ambient
d.o.o.

seznam_clanov:

KERIN Miha, KREGAR Marija Magdalena

Established in 1968, Ambient is one of the longest-standing architectural practices in the region. To date, it has produced over 1100 original designs and managed the execution of more than a hundred large-scale projects. The office has earned an international reputation for its business integrity, and abiding commitment to quality design, detailed implementation plans, and active participation in the implementation phase of the project.

From small design to public, residential and commercial buildings, everything we do is a pinnacle of an evolutionary design process that brings artistry, craftsmanship, and life to everyday spaces. Our designs arise from a detailed understanding of the functions they are to fulfil and of the materials from which they are to be made. While paying attention to the detail and its proper implementation, we devote no less care to the overall concept and functionality of the final product.

Our intellectual background is steeped in central European architectural tradition of Otto Wagner and Jožef Plečnik but also of Ernst Gombrich and Karl Popper. Ljubljana school of architecture where all members of our team graduated was a post-war enclave where this philosophy held its own while most of Europe was importing American trends. It saw architecture as involved with the entire range of construction (now called the AEC chain), concerned with fabrication and assembly techniques as an integral part of architectural design. In this it has developed methods that were the foundation of a rigorous practice, which all apprentices had to master.

Accordingly, Ambient has been constantly developing and upgrading its technical, design and sociological know-how, introducing innovative approaches to engineering, manufacturing and work coordination, while putting considerable effort into promotion of multidisciplinary cooperation between engineering teams, stakeholders and contractors, lately an increasingly pressing concern within the AEC community.

Since early seventies, Ambient has made a significant contribution to pioneering computer technology in architecture, in pursuit of the principles of automated fabrication and sustainable construction, long before these became a mainstream concern. With the growing challenges of contemporary urban planning and the rising awareness of the need for sustainable construction and lean engineering, we have pioneered and developed new design and implementation methods to advance the circular economy in construction. Thus, we have produced several software applications for in-house use, which recently outgrew the company's framework, and are starting to become of interest to others in the AEC industry.

In years of practice and research we have also gained extensive knowledge in the renovation of historical buildings and post-war architecture. And precisely through the subtle approach towards architectural heritage, in renovation of which we use contemporary methods and materials in harmony with and respect for the old, have we mastered to appreciate the importance of architectural context and the aspiration to create quality public spaces.

The letter represents a special chapter in our work. Successful integration of architectural ideas into public space requires a broad estimate of the consequences of individual interventions. Furthermore, we have developed a number of regulation proposals and urban planning concepts, from urban design competition entries and subsequent realization plans to strategic plans for transformation of towns and city districts, among which the most elaborate is for Ljubljana's traffic regulation, presented at the Venice Biennial in 2008.

Ambient has won many architectural competitions among which more notable are: The competition for the revitalisation of Ljubljana Castle, for the regional plan of the City of Split, for a tourist centre in Bovec, for Hotel Lev in Bohinj, for Hotels Maestral (MN), Creina (SI), Nova Avala (MN), Babylon (IRQ), and Mogren (MN) (in collaboration with Edvard Ravnikar), for The University of Brussels, Karlsruhe city regulation, Zagreb secondary city centre, Hotel Palace Portorož (1989), residential and commercial complex Bežigrajski dvor, office buildings KD Slovenica and Institute for Occupational Safety and many residential buildings.

In 2008, Ambient represented Slovenia at the 11th Architectural Biennale in Venice (in cooperation with 'Odprti Krog'), with a proposition for a comprehensive and long-term approach to Ljubljana traffic and transport infrastructure planning and with a demonstration of the latest advances in the development of its proprietary computer aided design technology.

More notable awards:

? 1970: First Prize at the Grand Prix International D'Urbanisme Et D'Architecture, Cannes

? 1983: PLEČNIK MEDAL for the renovation of the Ljubljana Castle ? The Viewing Tower

? 1997: PLEČNIK AWARD for an office building "Bežigrajski dvor Ljubljana"

? 2003: 1st Biennial of Slovene Visual Communications ? Brumen Award in the Information graphics category ? A memorial in Kampor, Island of Rab, Croatia

? 2003: PLEČNIK AWARD NOMINATION for the renovation of Ljubljana Castle ? Subterranean

? 2004: PLEČNIK MEDAL: Multipurpose Hall 'Palatium' (Ljubljana Castle)

? 2004: Chamber of Architecture and Spatial Planning of Slovenia ? Golden Pencil Award: Multipurpose Hall 'Palatium' (Ljubljana Castle)

? 2004: BIO 19 Gold medal: A memorial in Kampor, Island of Rab, Croatia

? 2004: BEDA European Excellence Award: A memorial in Kampor, Island of Rab, Croatia

? 2005: Chamber of Architecture and Spatial Planning of Slovenia ? Golden Pencil Award: A memorial in Kampor, Island of Rab, Croatia

? 2005: PLEČNIK MEDAL: Funicular railway to the Ljubljana Castle

? 2007: Chamber of Architecture and Spatial Planning of Slovenia ? Golden Pencil Award: Funicular railway to the Ljubljana Castle

? 2008: Biennial Of Industrial Design (BIO 21) GOLDEN MEDAL: Funicular railway to the Ljubljana Castle

? 2009: Buckminster Fuller Challenge Finalist: ?Architecture Beyond CAD?

? 2010: Chamber of Architecture and Spatial Planning of Slovenia ? Platinum Pencil Award: Lifetime Achievements

? 2018: PLEČNIK MEDAL: Multipurpose theatre hall ("Hribarjeva dvorana", Ljubljana Castle)