Introduction

文/多米尼克·布代，法國(guó)巴黎

最近，一位法國(guó)政客說(shuō)過(guò)：“當(dāng)我們重新洗牌的時(shí)候，夢(mèng)想和壯志才有可能實(shí)現(xiàn)?！?/p>

在90年代初期，斯洛文尼亞的重新洗牌過(guò)程非常迅速和徹底。這在建筑上造成了破壞性的后果：新一代建筑事務(wù)所的出現(xiàn)改變了建筑理念和表達(dá)方式。

斯洛文尼亞又再次回歸歐洲建筑風(fēng)格。

Rok Oman和Spela Videcnik（OFIS事務(wù)所）也屬于此類新興建筑師，他們明顯地掌握了各自國(guó)家建筑界的話語(yǔ)權(quán)，同時(shí)在歐洲建筑界獲得了自己的一席之地。確實(shí)，一系列有利條件為他們創(chuàng)設(shè)了良好的經(jīng)濟(jì)、政治和文化環(huán)境，促進(jìn)了理念的更新。主要事件：1991年斯洛文尼亞獨(dú)立。斯洛文尼亞在歷史上第一次完全真正成為一個(gè)獨(dú)立的主權(quán)國(guó)家。

人們對(duì)斯洛文尼亞的獨(dú)立期待已久，卻一直沒有實(shí)現(xiàn)，而現(xiàn)在獲得了真正的獨(dú)立，由此激發(fā)的歡欣鼓舞可想而知。此外，在無(wú)過(guò)渡的條件下，經(jīng)濟(jì)體制從僵硬、僵化的社會(huì)主義經(jīng)濟(jì)轉(zhuǎn)變成開放的自由市場(chǎng)經(jīng)濟(jì)。更有甚者，所有這些變化都以平和的方式完成，至少?zèng)]有引起任何長(zhǎng)期沖突，沒有使斯洛文尼亞鄰國(guó)在南斯拉夫解體后產(chǎn)生動(dòng)蕩。

另一個(gè)重要因素：政治動(dòng)向。新領(lǐng)導(dǎo)層將斯洛文尼亞納入歐盟（2004），宣布在所有領(lǐng)域適用歐洲標(biāo)準(zhǔn)：如社會(huì)、經(jīng)濟(jì)，還有文化。在建筑領(lǐng)域，這一動(dòng)向促進(jìn)了各種設(shè)計(jì)競(jìng)賽的舉行，業(yè)主產(chǎn)生新的思維，以及新建筑表達(dá)形式的開放?？梢哉f(shuō)掀起了一股有利于新一代建筑師發(fā)展的浪潮：設(shè)計(jì)競(jìng)賽的參選無(wú)需推薦、年輕參賽者不受歧視、評(píng)估標(biāo)準(zhǔn)避免了先驗(yàn)提議……。

傳統(tǒng)事務(wù)所雖然開始武裝自己以適應(yīng)市場(chǎng)經(jīng)濟(jì)所帶來(lái)的迅速反應(yīng)，但是他們對(duì)新的建筑方向不甚了解，地位很快便被面對(duì)機(jī)遇果敢機(jī)智的新建筑畢業(yè)生動(dòng)搖。他們通過(guò)雜志、展覽或外國(guó)建筑師講座的“閱讀材料”完成了盧布爾雅那建筑學(xué)院的傳統(tǒng)教育。

80年代，“皮蘭日建筑”每年會(huì)于11月份在皮蘭舉辦會(huì)議，皮蘭是位于亞得里亞海岸邊的一個(gè)小度假村，邀請(qǐng)的嘉賓包括很多有名的歐洲建筑師，他們?yōu)檫@一領(lǐng)域的開放做出了貢獻(xiàn)。

隨著獨(dú)立運(yùn)動(dòng)帶來(lái)的自由，很多有上進(jìn)心的年輕人為完成自己的學(xué)業(yè)，毫不猶豫地直接選擇了倡導(dǎo)新理念的發(fā)源地，踏上了院校求學(xué)之路，如阿姆斯特丹的貝爾拉格學(xué)院、倫敦的建筑聯(lián)盟學(xué)院、美國(guó)的哈佛大學(xué)或瑞士的門德里西奧建筑學(xué)院。

在90年代，斯洛文尼亞見證了一次炫酷的建筑改革。學(xué)生可以獲得學(xué)位，參加各項(xiàng)設(shè)計(jì)競(jìng)賽，并同時(shí)到鹿特丹或倫敦攻讀碩士學(xué)位。

