Bratuš Homestead

The Bratuš Farmstead is an intergenerational centre comprising three assisted living flats for the elderly and one for a young family. It is the result of a multi-year renovation of a heritage-protected homestead on the outskirts of the village of Bistrica ob Sotli. The project involved the renovation of the ‘main house’ and the construction of two replacement buildings. Viewed broadly and in terms of key elements of the architectural design (i.e. the building cluster layout, positioning in the terrain, building proportions, the design of characteristic architectural elements and of the structure and materials), all buildings tie in with the Kozjansko-Savinja architectural region, where Bistrica ob Sotli is situated. Viewed within the context of the village, the homestead is located on its edge, forming an area-characteristic boundary. The distinctive elements are designed on the same principles as those governing traditional architectural features: rational use of available resources and materials; care and expressiveness in compositional harmony, yet without artificiality; respect for constraints in terms of available materials and construction techniques; and drawing on the knowledge and skills of construction present and accessible within the local environment.