse
report by a local architectural historian.) Given that
context, the current regulatory framework produced
and consolidated during the last three decades of
deregulation inspired by a strong neoliberal political
orientation includes rather loose policies and controls
in this field. One of the key features of this system is the
fundamental transfer of responsibility for heritage
identification and protection to local authorities. Under
the 1991 Resource Management Act (the countrys
fundamental legislation for environmental
management), they are only required to include a
schedule of heritage items in their district plan.
Therefore, matters of conservation of building and
places of historic, cultural and architectural relevance
are addressed inconsistently across the Country and are
typically managed with bland zoning practices and
development controls.
Auckland has one of the countrys most advanced urban
planning systems, which includes a formal commitment
to the identification, protection and maintenance of its
historic patrimony. This obligation (one of the eight
main issues of the policy framework of the new
Auckland Unitary Plan, currently in its
submission/observations phase), includes the
assumption of responsibility to safeguard and guarantee
intactness of historic heritage [26]. The Plan integrates
and harmonises, the current district plans of the seven
councils amalgamated in 2010, with an emphasis on
simplification. It defines three groups of heritage
cultural resources: Category A and B places, respectively
with exceptional and considerable overall significance,
and Historic heritage areas, which include groups of
inter-related places or features that collectively meet
the criteria for the category A or B places. Those groups
include a wide variety of entities: buildings and
structures, archaeological sites, sites sacred and
significant to Mori, cultural landscapes, gardens, trees
and vegetation. Their broad definition, though, is
translated in rather limited heritage protection
measures and bland development controls, that do not
set peremptory clauses even for demolition and
destruction [32]. However, in the Plan these areas are
mainly defined around uninterrupted clusters of
housing built in the late nineteenth and early twentieth
centuries. Moreover, large parts of the city have been
included in the Special Character Areas overlay that,
according to the aim to retain and manage identified
local special character values, is only aimed to retain the
overall notable or distinctive aesthetic
or physical qualities of the areas and, hence, include
controls that are sensibly more relaxed than the Historic
Heritage ones. To complete the conservation regulation,
a precautionary historic heritage overlay has also been
introduced in the new Plan the pre-1944 building
demolition control to address concerns that
unscheduled historic heritage buildings and places or
groups of special character Buildings [among them a
significant number of the first generation of State
Houses] will be lost before an evaluation is done [33].
In this framework, the missing inclusion of the individual
and clusters of the latest houses of the happy dream
built in the mid twentieth century within the scheduled
historical heritage is a gap to be urgently filled, as it
represents a threat to the preservation of a fundamental
part of the cultural heritage to understand and
appreciate the distinctive history, culture and identity of
Aucklands people and places. The conservation of that
patrimony of values embedded in domestic
architectures is a relevant measure to preserve and
treasure the legacy of the great collective effort of the
New Zealand society to construct an effective model for
its social, cultural and physical wellbeing. This is because
the resulting system of ideal patches that punctuate
Aucklands distributed urban landscape of domesticity
(Sarah Treadwell, 2005) still comprehends today an
invaluable patrimony of ecologies, habitats, signs and
symbols that supports the life of communities with
unusual high level of cohesion. Those patches are
compositions of unique local networks of places that,
acting as open surfaces for the inscription of
incremental individual contribution, have developed
through the highest personal investment of the
residents to accommodate their needs and desires,
making the best use of all the available material and
immaterial resources. The perseverance of the do it
yourself culture is possibly the most obvious aspect of
this society. One of the most authoritative recognitions
of this characteristic can be found in the most
controversial critique on New Zealand architecture by
Nikolaus Pevsner in the late 1950s; an unequivocal
appreciation of the impressive character of the typical
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

suburban houses all neatly built and neatly painted in
gay, boiled-sweet colours in their capability to
generate the most ingratiating chaos one can imagine
[34].
To take care of those houses means primarily to treasure
the capital of material and intangible values of the
habitat that they host: a crucial undertaking in this
period of deep socio-economic transition characterised
by a rapid expansion of blanket commodification that
increasingly affects the building sector. The current
Auckland dwelling culture registers an unprecedented
emphasis on economic speculation (supported by the
absence of capital gains tax) that subjects most of the
construction and transformation practices to the
commercial rule of resale price maximisation.
The mid-twentieth century State housing is repository of
authenticity that needs to be respected, studied,
protected and vitalised, as its obliteration would be feral
for any intervention aiming at sustainable urban
regeneration. Moreover, the effort in preserving these
Auckland houses is particularly urgent as their basic
foundational function of social inclusion is exposed to an
emergent threat correlated to the aforementioned
phenomenon of urban fragmentation: the polarization
of the habitats of a demographically super-diverse
territory, where a composite immigration flow, occurred
during the last three decades, has developed as a
disjoined network of ethnic-specific precinct with rising
phenomena of segregation.

5. Conclusions

The social and cultural role assumed by these houses
and their habitat in contemporary Auckland is of
paramount importance but extremely complex, as it
concerns multidimensional matters of identity and
diversity, social cohesion and dynamism, wellbeing and
health. However, the rich articulation of those
implications is also a threat because, as it results are
very difficult to identify and measure with simple
parameters, empirical indications should be found only
in composite indexes such as the Deprivation index
or in grassroots protest movements like the 2011 Glen
Innes state housing riots. The performance-based
retrofitting of those houses is a key factor for the
substantiation, formulation and enactment of adequate
policies and actions to address crisis and disruptions that
particularly hit the disadvantaged people the houses of
the happy dream were built to cater for.

Acknowledgement

The authors acknowledge the support of Housing New
Zealand Corporation and of colleagues at the School of
Architecture and Planning, Paul Litterick in particular, for
providing fundamental information and
encouragement. Great thanks to the Programme
Committee of the International Conferences S.ARCH for
the efforts done for the success of this event.

Funding source

The authors acknowledge the financial support from the
University of Auckland.

References

[1] International Energy Agency,
https://www.iea.org/aboutus/faqs/energyefficien
cy/ (accessed 28th April 2014).
[2] Preservation Green Lab, The Greenest Building:
Quantifying the Environmental Value of Building
Reuse, National Trust for Historic Preservation,
Seattle, USA, 2011.
[3] Page, I.C. and Fung, J., Housing life cycle and
sustainability, Study Report 214, BRANZ, Porirua,
New Zealand, 2008.
[4] Poot, Jacques, Building activity brings many
benefits for NZ, Build, 125 (2011),
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[6] OECD, Economic outlook, general assessment of
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Lj. Djukanovi, M. Jovanovic Popovi, A. Radivojevi: Potential Energy Savings in the Process of Rehabilitation , pp. 4350 43

Potential Energy Savings in the Process of Rehabilitation of
Residential Buildings built before the Second World War

Ljiljana Djukanovi*, Milica Jovanovi Popovi, Ana Radivojevi

Faculty of Architecture, University of Belgrade
Bulevar kralja Aleksaandra 73/II, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia, djuli@arh.bg.ac.rs

Abstract

Improving the Serbian housing stock built before the beginning
of World War II has the potential to achieve multiple benefits
in terms of both saving energy and enhancing the quality of life
in them. Considering the importance of preserving these
buildings as testimonies of our architectural past, investing in
their rehabilitation will also contribute to the preservation of
a significant element of our national identity. Recent data from
the 2011 Census show that 322,244 dwellings in Serbia were
built prior to 1945, accounting for 10% of total dwellings.
Nearly half of these (45%) are located in Vojvodina, and a fifth
(20%) belongs to Belgrade area. The methodology for
rehabilitation was based on the typology of buildings from this
period, as the starting point for calculating the potential
energy savings and was developed for the purpose of the
National Typology of Residential Buildings in Serbia. The
Serbian housing stock built before World War II is
characterized by high diversity as to the territorial distribution
of construction types, while the remarkable differences
between the old urban and rural architecture further add to
the complexity of the typology. The present paper defines
possible improvements to the selected building types as model
representatives of real structures. The calculations of the
energy performance and building type distributions were used
to determine the potential energy savings in the process of
rehabilitation.

1. Introduction

The results presented in this paper arise from the
extensive research conducted by a group of authors
from Faculty of Architecture, University of Belgrade,
within the IEE Project TABULA [1]. The starting point of
the project was the typology of residential buildings,
which encompassed family and multifamily housing and
aimed to define the structure of the total housing stock
in Serbia [2-4]. The characteristic types selected by the
year of construction and the defined structure of the
thermal envelope were used to analyze the energy
performance of the buildings and to propose potential
energy savings at the national level [5].

2. Characteristics of the Serbian preWWII
housing stock

2.1. Specific features of the housing stock
pertaining to territorial divisions

The specific characteristics of the Serbian pre-World
War II (WWII) housing stock seem pertinent to territorial
divisions, the socio-historical context and natural
conditions. This paper highlights three territorial entities
that reflect the particularities of housing construction in
the period before World War II: Vojvodina, South Serbia
and the City of Belgrade (Figure 1).
Vojvodina differs from other parts of Serbia by its
geographical position and specific historical conditions,
which gave rise to the distinctive features of the local
architecture. By the end of World War I, Vojvodina had
belonged to the Austro-Hungarian Empire so that
building construction and architectural styles were
influenced by those of Central Europe. Geographically,
Vojvodina is a lowland area with a rich river network and
sparse forests, its soil composed of loess deposits, and
its temperate continental climate characterized by a
wide range of temperature extremes. Its natural
features influenced the choice of building materials,
usually found in the immediate vicinity of the
Keywords: Building stock, Energy rehabilitation,
Energy savings
Revised:
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___________________________________________________________________________________________________________


Figure 1. Characteristics of the Serbian housing stock built before the World War II by territorial criteria

Table 1. Distribution of dwelling units by territorial criteria

construction site. The key features of Vojvodinas
building construction were determined by the
abundance of land suitable for building and, on the
other hand, the paucity of stone and timber, which
caused the houses in the area to be built of rammed
earth or brick, firstly unbaked and later baked.
Statistics show that 45% of the preserved housing stock
built in Serbia before World War II is located in
Vojvodina, while most of the dwellings (90%) are family
houses comprising no more than two living units (Table
1). Houses built of rammed earth and unbaked brick
account for 60% of the total number of buildings in this
area; the preference to these materials persisted even
after World War II. The 1957 Ordinance On technical and
other requirements of design and construction of
buildings in the city area introduced a ban on the use of
rammed earth and unbaked brick, which marked the
beginning of planned elimination of adobe architecture.

