The design of the settlements of Dobrova and Polhov Gradec

Year of construction: 2012

Project group: Uroš RAZPET, Anja PLANIŠČEK, Gašper MEDVEŠEK, Klara BOHINC, Matej DELAK, Saša REGORŠEK, Eva SENEKOVIČ

Dobrova and Polhov Gradec are facing identity issues, like many smaller settlements next to larger cities: Dobrova is a settlement whose identity never truly developed, whereas Polhov Grades is losing its identity because of social and economic changes.

For the last twenty years we have been facing ever increasing changes that have brought a new social order and “progress in civilization”. Changes in politics and economy are reflected in the way of life and, consequently, even in space. In smaller towns, like Dobrova and especially Polhov Gradec, former local economic activities – such as woodworking and agriculture – are being abandoned, thus reducing jobs. These settlements are slowly being transformed into dormant settlements, since the majority of the residents travel to work in Ljubljana every day. Everyday contact between the residents and the town is thus slowly being lost, and is limited only to late afternoon hours. In both competition proposals, we consequently tried to determine the essential spatial and substantive elements of the town, and to understand them as a foundation for further spatial interventions.