The Site
The Posavina region surrounding Ivanić-Grad in Croatia is home to a distinctive vernacular architectural tradition shaped by its geographical conditions and centuries-old building techniques. Situated at the border between Posavina and Moslavina, this area has been defined by its floodplain landscape, where the interaction between river systems and swamps has resulted in extensive oak forests and fertile lowlands. These environmental factors not only influenced land use and settlement patterns but also led to the development of specific building traditions suited to the challenges of life in the floodplain.
Among the most characteristic features of this region are the Posavina wooden houses, traditionally constructed from locally sourced oak. These structures reflect highly developed vernacular craftsmanship, featuring the so-called čardak (elevated wooden dwellings) and single-story house typologies. Their architectural forms are deeply connected to historic ways of life, cultural traditions, and local beliefs, making them an integral part of Croatia’s rural heritage. However, despite their cultural and historical value, these houses are not formally protected as heritage sites. As a result, many of them face an uncertain future, often dismantled and sold for their timber, leading to an ongoing loss of vernacular architectural heritage in the region.
The rural settlements within the project area are scattered across the Posavina region in the vicinity of Ivanić-Grad, encompassing the villages of Greda Breška, Lijevi Dubrovčak, Posavski Bregi, Prerovec, Topolje, Trebovec, Šemovec Breški, Zaklepica, and Zelina Breška. Over recent decades, these settlements have experienced significant architectural transformation, with modernised buildings replacing traditional structures. Nonetheless, scattered throughout these villages, the last remaining examples of Posavina wooden houses still survive, offering a glimpse into the region’s architectural past.
These houses and their surrounding landscapes prevail as the last remnants of a traditional way of life, where local materials and craftsmanship shaped the built environment. While these structures currently lack legal heritage protection, they remain an important part of the region’s cultural identity. Their continued presence provides a unique insight into Croatia’s vernacular architectural history, stressing the need for recognition and awareness to ensure their documentation and potential future conservation.
The Training Course
The European Heritage Training Course on mapping and documentation of vernacular architecture will focus on the identification, recording, and analysis of the remaining traditional wooden houses in the Posavina region. The course will provide the participants with hands-on training in architectural documentation, GIS mapping, and heritage recording methodologies.
The training course will address the urgent need to document the surviving examples of Posavina’s vernacular wooden houses, which are increasingly at risk due to demographic changes, natural disasters such as floods and earthquakes, and the widespread dismantling of structures for timber resale. Currently, only three traditional wooden residential buildings in the Ivanić-Grad area are protected by Croatia’s Ministry of Culture, underscoring the importance of systematic research and inventory work to raise awareness of unprotected rural heritage.
Participants will engage in field surveys, date collection, and photographic documentation, following a structured documentation methodology that will contribute to the creation of a database. The course will introduce GIS mapping tools and the integration of recorded data into spatial analysis software, ensuring that the surveyed structures are precisely georeferenced for further study and conservation planning. One of the project’s highlights will be the recording of a selected house and its surrounding landscape using drone imaging, which will enable the creation of a detailed 3D-model of the structure.
The educational programme will include lectures by experts in vernacular architecture, ethnology, and cultural anthropology, providing a contextual understanding of the historical and cultural significance of Posavina’s wooden houses. Participants will also visit examples of best practices in vernacular heritage conservation, including the historic wooden settlements of Krapje and Turopolje, where community-led preservation efforts have successfully safeguarded traditional buildings.
A component of the programme will be participants’ presentations, designed to encourage professional dialogue and intercultural exchange. Each participant will prepare a presentation on a relevant example from their home country, reflecting both vernacular architectural traditions and contemporary challenges in their preservation. The theme for these presentations is “Case studies of conservation initiatives for unprotected vernacular architecture”. This will allow participants to explore comparative approaches to recording, advocating for, and preserving traditional vernacular architecture in their respective regions.
The training course will be led by heritage professionals from the Friends of Heritage Ivanić-Grad Association, who bring extensive experience in documentation work and vernacular heritage studies.
Through a combination of hands-on fieldwork, theoretical instruction, and practical applications of mapping and documentation techniques, the training course will equip participants with the necessary skills to contribute to the recording and conservation of vernacular architecture. This effort will not only support the preservation of Posavina’s rural built heritage but will also lay the groundwork for potential future conservation initiatives, ensuring that the architectural heritage of the region is documented before it is lost.
The training course will take place from September 14th to September 27th, 2025, and is jointly organised by Friends of Heritage Ivanić-Grad and European Heritage Volunteers.