Rok Oman和Spela Videcnik便生活在這樣的環(huán)境中。他們的職業(yè)生涯與斯洛文尼亞在1991年獨(dú)立后的社會(huì)動(dòng)態(tài)完美融合。正是在這一年，他們開始在盧布爾雅那的建筑學(xué)院學(xué)習(xí)。從第二年開始，他們便形影不離，在所有高級(jí)研究和學(xué)習(xí)項(xiàng)目中密切配合。獲得學(xué)位前，他們參加過(guò)比賽。1997年成為一項(xiàng)住房設(shè)計(jì)競(jìng)賽的獲勝者，接下來(lái)的一年，又在一個(gè)當(dāng)代重要賽事中獲獎(jiǎng)，獲獎(jiǎng)作品是：盧布爾雅那城市博物館的改造和擴(kuò)建。博物館館長(zhǎng)力排評(píng)審團(tuán)建筑師們的意見，支持他們的方案。

1998年，他們創(chuàng)建了OFIS事務(wù)所，之后前往倫敦的建筑聯(lián)盟學(xué)院攻讀碩士學(xué)位。兩年來(lái)，他們來(lái)往于英國(guó)首都和盧布爾雅那之間，創(chuàng)作了很多設(shè)計(jì)方案，提高了在建筑聯(lián)盟學(xué)院和斯洛文尼亞建筑界的地位。兩年中，建筑聯(lián)盟學(xué)院中盛行的都市潮又在大城市文化和藝術(shù)生活的刺激下（提出了目前的當(dāng)代藝術(shù)）被強(qiáng)化?；氐奖R布爾雅那后，他們發(fā)現(xiàn)自己卷入斯洛文尼亞建筑界特有的動(dòng)力機(jī)制中，這一機(jī)制一直到最近幾年還在流行。OFIS與其他五家年輕的建筑事務(wù)所一起，被政府選中，參加了政府資助的一次巡回展。于是，新的“6ixPack一代”誕生；成為斯洛文尼亞建筑復(fù)興的標(biāo)志。

Rok Oman和Spela Videcnik認(rèn)識(shí)到他們很幸運(yùn)，作為畢業(yè)生可以參加大型公共設(shè)施項(xiàng)目的競(jìng)爭(zhēng)。這是一個(gè)非常好的跳板、一次難得的機(jī)會(huì)，可以檢測(cè)原始的空間解決方案，展現(xiàn)他們?cè)趹?yīng)對(duì)斯洛文尼亞社會(huì)的革新需求方面實(shí)現(xiàn)的重大收獲。這一元素讓OFIS從所有同一時(shí)代的年輕工作室中脫穎而出：集體住房運(yùn)營(yíng)，主要是社會(huì)住房，在該事務(wù)所的工作中發(fā)揮著重要作用。不僅僅是項(xiàng)目的承接數(shù)量受人矚目，OFIS在不同項(xiàng)目中達(dá)到高質(zhì)量水平的方式也非常受人關(guān)注。

他們所采取的方式涉及到不同的類型，甚至讓人感覺這一事務(wù)所的工作模式有點(diǎn)人格分裂。無(wú)論是博物館改造或房屋擴(kuò)建，這個(gè)年輕的團(tuán)隊(duì)總是對(duì)自己的工作方式充滿信心，以輕松的心態(tài)攻克項(xiàng)目難題，嘗試大膽的空間結(jié)構(gòu)，樂(lè)于利用各種形式。在參與住房項(xiàng)目時(shí)，由富有經(jīng)驗(yàn)的專業(yè)人士把關(guān)，進(jìn)行比率計(jì)算、經(jīng)濟(jì)績(jī)效衡量和成本控制。

OFIS表現(xiàn)出在情況處理中堅(jiān)持的實(shí)用主義風(fēng)格。簡(jiǎn)單地說(shuō)，他們是根據(jù)項(xiàng)目本身及對(duì)項(xiàng)目中（我們可以稱之為）各種力作用比率的分析來(lái)制定策略的。不僅包括建筑師和客戶之間的傳統(tǒng)關(guān)系，還包括項(xiàng)目和建筑師可享有自由度之間的關(guān)系，后一種關(guān)系決定著更基本的數(shù)據(jù)。雖然這種鑒別能力，有人也稱“權(quán)衡”這種雙重關(guān)系地位的能力，是非常難能可貴的，但是這在年輕建筑師中并沒有得到廣泛重視。OFIS卻可利用這種能力，順利完成公共和私人訂單，采用一系列方法，例如，在社會(huì)住房中，他們探索各種方法，利用數(shù)據(jù)綁定，開發(fā)創(chuàng)意和表達(dá)空間。

