1 Q: I own an old miners’ house. Is renovating it worth my money?
A: When deciding between renovation and new build, we should be asking whether there is a reason to keep the house – not if there is a reason to demolish it. We must be aware that with every demolished miners’ house we erase a part of our common cultural and architectural heritage. A renovation of a house does not only keep a dwelling alive – it also preserves our heritage. A review of the condition of the existing miners’ houses in 2018 shows that they offer a relatively good quality living environment, which can be further improved with innovative solutions. If the structure of the house is too damaged, reconstruction is of course not possible. But if the building is sufficiently dry and structurally stable, the quality of living can be improved with minor interventions: for example, by sealing, renovating or replacing windows, additional thermal insulation, renovating the roof, attic, plumbing and wiring, or simply by redesigning the space around the house.
2 Q: Can renovating an old, mostly wooden house really mean an added value?
A: A renovation of miners’ houses can bring numerous advantages for individuals as well as for the society. Even though the building materials of today speed construction up and sometimes make it cheaper, we must be aware that this construction does not last as long. A hundred-year-old door will easily last another century, while the door of today will perhaps have to be replaced in twenty years. Renovation keeps family stories and memory of our ancestors alive, and living in old, renovated houses has a unique charm and atmosphere that new builds cannot recreate. Experience from abroad also show that renovated building with preserved heritage increase in value – not like new builds. By preserving cultural architectural heritage, the identity and the image of the town as well as the 500-year-old history of Idrija strengthen further.
3 Q: I heard that the entire Idrija is under some sort of protection. Is this true and do renovations have to follow any guidelines because of this?
A: Idrija houses fall under three levels of protection as defined by the Cultural Heritage Protection Act:
1. Most of the Idrija miners’ houses are located in the cultural monument area of the Idrija Town Centre that protects Idrija as a settlement heritage. This means that the houses are not protected as monuments per se, the town is protected as a whole. In practice, this means that the Institute for the Protection of Cultural Heritage prescribes that the characteristic volumes, roods, window openings, materials, etc. be preserved.
2. Two miners’ houses in this area were given the status of a cultural monument: the Trnovec house and the Bazoviška miners’ house, which is a museum. In their cases, stricter rules apply; as the buildings have remarkable historical value, the procedures are more precisely defined.
3. Two miners’ houses outside this area were given the status of registered heritage: the house at Gregorčičeva 37 and the house at Ulica Otona Zupančiča 36. For them, less strict rules apply than for monuments.
Regardless of the level of protection, any house from any of the above-mentioned groups must acquire project conditions and a positive opinion of the Institute before renovation.
If you want to check whether a specific building is under conservation status, you can do so at the i-Občina portal. At the same time, you must adhere to the Municipal Spatial Plan (OPN) and, for larger interventions, obtain a building permit.
4 Q: Following their restrictions, the Institute for the Protection of Cultural Heritage can only limit my activities while it has nothing to offer. Do I really have to follow their recommendations?
A: Heritage and typical architectural characteristics can be turned to your advantage, creating extraordinary living spaces. A well-thought renovation that requires a creative approach can open new possibilities of reshaping the interior of the house. While it is true that better isolation will increase the thickness of the walls and make the window openings deeper, these can also be expanded in the interior of the house, allowing for more light to come in. Although the thin window frames typical for the miners’ houses only allow single glazing, this can be solved with an internal thicker insulating window that can be wider than the outer window opening. This creates a unique appearance of the window opening an also allows a more luxurious windowsill. We can replace the steep and cramped staircases with staircases of different, more comfortable dimensions. If we decide for a more extensive renovation, the staircases can also be placed along the rear façade of the building, gaining some additional living space. These are just some of the suggestions for a suitable renovation, which can also be found in the catalogue of measures Kako prenoviti idrijsko rudarsko hišo (How to Renovate An Idrija Miners’ House). The catalogue was created to offer creative solutions while respecting the cultural heritage and to show how the miners’ houses need not be a burden, but an opportunity.
