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“Zero House” is the first entirely passive urban villa in Belgrade created as a result of the harmonious collaboration between architect Vladimir Lojanica and investors Maja and Saša Macanović. It should be noted that this isn’t the usual shared work between opposing factions, because, in this case, the architect and the clients speak the same language.

Name of object: Passive house – ‘’ZERO ENERGY’’, family villa
Location: Belgrade
Investor: Maja & Saša Macanović
Authors of the project: Vladimir Lojanica & Saša Macanović
Year of planning: 2017
Year of construction: 2019
Building area: 845 m²
Total floor area: Su+P
Documentation: Vladimir Lojanica / Proaspekt d.o.o.
Contractors: ZOP, Alucommerce, Termotim, Šiping

MODERN ARCHITECTURE IN SERBIA ISN’T GOOD ENOUGH?

If you take a look around you and observe a couple of public surveys, or if you have an exchange of oppinions and ideas with your non-architect friends, you will reach the same conclusion – the tastes of the experts and the public are diameterally different. Should we dare put people in certain categories, regarding this problem, we would easily pick out three dominant groups – the investors, the consumers and the architects. Profit is the most important thing to the financiers, while, on the other hand, consumers fantasize about their ideal personal space, but they agree to an uncostly solution due to financial limitations.

What about the architects? They quietly observe the capitalist phenomenon of investor architecture from their corner and they feel powerless. Much alike the three islands in the Atlantic ocean, among which ships and aeroplanes disappear misteriously, there are three ’’tribes’’ deprived of the possibility of understanding, among which every wish and need is lost. Just like real tribes, these comunities are also isolated, they are composed of like-minded individuals and each one of them possesses their own language. They are oblivious of their neighbors, and, should they find out about them, they consider them enemies.

Without the intention of pointing the finger at any of the stated groups, a question arises: Can architecture become better if we all communicate better?

It’s no secret that in ex Yugoslavia exists the dishonorable tradition of a shallow collaboration between architects and clients.

Even though many changes have happened over the years, it seems that the general public isn’t ready yet to accept contemporary architecture. The most populous ‘’tribe’’ owns the collective taste of the population, which is, in an enormous way, ‘’used to’’ the aesthetic defined according to the regional architectural identity. A significantly smaller group is composed of investors who speak the language of the market, thus, material worth to them is the criterion of the entire design.

The third island is inhabited by architects aware of the clear message that travels from the neighboring islands – there is definitely a misunderstanding of the context brought by contemporary architecture.

Perhaps the public isn’t informed and educated enough on the current movements? Does the key to solving the problem lie in mutual cooperation? How ready are we to understand each other?

Even though we cannot be commended on our role as architects in construction, nor on the quality of accomplished projects, there will always be exceptions – bright examples of domestic architecture. One of them is the Zero Energy House project, showcased at this year’s Salon of Architecture in Belgrade, where it was awarded the Grand Prix in the category for architecture. We live in pretentious times, where adjectives like ‘’first’’, ‘’best’’, ‘’unique’’ and ‘’one-of-a-kind’’ are oftentimes loosely used for the purpose of marketing. In front of you is actually the first project of an urban villa that is completely successful in the field of energetic efficiency in Serbia.

This object is especially interesting because of the combined work of the architect and the investor during the whole process. By combining their knowledge, experiences and ideas, and, most of all, by defining their common goal, a result, which was deemed unattainable up to this point, has been accomplished. ‘’It’s the only realized project in this region, which has, in an attempt to equalize the entire energy that the object spends in a year’s time with the amount of the renewable energy it produces, accomplished all principles of a passive house.’’, the authors point out.

COMMON VALUES AND GOALS

‘’Zero House’’ is the first entirely passive urban villa in Belgrade created as a result of the harmonious collaboration between architect Vladimir Lojanica and investors Maja and Saša Macanović. It should be noted that this isn’t the usual shared work between opposing factions, because, in this case, the architect and the clients speak the same language. Co-authors Lojanica and Macanović are equally successful, each in their own field, and by sheer luck, both of them centered their careers on construction, thus, there was a high level of mutual understanding from the very start of the project. The attainment of zero energy balance (Zero energy house) was defined as the primary challenge of the project, so, it was necessary to depend on the most modern technological solutions that will enable the access to alternative energy sources. The result is a total balance between economic and ecological sustainability.

