Cultural-tourist complex, Mokrin

House B is the first of the five buildings that make up the complex to be realized. It occupies the site of a family home dating from 1878 which had to be demolished due to its dilapidated condition. It will be used for workshops and seminars relating to projects in the field of art. The emphasis on creative work inspired the architects to reinterpret the previous building in a contemporary way. The only reference to the vernacular architecture of the region is the shape. The roofing and facades of the steel-frame house are entirely clad with dark-coloured fibre cement panels. In contrast to the facade, all the interior surfaces are white, except for the pale wooden partition walls-cum-storage that divide the workshops from the offices. Both rooms are flexible open-plan spaces that can be adapted to suit changing requirements. Communication and openness are motifs for the interior of House B, as well as for the organization of the ensemble of buildings, which are arranged around a courtyard. The street facade of House B replicates the facade of the demolished house in its proportions and openings. The rear elevation is more open, and its irregular arrangement of windows provides those inside with different experiences of light and space, depending on their location within the house.

The architects' approach is direct and clear: a reinterpretation of heritage through the use of contemporary forms and materials. In so doing, AUTORI have freed themselves of everything that is redundant or merely decorative. Theirs is an approach that is becoming increasingly popular in Europe today, and has been called the New Simplicity. What they have designed here is also functional and sustainable, like the special piece of furniture in House B. It is a bench made from wooden beams that were a part of the roof construction of the demolished house. They are all that remains of the earlier house, salvaged to continue living in a reinterpreted way.

House A, a 1925 family home, is currently being converted into accommodation for visitors. Three more (new) buildings are scheduled for construction next year. They will house wellness functions and a swimming pool, a showroom for the company's products and a café with common recreation space for the visitors.

When completed, the ensemble will be understood and enjoyed as a contemporary entity, offering easy connections between a range of functions, accessible from an open patio-like central space. It is hoped that this contemporary makeover of a traditional ensemble will set a strong example for the revaluation of vernacular architecture, and for giving talented young architects an opportunity to enrich the built environment.