A before 1919 B 1919-1945
territorial distribution
total no.
of units
share in
total no. of
units
share in
total no. of
units of the
period
total no. of
units
share in
total no. of
units
share in total
no. of units of
the period
Serbia 115 879 3.59% 100% 206 365 6.39% 100%
no. of units in max-2 unit houses 96 923 154 442
solid construction materials 52 940 128 369
Vojvodina 76 519 9.02% 66% 69 255 8.17% 33.56%
South Serbia 29 167 1.77% 25.2% 84 386 5.12% 40.9%
Belgrade 10 193 1.39% 8.8% 52 724 7.17% 25.5%
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___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

For a time, the building method endured in the rural
areas of Vojvodina only to gradually give way to baked
brickwork.
In contrast, the territory south of the rivers Sava and
Danube is characterized by different geographical
features: the terrain is hilly to mountainous, and rivers
and forests abound. Besides physical differences, the
historical development of this Serbian region was also
dissimilar to that of the northern province, resulting in
the distinctive techniques of architectural design and
construction. The centuries of Ottoman dominance over
the territory contributed to the evolution of the oriental
architecture and construction techniques widespread in
the Balkans and Asia Minor. The availability of timber
influenced the ubiquity of this building material in
traditional houses: log houses were built in the
mountainous regions (Uice, Stari Vlah), and post and
petrail prevailed in the highlands of East and South
Serbia. Statistics show that 35% of the preserved pre-
WWII housing stock can be located to the south of the
Sava and the Danube; most of the dwellings are family
houses with a maximum of two living units (as much as
92%), found predominantly in rural areas (70%). Half of
the buildings from that period (53%) were built of solid
material, while the other half (47%) were done in post
and petrail technique (Table 1).
Belgrade, the capital city, accounts for 20% of the total
housing stock constructed before World War II, with the
largest number of houses built in the interwar period
(19191945). The capital became a distinct entity not
only due to the high concentration of housing but also
because the urban development gave rise to specific
housing types pertaining to urban areas. Although
Belgrade is an ancient European settlement considering
its historical development, its architecture does not
reveal this heritage, primarily due to the lack of material
evidence of its rich history. The time boundary for the
establishment of the Belgrade housing stock is set to the
beginning of the 19th century; however, few surviving
buildings (mostly public by purpose) testify about this
period, and the largest number of the existing housing
units date back to the second half of the 19th century
and later [6-7]. Belgrade is distinguished from other
parts of Serbia by a large number of dwelling units in
multifamily buildings (with three or more units), with
63% of the total housing stock built before World War I
and 75% from the interwar period (Table 1). The first
multifamily houses in Belgrade were constructed in the
1850s, but it was not before the early 20
th
century and
the period of intensive settlement after World War I that
the building construction activities fully flourished.
Despite the predominance of one-floor family houses at
the time, the present data reveal the results of using
construction materials not solid enough to resist the
ravages of time and surges of urbanization. Two specific
types of family houses could be distinguished: gentry
town homes modeled on the European architecture,
and small, modest dwellings for the poor, who
translated the models from their original rural areas into
the city [8]. The latter have not been preserved as they
were mostly built in post and petrail technique with the
infill of wattle and daub or unbaked brick.

Table 2. The national typology of residential buildings in Serbia

family housing multifamily housing
type
1

2 3

4 5

A

before 1919

B

1919-1945

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2.2. Selecting the model representatives of the
typology structure for the national
housing stock

In compliance with the recommendations of the Project
TABULA on the formation of the national typology of
residential buildings, and with consideration of the
specific characteristics of the national housing stock, the
adopted typology structure comprised particular
building types (Table 2). The following types were
defined: for family housing, 1. Freestanding family
house; 2. Row family house; for multifamily housing, 3.
Freestanding residential building; 4. Lamella residential
building (with repeated lamellar cores and multiple
entrances); 5. Row residential building; and, 6. High-rise
residential building (tower). The last category was
excluded from the tables analyzed in this paper as such
buildings date from a considerably later period. The
national typology adopted the periodization according
to the key socio-political events, the changes introduced
in the building technologies, and the regulations
relevant to the construction industry. Thus, the pre-
WWII residential stock was divided into two periods: A
before the end of World War I (before 1919), and Bthe
interwar period and World War II (19191945). This
division is consistent with the changes in the building
technologies, choice of materials and equipment, and
relevant legislation.
The representatives of the characteristic building types
were selected upon the survey developed for this
research, which included 6,000 family houses and
13,000 multifamily buildings. The research was based on
architectural and urban parameters, quantitative
indicators (dwelling unit area, gross floor area, number
of floors), and characteristics that determine the
thermal performance of the building (floor plan
complexity, faades, roof, windows and doors). The
defined criteria were included in the survey and then
used to establish the characteristics of typical buildings
that were representative of specific periods of
construction; finally, the national typology was formed.
The A1 type model (a freestanding family house built
before 1919) is a ground floor house with a compact
floor plan, without a basement, and with an unoccupied
loft. Depending on the territorial criterion, it can be a
post and petrail construction in South Serbia or a
rammed earth/unbaked brick structure in Vojvodina. A
large number of such houses still exist, mostly in rural
areas.
The A2 type model (a family house in a row built before
1919) is a ground floor house with a complex floor plan,
mostly built of unbaked brick, with a basement, and an
unoccupied loft. Such houses can be found only in
Vojvodina, as Austro-Hungarian authorities imposed
planned housing development according to the
orthogonal parceling pattern. The houses are positioned
along the border to the adjacent lot so that they have
adjoining walls and thus form a row. The type is
characteristic of both urban and rural areas. However,
the settlements in other Serbian regions are of a
dispersed type so that such a layout cannot be found.
The selected A3 type model (a freestanding multifamily
building built before 1919) has the GF+1 floor scheme,
with a basement and a loft. It is one of the first
multifamily houses built by the Belgrade municipality to
provide housing for the socially disadvantaged. Its
construction features make it a typical representative of
its time, with baked-brick walls, wooden floor
constructions and Prussian vaults above the basement.
It is characteristic of the urban environment.
The selected A4 type model (a lamella built before 1919)
has the GF+1 floor scheme, with a basement and a loft.
Similarly to the type above, it represents a social housing
complex, and has the same characteristics as the
previous example. However, a novelty was achieved by
an innovative architectural and urban layout, whose
common core of dwelling units is multiplied to form a
lamellar row with several entrances, comprising a
building as a whole. It is one of the first examples of this
type of house and is characteristic only of urban areas.
The A5 type model (a row house built before 1919) has
the GF+2 floor scheme, with a basement and a loft,
which has been converted into a living area. Integrated
into the city matrix, the building takes the full length of
the lot to the street front. The same as the types above,
its construction consists of load-bearing brick walls,
wooden floor constructions, and Prussian vaults above
the basement. It is characteristic only of urban
environments.
The B1 type model (a freestanding family house dating
from 19191945) is a ground floor house with a compact
floor plan, built of brick in a massive construction with a
wooden ceiling to the loft. Such buildings mark the
transition to the new way of building that used solid and
more durable materials for walls, such as baked brick,
while the use of old materials, rammed earth and
unbaked brick, was discontinued. Although most
buildings of this type have been preserved in rural areas,
some have also survived urban growth in the cities.
The B2 type model (a family row house built in 1919
1945) is a ground floor structure with a compact floor
plan, with a basement and an unoccupied loft. The
building materials may have been unbaked or baked
brick, with a wooden floor construction to the loft and a
Prussian vault above the basement. Similarly to the
representative row houses of the older period, such
structures can be found only in Vojvodina, where
planned parceling was the norm. This type is
characteristic of both rural and urban areas.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The B3 type model (a freestanding multifamily building
dating from 19191945) has the GF+2 floor scheme,
with a basement and a loft subsequently converted to a
living area. After World War I, the cities faced a severe
housing crisis and rental multifamily housing
developments were a lucrative business. Its
construction characteristics are typical of its time, with
brick walls, wooden floor constructions, and reinforced
concrete ceiling above the basement level. It is
characteristic only of urban areas.
The B4 type model (a lamela built in 19191945) has the
GF+2 floor scheme, with an unoccupied loft. This
building concept generally refers to social housing; thus,
the chosen development was financed by a wealthy
industrialist, the owner of Bajloni and Sons company,
to provide housing for their workers and clerks [9]. The
construction consists of brick walls and ribbed
reinforced concrete floors. The use of reinforced
concrete grew after World War I, firstly only for ceilings
above the basement (which had to be fire resistant).
Later, the material replaced the wooden floors
completely, becoming the only choice for floor
constructions. Considering its layout, the building is
typical merely of urban environments.
The type B5 model (a row building built in 19191945)
has the GF+3 floor scheme, with a basement and a loft
subsequently converted into residential space.
Integrated into the city matrix, the building is
characteristic only of urban areas. The construction
comprises load-bearing brick walls, wooden floor
constructions and a reinforced concrete ceiling above
the basement.
2.3. Quantitative analysis of the typology
structure for the national pre-WWII
housing stock

The typology structure was the starting point for the
quantification of the selected representative buildings
nationwide, while the results thus obtained were used
to assess the total Serbian housing stock. The survey of
the buildings conducted for the purposes of this project,
the 2011 National Census, and other data from the
Statistical Office of the Republic of Serbia, [10] yielded
the following numerical values for each identified type
at the national level: the areas, the number of buildings,
and the number of dwelling units (Table 3).
In summary, the numerical values expressing the
distribution of certain types can indicate that
freestanding family houses (type 1) constitute by far the
largest percentage of buildings constructed by 1945
(91%), while their area accounts for 78% of the total
square meters built during this period. The distribution
of the other types is much lower (under 10%), especially
for multifamily residential buildings. This numerical
distribution can be explained by the facts that
multifamily housing had not begun its development until
the early 20
th
century; that it was characteristic only of
urban areas, which in Serbia were few; and, that most of
such buildings were concentrated in Belgrade. In
addition, years of war and the economic crisis in the
interwar period held back any large-scale investment
and building projects, which primarily affected
multifamily housing. Buildings of the lamella type were

Table 3. National typology before World War IIType distribution

Type distribution by area (m
2
)
1 2 3 4 5 m
2
%
< 1919 8 812 918 1 641 759 181 255 128 836 319 202 11 083 970 37.90
B 1919-1945 14 060 213 871 044 1 056 060 343 833 1 829 417 18 160 567 62.10
m
2
22 873 131 2 512 803 1 237 315 472 669 2 148 619 29 244 537 100.00
% 78.21 8.59 4.23 1.62 7.35 100.00
Type distribution by number of buildings (items)
1 2 3 4 5 items %
< 1919 117 985 17 394 183 40 345 135 947 39.43
B 1919-1945 194 546 10 937 1 530 170 1 663 208 846 60.57
items 312 531 28 331 1 713 210 2 008 344 793 100.00
% 90.64 8.22 0.50 0.06 0.58 100.00
Type distribution by number of dwelling units (items)
1 2 3 4 5 items %
< 1919 117 985 17 394 1 098 567 2980 140 024 36.86
B 1919-1945 195 812 11 078 12 240 2 457 18 267 239 854 63.14
items 313 797 28 472 13 338 3 024 21 247 379 878 100.00
% 82.60 7.50 3.51 0.80 5.59 100.00
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Table 4. National typology before World War IIType distribution by heating consumption [MWh/year]

Table 5. National typologySavings after the standard improvement of building energy performance [MWh/year]

a novelty in the construction industry; as they
demanded large investments, it was not until the 1970s
that their development reached its peak.