THE HARMONY OF AESTHETICS AND TECHNOLOGY

This villa is located in the central core of the city, which represents an exceptional challenge. Comfort, which is expected for a single-family home, has to be provided and placed in a densely populated milieu. Zero house stands out from the need to impose itself due to its disburdenment. Even though it is skilfully blended into its surroundings, the simple form and prominent horizontality of this single-family residence catchesthe attention of the occasional passer-by. However, even after the initial curiosity, the passer-by encounters an obstacle – the object is highly introverted in its entirety. Unwanted guests cannot even imagine what hides behind the intriguing street façade. In a couple of minimal strokes, the clear form was created, which hides the central atrium in its center – the field of privacy needed so desperately in a mostly urban environment.


Taking into consideration the fact that the object of the project is the most complex and technical typology, it is noted that the authors faced a difficult assignment. It is expected from the project to ensure all of the qualities provided by a self-contained house on the location whose environment offers possibilities, but causes significant limitations as well. Despite the fact that housing is the priority, the urban villa should guarantee everything that is expected of it, and those are also additional features, such as recreational and representative ones. All of this demands significant financial resources in the building process as much as during maintenance, whose total expenses can outgrow the initial investments for decades. This is one of the reasons because of which the authors had decided to devote themselves to rational energy use.

‘’When it comes to the planning of the Zero Energy passive house, the biggest challenge was figuring out how not to step away from the principles of energy efficiency and how to conserve the authentic architectural expression, context and the entire functional quality and comfort.’’, the authors point out. At first glance, it is clear that the aesthetics of the pavilion, the fine art of the object from one side and all of its technological characteristics from the other, didn’t represent an obstacle for the accomplishment of all of the set goals. The compromise solution was realized to their mutual benefit.

FLEXIBILITY IN SERVICE TO COMFORT

‘’This timeless photovoltaic monolith is protective towards the inner atrium, the warm center of the house, around which the comfort of housing has been developed’’, in short, this would be the design approach, based on which the organizational chart of this one-story home has been defined. The ground floor consists of: an entry zone, a kitchen, a living room with a dining room, two bedrooms with their own bathrooms and wardrobes, a pool, a spa and utility rooms. All program contents are oriented around the inner atrium.Special attention is dedicated to the maximum separation of individual contents, depending on do they belong to the parents or the children. However, the kitchen, the dining room and the living room are intertwined in one constant row and they define the place for family gatherings. The basement is reserved for the garage, technics and the recreation room.

The basic goal of this approach is the improvement of the everyday routine of the user through a flexible basis, whether it’s about the need for personal space, family gatherings, recreation or hobbies. The special quality of this project is the versatility, which is most noticeable in the central space. Depending on weather conditions, the atrium offers different possibilities due to its possibility of transformation. The retractable glass roof above it turns the court space into inner space in just a few strokes. In both cases it is visually present in areas like the living room and the indoor pool.

THE TECHNOLOGY OF THE PASSIVE HOUSE

The architectural construction of this urban villa is steel-reinforced. Wienerberger Porotherm blocks were used as the filling of the façade walls. In order to respect the principles of energy efficiency, special attention was dedicated to adequate thermo isolation. Austrotherm XPS was used for the subterranean parts and the flat roof, while Sikatherm was used for the façade walls. The priority was to eliminate every cold bridge in the architectonical detail. The thermal cover remained continuous because the carrier of the front façade is a steel lattice frame attached to the concrete construction via spacers. A similar approach to detail was implemented during the solving of the overhang. It represents a separate element attached to the roof slab thanks to specially profiled elements made from stainless steel.

All of the installations in the house are supported by the smart house system. Processes such as ventilation, heating and cooling are entirely automatized. Under-floor heating is supported by two heat pumps and it is located in all areas (except for the garage and the technical room). The indoor pool, whose maintenance costs are very high, is a special challenge, thus the installation of warm water is supported by a roof solar panel system. Attention is also dedicated to the rational consumption of water, thus, rainwater, which is being gathered in underground tanks, is used for watering and for technical water. Even so, the solar cloth on the façade and on the roof has the biggest influence on the entire system. Thanks to it, the project represents a unique realized example of this type of object in the country and in the region as well. The system of façade and roof solar panels is designed as an independent system with a spare battery and it provides 90% of the total need for energy (80 – 100%, depending on the user’s need).