情景智慧和才能，優(yōu)雅的空間方案及復(fù)雜項(xiàng)目控制屬于公共設(shè)施項(xiàng)目中的情況，OFIS在此類項(xiàng)目中可以毫不猶豫地展示出自己精湛的把控能力。對(duì)于他們的盧布爾雅那城市博物館的改造項(xiàng)目，我非常羨慕他們?nèi)谌霃?fù)雜結(jié)構(gòu)的能力，一條螺旋路線。通過(guò)一次連續(xù)運(yùn)動(dòng)，將所有展示空間連接起來(lái)，并表現(xiàn)出該地不同歷史階段的風(fēng)貌。

在馬里博爾足球場(chǎng)的擴(kuò)建中，應(yīng)用了大量的曲線，不僅為觀眾提供了完美的視野，還減少了結(jié)構(gòu)的物理和視覺影響，在流線相和其環(huán)境間建立了空間關(guān)系。還有一個(gè)不得不提的項(xiàng)目，即對(duì)一處別墅的擴(kuò)建，這座別墅屬于19世紀(jì)建筑，位于環(huán)境優(yōu)美的湖邊。

為克服別墅地址產(chǎn)生的限制因素，擴(kuò)建部分（其表面相當(dāng)可觀）被設(shè)計(jì)在別墅下方。在老房子周圍，新的空間構(gòu)成一個(gè)類似墊層的形式，通過(guò)連續(xù)的長(zhǎng)玻璃墻連通外部景觀。新建了一個(gè)宏偉的螺旋式中央樓梯，將別墅和新空間連接起來(lái)。在其中移動(dòng)時(shí)，會(huì)看到遠(yuǎn)處景觀和室內(nèi)的景觀。

在之前，我們發(fā)現(xiàn)了這些作品的一些共同特征：曲線、流動(dòng)空間、連續(xù)空間連接處的相互作用。眾多項(xiàng)目中的優(yōu)選項(xiàng)目有：格拉茨市房屋項(xiàng)目，具有令人驚喜的細(xì)分設(shè)計(jì)（2000年歐洲賽，一等獎(jiǎng)）、布拉格國(guó)家圖書館（2003年）、盧布爾雅那市政辦公室（2009年）、幼兒園（2009年）。接下來(lái)的兩項(xiàng)成果再次確認(rèn)了這一方向：白俄羅斯鮑里索夫市的未來(lái)足球場(chǎng)（2010年施工）及其令人驚奇的點(diǎn)狀外殼，和具有高度復(fù)雜性的盧布爾雅那市中心公寓和商店（Shopping Pillow Terraces，2011，未定項(xiàng)目）都具有成套的曲線式和弧線式重疊露臺(tái)，營(yíng)造出大型綠地空間放大的效果。他們?cè)谧≌I(lǐng)域的成就給人留下了深刻的印象。

雖然他們還沒有畢業(yè)，他們也成為盧布爾雅那30個(gè)建筑單元競(jìng)賽的獲勝者（1997～2000）。但是，他們是在完成伊佐拉市亞得里亞海沿岸60套年輕家庭經(jīng)濟(jì)住房（2003～2005）后，才開啟了他們的系列項(xiàng)目之路。交替利用小型彩色塊形成不同氣候和空間效果，突出了立面的表現(xiàn)力，在竣工后，為該項(xiàng)目贏得了國(guó)際媒體廣泛報(bào)道。經(jīng)濟(jì)績(jī)效——可銷售面積/總面積比優(yōu)良、建筑成本降低，吸引了斯洛文尼亞開發(fā)商的關(guān)注。他們完成的幾個(gè)項(xiàng)目：盧布爾雅那的650套公寓（2004～2006）、包括50套公寓的城市街區(qū)和山村購(gòu)物中心（2005～2007），56套農(nóng)村住宅（2005～2007）和盧布爾雅那70套新房建設(shè)（2005～2007）。此外，在這些項(xiàng)目中還包括新戈里察的70套公寓（2005～2007），以及剛剛交付的、位于巴黎的192間學(xué)生公寓（2008～2012）。所有這些業(yè)務(wù)都有一個(gè)共同點(diǎn)：在面積、成本和時(shí)間上都有基線限制。

