Building permit
It has been quite some time since I last published anything about the progress we are making with the project. It’s not that we weren’t busy with the renovation of this beautiful stone house, quite the contrary – there was in fact a lot of progress.
It’s just that life sometimes blows the leaves of our experiences in very unexpected directions and managing the situations takes up more time than one could ever imagine. Looking after ourselves and the people around us is a vital component of the holistic approach to sustainability. With personal growth we contribute to social and planetary well-being. People have the highest priority in my world so I hope I will be forgiven for shifting my priorities for a while, focusing on people and leaving the blog for cosy winter evenings.
Nonetheless, what ground breaking event has taken place in the meantime?
We have gotten the building permit for restoring the stone house!
Fighting for this cause over the last 3 years was a nightmare at times and it feels I have paid my debt to society in sweat, tears and money. To be quite honest there were plenty of moments when it seemed just too absurd and time/money consuming to continue acquiring the permits. But I am happy we did and owe my eternal gratitude to everyone who stood by my side and helped me battle the windmills of Croatian bureaucracy. I raise a glass of white wine to my friends in arms, to celebrate this moment, and the hope and dreams yet to come, with all of you.
Even though it took so much effort and such a long time to get to where we are now, this is only the first battle to be won. The permit allows the old existing stone house to be reconstructed but there is a long way to go if we want to build another construction on site out of clay, earth or other natural materials (legally ;).
I have been dreaming for such a long time about the moment when I would finally be allowed to continue my efforts to restore this perishing jewel legally. Dreaming to help preserve a beautiful piece of tradition and memories that still spring up in people’s imagination when they see that humble stone house defying the test of time.
‘In this country almost all of the renovations are done without paperwork – why is it so important to you to do it legally?’ was a question that popped up again and again. Yes, why indeed?
It took me a while to find my answer to this simple yet very important question.
Nowadays it seems like building with natural materials is something only the privileged few can afford – the people who have the luck of having time and money (or both) to be able to afford the luxury of living in a healthy environment. Building lobbies certainly don’t have people’s health as their main objective and from the looks of things neither do governments with their absurdly complicated laws as far as building with natural materials concerns.
I am dreaming about the day, when the luxury of living and building with materials that are found in abundance in our surroundings, materials that make us less ill and cause no damage to our environment, will become the affordable right for everyone who will desire it.
Autumn has already coloured the path for winter to come with its gorgeous orange, red and golden colours. Taking into consideration that it is better to wait for warmer times to continue with the renovation, I will be taking advantage of the time bestowed on me to dive into another field that is vital for this project. I will be expanding my knowledge about permaculture to learn more about how to combine human life with wildlife (plants and animals).
In Brajkovići project I would like to demonstrate a more sustainable approach to using all types of natural resources to make our lives and the life of our planet more enjoyable. Cultivating land while utilizing the patterns and features observed in natural ecosystems seems like the right way forward.
I have gotten a chance to learn about the holistic approach to a more sustainable way of living on a permaculture farm in Málaga, Spain where I will be spending the next few months.
If you happen to be in the neighbourhood, make sure to drop me a line 🙂