3. Energy performance and savings potential
in preWWII residential buildings

The next step in the analysis of the housing stock in
Serbia was to determine the energy properties of the
representative types of residential buildings. The review
of technical documentation and the field research
helped to define the structure of the thermal envelope
and the heat and domestic hot water supply systems so
as to carry out the thermal calculations and establish the
energy class of the building. The data on the specific
annual heating energy demand for each building type
[kWh/m
2
/year] and the distribution balance of the types
and the total area [m
2
] were used to determine the
energy required for heating [MWh/year]. The results are
shown in Table 4. Considering the predominance of
family houses (A1 and B1) compared to other housing
types, these buildings show the highest demand for
heating energy [11-12].

3.1. Energy performance and savings potential
in pre-WWII residential buildings

The suggested measures for improving the energy
efficiency of the representative buildings of the typology
structure considered two levels of improved
performance: standard measures, and advanced
measures.
Standard measures encompassed construction
interventions that are typical of domestic practice in
improving energy efficiency of a building: replacement
of the existing windows with new packages, compliant
with thermal codes; and, adding thermal insulation to
walls and floor constructions to the external or
unheated areas. The purpose of the standard
improvement measures was to raise the energy
efficiency class by one, with respect to the valid
regulations on energy efficiency of buildings.
Advanced measures took into account the maximum
possible improvement of energy performance
considering the characteristics of the building in
question. This included the installation of top quality
windows available on the domestic market and thick
insulation layers in the thermal envelope, with the
purpose of raising the energy efficiency class as high as
possible.
Energy savings achieved by standard improvement
measures are shown in Table 5. The intervention on
freestanding family houses, which account for most of
the total housing stock built before 1945, would yield
the greatest energy savings. If standard measures were
applied on the buildings of this construction period, the
potential annual savings could amount to 4,061,683
MWh, which would reduce the total heating energy
demand by 56% of the present figures.
Energy savings achieved by advanced improvement
measures are shown in Table 6. The greatest proportion
of freestanding residential buildings contributed to the
highest energy savings achieved in this category. The
comparison between the total energy savings achieved
by advanced improvements (5,039,391 MWh per year)
1 2 3 4 5

[MWh/year]
%
< 1919 2 317 797 512 229 38 064 21 129 52 988 2 942 187 41.01
B 1919-1945 3 402 572 284 831 196 427 75 299 272 583 4 231 712 58.99

[MWh/year]
5 720 369 797 060 234 491 96 428 325 551 7 173 899 100.00
% 79.74 11.11 3.27 1.34 4.54 100.00
1 2 3 4 5

[MWh/year]
%
< 1919 1 427 693 270 890 19 757 11 209 21 067 1 750 616 43.10
B 1919-1945 1 841 888 166 369 108 774 49 512 144 524 2 311 067 56.90

[MWh/year]
3 269 581 437 259 128 531 60 721 165 591 4 061 683 100.00
% 80.50 10.76 3.16 1.50 4.08 100.00
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Table 6. National typologySavings after the advanced improvement of building energy performance [MWh/year]

and the present consumption (7,173,899 MWh per year)
highlights the reduction in total heating energy demand
by 70%.

4. Conclusion

Improving the energy performance of buildings
constructed before World War II could result in
significant energy savings and a better standard of living.
However, the importance of preserving and refurbishing
this segment of the Serbian housing stock lies beyond
the scope of potential energy savings. A significant
number of these buildings have been included in the
national cultural heritage and are under state
protection, which can further complicate the process of
rehabilitation. On the other hand, the measures that
contribute to their better energy efficiency can be
viewed as the process of renovation and preservation,
which is of special interest in such buildings. Although
the proportion of the buildings of this period in the total
housing stock is small, they represent a testimony of our
architectural past so that the investment in their
rehabilitation would contribute to the preservation of a
significant facet of our national identity.

Funding source

The survey for the present research was conducted by
Ipsos Strategic Marketing agency, Belgrade.

References

[1] TABULATypology Approach for Building Stock
Energy Assessment, www.building-typology.eu
[2] Popovi Jovanovi, Milica et al., tlas porodinih
kua Srbije [Atlas of Family Housing in Serbia] ,
Faculty of Architecture University of Belgrade and
GIZ Deutsche Gesellschaft fr Internationale
Zusammenarbeit, Belgrade, Serbia, 2012 (in
Serbian and English).
[3] Popovi Jovanovi, Milica et al., tlas
vieporodinih kua Srbije [Atlas of Multifamily
Housing in Serbia], Faculty of Architecture
University of Belgrade and GIZ Deutsche
Gesellschaft fr Internationale Zusammenarbeit,
Belgrade, Serbia, 2013 (in Serbian and English).
[4] Popovi Jovanovi, Milica et al., Nacionalna
tipologija stambenih zgrada Srbije [National
Typology of Residential Buildings in Serbia], Faculty
of Architecture University of Belgrade and GIZ
Deutsche Gesellschaft fr Internationale
Zusammenarbeit, Belgrade, Serbia, 2013 (in
Serbian and English).
[5] Popovi Jovanovi, Milica and Ana Radivojevi,
National Typology of Residential Buildings in
Serbia. Design Structure and Principles, In Housing
Development in Serbia in the Context of
Globalization and Integrations. Approaches and
experiences, (Vladimir Mako, ed.), Faculty of
Architecture University of Belgrade, Belgrade,
Serbia, 2012, pp. 176-193.
[6] uri-Zamolo, Divna. Beograd 1898-1914. Iz arhive
graevinskog odbora [Belgrade 18981914. From
the Housing Committee Archives]. Muzej grada
Beograda, Belgrade, Serbia, 1980 (in Serbian).
[7] Roter-Blagojevi, Mirjana. Stambena arhitektura
Beograda u 19. i poetkom 20. veka [Housing
Architecture of Belgrade in the 19
th
and Early 20
th

Centuries]. Faculty of Architecture University of
Belgrade, Orion art, Belgrade, Serbia, 2006 (in
Serbian).
[8] Nestorovi, Bogdan. Arhitektura Srbije u XIX veku
[Serbian Architecture in XIX Century]. Art Press,
Belgrade, Serbia, 2006 (in Serbian).
[9] Vuksanovi-Macura, Zlata. ivot na ivici.
Stanovanje sirotinje u Beogradu 1919-1941 [Life on
the Edge. Housing of the Poor in Belgrade]. Orion
art, Belgrade, Serbia, 2012 (in Serbian).
[10] Statistical Office of the Republic of Serbia. 2011
Census of Population, Households and Dwellings in
the Republic of Serbia, Dwellings by the type of
building. Statistical Office of the Republic of Serbia,
[11] Republic of Serbia, Ministry of Energy,
Development and Environmental Protection.
1 2 3 4 5

[MWh/year]
%
< 1919 1 683 267 357 903 26 282 14 172 31 920 2 113 545 41.94
B 1919-1945 2 362 116 189 017 129 895 56 389 188 430 2 925 846 58.06

[MWh/year]
4 045 383 546 920 156 177 70 561 220 350 5 039 391 100.00
% 80.28 10.85 3.10 1.40 4.37 100.00
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Rulebook on energy efficiency of Buildings. Official
Gazette of the Republic of Serbia no. 61/2011,
[12] Republic of Serbia, Ministry of Energy,
Development and Environmental Protection.
Rulebook on the conditions, content and manner
of issuance of certificates of energy performance of
buildings. Official Gazette of the Republic of Serbia
no. 69/2012, Belgrade, Serbia, 2012 (in Serbian).

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

S. Kosanovi, M. Jovanovic Popovi: Ecological Assessment of Building Materials in Serbia: Constrains and , pp. 5157 51

Ecological Assessment of Building Materials in Serbia:
Constrains and Possibilities

Saja Kosanovi*, Milica Jovanovi Popovi

*Faculty of Technical Sciences, Kosovska Mitrovica
Faculty of Architecture, University of Belgrade
Kneza Miloa street No. 7, 38220 Kosovska Mitrovica, saja.kosanovic@pr.ac.rs

Abstract

Building materials make significant impact on the
environment, hence their ecological performance became one
of the key sustainability topics. To determine environmental
impact of a material, it is necessary to examine the phases of
its life cycle, by using the established method. Unified
assessment methodology enables comparison between
different materials and the selection of more ecologically
friendly option. The practice has already been applied
internationally and the diverse models for ecological
assessment of building materials are in use. In Serbia, on the
other hand, various constrains impede researchers efforts to
develop an assessment system. Undeveloped legal regulation
in the field and the lack of quantitative data which describe the
ecological quality account for the main aggravating
circumstances. Within the existing conditions, ecological
assessment may be conducted rather by using descriptive
method and general knowledge on building materials and their
impact, than by applying approach based on impact
measurement. In accordance with this thesis, the set of criteria
which may be used in current situation, and which are derived
after aligning with the life cycle phases and predicted impact,
are proposed. In respect to the criteria development, following
issues were considered: Use Efficiency; Durability; Eco-Sign;
Availability; Construction Waste and Alternative Building
Materials. Transitional ecological assessment model
represents a step towards sustainable national building
practice and may be used until the database with measured
impact of all nationally produced building materials is formed.