住房領(lǐng)域的能力。建筑師的參與并不是一個(gè)公共機(jī)構(gòu)促進(jìn)建筑質(zhì)量和建筑豐富性的明智舉措，特別是他的別墅的原創(chuàng)性在于社會(huì)地位。在這里，客戶是推動(dòng)者。

在斯洛文尼亞任何其他地方，都不會(huì)將單純的建筑問(wèn)題及建筑物外部革新的接受度或需求度（與時(shí)俱進(jìn)）作為優(yōu)先考慮的問(wèn)題，即使這可以作為營(yíng)銷點(diǎn)。首要要求是經(jīng)濟(jì)和速度。

建設(shè)成本低和建造速度快是OFIS必須采用的條件。斯洛文尼亞的社會(huì)住房立法（關(guān)于類型、表面）并沒留下太多自由發(fā)揮的空間。大多數(shù)項(xiàng)目中，建造成本目標(biāo)約為每平方米700元。即使在斯洛文尼亞，建造成本仍然相當(dāng)?shù)停?jīng)濟(jì)績(jī)效卻非常好。此外，項(xiàng)目的開發(fā)和建造時(shí)間非常短：很大的項(xiàng)目也僅有2到3年的時(shí)間，例如盧布爾雅那的650套住宅單元建設(shè)。加上設(shè)計(jì)和建筑時(shí)間，建筑師們得到的計(jì)算結(jié)果是每天至少完成一單元的建設(shè)。

在斯洛文尼亞，社會(huì)住房監(jiān)管法規(guī)規(guī)定住宿面積必須在一定范圍內(nèi)。很多都是單向的，僅有角落部分的建筑是雙向的。但是，其外觀和規(guī)模、有利的平臺(tái)——涼廊和陽(yáng)臺(tái)使每個(gè)公寓都與外部世界建立了關(guān)系——或者材料和施工的質(zhì)量，讓其建筑都脫去了社會(huì)住房的形象。確實(shí)，建筑師們會(huì)聰明地利用五彩立面的復(fù)雜規(guī)律，規(guī)避對(duì)此類住房項(xiàng)目進(jìn)行模塊性和重復(fù)性特點(diǎn)限制的法律。

他們發(fā)揮聰明才智不是為了對(duì)抗自身所面對(duì)的限制，例如，他們通常采用的方法是對(duì)地形重新定義，努力在金融預(yù)算中完成項(xiàng)目。這是OFIS采用的另一個(gè)策略。不將初始數(shù)據(jù)視為建筑的阻礙，而是從邊緣空間中產(chǎn)生創(chuàng)造力，并以某種方法獲知建筑的約束因素。該策略的支持理念是建筑不是一個(gè)起點(diǎn)，而是一個(gè)到達(dá)點(diǎn)。

某種程度上，他們所采取的低成本社會(huì)住房策略，與一些制造商采用的策略非常相似。這與汽車制造商雷諾及其低成本羅根車型采取的策略是統(tǒng)一的，因?yàn)樗试S建筑師發(fā)起的策略在項(xiàng)目范圍內(nèi)。某個(gè)地方可回歸到基本的住房建筑：滿足最大數(shù)量的需求。這也是雷諾·羅根的目標(biāo)。

幾年前，管理層要求其工程師設(shè)計(jì)一款乘用車，需滿足可靠性和宜居性，但成本比制造商最便宜的車型低50%，目標(biāo)是生產(chǎn)一款真正的汽車，但是價(jià)格在客戶的可支付范圍內(nèi)，因?yàn)橐徊糠挚蛻粢驗(yàn)楦邇r(jià)而退出其市場(chǎng)。負(fù)責(zé)該項(xiàng)目的工程師沒有找到方案，改裝現(xiàn)有模型、降低成本。開始的時(shí)候，他們?cè)O(shè)置了一個(gè)不可逾越的預(yù)算成本，然后對(duì)設(shè)計(jì)和生產(chǎn)方法進(jìn)行了修改。

為滿足他們?cè)O(shè)置的經(jīng)濟(jì)預(yù)算，用新的方式去思考是非常有挑戰(zhàn)性的。雷諾·羅根再次為客戶提供了一款之前無(wú)法接觸到的汽車（每年銷售量超過(guò)1百萬(wàn)輛）。OFIS在住房上采取了“Mutatis mutandis”（細(xì)節(jié)上作必要的修改）同樣的策略嗎？雷諾的工程師們將建議者設(shè)置的限制因素（所需預(yù)算、面積）放在一邊，發(fā)明了新的建筑房屋。工程師們利用自己的武器，將不同來(lái)源的智能組件和設(shè)備組裝起來(lái)。毫不猶豫地利用，比如，現(xiàn)有模型中組件和設(shè)備組成的“現(xiàn)存”系統(tǒng)（經(jīng)濟(jì)性、可靠性）。建筑師們利用自己的空間科學(xué)和合理化平面設(shè)計(jì)，最大化地釋放了有用面積（在某些情況中，為開發(fā)商提供了更多可銷售面積），通過(guò)外部擴(kuò)展擴(kuò)大了內(nèi)部空間，利用重復(fù)性降低了成本。

