The study of architecture dekleva gregorič architects has designed this brick neighborhood in Ljubljana, located on a former factory of bricks from the one that has taken conceptual and physically the material that was producing.

A residential complex composed by 5 buildings and a landscape environment has been the design proposed for dekleva gregoric architects to obtain 185 housings organized in 17 different plants and several common zones. The main material they have used is the brick, in memory of a former factory that was in the same position in that one finds the neighborhood.

Description of project by dekleva gregorič architects

How to establish a clear spatial, material and social identity of the neighbourhood? This question was the basic principle when developing the design of objects and their surroundings in terms of deeper connection of future residents with their living environment.

The concept of the 3D erosion is resulting from the critique of the existing master plan with generic volumes in terms of size and height and their arbitrary position. This concept of sub-structuring of the volume is further reflected in the material expression: the initial envelope is defined with the brick layer and the cut-outs with balconies in render.

The selection of bricks as a preliminary material derived from the memory of the brickyard which used to be on-site. Furthermore the bricks provide an opportunity as means of expression for additional micro-structuring of the facade surface. The material manipulation allows for a unique identity thus significant for the future community.

A clear systematic approach to the organisation of 185 dwellings was developed to allow for an array of 17 diverse flat types differentiated in terms of size and internal arrangement in order to address different needs of future residents. The position of the structure, installation and internal organisation of the flats with the backbone service stripe enables the internal flexibility - the diverse set of room distribution either as one large unified space or a set of smaller rooms. The system allows joining of smaller flats or separating of larger units, before, during and after the construction.

Communications are naturally illuminated from two sides, in this way a corridor becomes a place of meeting. Social interaction is upgraded by placing a shared common space above each building’s entrance. They provide the possibility for birthday parties, indoor playgrounds for wintery months, gym or any other activity.

On communal spaces’ glazing there are poems of Slovenian poets written. Each communal space, each residential community is literary enriched by the chosen poet. This contextual and semantic upgrade of the architecture allows the resident extra identification with his living environment and at the same time enriches cultural awareness of inhabitants. »We are living at Tone Pavček, next door entrance to Prešeren.«

Text.- dekleva gregorič architects

CREDITS. TECHNICAL SHEET.-

Architects.- dekleva gregorič architects.
Competition team.- Aljoša Dekleva, Tina Gregorič, Lea Kovič, Flavio Coddou.
Project team.- Aljoša Dekleva, Tina Gregorič, Lea Kovič, Martina Marčan, Andi Koder, Tea Smrke,  Daniel Schwartz, Simon Vrščaj.
Collaborators.- Landscape and greenery.- bruto d.o.o.
Number of buildings.- 5.
Number of entrances.- 7.
Number of apartments.- 185.
Area.- 20,185 sqm.
Dates.- 2005-2014.
Client.- SSRS–National Housing Trust.

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dekleva gregorič architects was set up by Aljoša Dekleva (b.1972) and Tina Gregorič (b.1974) in 2003 in Ljubljana, Slovenia. They arean architectural practice based in Ljubljana, Slovenia and founded by Aljoša Dekleva and Tina Gregorič. Alongside their architectural practice they are intensively involved in reshaping approaches to architectural education. Aljoša Dekleva is Programme Director of Architectural Association Visiting School Slovenia, and was only recently Guest Professor of Architecture at UdeM, Montreal, Canada. Tina Gregorič is Professor of Architecture at TU Wien, Austria. They lecture extensively both in Slovenia and abroad, presenting their practice and their research.

Tina and Aljoša both graduated from the Faculty of Architecture in Ljubljana and later received Master degrees in Architecture with Distinction at the Architectural  Association (AA) in London  (AADRL 2002), after which they established Dekleva Gregorič architects in 2003. Initially they began with research on topics of user participation and mass-customization of collective housing at the AA in London, and are co-authors of the book “Negotiate my boundary!”, published by AA Publications and Birkhauser. The book received intense professional attention, related particularly to the social models of sharing and co-habitation.  Recently they initiated and led a distinctive design research project on nanotourism, a participatory, locally oriented alternative to the current downsides of conventional tourism. Together with their research team at BIO50 (Biennial of Design, Ljubljana, 2014) they received the biennial’s highest honour – Best Collaboration Award.

Their practice attempts to pursue the concept of ‘research by design’ and ‘design by research’ through diverse projects, through different scales and programs as well as diverse climates and localities. Understanding of the specific constrains and conditions of the context become the ultimate generative tool that aims to challenge the obvious. They utilize a systematic design approach to establish an intense structuring of space and to challenge the use of materials by exposing their primary natures. The user experience of architecture and participation continue to constitute the practice’s central objective. Topics like new collectivity, sharing, participation and collaboration frame a social position to architecture that aims to stimulate new interaction with or between users, encourage user participation in the design process and customization according to users’ needs.

Their built projects and research have received many international and national awards; among others, several nominations for the Mies van der Rohe Award, for Metal Recycling Plant, Housing Perovo, Compact Karst House and the Cultural Centre of EU Space Technologies (KSEVT), a collective work by four Slovenian architectural studios. In 2013 the practice was named Highly Commended at the 21 for  21 WAN AWARDS 2012 – a search for “the 21 architects for the 21st century. The initiative aims to highlight outstanding, forward-thinking people and organizations who have the demonstrable potential to be the next big thing in the architectural world.”

Several Dekleva Gregorič projects explore the topic of home and dwelling, including their first project, the internationally awarded and exhibited, 43 m2 XXS house built in 2004 in central Ljubljana. In 2012 their project Clifftop house on Maui, Hawaii received the AIT Award and International Architecture Awards 2012. Recently,  they have managed to improve social interaction with a series of small but distinct shared spaces as part of large collective housing project Brick neighbourhood in Ljubljana. In 2015 they explored the potentials of redefining regional tradition and condensed family life in Compact Karst House, which won the WAN House of the Year 2015 Award, Best architects 16 Award, and was commended in the prestigious AR House Award 2015, by Architectural  Review, UK. Architects  Aljoša Dekleva and Tina Gregorič tend to continuously question the role of architecture in an attempt to improve our society.


 Tina Gregoric and Aljosa Dekleva. Photograph © Tamás Bujnovszky.

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Published on: March 10, 2015
Cite: "Brick Neighbourhood by dekleva gregorič architects" METALOCUS. Accessed
<http://www.metalocus.es/en/news/brick-neighbourhood-dekleva-gregoric-architects> ISSN 1139-6415
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