IX, 2008/2

Editorial

Architecture is a discipline concerned with spatial management. Spatial management is not just a matter of sweeping up and maintenance, even though they are not unimportant; above all, it is designing. It means designing in a space constituted by a landscape, by a building and, finally, by a detail. The fact we architects are loath to hear is that bad solutions are not always attributable to contractors, but to 'lousy architecture', to design. Architecture is a system of requirements, possibilities and capabilities. And if a designer is unfamiliar with the contractor and the conditions in which the architecture is to be realised, the resulting outcome will be questionable. Certainly, even the best of designs cannot be realised anywhere, any time, and in any conditions. This is why the stage of conception is so important, because it puts wishes within realistic frameworks. These frameworks are of a theoretical and practical nature, and they always place restrictions on an architect's thoughts – theoretically speaking, for the good of all. This is why thoughts about the future are the most important. Carrying out these thoughts means planning, within legal frameworks, of course.

But politics, too, in making laws, must take into account as many opinions and views as possible, including those of architects.

It is easy to say: let good architecture be built. Is anybody against?

But it is most difficult to estimate the road behind and realisations made within the given frameworks, bristling with deviations and distortions.

This is the why this number of AR, Architecture, researches – as it is about architecture and research, primarily in planning, arranging, implementing, estimating. Well, spatial management.

Peter Fister in his article THE FUTURE OF ARCHITECTURE AS ARCHITECTURAL HERITAGE? investigates and analyses negative as well as positive patterns and compares them with contemporary methodological and expert guidelines. The outcome shows that in Slovenia the time has come, because of the incomprehension of the real significance of the identity of architectural heritage, when the country may become a pattern for its systematic destruction. Today, in many other places in the world, too, money has asserted itself as the only way of valuing cultural heritage, especially of its unacknowledged part. Therefore, a listed monument or architecture as part of cultural heritage is primarily a good financial investment for its owner, and increasingly less a universal value for the future, or even less for humanity as a whole.

I did my bit in the article A HARMONIOUS DEVELOPMENT BETWEEN THEORY AND RELATIONS, for which I have arranged material that I had been preparing at the initiative of the Ministry of Agriculture since 1989.

Owing to the particularities of the countryside and its culture, peoples’ awareness needs urgently to be enhanced. The process of regionalisation could be qualitatively modified; rigidly defined regions should become thematic, whereby municipalities and communes unite without coercion and according to their needs. And the final suggestion refers to establishing and empowering the institution of the city architect which, twelve years after the formal motion, has resulted in flourishing (negative and positive) construction activity in Ljubljana and Maribor.

Our colleague Dr. Alenka Fikfak in her interesting article addresses the theory and practice of the countryside. Its title is PLANNED DESIGNS IN THE SLOVENE OUT OF CITY ENVIRONMENT. Interest in the spatial planning of out of city space has varied strongly in parallel with the transformation of the built environment and the introduction of non-agrarian functions: from individual notions during the period in which the countryside was not yet under great pressure from construction activities (except for urban fringes) to concepts of post-war reconstruction at the level of individual settlements, or the shaping of the settlement model. Later, concepts for the physical planning of wider space were sought, which included towns and countryside. Nowadays, the planning of built structures has increasingly become subject to indicators such as the parcel coverage index and floor space index. Concepts are being shaped whose principal idea and motivation is the maximum exploitation of floor space.

The city architect of Maribor, the young colleague Stojan Skalicky writes in his article THE CITY ARCHITECT AND CITY ARCHITECTURE about concrete issues concerning a city architect. Problems highlighted are above all current issues, planning and special activities. Because of the project “Maribor – European Capital of Culture 2012” and the “Winter Universiade 2013”, which are the two greatest national culture and sports projects, requiring an extremely well-coordinated approach to the siting of built structures, the mayor's decision is so much more logical.

The article by M. Lipnik from the Municipality of Ljubljana URBAN SPATIAL PLANNING AND ARCHITECTURE presents issues concerning urbanism and architecture. The Environmental Protection Act transposes into the spatial order of the Republic of Slovenia a number of European directives concerning various environmental issues, nature protection, natural sources and people's living conditions. Each directive in itself provides a sufficiently exact way of settling individual issues affecting the environment, and thereby provides a more or less precise scheme for settling urban planning issues.

A key element defining a city's development is social development. Young families are most in need of homes in order for the young to be active working potential in the economy. This is why the Public Housing Fund has lately been increasingly visible Headed by our colleague Jožka Hegler, it has presented quite a few salient solutions regarding organization and implementation, as well as high quality architecture (which is a phenomenon also on a European scale, an obvious consequence of Ms Hegler's profession). The article is entitled HOUSING IS THE BASIS OF PUBLIC WELFARE. The degradation of the profession is evident in some multi-dwelling buildings in the private market, whereas many square metres of “residential” space as possible tend to be sold, and in “extended” solutions on single-family homes. Confidence in the law would be greater if provisions were adopted more deliberately and lasted longer. Energy economy and the introduction of renewable energy sources are challenges of the future which the Public Housing Fund of MOL has been confronted with already while carrying out its primary task of ensuring social housing.