從平面、剖面和立面都可立即看出該建造策略，在嚴(yán)格、重復(fù)性的結(jié)構(gòu)和更自主、自由的建筑外殼間形成了明顯的區(qū)分。但是，相同元素的重復(fù)規(guī)則仍然是項(xiàng)目經(jīng)濟(jì)化的基礎(chǔ)。在此類建筑外殼3D設(shè)計(jì)中體現(xiàn)出了建筑師們的精湛技藝，不僅實(shí)現(xiàn)了住房的外部擴(kuò)展（陽(yáng)臺(tái)、涼廊或露臺(tái)）還讓建筑物擁有了自己的特點(diǎn)。

空隙、固體、玻璃元素和壓縮木板的隨機(jī)分布避免了相同元素的重復(fù)。就像雷諾并不是窮人的車——在街上它與其它車沒有區(qū)別，在盧布爾雅那，包含650套公寓的四個(gè)長(zhǎng)形建筑物，也不是四個(gè)“柵欄”，阻擋著城市的邊緣，而是形成了統(tǒng)一的、鮮明的住房特點(diǎn)。

為達(dá)到這一目標(biāo)，所采取的方法應(yīng)與當(dāng)今建筑住房領(lǐng)域的主流文化相脫離。與汽車制造業(yè)再次進(jìn)行平行對(duì)比，會(huì)非常有啟發(fā)意義。羅根存在的原因只是因?yàn)槠湓O(shè)計(jì)者希望從技術(shù)績(jī)效文化中提取出成熟因素，成熟因素已滲透到汽車制造業(yè)中，并且進(jìn)入螺旋式的高消費(fèi)者市場(chǎng)，從而造成部分客戶被移出市場(chǎng)。

有人可能會(huì)問(wèn)，房產(chǎn)是否會(huì)受到所謂績(jī)效文化建筑的影響嗎？昨天被廢棄的促銷活動(dòng)；集體住房再次成為建筑話題。我們不能抱怨，但是必須觀察到，這種愛好通常被解釋成一種復(fù)雜的住房原創(chuàng)性，不同的類型、復(fù)雜的土方工程服務(wù)加強(qiáng)了墻體創(chuàng)意的展開。一種高消費(fèi)市場(chǎng)房屋。雖然這符合一些新型的期望，即較富?？蛻魧?duì)身份特征和獨(dú)特性的追尋。但與此同時(shí)，最大數(shù)量住房問(wèn)題再次成為話題。很少有建筑師可真正解決這個(gè)問(wèn)題，至少這在經(jīng)濟(jì)這一目標(biāo)的要求之下。相反，這一問(wèn)題通常在年輕建筑師的項(xiàng)目中非常突出，更受關(guān)注，更不用說(shuō)被著重強(qiáng)調(diào)的建筑野心了。有時(shí)，是在贊助商或政策制定者的支持下，去探尋現(xiàn)代意象。雜志中充滿了這樣的項(xiàng)目，可以展示出真正的建筑專業(yè)知識(shí)，但是無(wú)法滿足OFIS的限制。作為建筑師，他們的成果恰恰展示了相反的一面：可能看起來(lái)自相矛盾，但是自愿遵守此類限制，而不是試圖對(duì)其進(jìn)行規(guī)避，他們努力讓低價(jià)住房的原始建筑獲得身份特點(diǎn)。

Lina Bo Bardi直截了當(dāng)?shù)卣f(shuō)過(guò)建筑與“藝術(shù)”無(wú)關(guān)，而是源自“責(zé)任”和“科學(xué)實(shí)踐”聯(lián)盟中的目標(biāo)。甚至，在我們的社會(huì)中越來(lái)越需要滿足對(duì)最大數(shù)量的經(jīng)濟(jì)適用房需求，這自然也是建筑師們的一項(xiàng)“責(zé)任”?；蛟S，最優(yōu)秀的建筑師會(huì)將“科學(xué)實(shí)踐”融入自己的工作中。Lina Bo Bardi還說(shuō)到：“這是一條充滿困難的路徑，也是建筑師的目標(biāo)路徑”。這就是Rok Oman和Spela Videcnik采取的路徑。

A French politician recently remarked that ?it is when we redistribute the cards the dreams and ambitions become possible.?

