Martina Kalivodová

Vernacular architecture is a significant part of cultural heritage but faces increasing pressure from current demands for improved building energy performance. Legislative frameworks and renovation programs often prioritize technical criteria over cultural-historical preservation, leading to irreversible alterations or even demolition. This study aims to identify and categorize the key values that should be considered in the harmonious restoration of vernacular architecture. The research focuses on selected buildings in the Červený Kameň microregion, analyzing their architectural substance, historical value, and relationship to energy performance. The study employs a multi-method approach, combining field research, historical analysis, and homeowner interviews to assess the impact of contemporary interventions. Findings indicate that the building envelope plays a crucial role in both preserving architectural identity and influencing thermal performance. Key features such as proportions (wall thickness, the ratio of solid to open surfaces, roof pitch) and structural tectonics (typical materials and construction systems) are often altered in attempts to improve energy efficiency, affecting both the visual and functional character of the buildings. Historical and field analysis shows that renovation practices frequently disregard traditional construction logic, resulting in loss of authenticity and even reduced long-term sustainability. Interviews with homeowners highlight financial constraints, unclear regulations, and a lack of expertise as key challenges. The study proposes a framework for assessing vernacular architecture, offering practical guidance for owners, architects, and policymakers to support culturally respectful and sustainable restoration.

The aim of this research is to analyze the processes of suburbanization in the microregions of Slovakia and their impact on the transformation of traditional rural structures, including changes in local identity. The study examines the dynamics of demographic, economic, and social changes that directly influence the urbanization of rural areas. The methods used combine an analytical approach to geographic data, field observations and surveys, and cultural-social and ethnographic information. Through case studies, we reveal how suburbanization trends and their impact on local infrastructure guide the emergence of a new community identity. The results highlight the diversification of functions within rural municipalities, showing that suburban trends create new social and economic opportunities while also presenting challenges related to sustainable development and the preservation of cultural identity. The research emphasizes the need for strategic regional planning that integrates urbanization dynamics and identity transformation into the rural landscape, thereby supporting balanced development in the microregions of Slovakia.

The operational energy efficiency of new buildings in the EU should be at the level of ultra-low or near-zero energy buildings. It is therefore relatively difficult to achieve further energy savings. However, the pre-operational phase—raw material sourcing, manufacturing, transportation, and construction—offers significant energy savings and greenhouse gas reduction opportunities, referred to as embodied energy and equivalent CO₂ emissions. Unlike operational energy, no standard or legislative criteria have yet been established for embodied energy. Setting maximum embodied energy values converted to the unit of heated building area, accounting for building shape factor, and differentiating between high-mass and lightweight constructions are proposed. This study illustrates assessing environmental indicators based on building shape, highlighting the necessity of relative assessments over absolute values to favour energy efficiency. It also emphasizes that precise criteria should derive from authentic data collected during the energy certification and building permitting processes. Integrating assessments of embodied energy and operational energy demand facilitates a comprehensive evaluation of buildings’ environmental performance.

The work builds on the publication Protection and Restoration of Architectural Heritage (2023). It describes methods of specific design that apply the principles of cultural sustainability in the field of architectural planning. It presents the approach of the UNESCO Chair for the Restoration of Architectural Heritage in addressing the problems of globalization that lead to the loss of cultural diversity. It sees the remedy in the restoration of historical structures, which emphasize the need to protect and renew the fading identity, while continuing the building culture of the given territory.

The paper addresses the development of a methodology for the restoration of small architecture in historical public spaces protected as monuments. The methodology is demonstrated using the example of an important historical garden, the National Cultural Monument (Koch's Garden). Koch's Garden, which this paper uses to showcase various restoration approaches for small architecture, was established in the 1930s as part of the sanatorium of MUDr. Karol Koch. The sanatorium and its accompanying garden were designed by architects Dušan Jurkovič, Jindřich Merganc, and Otmar Klimeš. The garden, situated on sloping terrain, features a system of terraces connected by walkways, exotic plantings, sculptures, and numerous small architectural elements. The primary goals of the garden's restoration design were to preserve and restore the original features while emphasizing the authenticity and unique character (genius loci) of the place. The small architecture includes a tourist information centre, a swimming pool, and sunbeds. The pool, integral to the garden's original architectural concept, is preserved as a significant central element. Given its status as a typical example of this type of garden, the focus of the contribution is on the pool. The methodology evaluates pool renovation solutions based on five key parameters: authenticity, function, attractiveness, investment, and operation. Using this methodology, five alternatives were identified: 1. an empty pool with a railing, 2. a pool with pool water, 3. a pool with lake water and aquatic flora, 4. a pool with a water film and a gallery below it, 5. a pool with a reflecting surface as part of an amphitheatre, with storage for garden tools. In addition to diagram-based evaluations, these alternatives were assessed by the general and expert public, incorporating a social parameter into the evaluation. The result is a comprehensive evaluation system that can be applied to other types of small architecture in historical public spaces.