When a Good Solution Becomes the New Problematic: Building Solutions from the 1980s Are an Issue of Today’s Renovations
Abstract
In Slovenia today, architects have to deal with numerous renovations of former architectural practice in Yugoslavia. Until 1991, Slovenia belonged to the former Republic of Yugoslavia for more than 50 years. Following World War 2, most countries in Europe had to deal with major housing problems and Yugoslavia was no exception. Yugoslavia dealt with these problems from two directions, either by building special neighbourhoods or by investing in its real estate in the form of single-family houses.
This “mass housing” approach also occurred in Slovenia. Most houses were built between 1970 and 1980. These structures were typically built by the owners themselves with the help of friends and relatives, although professional architects still provided the designs. They were planned with all the legal documentation but with no special interest or architectural inspiration.
The article deals with the exposed problematic and offers some solutions for the future. Its aim is to raise awareness of architects’ work with the broader public, who are in most cases investors of architectural documentation. The article also deals with the problematic of responsibility when dealing with space interventions.