But in Slovenia, in the early 90s this redistribution was rapid, totally radical. And its devastating consequences in terms of architecture: the appearance of a new generation of young offices renewed the ideas and architectural expression.

Again Slovenia was back in the European architecture.

Rok Oman and Spela Videcnik (Ofis agency) are among those newly qualified architects who unabashedly took power in their country and at the same time have established themselves on the European scene. It is true that they have received a series of exceptional circumstances that created an economic, political and cultural environment in the renewal of ideas. Major event: the accession of Slovenia’s independence in 1991. For the first time in its history, Slovenia became a country totally and truly independent.

We can easily imagine the euphoria generated by stimulating and conducting such a change long awaited and often disappointed. There is added, without transition, the change from a socialist economy, rigid, ossified in a liberal market economy, open. More: these changes have occurred in a calm manner, at least without the long conflicts that destabilized Slovenia neighboring countries after the breakup of Yugoslavia.

Other factor but not least: the political impulse. The new leadership has made the integration of Slovenia into the European Union (2004), they had proclaimed European standards retained in all areas: social, economic, and also cultural.In the field of architecture that impulse would result in the launch of numerous competitions, a new mindset of owners, an opening to new architectural expressions. We can say that a favorable wind blowing in favor of the new generation of architects: no need for references to enter contests, no prejudice against youth candidates, and an evaluation without a-priori proposals...

The old offices, equipped to adapt to the rapid response imposed by the market economy and unfamiliar with the new directions taken by the architecture, that were soon shaken up by fresh architect graduates who did not hesitate to seize their chance. Magazines, exhibitions or ?readings? of foreign architects lectures,had enabled them to complete their education quite traditional in the Ljubljana School of Architecture.

In the 80s, ?Piran Days of Architecture? organized meetings every year in November in Piran, a small resort on the banks of the Adriatic, where guests were many of the great European architects who contributed to this openness of the world.

With the freedom of this movement that offered independence, the most motivated did not hesitate to complete their training to go directly to the sources of new ideas and take the path of Institutions such as the Berlage Institute in Amsterdam, the AA School in London, Harvard in the United States or in Mendrisio Switzerland.

Also in the 90’s Slovenia had witnessed a stunning architectural excitement. A student could finish his degree, participate in competitions and almost at the same time follow a master in Rotterdam or London.

A situation that was the one in which Rok Oman and Spela Videcnik lived in. Their careers almost merged perfectly with the dynamics of the years that followed independence of Slovenia in 1991. It is precisely this year they began their studies at the Faculty of Architecture in Ljubljana. From their second year on they became inseparable leading all throughout high research and study projects.Before completing their degree they engaged in competitions. Winners in 1997 of a housing competition, they won the following year a major competition of the era:the transformation and expansion of the City Museum of Ljubljana. The museum director supported their proposal against the advice of architects on the jury.

Then, in 1998, they founded their agency Ofis, before moving to London to pursue a master in the AA school. For two years they juggled between the English capital and Ljubljana, multiplying schemes to show that they were present in the AA while on site in Slovenia. Two years during which, the cosmopolitan excitement prevailing the AA would be added stimulation of the cultural and artistic life of a big city,discovering the current contemporary art. Back in Ljubljana they found themselves caught up in the dynamics that characterizes the Slovenian architectural scene until recent years. Ofis was selected, with five other young architectural offices to be part of a traveling exhibition funded by public authorities. The new ?6ixPack generation?was born; it became the symbol of the revival of Slovene architecture.

Rok Oman and Spela Videcnik recognize they have been lucky to have had access as only graduates to compete for large public facilities. This will be a wonderful springboard, a rather unique opportunity to test the original spatial solutions and demonstrate significant achievements they were able to respond to this aspiration for renewal which was before the Slovenian society.This element distinguished OFIS apart from other young practices that emerged at the same time: collective housing operations, primarily social, play an important role in the production of the agency. It is not the number of projects which had been undertaken that deserves attention, but rather how OFIS meet a sophisticated level of quality in various different types of programs.