1. Introduction

Building materials make significant impact on the
environment, hence their ecological performance
became one of the key topics in the field of
sustainability. From architectural point of view, the use
of building materials is found to be one of the critical
factors of environmental pollution and degradation [1].
A study of the environmental impact of building
materials is based upon the examination of their
behaviour from the process of getting raw materials and
concluding all operations until the final return to the
natural environment or to the repeated
production/installation process. This series of processes
represents the life cycle of building materials [2]. The
rule of thumb is that a building material has potential
negative environmental impact in every phase of its life
cycle, depending on: origin of raw materials, method of
production, distance between the production and
construction sites, method of transport, content and
features and possibility of re use / recycling [1], [2].
Different methodological approaches are used to
determine the ecological quality of building materials.
Assessment may be conducted independently, where
materials are the only subject of the analysis, or as a part
of overall evaluation through which all segments of
ecological performance of a certain building type are
examined.
To-date, a series of approaches have been developed for
the environmental assessment of building materials:
LCA (Life Cycle Assessment) studies, eco-labelling, eco
guides, environmental concepts, etc. It was found that
different approaches answer different questions and
that stakeholders may need to use different tools for
external communication, external decision-making
support, and internal development [3]. With the
harmonized indicators, unified LCA methodology could
be considered as the approach which is offering
comparable results. To achieve this, "it is important to
extend, adjust and harmonise the existing inventory
Keywords: Life cycle analysis, National regulation,
Ecological assessment, Ecological
criterion
Revised:
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

databases of construction materials to the
characteristics and peculiarities of the construction
industries in each country", where the manufacturers
are obliged to provide standardised information based
on the LCA of the real impact of every product [4]. "...In
this sense, there would be accurate information on the
impact of each product, which would facilitate a correct
assessment of the impact of a building from an LCA
perspective. Without this information, this impact can
only be estimated approximately using existing
inventories that, on occasions, are difficult to adapt to
the reality of a specific geographical area" [4].
In international systems for overall environmental
assessment of buildings, building materials are
examined to the variable extent, again by using different
methodologies. In German DGNB (Deutsche
Gesellschaft fr Nachhaltiges Bauen), for example, there
exist a series of established environmental criteria and
supporting indicators based on which the parts of
building structure, such as walls, are assessed [5].
System BREEAM (Building Research Establishment
Environmental Assessment Method) calls upon another
data base, named Green Guide to Specification,
according to which materials can be assessed [6]. Other
evaluation systems put an accent on specific materials.
Construction waste is also assessed, as well as material
re-use or recycling. Advantage in selection is given to
prefabricated, long-lasting, regionally available
materials, and materials with eco certificates [7].
While setting the base for the first national system for
overall environmental assessment of defined building
type [8], there were significant specificities observed in
the field of building materials. In the process of
information gathering and analyzing, materials were
labelled as "unexplored" content. Detected peculiarities
were found to be independent from the building type
and, to the large extent, from the territory for which the
system is designed. This paper, in relation to the said,
aims to overcome the present state in the domain of
building materials on national level, by proposing the
transitional ecological evaluation method that fits
present conditions, but also represents the base for
further scientific and institutional work in the field.
Proposed criteria are applicable as independent or may
be embodied in national assessment systems for
different building types.

2. Analysis of national conditions

The interest in sustainable architecture in Serbia is best
visible in scientific and educational domains, whereas
green buildings are still rarely built. The same is true for
building materials, and for both, national legal
regulation is insufficiently developed.

2.1. State on market

Study of the Serbian market indicates the availability of
many nationally produced building materials: ceramic
bricks, blocks and tiles; building stone; cement and other
binders; aggregates - gravel and sand; wooden, PVC
(polyvinyl chloride) or aluminium frames for doors and
windows; glass products; tin products; prefabricated
concrete components; facade and interior mortar
products; thermal and hydro insulation materials;
rubber products; paints; decorative materials, etc [8].
But, not all raw materials (components) of produced
materials originate from Serbia. This fact points to a
more complex life cycle and, consequently, to quite
certain difficulties in determining the environmental
impact in phases.
In most cases, data on nationally produced material
behaviour through the phases of life cycle are
unavailable. Occasional and isolated available data are
not harmonized and very difficult to use. There aren't
available data on ecological effects of production
process. In general, it is, however, certain that this phase
make significant impact on the environment [1].
Additional causes for potential impact increment are:
weak pollutants control; solid waste generation and its
weak management; energy inefficiency; lack of control
of waste water quality; usage of non-renewable energy
and material resources; obsolete production
technologies; inadequate environmental management
in production; lack of financial support for clean
production introduction; lack of regulations for clean
production introduction, etc.
National manufacturers do not issue valid certificates
nor declarations which could mark previously examined
and proved ecological quality of a purchased material.
Occasional notes which indicate good ecological
performance of a material and which are put on package
following the producer's own initiative, most often
carrying not more than the advertising message, may
lead buyers to wrong purchase decisions.
Usage of recycled and re-used materials for construction
is rare and not considered as typical, but is potentially
achievable to the large extent.
Ecological effects of use of domestically produced
building materials are neither known. Many of produced
materials are not tested on presence of harmful
substances. Effects of various substances in materials
are still not examined or proved.

2.2. Legal framework

To-date, a national legal document which would relate
to the regulation of ecological quality of building
materials is still not brought. Domestic Law on
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Environmental Protection [9], brought on 2004 and
amended on 2009, defines environmental protection
standards in domains of imported or domestic
technologies, processes, products, half products and
raw materials. According to the Article 52 of mentioned
document, Producer or Distributor is obliged to warn on
environmental pollution or harm on the human health,
which certain product or its package causes or may
cause, and this by issuing the declaration of half product
of product. In another article, Law on Environmental
Protection defines the Eco-Sign, and separate derived
regulation from 2009 [10] defines the terms for
obtaining, awarding and usage of the Eco-Sign, intended
for different products, processes and services, including
here building materials.
The most important national document which regulates
the environmental assessment of buildings [11] refers to
general guidelines, but doesn't consider building
materials separately. Some aspects of materials'
environmental considerations, related to life cycle
phases, are regulated with broader national legal
documents on environmental protection [12], [13], [14].
Analyses of the studies on several mid and large-scale
projects [8], developed in accordance with these
regulations, clearly indicate that there exist the lack of
important quantitative information in regard to
environmental impact of building materials, as well as
the reference list, i.e. the database which would enable
the comparison of different materials, based on their
environmental performance.
Domestic Law on Enhancement of Construction Industry
in Conditions of Economic Crisis [15] obliges all
stakeholders involved in project realization process to
use domestically produced building materials at a
minimal rate of 70% of total material used.
Governmental Strategy on Waste Management for
Period 2010-2019 regulates a series of actions related to
the waste management [16].

2.3. Voluntary assessment of building
materials

"The absence of national legal regulation in the field of
reduction of negative environmental impact of building
materials has as a consequence relied on the exclusively
volunteer devotion and efforts of architects and other
participants involved in the processes of the design and
construction of buildings. It is the architect who has an
assignment to point out to Investors all the advantages
of the selection of ecologically correct options of, not
only basic, but also of alternative building materials" [1].
The current praxis of voluntary assessment of building
materials in Serbia, therefore, before all relates to the
appropriate material selection. In this sense, it can be
further concluded that the current assessment
represents rather the thinking process based on
knowledge about ecology of building materials, than the
established quantitative approach application. The fact
indicates the need for the assessment methodology
development.
Not long ago, Association of Consulting Engineers of
Serbia started an initiative in order to create the
"GREENBASE" with green building materials (both
nationally and internationally produced) [17]. To-date,
however, the number of materials which found their
place in the base is still minimal.

3. Proposal for criteria development

According to the analysis of national conditions (chapter
2), it can be concluded that there exist aggravating
circumstances which influence the formation of criteria
for the environmental assessment of nationally
produced building materials:
Unavailability of information regarding ecological
quality,
Unavailability of information regarding
environmental impact over the life cycle phases,
and especially during the production ("gate") phase,
and
Insufficiently developed legal regulation.
Mentioned problems are in relation to missing
quantified input and output data, which should be
included in LCA assessment framework. This further
impedes the definition of ecological indicators and their
environmental weight, where the both present a base
for quantitative approach to the assessment of
environmental impact of building materials [18].
Based on the scope and content of existing national legal
framework (chapter 2.2.), it can be concluded that it is
not possible to establish a significant relation between
the regulations and criteria for environmental
assessment. Few of the mentioned legal documents,
however, may be embodied or used as initial guidelines.
Within the explained conditions, ecological assessment
of building materials on national level may be conducted
rather by using qualitative method and general
knowledge on materials and their impact, than by
applying impact measurement based approach. In
accordance with this thesis, the set of criteria which may
be used in current situation is proposed.
Proposed criteria are derived after aligning with life
cycle phases and predicted impact [1]. From the above
said reasons, integration was not an easy task. In
relation to LCA, following cycle phases and belonging
ecological issues were taken into consideration for the
criteria defining:
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Raw materials (material origin),
Transport (distance),
Installation (construction waste management),
Use and maintenance (durability / long-lasting,
impact on environmental pollution and partially
health impact),
Decommissioning (construction waste
management),
Re-use (previously used materials), and
Recycling (possibility of recycling).
Finally, achievable ecological objectives were defined
and six categories for the ecological evaluation of
building materials are derived (Table 1). Every proposed
category contains one or more criteria which enable
ecological evaluation (Table 2).

4. Conclusions

Reduction of operational energy consumption in
buildings (energy efficiency) accounts for the best
regulated environmental aspect, both on national and
international level. It is, however, estimated that the set
goals of this aspect will in near future be fulfilled to the
largest extent. The attention is, therefore, gradually
moving towards other segments of buildings, such as
building materials.
Different internationally developed methodological
approaches are used to determine the ecological quality
of building materials. Assessment may be conducted
independently, where materials are the only subject of
the analysis, or as a part of the overall evaluation
through which all segments of ecological performance
of a certain building type are examined. In Serbia, on the
other hand, various constrains impede researchers
efforts to develop an assessment system. Unavailability
of information about the ecological quality and the
environmental impact over the life cycle phases, as well
as the insufficiently developed national regulation in the
field, account for the significant aggravating factors.
After analyses of national conditions, it was concluded
that the ecological assessment of building materials on
national level may be conducted rather by using
qualitative method and general knowledge on materials
and their impact, than by applying impact measurement
based approach. Therefore, the set of criteria which may
be used in current situation were proposed. Shown
criteria are derived from six proposed categories for
environmental assessment of nationally produced
building materials, and these are derived after defining
realistically achievable ecological objectives.
Beside meeting present conditions and at the same time
aiming to overcome them, proposed transitional
ecological evaluation method also may be used as a base
for further scientific and institutional work in the field.
Presented criteria are applicable as independent or may
be embodied in national assessment systems for
different building types, where the additional detailing
in terms of indicator values and environmental weight
determination are needed in both cases.
In a wider perspective, paper aims to enhance the
development of new environmentally friendly building
materials, ecologically correct methods of production
and construction, and the introduction of certificates for
ecological quality of building materials.
The results urge all involved in design and construction
sector: architects and engineers of other profiles,
legislative institutions, manufacturers, researchers, etc,
to direct their efforts towards the formation of database
with measured environmental impact of nationally
produced building materials.