Biljana Arandjelović, holder of a doctorate from Graz Technical University, presents practical problems and solutions in the case of Belgrade in her article THE MAIN PROBLEMS IN THE NEW URBAN AGE OF BELGRADE – ILLEGAL AND SEMI-ILLEGAL CONSTRUCTION. She claims that modernization, which includes an acceptance of global and individual traffic trends, has led to overburdening of the roads. Belgrade entered the 21st century in a condition worse than anyone would have dared predict ten years earlier. Illegal construction was spreading, so that Belgrade ended up with urban sacrilege. Next time, perhaps, our colleague will offer us more examples of problem solutions.

Asst. Prof. Ljubo Lah writes about concrete difficulties in the case of a municipality in the Kras. The title is eloquent, albeit long: ANALYSIS OF THE PROPOSED MODIFICATIONS AND AMENDMENTS TO THE SPATIAL PLANNING DOCUMENT OF THE MUNICIPALITY OF SEŽANA. In his contribution he analyses possible consequences and contradictions caused by the adoption of the document “Modifications and amendments to the spatial components of the Long-term plan of the Municipality of Sežana”.

The young colleague Domen Zupančič, who two years ago attained exceptional succes in his post-doctoral study at ARRS in his in-depth analysis of one of the most unchanged villages near Lenart in Slovenske gorice is toying with idea of its past, its future, its existence, development and significance within the commune. In his article A VILLAGE ON THE FRINGES OF A DEVELOPMENT he objectively (theoretically and practically, see the Figures) theorises, analyses and suggests - also in sketches. The contribution sprang up in parallel with the Lenart 2008 Architectural Workshop in October and November of this year. He claims that spatial planning and urbanism are not modes of regulation valid only in towns; the countryside and rural areas also need appropriate planning and the well-conceived harmonisation of various needs (social, cultural and interest groups, enterprise lobbies, national infrastructure...) and environmental conditions..

I think that from a realistic viewpoint, this is the most significant article in this number.

There is an interesting collaboration between an Argentinian Slovene and a Cypriot who studied at our school: Beatriz Tomšič Čerkez and Evros Alexandrou. The title is A COMPARISON OF DIFFERENT SPACES IN TRADITIONAL ARCHITECTURE. They produce two examples, seemingly incompatible: Herzegovina and Cyprus. In the article, they lean on various cultures which have determined the architectural and spatial image of a landscape through adapting to the landscape, climatic conditions, vegetation, and the spiritual, aesthetic and religious components of life.

Despite different locations, cultural characteristics and even religious traditions, some features of residential space appear similar in both places.

The colleague Dr. Tadeja Zupančič and a trainee researcher in geography, Špela Verovšek, are concerned in their article CATEGORISATION OF TRAFFIC INDICATORS FOR COMMUNICATING WITH THE GENERAL PUBLIC with appropriate data preparation, which on the one hand can enable the identification of traffic conditions, and on the other hand explains its relation to other spatial phenomena. Furthermore, it allows for the comparative assessment of different cities.

Asst. Prof. Tomaž Novljan claims in his article ARCHITECTURAL AMBIENCES DEGRADED BY ILLUMINATION that light makes an ambience visually perceptible, real, dynamic. A quality architectural ambience possesses its context, its story, a ‘plot’, which connects in various ways to individual elements.

A trainee researcher, Larisa Brojan unveils interesting links between equal elements, architectural structures realised in different materials at different locations. In the article NOMADIC ARCHITECTURE – ANALYSIS OF EXAMPLES FROM AREAS WITH LESS FAVOURABLE CLIMATES the introduction is dedicated to definitions of terms and a general review of nomadic life. The main section of the article concerns two examples of nomadic architecture – the Eskimo tent and the black tent.

The range of collaborators and bodies concerned with spatial planning and the selection of articles regarding this topic is neither complete nor ideal. It demonstrates the situation in theory and practice, yesterday and today, with future-directed views. Some of us speak, some of us write more and others write less. What is alarming are those who are absent, but are concerned with planning and regulating. Do they have nothing to say, or do they not know how, or are they unable to? The issue in question is not an easy one and would require more time and space. That the State does not care about our space, about the culture of space, about our future, I find incomprehensible.

This is why I find this number a significant cornerstone on architectural issues. You will be judges of its quality.

Now, I can only wish you pleasant reading.

Editor

October 2008