Their approach seems so different from one type to another that one could almost sense a split personality of the agency. Is it the renovation of a museum or extension of a house, the young team is confident in its means of work, playing with the difficulties of the program, experimenting with daring spacial organizations,taking pleasure in manipulating shapes. In the case of their participation in housing,projects seem to be handled by professionals experienced in calculating the ratios,the measurement of economic performance, and the control costs.

It is indicative of the pragmatism with which OFIS approach each situation. To simplify, we can say that they adapt their strategy according to the project and their analysis of what we might call the ratio of forces in a project. Not only the classic relationship between the architect and the client, but also the relationship underlying the more fundamental data between the project and the degree of freedom allowed for the architect. This ability to appreciate, although one could say ?weigh? the terms of this dual relationship is remarkable and rare to be emphasized among young architects. It allowed OFIS to find comfort in both public and private orders,where they were able to deploy a whole range of methods, for example in social housing where they are looking for all means to make some room for creativity and expression using data binding.

Situational intelligence, brilliance and elegant spatial solutions, and control of complex projects are circumstances in the public facilities projects that allow OFIS not to hesitate to show a very controlled virtuosity. In their renovation of the Museum of the City of Ljubljana we admire their ability to fit into a complex structure, a spiral route. In one continuous motion it connects all the exhibition spaces and reveals the various phases of the history of the place.

In the extension of a Maribor football stadium, ample curves not only provide perfect visibility for spectators, but reduce the physical and visual impact of the structure to establish a spatial relationship between the fluid phase and its environment. One can not help but mention the extension of a 19th century villa on the shore of a lake in a remarkable landscape.

To comply with all the restrictions that were submitted as the villa site, the extension,whose surface was considerable, was slipped under the villa. New spaces form a sort of cushion around the old house and open onto the landscape by a long continuous glass wall. A new spiral, namely a magnificent central staircase, provides the connection between the villa and the new space. In its movement it offers views of the distant landscape and the landscape inside the room.

In the passing period of time we note some features common to these achievements: the interplay of curves, flowing spaces, continuous spatial joints.Preferences found in many projects: the surprising subdivision houses in Graz(2000 Europan competition, first prize), the National Library in Prague (2003), and offices for the municipality of Ljubljana (2009), a kindergarten (2009). The next two achievements reaffirm this direction: the future football stadium Borisov in Belarus (2010 construction) and its surprising dot envelope and the complexity of apartments and shops in the center of Ljubljana (Shopping Pillow Terraces, 2011,pending project) that characterizes the set of curvesd and con-curved superimposed terraces, a effect that amplifies large green spaces. The list of achievements in the field of housing leaves a big impression.

Even though they were not yet graduates they were winners of a contest for a 30-unit operation in Ljubljana (1997-2000). But it is the realization of 60 economic houses (2003-2005) for young families in Izola on the Adriatic coast that triggered a series of projects. The expressiveness of facades, alternating small colored blocks that respond to specific climatic and spatial intentions, has earned this achievement significant international media coverage upon completion. Economic performance -excellent ratio salable area / total area, reduced construction cost - would attract the attention of a Slovenian developer. They realised several projects: 650 apartments in Ljubljana (2004-2006), a city block of 50 apartments and a shopping center in a mountain village (2005-2007), a group of 56 rural houses (2005-2007) and 70 new housing in Ljubljana (2005-2007). Also to be added to the list, an operation of 70 apartments in Nova Gorica (2005-2007), and 192 student apartments in Paris that they just delivered (2008-2012). All these operations have one thing in common:baseline restrictive, whether surface, cost and time.

Competence in the field of housing; the participation of architects is not a public institution sensible to promote neither architectural quality, nor a rich particular that the originality of his villa is a social status. Here the customer is a promoter.

Nowhere else in Slovenia the pure architectural concerns and the acceptance or want of a renewal in the external expression of the building (in tune with the times)are a priority, even if it can interest marketing. Its primary requirements are the economy and speed.

Building low-cost and fast, are the conditions which had to be adopted by OFIS.Slovenian legislation in social housing (type, surface) leaves little freedom. In most projects the construction cost objective covered around 700 per m2. Even in terms of Slovenia construction costs are still fairly low and it is a remarkable performance.Added to this was the time of project development and construction which was amazingly short: only 2 to 3 years for projects often of great magnitude such +as the construction of 650 housing units in Ljubljana. Adding design time and building,architects have calculated that it had to produce at least one unit per day.

