Let the courtyard not be a parking lot

With the Living Courtyards program, we have been revitalizing city courtyards for many years, as we are aware that with their unique character and significant presence in the urban landscape, they play a key role in shaping the city’s identity, building community, and improving the quality of life. Greening the courtyards helps reduce the urban heat island effect, preserve biodiversity in the urban environment, decrease noise levels, and significantly contribute to reducing the air pollution we breathe in cities.

 

It was with this awareness that the project Let the Courtyard Not Be a Parking Lot was created. The project focuses on the importance of courtyards in Maribor’s old town center and their potential to spread positive impacts beyond their boundaries.

 

In the summer of 2023, we launched a public call to find a courtyard in Maribor where a wooden pavilion would be established (today known as the Pavilion of Peace and Harmony). After a thorough review of all applications, the expert commission awarded the highest points to the courtyard of the Maribor Regional Archive, as it is also publicly accessible, which increases its motivational potential and impact on the local community.

 

At the end of October 2023, we organized a public forum where, together with guests from the Institute for the Protection of Cultural Heritage of Slovenia, Prostorož, IPoP – Institute for Spatial Policies, and Korimako, we discussed the importance and role of courtyards in the urban landscape.

 

The discussion was recorded and is available to the wider public HERE.

 

At the ceremonial opening on November 23, 2023, each visitor received a seedling of an evergreen plant, which they planted in the pavilion itself as a symbol of peace and harmony. Those interested in the construction process could watch a projection or browse the photo documentation of the latest achievements within the Living Courtyards program (Building Spaces Together and Let the Courtyard Not Be (Just) a Parking Lot). Despite the rain, the event was also attended by spatial planning experts, giving visitors the opportunity to ask questions and engage in discussions about the role of courtyards in shaping the city’s identity.

 

Pavilion of Peace and Harmony

In the courtyard of the Maribor Regional Archive, together with friends and an interdisciplinary group of experts, we designed the layout, greening, and construction of a wooden pavilion Growroom, based on the Danish model by Space10 CC. (https://creativecommons.org/2017/04/13/future-living-with-space10/).

 

 

We have symbolically named the pavilion the Pavilion of Peace and Harmony, expressing our resolute NO to violence and wars around the world, and a clear and strong YES to the most sustainable way of coexistence – symbiosis.

 

The Growroom design offers a sustainable solution for producing fresh food in the urban environment, encourages urban gardening and greening, and thus enters the field of spatial planning – creating a green oasis in an otherwise gray setting. It enables sustainable use of space and promotes local self-sufficiency. From an architectural perspective, its inventiveness lies in a modular design adaptable to different spatial conditions – suitable even for small surfaces such as garage roofs, parking spaces, etc. The green pavilion consists of four levels that form a circular garden inside the structure. The wooden elements are designed to allow light and air to reach the plants. The community-based approach and the use of open-source technology in building the Growroom make the idea accessible and usable for the wider community.

 

Benefits of greening:

• contributes to cleaner air,

• slows down stormwater runoff and purifies water,

• provides shade and cools the atmosphere,

• reduces wind strength,

• screens unpleasant views and shapes the landscape,

• increases the value of real estate and neighborhoods,

• brings natural elements and wildlife habitats into urban areas,

• and all these benefits together improve the quality of urban life.

 

If you would like to apply the concept of greening in your own town or courtyard, we have prepared a handbook for this purpose.