Table 1. Proposed categories for environmental assessment of nationally produced building materials

No Category Name Ecological Objective
I USE EFFICIENCY To decrease negative environmental impact and resource
consumption by reduction in material use
II DURABILITY To reduce the demand for new materials by promoting
durability / long-lasting
III ECO-SIGN To promote selection of materials with enhanced ecological
characteristics and the development of legal aspect
IV AVAILABILITY To reduce transport energy consumption by
locally/regionally available material selection
V CONSTRUCTION WASTE To reduce construction waste generation and to promote its
re-use
VI ALTERNATIVE BUILDING MATERIALS To promote eco-friendly substitutes to some conventional
building materials with significant environmental impact

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Table 2. Proposed criteria for environmental assessment of nationally produced building materials

No Criterion Name Criterion Definition Supporting Indicators/Evidences
I 1 Building Area Usable area of a building is reduced, in
accordance with regulations and comfort
demands
% of reduction;
Reference values (m
2
) for subject building
type
I 2 Floor Height Clear floor height is reduced, in
accordance with regulations and comfort
demands
Space height (cm);
Reference values (cm) for subject building
type
I 3 Open Plan Open plan dominates buildings spatial
organization
Inspection of project documentation
I 4 Volume Mass &
Dimensions
Applied materials/components are with
reduced volume mass and dimensions
Weight (kg) per unit area (m
2
) of built
space;
Material specification
I 5 Concrete Use
Reduction
In the above-ground part of a building,
measures for concrete use reduction have
been applied
Ratio between concrete volume and the
built area (%);
Reference values for subject building type
I 6 Wall Finishes External/internal wall finishes with solely
decorative character are exempted
% of exemption in relation to total wall
surface (m
2
)
II 1 Protection from
Moisture
The set of measures for protection
a
from
moisture have been applied
Inspection of project documentation
II 2 Service Life Main structural parts of a building
b
are
made of materials with prolonged service
life
Durability (in years) for every main
structural part of the building; Applied
methodology for service life estimation
III 1 Eco-Sign Applied building materials are labelled with
Eco-Sign
% of materials with Eco-Sign in relation to
total materials used, measured by weight
IV 1 Distance to the
Production
Facility
Building materials applied in main
structural parts of a building are
locally/regionally produced
% of locally/regionally produced materials
in relation to total domestic materials used,
measured by weight;
Maximum distance radius (km)
V 1 Re-Use Materials applied in certain parts of building
structure
d
have already been used before
% of re-used materials in relation to total
materials used, measured by weight
V 2 Recycling Certain parts in building structure
e
are
made of materials that may be recycled
Minimum number of parts of building
structure, where a part relates to all applied
components of the same kind
V 3 Prefabrication There exist prefabricated structural building
parts
f

Minimum number of prefabricated parts of
building structure, where a part relates to
all applied components of the same kind
VI 1 Thermal
Insulation
Materials selected for envelope thermal
insulation have vegetal origin
% of vegetal insulation materials in relation
to total insulation material used, measured
by envelope surface (m
2
)
VI 2 Mortars Selected mortars by type are: lime, plaster
or lime-plaster
% of lime/plaster/lime-plaster mortars in
relation to total mortar used, measured by
covered surface (m
2
)
VI 3 Polyvinyl
Chloride (PVC)
There are no PVC components present in
building structure
g
Visual check and inspection of project
documentation
VI 4 Finishing Coats Applied finishing coats on exterior and
interior surfaces are water-based,
additionally of natural origin
% of surfaces covered by water-based,
additionally natural coats, in relation to
total surface area (m
2
)
a
Measures for moisture control in criterion II 1 relate to: adequate hydro and thermal insulation; envelope waterproofing; water
diffusion and condensation control; application of moisture-resistant materials, especially in wet areas; adequate water drainage /
water management; protection of porous materials; adequate material storage; underground space levelling, in accordance with
subterranean waters; comfort demands
b
Structural parts of a building in criterion II 2 relate to: foundations, foundation and basement walls; above-ground structural
elements (columns and beams in skeletal, i.e. walls and ceilings in massive structural system); floor in contact with the ground;
external walls; staircases; roof structure and roof cover
c
Main structural parts of a building in criterion IV 1 relate to: foundations, foundation and basement walls; above-ground structural
elements (columns and beams in skeletal, i.e. walls and ceilings in massive structural system); floor in contact with the ground;
external walls; staircases; roof structure and roof cover
d
Parts of a building structure in criterion V 1 relate to: foundations, foundation and basement walls; external walls, interior supporting
walls; interior wall partitions; roof structure; roof cover; floor in contact with the ground; ceilings; staircases; floor finishes and outdoor
materialized surfaces
e
Criterion V 2 relates to: main structural elements; thermal insulation; roof structure; walls; roof cover; staircases; windows and
doors; installation pipes; flooring materials
f
Prefabricated structural parts in criterion V 3 relate to: ceilings; main skeletal structure; main roof structure; panel walls; panel roof
system of prefabricated cells and small mobile structures
g
Structure components in criterion VI 3 relate to: windows, doors, partition walls, flooring and solar protection systems

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Acknowledgement

Opinions, findings, conclusions and recommendations
expressed in this paper are those of authors.

Funding source

The funding sources had no involvement in conducting
the research and preparing the manuscript of this paper.

References

[1] Jovanovi Popovi Milica and Kosanovi Saja,
Selection of building materials based upon
ecological characteristics: priorities in function of
environmental protection, Spatium International
Review, Vol 20, (2009), pp. 23-27,
DOI:10.2298/SPAT0920023P.
[2] Jovanovi Popovi Milica et al., Unapreenje
energetske efikasnosti gradova/zgrada kroz proces
energetske sertifikacije (transl. from Serbian:
Towns/buildings energy efficiency improvement
throught the process of energy certification),
Tematski zbornik radova (2.deo), Meunarodni
nauni skup: Odrivi prostorni razvoj gradova,
Beograd, Srbija, 25 26. januar 2008, Institut za
arhitekturu i urbanizam Srbije, Beograd, 2008, pp.
229 240.
[3] Jnsson sa, Tools and methods for environmental
assessment of building products - methodological
analysis of six selected approaches. Building and
Environment, Vol 35, (2000), Issue 3, pp. 223 238.
[4] Zabalza Bribin Ignacio et al., Life cycle assessment
of building materials: Comparative analysis of
energy and environmental impacts and evaluation
of eco-efficiency improvement potential, Building
and Environment Vol 46, (2011), No 5, pp. 1133
1140.
[5] DGNB System: Criteria, http://www.dgnb-
system.de/en/system/criteria/, Assessed on
25.03.2014.
[6] BRE: Green Guide to Specification,
http://www.bre.co.uk/greenguide/podpage.jsp?
id=2126, Assessed on 29.03.2014.
[7] Nolte Ingo, Comparison of worldwide certification
systems for sustainable buildings: Report of state
of worldwide certification systems for sustainable
and energy efficient buildings in 2009 with the
emphasis on residential versions of these
certification systems and in a further step on
education versions to compare the effect of
typology on the systems, Techniche Universitt,
Berlin, Germany (2010),
http//www.longlifeworld.eu/res/dnl/en/2010020
1LL%20comparison%20certification%20systems
.142.pdf, Assessed on 29.03.2014.
[8] Kosanovi Saja, Model za ocenu ekoloke
ispravnosti kua za individualno stanovanje na
podruju Beograda (transl. from Serbian: Model for
environmental assessment of single-family houses
in Belgrade area), Doktorska disertacija,
Arhitektonski fakultet Univerziteta u Beogradu,
Beograd, Srbija, 2012.
[9] Zakon o zatiti ivotne sredine (transl. from
Serbian: Law on environmental protection),
"Slubeni glasnik Republike Srbije", Beograd,
Srbija, br. 135/04, 36/09 i 72/09.
[10] Pravilnik o bliim uslovima i postupku za dobijanje
prava na korienje ekolokog znaka, elementima,
izgledu i nainu upotrebe ekolokog znaka za
proizvode, procese i usluge (transl. from Serbian:
Regulation on close terms and procedures for
obtaining rights for Eco-Sign usage, and on
elements, appearance and modes of use of Eco-
Sign, intended for products, processes and
services), "Slubeni glasnik Republike Srbije",
Beograd, Srbija, br. 3/09.
[11] Pravilnik o sadrini studije o proceni uticaja na
ivotnu sredinu (transl. from Serbian: Regulation
on content of environmental impact assessment
study), "Slubeni glasnik Republike Srbije", br.
69/05.
[12] Uredba o utvrivanju liste projekata za koje je
obavezna procena uticaja i liste projekata za koje
se moe zahtevati procena uticaja na ivotnu
sredinu (transl. from Serbian: Decree on the list of
projects for which the environmental impact
assessment is required and the list of projects for
which the environmental impact assessment may
be required), "Slubeni glasnik Republike Srbije",
Beograd, Srbija, br. 84/05.
[13] Uredba o vrstama aktivnosti i postrojenja za koje se
izdaje integrisana dozvola (transl. from Serbian:
Decree on the types of activities and facilities for
which the integrated permit is demanded),
"Slubeni glasnik Republike Srbije", Beograd,
Srbija, br. 84/05.
[14] Uredba o kriterijumima za odreivanje najboljih
dostupnih tehnika, za primenu standarda kvaliteta,
kao i za odreivanje graninih vrednosti emisija u
integrisanoj dozvoli (transl. from Serbian: Decree
on the criteria for determining the best available
techniques, the application of quality standards, as
well as for determining the emission value limits in
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

integrated permit), "Slubeni glasnik Republike
Srbije", Beograd, Srbija, br. 84/05.
[15] Zakon o podsticanju graevinske industrije
Republike Srbije u uslovima ekonomske krize
(transl. from Serbian: Law on enhancing the
construction industry of the Republic of Serbia in
conditions of economic crisis), "Slubeni glasnik
Republike Srbije", Beograd, Srbija, br. 45/2010.
[16] Strategija Vlade Srbije upravljanja otpadom za
period 2010-2019. godine (transl. from Serbian:
Strategy of the Government of Serbia on waste
management for period 2010-2019), "Slubeni
glasnik Republike Srbije", Beograd, Srbija, br.
29/2010.
[17] GreenBase Website, http://www.greenbase.rs,
Assessed on 23.03.2014.
[18] Harris J. Douglas, A quantitative approach to the
assessment of the environmental impact of
building materials, Building and Environment, Vol
34, (1999), No 6, pp. 751 758.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

H. Bradi: Kromolj House in Sarajevo, pp. 5867 58


Haris Bradi

Faculty of Architecture, University of Sarajevo
Patriotske Lige 30, 71000 Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, harisb@af.unsa.ba, haris_bradic@yahoo.com