Accommodations are limited areas, imposed by regulation of social housing in Slovenia. While many are mono-oriented, only those at the corners have a double orientation. But by their general appearance and scale, their level of benefits -loggia and balcony give each apartment a relationship with the outside world - or the quality of materials and execution, operations that are removed from the image of social housing. It is true that the architects have cleverly managed to use the complex rhythms of their colorful facades to pass-by laws that restrict modularity and repeatability manage each of these housing projects.

Their intelligence has been not to fight against the conditions imposed on them, for example, the approach to redefine the typology and strive to remain in the financial blueprint is often usual. This is another strategic project OFIS adopted. Not consider the initial data as obstacles to architecture but generate creativity from the margins and somehow bring out the architectural constraints. A strategy underpinned by the idea that architecture is not a starting point, but a point of arrival.

Somehow they have adopted a social housing strategy of low cost very similar to that used by some manufacturers. Reconciliation with the experience of car manufacturer Renault and its low-cost Logan, is interesting because it allows for situating the scope of the project strategy initiated by the architects. Somewhere there is a return to fundamental architecture of housing: meeting the needs for the greatest number. This was also the objective with the Renault Logan.

A few years ago when management set its engineers to design a passenger car that meets the requirements of reliability and livability, but the cost is 50% lower than the cheapest model produced by the manufacturer, the goal was to produce a real car, but at a price customers can reclaim was removed from the market because prices were higher. Engineers in charge of the project did not seek the solution in the modification of existing models to reduce the cost. They initially set a budget cost which was not to be exceeded and revised according to the design and production methods.

It was challenging to think in new ways in order to keep the economic blueprint they set. Renault Logan has again brought a car to the customer that there was no access to (he sells more than 1 million cars+ per year).Is ?Mutatis mutandis? the same strategy adopted by OFIS for housing? Renault engineers left the constraints set by the proponent (budget, surfaces required) to invent a new architecture housing. Engineers have used their weapons assembly intelligent components and equipment of different origin. Not hesitating to use for example the system of ?carry over? of employing components and equipment already in use on existing models(economics, reliability). Architects use their space science and rationalization plans to release the maximum useful surface (and in some cases provide the developer more marketable surfaces), expand the interior by external extensions, and lower costs through repetition.

Plans, sections and elevations immediately reveal the construction strategy with clear distinction between structure, rigid, repetitive and more autonomous envelope,drawing more free. But still the rule of repetition of identical elements is needed as a basis for project economics. The virtuosity of the architects found in the design of these envelopes in 3D at the same time provide housing extensions outside(balconies, loggias or terraces) and give a real identity to the building.

The random distribution of voids and solids, glass elements and compressed wood panels makes little noticeable repetition of identical elements. As Logan is not the car of the poor - in the street it does not differ from others - In Ljubljana four long buildings which are divided into 650 apartments are not four ?bars? rejecting the periphery of the city but form a coherent strong residential identity.

To achieve this it took the method of breaking apart from a dominant culture today in the field of architecture housing. The parallel with the automotive industry is once again relevant and enlightening. Logan exists only because its designers have managed to extract from the culture of technical performance, sophistication, which permeates the automotive industry and leads into a spiral of up market with its consequence: the elimination from the market of some customers.

One may ask if the property does not suffer from what might be called a culture of performance architecture. Yesterday the abandoned promotion; collective housing is once again a topic of architecture. We can not complain but we must make the observation that this interest is most often translated into a sophisticated housing originality and variety of typologies, earthworks complex services strengthened deployment of creativity on the walls. A sort of upmarket housing. Although it responds to new expectations, the search for identity and singularity of a wealthier clientele. At the same time the issue of housing for the greatest number is once again a topical issue. Few architects have actually addressed this issue, at least by taking the right end: the economy. On the contrary, it is often striking in the projects of young architects, which it rather concerns, not to mention the architectural ambitions that are highlighted. Sometimes with the support of sponsors or policy makers in search of modern image. The magazines are full of these projects that demonstrate a real architectural expertise but would be impossible to keep within the limits imposed by OFIS. Their achievements as architects are demonstrating precisely opposite: it may seem paradoxical, but it is willing to lie within these limits,not seeking to circumvent them, they manage to give an identity to the original architecture of cost housing.

Lina Bo Bardi stated bluntly that the architecture has nothing to do with ?art? it is a goal out of alliance between ?duty? and ?scientific practice?. Reply to demand decent housing for the greatest number is even in our society developed, certainly a ?duty? to the architect. And perhaps expected from the best of them they put their?scientific practice? in his service. ?It is a hard path to follow it is the intended path of the architecture? added Lina Bo Bardi.

This is the path followed by Rok Oman and Spela Videcnik.