The main glass façade is the most dominant, turned towards the street and oriented to southeast. It consists of 406 boards of photovoltaic panels, which, apart from being functional, possess a significant aesthetic role and are responsible for the final outstanding result. The remaining façades have minimal window openings (because of natural ventilation), and are realized in a combination of a contact and a ventilated façade with alucobond cladding. The wooden brisesoleil zones are especially interesting, which soften the strictness of the technocratic manner.
Façade carpentry by the renowned manufacturer Schuco was carried out on the object, triple glazed windows, a roof lantern with quadruple glazed windows, the retractable glass roof of the atrium with double glazed glass were also implemented, and an especially interesting feature is the sliding system on the front façade. It’s the Schuco ASS 77PD motor powered sliding system, with the height of the sliding position of 3,25cm, with AGC Ug=0.5 W/m2K triple glazed glass, with minimal frame thickness. The authors chose this carpentry system because, thanks to it, they managed to obtain maximum elegance in a minimal manner, while at the same time satisfying all parameters of energy efficiency.

ARCHITECT + INVESTOR = O

An entirely contemporary and comfortable family house for living was built, which is energetically efficient at the same time, thanks to the usage of the latest materials during construction, and during the furnishing of the space. The form and materialization of the object are completely in sync with the concept of sustainability. It should be noted that the accomplished achievements are a result of a cooperation between like-minded individuals. Also, the project task is a single-family home, not an apartment building, thus, profit does not come first, but quality of living does. Regarding the fact that in this case the investor is the user of the space, it can be said that we don’t have three, but two sides that need to find a compromise solution. Even so, this does not decrease the significance of this cooperation and the fact that domestic clients hardly experiment with their own personal space. The willingness to change is minimal, but for projects like this leaving the comfort zone is called for. The moment when the investor gives the designer a certain degree of freedom, he makes a pact in which he can only gain more than what has been anticipated. Taken by a hint of freedom, the architect approaches the project on a more personal level, which results in complete dedication. Only by joining forces maximum results can be achieved – in this case, this is the consumption of energy, which is equal to zero.

IS THE DIALOGUE BETWEEN THE ARCHITECT, THE USER AND THE INVESTOR A NEW WAVE WHICH WE STRIVE FOR?

If we take a look at domestic architecture and ask ourselves if the situation is really that bad, the answer is – of course not. However, projects that are worthy of attention don’t receive enough space and they remain in certain cliques that know how to appreciate their worth. Unfortunately, this makes them remote to the majority of the population, which didn’t have a chance to encounter significant projects based on which they can create appropriate references. A lack of dialogue in the design process is noticeable, which is the consequence of a simple existence on the market due to the increasing number of competition and the standard imposed by hyper production. Architects are often divided between extremes – those who have completely given up on designing because they are not ready to adapt, and those who design according to the demands of the market. Before we judge any of these two groups, it should be asked what we can learn from each other.

How to bring back trust in architects and respect towards the entire profession? We are prevented from the lack of systematic education of the population (via the promotion of relevant projects – specialized shows, exhibitions, workshops…). Architects have to take over the role of manager and dedicate themselves to their personal, but also to the promotion of the entire occupation. A swift and effective leader is required for this position, a leader who communicates with every member of the team, asks questions, detects problems and proposes substantial solutions. No matter how many colleagues are involved in a project, a skill is expected in order for the process to be fully grasped. In many studies, analytical, visual and technical skills were stated as necessary. On the other hand, it is expected from the investor to be informed and sure enough in himself in order to leave the decisions to the professional. In order to notice improvement, a dialogue between clients and designers is compulsory. In order to bring back the lost social status, we have to be more open and connected with those who are different than us. A cooperation will be possible only when both sides surpass their own boundaries. As long as every participant of the project is in progress, strong mutual respect is present.Mutual financial responsibility is also of extreme importance.

In the end, good communication is one of the key factors – it represents the cornerstone of the construction of the project. We should aspire to constant, clear and precise dialogue. Let’s remember the beginning of the story and the Bermuda triangle consisted of tribes that don’t understand each other. No matter which language we use and to which island we belong, by intuition we can all recognize when something is good. A boat has to be used in order to reach the places where ships are lost.

And what about the ignorance of the language? That instrument serves best in the hands of the architects. It seems that we have a slight advantage – we speak the universal language of the world. ’’If you weren’t an optimist, it would be impossible to be an architect.’’, claims Norman Foster. Thus, we should believe in a new beginning and proceed firmly – with small steps. Before we decide to row to the other island, maybe the solution is to send a message in a bottle?

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