Abstract

The Paper presents one of the Authors designs realized in 2013 in
Sarajevo, Poljine. The parcel has the altitude of 693m and the
following geographic coordinates: 4353'23.01 of latitude and
1824'39.09 of longitude. It is a south-east oriented slope, located
within natural environment, just 6 km away from the city centre.
The house has the area of 282m
2
, laid out in two floors: semi-
buried ground floor and the first floor. It was designed for one
family as a highly insulated architectural space whose final goal is
to provide excellent indoor quality. The U-value of non-
transparent parts of the house is below 0.2W/m
2
K, whereas that
of the glazed surfaces does not exceed 1.0W/m
2
K. Based on the
calculations, the total energy needs stand at 30kWh/m
2
/year. All
requirements of the Building Physics, including heat and water
vapor transfer through envelope, have been fully satisfied. The
project included review of available mechanical installations, that
is, analysis of various systems and possible combinations of
renewable energy sources: pellet biomass, electricity generated
by photo-voltaic cells, ground energy generated by vertical or
surface loops, or energy generated by an air-source heat pump
and solar collectors. Economic analysis, that is, the analysis of the
initial investment and the payback period was carried out and it
was decided that the air-water heat pump should be installed as
the best solution. The final result in terms of energy needs was
12.6kWh/m
2
/year, classifying this house as a low energy house.
The house cannot be classified as a passive house due to the
properties of its envelope. Besides emphasizing the importance of
insulation, that is, envelope materialization, this design also
indicates the importance of the relationship between the
transparent and non-transparent surfaces and the orientation of
glazed areas towards the Sun. Carefully designed glazed areas
enable controlled penetration of solar energy into the house. The
western side and partially the eastern side of the house have been
closed to prevent heat transfers. This proves that envelope design
in energy efficient architecture must be considered from the
earliest stages of the design process (layout development). The
original idea was successfully carried out and the house is today
an example of modern and energy efficient architecture both in
Sarajevo and in the broader region.

1. Introduction

The design presented in this Paper is a low-energy house
built in Sarajevo. This design is a result of a thorough
analysis of the energy potential of the location (the sun,
wind and geothermal energy) and the investor's
requests in terms of the usable area and desired form.
When it comes to overall energy consumption, the main
objective of the project was to design a passive house.
However, a low-energy house was the final result.
The guiding idea was to create a piece of architecture
that will establish a close relationship between the low-
energy design, environment and its consumers. Every
period, and thus every space in which architecture
emerges, is per se specific in its economic and human
relations towards design and construction. The example
presented here is a design that came into life as a result
of the investors desire and aspirations to have a family
house that would not disturb the natural environment,
i

i.e. the landscape in which it will be erected. This family
house, or The Kromolj House, has a total area of 282
m
2
and it is built on a plot of ca 9,000 m
2
. The whole
design was guided by one thought to build a house that
will be compliant with the natural environment
i
in terms
of its volume, form, materials and energy consumption.
The final results indicate that the main objective has
been achieved, i.e. a low-energy house was built with a
high comfort level and contemporary architectural
design. It must also be mentioned that the original idea
was to build a passive house, but this could not be done
in this particular case primarily due to the investors
personal economic reasons. The CO
2
emission has been
reduced to minimum, and the total energy needs to
19.4kWh/m
2
per year.

2. Evolution of the relation between
architecture and energy

Throughout the history, people have been trying to
create comfortable space for life, work, recreation, etc.
This means that relation between architecture and
Keywords: Architecture, Building physics, Energy,
Envelope, Environment
Revised: 22 July 2014
Accepted: 1 August 2014
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

energy saving is an issue that has been discussed since
the birth of architecture. In the light of the above, even
the Socrates house showed how solar energy could be
used in a completely passive way by adjustment of the
house form and orientation.
The science has been dealing with this issue since 1970s,
or the first oil crises. Facade design has no longer been
the only preoccupation engineers began calculating k
or U values of envelope layers. Maximum allowed values
have become one of the factors for classification of
architecture into low-energy architecture, passive
architecture, zero emission architecture and energy plus
architecture. This classification indicates the level of
energy saving measured for total energy needs per
annum, which is then showed in the form of an energy
passport.
The first step in today's design of buildings is to set the
energy consumption target that a future building needs
to achieve. This will then affect its form, materialization,
relation between transparent and non-transparent
parts on the envelope, technical solutions for indoor air
treatment (HVAC systems), etc. It arises therefrom that
architectural energy adaptations affect the design and
pose a significant challenge to architects (Figure 1, 2).

Figure 1. Original condition

Figure 2. Original condition

3. Location and micro-climate

The house is located in Sarajevo at the altitude of 695m
(latitude 435323.08'' and longitude 182438.56'') and
it administratively belongs to the Centar Municipality.
The surrounding area is dominated by family houses
built on sizeable plots of land (exceeding ca 2,000m
2
).
The location is ca 5km away from the city noise and
traffic. It has been built on an east-oriented slope (which
also partially faces the south). On the north and the west
side, the plot is bounded by high, mainly deciduous trees
(cherry, apple, chestnut, walnut, etc). The entire
landscape, the terrain morphology and the orientation
of the plot were the factors that most affected the entire
design. The plot is accessed from a 3m wide road, and
has connection to the water, electricity and partially gas
line (each of them can be used).
Climate in Sarajevo is characterized by strong winters
with heavy snow (up to 120cm even in the very city). The
lowest mean temperatures on record for the past 10
years were for February (-9). Summer periods are hot
with temperatures around +32 C (usually in August).
The above indicates that Sarajevo has a continental
climate in winter, whereas in summer the whole area is
under the influence of the Mediterranean climate
ii
.
Precipitation recorded in 2002 stood at 967.1 l/m
2
, in
2007 at 996.2 l/m
2
and in 2012 at 887.4 l/m
2
, indicating
relative stability, but different intensity through months.
Winter periods are becoming scarce in snowfall,
whereas summer periods are becoming characterized
by heavier rainfall. However, rainfall is not of the same
intensity, i.e. there are periods when rain falls heavily for
a certain period of time causing floods and damage to
buildings
iii
(Charts 1, 2).
Chart 1 shows mean temperatures per years (last ten
years). We see that in 2012, the mean temperature was
12.2C, which is by ca 0.5C more than the last ten years
average. This clearly indicates that the temperature is
rising, increasing the risk of natural catastrophes in
Sarajevo. Chart 2 shows that the number of natural
disasters in the world grew from 80 to 135 in the period
from 1970 to 1994 [1]. These are the signs that warn us
that in the future we must not allow construction of
poorly insulated buildings, i.e. high energy consumers
and high CO
2
emitters. Architecture, as one of the
largest energy consumers, must become a point of
reference when it comes to energy savings and influence
its occupants to change their attitudes towards nature,
energy and overall survival of people on Earth.

4. Form and shape of The Kromolj House

As it has already been said in the Introduction, the main
idea underlying this design is the desire to build a house
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________


Chart 1. Mean annual temperatures in Sarajevo

Chart 2. Increase in the natural disaster number in the world for the last 25 years; Source: Daniels, K., 2009, p.19

that will be fully compliant with its environment
(landscape and terrain) and the energy comfort
specificities (investors requests). The area of the house
is 282m
2
, with two floors, namely a semi-buried ground
floor and the first floor, which, if observed from north, is
also a ground floor with the main entrance door. The
volume and the form follow the contours of the slope,
making the house dominant in relation to the ground.
The major part of the slope is east-oriented, but also
facing the south.
This specific architectural design shows a playfulness of
solid and glazed surfaces (Figure 3), whose main
objective is to open up the house as much as possible to
create both visual and functional contacts between the
interior and the exterior (landscape). Total area of the
envelope is 580.99m
2
. The shape factor is 0.71, and the
conditioned volume is 812m
3
. The window factor is 23
(Chart 3), which means that the transparent vs. non-
transparent ratio is high. Given that transparent parts of
the house are the parts with the highest U-values,
special attention had to be given to selecting the right
external openings to meet the U-value requirements.
Chart 3 shows that 13% of the total envelope is
transparent parts. This was a significant number of
windows that needed to be properly materialized so
that the minimum heat transfer coefficient, i.e. U
w
,
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________


(a) (b)

(c) (d)

Figure 3. Current condition (September, 2013),
(a) South and east facade, (b) South-west facade, (c) North and west facade and (d) South facade

Chart 3. Envelope structure Chart 4. Envelope structure in details
(border between conditioned and (border between conditioned
unconditioned environment) and unconditioned environment)

could be achieved. This increased the investment
significantly. Nowadays, modern technology is able to
produce windows whose Uw
value is 0.6 W/m
2
K, which
was impossible 10 years ago.
While designing this house, the plan was to orient the
transparent parts towards the south, while keeping the
north parts non-transparent and highly insulated. The
house is by its shape and materialization compliant
with the environment, providing excellent conditions
for energy savings (cooling and heating) both in
summer and in winter. Figure 4 shows the ground floor
plan and the position of the 50m
3
rainwater tank for
rainwater harvesting from the roof and terraces (whose
total area is 235m
2
).
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________


Figure 4. Ground floor plan

Figure 5. First floor plan
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________


Figure 6. Section

Table1. Geometric and thermal properties of the envelope

5. Envelope materialization

The envelope has been designed to have approximately
the same U-values on all its parts: the flat roof U-value
is the lowest and amounts 0.13 W/m
2
K, external wall has
the U-value of 0.15 W/m
2
K and the slab-on-ground the
value of 0.26 W/m
2
K (Table 1). Heat transfer coefficients
could be even lower, but the investment would have
risen and the energy needs for heating would not have
decreased that much, unless the windows with passive
house certificate had been installed
iv
. This certificate
prescribes that U
w
must not exceed U
w
=0.8 W/m
2
. This
has not been achieved, so the envelope is considered
low-energy. The mean U-value of the entire envelope is
0.29W/m
2
K. Transparent parts have the U-value of
1.05W/m
2
K, and non-transparent U= 0.19W/m
2
K. The
envelope was designed to be passively active
v
in terms
of the energy movement control in both directions. The
external walls were built using the thermal
Wienerberger, type 38 PROFI block for the first time in
BiH. The entire house was insulated with the Knauf
insulation, type PTP 035. The reinforced concrete
overhangs and horizontal ring beam are insulated using
the 3cm thick sandwich panel before installation of the
20cm thick thermal insulation.
As a result, the total load-bearing structure (reinforced
concrete and thermal block) has no thermal stresses, i.e.
temperature dilatations
vi
and the water vapor flow is
ENVELOPE PART U-VALUE AREA
1 External wall type 1, RC and stone wool 0.149 W/m
2
K 82.2 m
2