5 Q: I am thinking of renovating the house, but not to live in it. What else could I set up in an Idrija miners’ house?
A: With an expert renovation, Idrija miners’ houses can be a unique tourist, residential, or commercial real estate with higher profits (if intended to rent or sell) than other properties on the market. The miners’ houses represent a possibility to develop niche tourism whereby the authenticity of living in the house in marketed as a tourist offer, which increases the attraction of the region. The house can also be turned into an artists’ residence, a catering facility, or a space for cultural events. When establishing a tourist or other activity, there are financial mechanisms available, e.g. the Act Providing Funds for Certain Urgent Cultural Programmes in the Republic of Slovenia, LAS s CILjem tenders, Public tender to co-finance the development and promotion of integral products of tourism industry and Public tender for the energy renovation of tourist facilities by the Slovenian Ministry of Economic Development and Technology, calls by the Slovene Enterprise Fund and calls by the Centre for Creativity. Less common ways of financing include crowdfunding, public-private partnerships, active search for private investors, or cooperative renovation.
6 Q: I heard that renovation costs more than a new build. Is this true?
A: This is only true when the building is in such a bad shape that it requires drastic interventions in its construction (e.g. new load-bearing walls or new foundation). Otherwise the costs of renovation are lower than those of a new build, while the renovation – done properly – can be energy efficient, but most of all more sustainable than a new house. When renovating a miners’ house, certain financial mechanisms of aid are also available. Ekosklad is granting favourable loans and subsidies for various energy efficiency and renewable energy measures (heat pumps, façade insulation, exterior joinery, roof insulation, basement and floor insulation, etc.). Private individuals can also answer the Public call for the selection of cultural heritage projects by the Ministry of Culture. For financial support mechanism in the case of renovating a miners’ house, see question 5.
7 Q: They say that concrete and Styrofoam rule. Do people today still use wood when building residential houses? How can insulation be done otherwise?
A: Despite the popularity of concrete and polystyrene in construction in recent decades, the negative environmental impacts of their use are becoming increasingly apparent. More sustainable and environmentally friendly materials such as wood, stone and lime, which have been used in the construction of traditional houses in the past, are gaining renewed popularity. Timber construction can be an excellent solution for the reconstruction of a severely damaged miners’ house, as it is a lightweight but strong material, which is an important starting point for weaker foundations. By placing a solid timber structure within the external walls, a house that is no longer stable can be re-enforced
Also, timber construction itself has a better thermal insulation performance than brick or concrete construction. As the external appearance of the miners’ houses is protected, the thermal protection has to be carried out on the inside. Mineral wool, cellulose and wood fibres, hemp or sheep’s wool can be used. All of these materials are suitable for insulation, but require a substructure, a vapour or air block and a final internal lining. Alternatively, so-called capillary-active systems, which are capable of absorbing moisture from the indoor air and then releasing it back into the room (mineral foam panels glued to the wall), can be used.
8 Q: My house stands on a steep hill – there is no space for two family cars next to it. Is it worth setting up an apartment in such conditions?
A: Steep hills mean a hidden opportunity to design a garage without building an extension that would increase the volume of the Idrija house. A garage can be dug into the ground and a terrace or a garden with a view can be built above it. This way, as much outdoor and green space can be maintained as before construction. Other spaces can be added to the garage, e.g. a bike shed or a workshop.
9 Q: Miners’ houses are often dark and damp; the rooms have low ceilings and feel cramped. How can such houses even be adapted to meet today’s needs?
A: Affordable solutions can renovate the miners’ houses so that the exterior is preserved in its original form, while the exterior is redesigned to meet contemporary spatial and living needs. For interventions that solve the damp problem, see question 7. The problem can also be solved by installing ventilation.
The problem of not enough light coming inside can be solved by adding new windows of the same sizes in places where they once already were – previous inhabitants often built them up either because they lacked walls to place their furniture to or because of heat loss. We can also opt for larger glass walls on side façades where the façade used to be wooden (e.g. featured a gank balcony) or include wooden elements that hide glass surfaces.
Small spaces can be solved by connecting and rearranging rooms. The lower floors can be used for sleeping areas, storage rooms, and bathrooms, while the attic can be converted into a living space as it is extremely spacious due to the steep inclination of the roof. When the renovation of the house includes a structural rehabilitation, partial removal of the intermediate floor structure can also be considered.
You can find all additional information and a more detailed explanation of individual advice when it comes to renovating a miners’ house in the catalogue of measures Kako prenoviti idrijsko rudarsko hišo (How to Renovate an Idrija Miners’ House).