The lack of renovation of residential heritage has a negative environmental and spatial impact in numerous Slovenian cities, including Idrija.

The Idrija miner’s house is a typology unique to this city. These houses, built primarily between 1776 and 1876 contributed to the unique identity of the city.

In 2018, aided by our partners in Idrija, we identified 102 of these miner’s houses. Roughly half of them were empty. Due to numerous alterations, only 18 have retained more than five typical features, and only 8 of those remained inhabited. During a period of housing shortage in Idrija and its surroundings, we estimated that the renovation and new residents would help with the revitalization of the city centre as well as strengthen the identity and architectural and urban image of this UNESCO World Heritage Site.

With the project, we wanted to encourage the renovation and revival of cultural heritage, creating attractive facilities for modern living. The renovation married the use of natural materials with the knowledge of Idrija’s local craftsmen, and respected all the characteristics of the architectural heritage. We designed an innovative restoration plan within the framework of heritage protection with a wide group of experts that collaborated to find the most suitable solutions.

We chose the Trnovec miner’s house as a pilot case. The house is listed as cultural heritage, has been vacant for twenty years and is owned by the municipality. We planned to transform it into a two-apartment building with a preserved original exterior and an interior redesigned in accordance with modern-day needs. The house will be renovated by the municipality, following our plans and recommendations. It will serve as housing for young adults.