2 External wall type 2, thermo block and stone wool 0.175 W/m
2
K 116.61 m
2

3 External wall, wall in ground, RC and XPS 0.296 W/m
2
K 47.77 m
2

4 External openings, entrance door, solid wood 1.8 W/m
2
K 5.23 m
2

5 External openings, windows, Rehau Geneo system, triple glazed, Low-e, g=0,50 1.0 W/m
2
K 67.77 m
2

6 Slab on ground 0.26 W/m
2
K 81.36 m
2

7 Floor above unconditioned crawlspace 0.149 W/m
2
K 31.2 m
2

8 Flat roof 0.182 W/m
2
K 125.5 m
2

9 Shed roof 0.13 W/m
2
K 23.35 m
2

TOTAL ENVELOPE AREA 580.99 m
2

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________


Figure 7. Temperatures of the envelope layers and graphs showing vapor diffusion on the facade walls

(a) (b)

Figure 8. Construction site as of May 2013, (a) Thermal block wall insulation, (b) External wall on ground insulation
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________


Figure 9. Factors affecting low-energy architecture

stationary without condensation effects in the
envelope. Furthermore, the drawings presented here
show the Author's desire to adjust the thickness of the
thermal acoustic insulation on the reinforced concrete
structure (horizontal and vertical reinforced concrete
ring beams) and the 38cm thick thermo blocks to
achieve harmonized U-values on the entire envelope
(see Table 1).
Figure 7 shows the structure of the facade, where it can
be seen that the investor has changed the original
decision and instead of the stone wool used the graphite
EPS in the facade. The final thickness of walls is 50 cm.
Also, 20cm thick waterproof facade polystyrene, XPS,
type Fragmat 300L was used on the external side of the
walls, 30 to 50 cm from the ground, and also on the
reverse flat roof.
Figure 7 shows envelope layers and calculation of water
vapor movements.

6. Energy saving concept

ENSI EAB 8.1 vBiH software was used in this project to
calculate the total energy needs for heating, ventilation,
lighting, etc. Energy needs for cooling were calculated by
means of tentative assessment
vii
. In terms of energy
savings and the building's relation with the
environment, the design is characterized by several
factors: (Figure 8).
The calculated amount of energy must somehow be
emitted into the house, and therefore special attention
was given to technical solutions. Even though the
investment went up significantly due to envelope quality
improvements, this segment increased it even more.
Modern technology offers variety of different energy
efficient systems and it has been very difficult to choose
a company and products that would fully meet the
design requirements. Analysis of the microclimate, soil
composition and access to the site showed that in the
long run installation of a heat pump would be the best
solution. The system selected is the air to water heat
pump
viii
(type: Stiebel Eltron, WPL 18 E, whose exit
power at air temperature of 10C is 13.40 kWh, and at -
15C, 8.2 kWh), which can be used even at temperature
of -20 C. This would decrease the energy need for
heating by two to four times, whereby one of the initially
set goals would be achieved. The central system includes
preparation of hot sanitary water supported by solar
collectors (type: Stiebel Eltron SOL 27 basic, 500 W/m
2
,
with the total area of 3x2.38=7,14 m
2
), (Figure 6) that
transfer the heat energy generated during daylight into
the central tank (type: Stiebel Eltron SBB 401 WPSOL,
volume 400l), which then, with the help of the heat
pump generated energy heats the water to temperature
of +35 C. In the end, the total energy needs would be
reduced from 43.2 kWh/m
2
to 19.4 kWh/m
2
per year,
which would be a huge success given the time and the
place the house is built in. Financial indicators show that
the total investment into heating and hot water
preparation systems is EUR 23,500.00 and that the
payback period for money invested into the solar
collectors and the heat pump is eight years (compared
to gas use via condensing boilers, or electricity via
electrical boilers). The results presented here confirm
the original concept of this design, especially in the part
related to the envelope. Energy needs and the
investment into the above mentioned hot water
preparation system have been reduced to minimum. In
addition, another model, i.e. simulation was prepared
for this project, namely the use of the geothermal heat
pump with two vertical probes of minimum 100m.
However, the results showed that installation of this
system is more complicated and that the investment
would be even higher for two reasons: small number of
probes (only two) and difficult access to the site, which
would only mean additional construction works that
would only extend the payback period to 18 years,
whereas energy savings would not change significantly.
Thermal energy of the
environment
Energy potential
Thermal energy of
the interior
Architectural design
relation
building-environment
Low-energy architecture
MAN, ENVIRONMENT AND ARCHITECTURAL SPACE
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________


(a)

(b)

Figure 10. Boiler room and heat pump,
(a) Boiler room, (b) External unit of the heat pump
installed on the roof

7. Conclusion

This was a presentation of a low-energy house as one of
the first such projects in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The
findings of this analysis indicate that the house has been
perfectly incorporated within its surroundings,
excellently insulated and equipped with the cutting edge
technologies, representing a success of all the
participants to the project, especially the investors.
Construction price was ca EUR 1,000 per m
2
, which is
100 % more expensive than the usual construction both
in our country and in the region.
The house is a result of a joint work of the investor, the
designer and the constructor, who worked hard to bring
this project to life in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Construction of the energy efficient buildings is still a
privilege of well-off individuals and is still not
widespread. Therefore, every new energy efficient
structure is a great success of all project participants.
Today, this project serves as a model for future similar
endeavors, new ideas and searching for solutions that
involve minimum energy needs and lowest possible
emission of CO
2
. Besides the highly insulated envelope
and contemporary use of energy from the environment
by means of solar collectors and heat pump, it is also
important to emphasize the high quality of the interior,
by which all the requests of the investors were met.
Therefore, this house meets all architectural visual
demands as well. Construction of low-energy and
passive buildings in the developing countries is still very
difficult due to its costs (the payback period is up to 30
years). Every new building or house designed and built
under the above principles should be adequately
promoted to urge the relevant authorities to establish
funds that would help future investors, and make such
projects more realistic and achievable.

References

[1] Danijels, K., Tehnologija ekolokog graenja,
Osnove i mere, Primeri i ideje, (Technology of eco-
construction, basics and measures, examples and
ideas) NK Jasen, Beograd, Srbija, (2009.), ISBN: 978-
85337-66-6.
[2] Duran, S., C., Architecture & Energy Efficiency, LOFT
Publications, Barcelona, Spain (2011), ISBN: 978-
84-9936-206-9.
[3] Hadrovi, A., Arhitektonska fizika, drugo izdanje,
(Architectural Physics, second edition),
Arhitektonski fakultet u Sarajevu, Sarajevo, BiH,
(2010.), ISBN: 978-9958-691-20-1.
[4] Hadrovi, A.,Bioklimatska arhitektura, traenje
puta u raj, (Bioclimatic Architecture, Searching for
a Path to Heaven), Arhitektonski fakultet u
Sarajevu, Sarajevo, (2008.), ISBN: 978-9958-691-
05-8.
[5] Hegger, M., Fuchs, M., Stark, T., Zeumer, M.,
Energy Manual, Sustainable Architecture, Institut
fur internationale Architektur-Dokumentation
GmbH & Co KG, Munich, Germany, (2008.), ISBN:
978-3-7643-8830-0.
[6] Radakovi, M., Geotermalna energija, (Geothermal
Energy), AGM knjiga, Beograd, Srbija, 2011, ISBN:
978-86-86363-30-5.
[7] Radosavljevi, J., M., Pavlovi, T., M., Lambi, M.,
R., Solarna energija i samoodrivi razvoj, (Solar
Energetics and Sustainable Development),
Graevinska knjiga, Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia,
(2004.), ISBN: 86-395-0405-9.
[8] Recknagel H., Sprenger E., Schramek E. R.,
translation from German by: eperkovi Zagorka,
Grijanje i vjetrenje, (Heating and Air-conditioning),
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Interklima-Grafika, Vrnjaka Banja, Serbia, (2004.),
ISBN: 86-82685-13-2.
[9] Sir Houghton, J.T, Global Warming, the Complete
briefing, Cambridge University Press., New York,
SAD, (2009.), ISBN-13 978-0-511-53365-5.
[10] amalovi, S., Toplotna pumpa, tehnologije
samoodrive proizvodnje energije, Heat pump,
technology of sustainable energy production, Savez
mainskih i elektrotehnikih inenjera Srbije
(SMEITS), Beograd, Serbia, (2009.), ISBN: 978-86-
81505-49-6.
Web pages:
www.elektroprivreda.ba
www.energis.ba
www.fhmzbih.gov.ba
www.koenigsolar.at
www.passiv.de
www.sarajevogas.ba
www.schueco.com
www.statisticbrain.com/solar-energy-statistics/

i
This house has been designed under the principles of bioclimatic architecture (See Bioclimatic Architecture[4]
ii
Source: All data were obtained from the FBiH Hydrometeorological Institute, namely the Bjelave outpost,
measured in the period from 2002 to 2012, www.fhmzbih.gov.ba
iii
For global effects of climate changes see [9]; the effects have also been present in Sarajevo for the past 10 years
iv
PHI Passive House institute, established in 1990 by Professor Wolfgang Feist in Darmstadt, www.passiv.de
v
Long overhangs above the ground floor (south-oriented) serve as protection from excessive insolation in summer,
but allow solar gains in winter. This is one form of passive use of solar energy [7]
vi
Temperature dilatations occur in winter due to unequal envelope layers in winter [3]
vii
Data obtained based on the tentative assessment method; it has been estimated that air temperature of 18 C and
80 % of relative humidity is required to cool down the air of 32 C and 40% of relative humidity. Rooms in
residential spaces need 30-40 W/m
3
of thermal energy, and the system must be adjusted to the time spent in
those rooms [8]
viii
Heat pumps: air to air, air to water, water to water and ground to water [10]

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e27

The Journal

e28

e29

e31

About the Journal

Instructions for Authors

Advertisements

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About the Journal e28

ABOUT THE JOURNAL

Aim and Scope
International Journal of Contemporary Architecture The New ARCH publishes research articles and studies on
solutions to architectural projects and urban planning. Papers that are multidisciplinary and/or address new or emerging
areas of architecture are particularly encouraged. Thus, the scope includes but is not limited to the design process and
case studies with performance evaluation, buildings for tomorrow, transforming cities towards the future, course of
adapting architecture, challenges of buildings refurbishment, energy efficiency and savings including building
technologies, design in-line with environment associated with ecological impact of materials.
The New ARCH is committed to publishing original papers communicating both recent research findings and
innovative new practice. Thus, it provides an active interface between theory, science and practice serving both
researches and practising professionals. The accent is on the architectural quality demonstrating different approaches
of relations between good architecture and environment, without focusing only on technical aspects of building. So, the
sustainability and great design does not exclude each other in the process of creating architectural spaces. Joined, they
provide contemporary pillar to architecture.

