When discussing exterior walls, we generally distinguish between boundary walls, which are typically located on property lines, and retaining walls, whose purpose is to ensure soil stability. For both categories, it is possible to construct them without a project or building permit, but only up to a certain height and under specific conditions. For boundary…
When Japan Meets Scandinavia in Zagreb
Have you heard of Japandi? If you haven’t yet, don’t worry – this minimalist blend of Japanese and Scandinavian aesthetics has only taken the design world by storm over the past decade. Japandi is all about clean lines, neutral colors, and a focus on natural materials. Although there’s no single creator of this style, some…
The Power of Thermal Insulation
Energy Efficiency and Properties of Building Materials Energy efficiency in building construction is an extremely important component in the planning of future and the renovation of existing buildings.It is important for reducing CO2 emissions, energy consumption for heating and cooling, but also for ensuring our comfort in indoor spaces.n one of our earlier posts, we…
Self-Building a House – Is It Allowed and Possible?
Several times, we have received inquiries from investors who are interested in building their own house and are wondering if it is possible. It is important to note that, despite the earlier practice where residential houses were built with the help of friends and relatives or someone with some construction knowledge, today such a thing…
Use permit – Question of the month
Dear Sir/Madam,I am in the process of purchasing a house. The house was built in 1983 and has all the necessary documentation – the building permit, the main project, the energy certificate, and the energy inspection report. We still need to obtain a use permit in order to secure financing through a loan. Upon reviewing…
Use permit – Question of the month
Dear Sir/Madam,I am in the process of purchasing a house. The house was built in 1983 and has all the necessary documentation – the building permit, the main project, the energy certificate, and the energy inspection report. We still need to obtain a use permit in order to secure financing through a loan. Upon reviewing…
GROSS BUILDING AREA AND NET USABLE AREA OF A BUILDING
How are they calculated in Croatia and why they matter? When talking about gross building area and net usable area in residential buildings, these two terms may at first sight sound pretty self-explanatory.However, there are some details that should be taken into account when building or buying a property in Croatia.Especially when we know that…
About floor plans
Value vs price per square meter When someone buys an apartment in Croatia, the most common question he is asked is: “What’s the price per square meter”. The question is legitimate and Croatia is probably not an exception from other countries in that sense, but there are numerous other things to be considered when buying…
Use permit for swimming pools. Is it required?!
Hundreds of swimming pools have been built in Croatia in the past several years without knowing whether it was necessary to look for a use permit or not. If there were any doubts before, the newest amendments of the Ordinance on simple and other construction works now made the picture clear. Use permit for swimming…
Old buildings, new ideas, new values
The city of Zagreb has many old districts with authentic and pretty residential buildings. Their beauty, unfortunately, faded away with time due to lack of resources for maintenance and for many other reasons.However, some new but also some old owners decided to change the current state. With the complete refurbishment of the inside and outside…
Energy efficiency retrofit – residential building
After numerous projects of energy efficiency retrofits of the family houses we proudly announce one recently finished project of a multi-storey residential building: The project was co-financed with the funds of the European Union. The building is located in Zagreb, it has seven apartments and the total gross area of 782 m2. The retrofit itself…
New building on the block
And the block is changing in a good sense 🙂 The multi-storey building of Zagreb-Gredice is completed and ready to move in. We have already written about the project, as well as about all the advantages of the location. The vicinity of kindergartens, schools, sports grounds and Lake Jarun itself, to just name a few….
PRIVATE POOLS AND PROJECTS FOR HOUSES WITH SWIMMING POOLS
Functionality and harmony with the environment In one our previous posts, we mentioned that the basic task of an architect is to place every building on the best possible position on the plot of land, at the same time conforming to legal requirements, functionality, aesthetics and harmony with the environment. The same rule applies to…
CREATION OF ONE NEW TOURIST SPOT IN HERZEGOVINA
Special project on a special location Long-term commitment of the investor, long-term collaboration and a lot of hard work and effort will finally result in obtaining the building permit. This is only a little hint of our future project in Herzegovina, a region which also has high potentials for tourism, which will soon be further…
Some of Croatian mistaken beliefs on building practice and real estate
Traditional beliefs and inherited habits We recently published a series of videos demystifying some common misconceptions and misunderstandings concerning construction and real estate ownership in Croatia. Almost five decades of socialist Yugoslavia left some deep traces in land management practices and ways how people managed building their living spaces. Due to rigid bureaucracy and numerous limitations…