Language
The New ARCH is published in English and accepts contributions written only in English.

Frequency
The New ARCH is a thrice yearly open-access electronic journal.

Contributions
Two types of contributions are expected:
- Original Article - must either be of a current general interest or of a great significance to readers,
- Review - introducing a particular area through a concise overview of a selected topic by the author(s).

Responsibility
Submission of a manuscript implies that the work described has not been published previously, that it is not under
consideration for publication elsewhere, that its publication is approved by all authors and that, if accepted, it will not
be published elsewhere in the same form, in English or in any other language, without the written consent of the
copyright holder.
The author(s) should provide a statement attesting to the originality of the work submitted for publication. Exception is
an abstract or part of a published lecture or academic thesis.

Peer Review
The New ARCH is a peer-review journal. All submitted manuscripts, which follow the scope of the journal, are read
first by the editorial stuff and only those that meet editorial criteria are sent for formal double-blind peer review process.
Both the referees (at least two independent reviewers selected by the editors) and the author(s) are kept anonymous.
Authors are obliged to follow remarks and comments of reviewers, instructions for preparing manuscripts, reference
list specification as well as remarks and corrections of the Editorial Board.

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Instructions for Authors e29

INSTRUCTIONS FOR AUTHORS

General Information
Procedure
The authors are obliged to submit papers only in English and free of
typing errors. The manuscript should not exceed 14 pages (A4 format),
including figures and tables. For the review process the manuscript
should not exceed 14 pages and should be submitted in electronic
form only as MS Word file.
All titles listed in the reference list have to be in English, or translated
in English with indication of the original language.
Full name and affiliation have to be given for each author. Last name(s)
has to be written in capital letters. The corresponding author should
be indicated, with full postal and e-mail address.
Submission Declaration
By submitting the manuscript the author(s) declare that the work
described has not been published previously (except in the form of an
abstract or as part of a published lecture or academic thesis or as an
electronic preprint), that it is not under consideration for publication
elsewhere, that its publication is approved by all authors, and that, if
accepted, it will not be published elsewhere including electronically in
the same form, in English or in any other language, without the written
consent of the copyright holder.
Manuscript Approval
After computer lay-out of the paper, corresponding author will
obtain text as .PDF file for approval.
Manuscript Structure
Only English and Greek alphabet must be used in preparing the whole
manuscript.
There are no strict formatting requirements but all manuscripts must
contain the essential elements needed to convey your manuscript and
should be written according to following order:
Title
Author(s)
Affiliation(s)
Abstract
Keywords
Introduction
Body of the text with numerated sections and subsections
Conclusions
Acknowledgement
Funding source
Nomenclature
References
All pages must have page numbers.
Conflict of Interest
All authors are requested to disclose any actual or potential conflict of
interest including any financial, personal or other relationships with
other people or organizations within three years of beginning the
submitted work that could inappropriately influence, or be perceived
to influence, their work.
Referees
If you want, you can submit, with the manuscript, the names,
addresses and e-mail addresses of three potential referees.
Note that the editor retains the sole right to decide whether or not the
suggested reviewers are used.
Copyright Transfer Agreement
A properly completed and signed Copyright Transfer Agreement must
be provided by author(s) for each submitted manuscript.

Manuscript Preparation
General
Text has to be separately prepared as Microsoft Word plain text
document (without illustrations and tables) using Arial 10 font, with
margins of 20 mm from left/right and top/bottom papers edge, with
spacing one line after.
Illustrations (graphics, pictures) and tables have to be also separately
prepared. The width of the Illustrations/tables has to be either 7.5 cm
or 16.5 cm.
Authors may submit a manuscript of maximum 14 A4 pages containing
plain text (including nomenclature and references) and
illustrations/tables.
Checklist
1. Title page as a separate MS Word document (one A4 page)
including:
- Title
- Author(s) and affiliation(s)
- One author labelled as the Corresponding Author with full
postal and e-mail address
2. Plain text (without illustrations/tables) as a separate MS Word
file including all sections stated above in Manuscript Structure
3. All illustrations/tables as a separate MS Word file
4. Numerated captures of all illustrations as a separate MS Word
file
5. Numerated captures of all tables as a separate MS Word file
Title
Maximum 3 rows title (ALL CAPITAL LETTERS, bold, centred, with
spacing one line after) has to concisely, informative, clearly, accurately
and grammatically correct reflect emphasis and content of the
manuscript. Abbreviations and acronyms should be avoided.
Author(s) and Affiliation(s)
Author(s) Personal (First) Name(s), initial (optional) and FAMILY (LAST)
NAME(S) (bold, centred, with spacing one line after) of all who have
made substantial contributions. At least one author must be labelled
with an asterisk (*) as the corresponding author.
Affiliation(s) of author(s) must include Institution, City and Country
(regular letters, centred, with spacing one line after).
The full postal and e-mail address of the corresponding author should
be placed on a separate line below the affiliation.
Abstract
The paper must have an Abstract supplying briefly general information
about the purpose and objectives of the paper, techniques, methods
applied, significant results, and conclusions. Abbreviations and
acronyms should be avoided. The optimal length for the abstract is one
paragraph with 100 to 200 words, justified, with indent 20 mm from
left and right margin, with spacing one line after.
An abstract may also be presented separately from the article, so it
must be able to stand alone. For this reason, References should be
avoided, but if essential, then cite the author(s) and year(s).
Keywords
Maximum 8 characteristic words (regular letters, with indent 20 mm
from left and right margin) explaining the subject of the manuscript
(for example, of, and ... have to be avoided) should be provided
directly below the abstract. Be sparing with abbreviations: only
abbreviations firmly established in the field may be eligible. These
keywords may be used for indexing purposes.
Introduction
It should place the work in the appropriate context and clearly state
the purpose and objectives of the contribution.
Body of the Text
Authors are obliged to use System International (SI) for Units
(including Non/SI units accepted for use with the SI system) for all
physical parameters and their units.
Titles of sections and subsections have to be written in bold, left,
numerated (decimal classification) in Arabic numbers, with spacing
one line before and one line after.
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___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Instructions for Authors e30
Ensure that each graphics/illustration has a caption. A caption should
comprise a brief title (not on the figure itself) and a description of the
illustration.
Keep text in the illustrations themselves to a minimum but explain all
symbols and abbreviations used.
Figure captions should be placed below figures, in bold, justified left;
one line should be left blank below figure captions.
Table captions have to be placed above tables in bold, left justified
with the table; one line should be left blank above captions and below
tables. Place footnotes to tables below the table body and indicate
them with superscript lower-case letters.
All tables and figures must be referred in the text.
All equations, formulas, and expressions should be numbered in
parentheses, with right alignment, in the order of appearance in the
text, and must be centred with one line left above and below.
Also, equations, formulas, and expressions should be referred within
the text with Eq., or Formula, or Expression, with corresponding
number in parentheses.
Preparation of Graphics (Illustrations)
Graphics intended to appear in black and white or grayscale should not
be submitted in colour.
Graphics have to be submitted also in separated files in a JPG and/or
TIF format. Use of colour in manuscript graphics is encouraged when
it is important for clarity of presentation.
It has to be noted that the quality of the graphics published in the
journal depends on the quality of the graphic images provided by
authors.
Do not supply graphics optimised for screen, that are too low in
resolution or that are disproportionately large for the content.
Digital graphics should have minimum resolution of 1200 dpi for black
and white line art, 600 dpi for grayscale art and 300 dpi for colour art.
For uniformity of appearance, all the graphics of the same type should
share a common style and font. For scanned half-tone illustrations a
resolution of 300 dpi is sufficient.
Conclusions
Content of this section should not substantially duplicate the abstract.
It could contain text summarising the main contributions of the
manuscript and expression and idea for the work to be continued.
Acknowledgement
May be used to acknowledge helpful discussion with colleagues,
assistance providing starting material or reference samples, data and
services from others who are not co-authors, or providing language
help, writing assistance or proof reading the article, or financial
support.
Funding Source
Author has to identify who provided financial support for the conduct
of the research and/or preparation of the manuscript and to briefly
describe the role of the sponsor(s), if any, in study design, as well as in
the collection, analysis and interpretation of data, as well as in the
writing of the manuscript, and in the decision to submit the manuscript
for publication. If the funding source(s) had no such involvement then
this should be stated here.
Nomenclature
Author should use a systematic name for each compound. The
variables in nomenclature have to be written in alphabetical order
and, if exist, must have dimension in brackets. The Greek symbols must
be separated, and as well as subscripts and superscripts,
abbreviations, and acronyms.
The mark of variables with dimensions in brackets used and explained
only once in the text, do not include into the nomenclature.
References
References should be numbered in brackets in the order of
appearance in the text, e.g. [1], [3, 4], [7-11], etc. The full references
should be listed at the end of the paper (left alignment, hanging
indentation) in numerical order of citation in the text.
For references having two authors, names of both authors should be
given. For more than two authors, only name of the first author should
be given, followed by latin abbreviation et al.
Data in References should be given according to the Reference List
Specification, given in the next section.
Footnotes
Footnotes should be used sparingly. Number them consecutively
throughout the article. Indicate the position of footnotes in the text
and present the footnotes themselves separately at the end of the
article. Do not include footnotes in the Reference list.

Reference List Specification
Journals
Author(s)
1
, Paper title, Journal title, Volume number, (Year), Issue, pp.
xx-yy, DOI number
2

Books
Author(s)
1
, Book title
3
, Publisher, City, Country, Year
Chapters
Author(s)
1
, Chapter title, in Book title
3
, (Editor(s) of the book)
4
,
Publisher, City, Country, Year, pp. xx-yy
Proceedings, Transactions, Book of Abstracts
Author(s)
1
, Paper title, Proceedings, Proceedings information5,
Conference, City, Country, Year, Volume
6
, pp. xx-yy
Thesis
Author(s)
1
, Thesis title, Thesis rank, University, City, Country, Year
Reports
Author(s)
1
, Report title, Report number, Institution, City, Country,
Year
Literature or Data on web Sites and Documents without
Authors
Author(s)
1,2
, Title/Data/Institution, Link
Web
As a minimum, the full URL should be given and the date when the
reference was last accessed. Any further information, if known (DOI,
author names, dates, reference to a source publication, etc.), should
also be given
Patents
Owner(s)
1
, Title of patent, Patent number, Year

__________________________________________
1
Last name, Initial (optional), First name
2
If exist
3
Title in original language or in transliteration, the English
translation in parentheses with the indication of the original
language
4
Editor(s)
1
(in parentheses)
5
(Name(s) of the editor(s), if exist, in parentheses), Title of the
publication if it is not the same as the title of the meeting
6
Only for Transactions

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___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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