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To mitigate dangerous climate change, a drastic reduction of CO2 emissions is needed by 2030. Buildings contribute significantly to emissions, with the use phase of existing buildings being responsible for the majority of energy consumption. In addition, environmental problems associated with the production of raw materials, construction, and the end of life of buildings are serious concerns that require urgent solutions. Life cycle assessment (LCA) and the EU-recommended Environmental Footprint (EF) are widely accepted tools to measure environmental impacts throughout a product life cycle. However, assessing the environmental performance of wooden buildings remains a challenge. This study presents a benchmark for an average new European wooden building fulfilling the European nearly Zero Energy Building (nZEB) requirement. The benchmark utilizes the recommended EU EF impact categories with normalization and weighting, allowing for easy and quick comparisons. The results communicate the average environmental impact per square meter of floor area over one year. This benchmark is a suitable comparison point for new wooden building designs and is used as an effective tool for architects and designers during the initial planning stages of wooden buildings. By using this benchmark, the environmental performance of the building can be improved, and the communication and interpretation of LCA results can be facilitated for customers and other relevant stakeholders.

Studies indicate that natural wooden materials positively affect students’ well-being in classrooms. In addition, students spend a considerable amount of their time in classrooms predominantly seated, making school interiors a suitable place to reduce sedentary behaviors of children. A mixed team of experts in human factors, architecture, design and engineering designed a prototype wooden standing desk for indoor use and formed focus groups with students and teachers to gather feedback on the development process and to evaluate the suitability of the prototype. The prototype desk was well received by the primary school teachers and students. The students appreciated plywood as the main material for the construction of the desk; however, they criticized that the wooden tabletop should be more resistant. The height adjustability of the desk and the tiltable tabletop were the most appreciated features of the prototype. Further studies should be conducted to investigate the optimal material, shape and color of the school desk, especially the tabletop, and additional efforts should be made to design furniture that promotes a less sedentary classroom and improves students’ well-being at school.

Slowenische bildende Kunst und ihre Einbindung in den mitteleuropäischen Raum

This doctoral dissertation provides an insight into funeral music as an ethnomusicological, anthropological, economic and cultural phenomenon, which has so far in Slovenia not attracted appropriate scholarly attention. It focuses on the role and importance of music at funerals in the context of the symbolism associated with death, departure and the concept of transience, and on the causes of different choices of music as an integral part of the leave–taking of the deceased, in conjunction with aspects of historical, social and cultural diversity.

We study numerically the relaxation of correlation functions in weakly perturbed integrable XXZ chain. While the decay of spin-current and energy-current correlations at zero magnetization are well described by single, but quite distinct, relaxation rates governed by the square of the perturbation strength $g$, the correlations at finite magnetization reveal multiple relaxation rates. The result can be understood in terms of decays of several quantities, conserved in the reference integrable system. On the other hand, the correlations of non-commuting quantities, being conserved at particular anisotropies $\Delta$, decay non-exponentially with characteristic time scale linear in $g$.

Arhitekt Jože Plečnik je za zagrebške frančiškane iz province sv. Cirila in Metoda naredil več predlogov cerkve sv. Križa s samostanom, ki naj bi postala središče nove župnije istega imena. Prvotni prostor je bil Trg kralja Petra Krešimirja. Ker pa regulacija tega dela mesta še ni bila določena, je moral svoje načrte spremeniti. Gradnjo je preprečil začetek druge svetovne vojne, po njej pa je Plečnik svoj projekt dolge in ozke cerkve (1939) zamenjal s centralno stavbo (1946–1947), ki povzema zamisli njegove neuresničene sarajevske katedrale sv. Jožefa in sočasnega načrtovanja stavbe slovenskega parlamenta. Intenzivno ukvarjanje s tem naročilom označuje širok razpon tipoloških in ustvarjalnih možnosti.

Članek prinaša nove ugotovitve o gradnji in opremljanju Plečnikove beograjske cerkve sv. Antona, ki temeljijo na doslej neupoštevanem arhivskem materialu iz Beograda in Jajca. Po tem, ko je novi provincial fra Josip Markušić zavrnil umetniško nedozorel načrt cerkve, so se beograjski frančiškani obrnili na Plečnika. Ta jim je narisal podolgovato cerkev s širokim zvonikom, kakršno so tedaj po njegovih načrtih gradili v Pragi. Kot alternativo jim je ponudil tudi cenejšo okroglo varianto z visokim zvonikom, ki so jo z veseljem sprejeli. Ker ni zaupal lokalnim izvajalcem in bi gradnja presegla finančne možnosti frančiškanov, je opustil sprva zamišljeno kupolo. Na Plečnikovo željo so se frančiškani odločili za dražjo vidno opeko. Cerkev so med letoma 1929 in 1932, to je v času najhujše gospodarske krize, gradili madžarski zidarji iz Vojvodine. Pri ikonografskem programu je Plečnik sodeloval z Markušićem in leta 1936 izdelal generalni predlog opreme. Po letu 1945 se je z dokončanjem cerkve ukvarjal agilni župnik fra Eduard Žilić. Plečnik je za svojega naslednika predlagal arhitekta Janeza Valentinčiča, ki je med drugim dozidal vhodno lopo in zvonik. Pri slednjem je, da bi nekoliko razbremenil temelje, uporabil železobetonsko jedro, navzven pa ga je oblekel z vidno opeko.

More than one hundred ninety nations, including the European Union, have signed the Paris Agreement to limit the temperature increase to 1.5 °C above pre-industrial levels. Meeting these conditions requires a steep decline in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by the year 2030 and zero GHG emissions by 2050. In this study, we investigated the role that wood products can play within Slovenia to reach the 2030 goal of a 55 % reduction in GHG, as compared to 1990 levels. Slovenia, with over 58 % forest cover, is well-positioned to utilize wood products to meet these climate goals. However, questions exist on how increased tree harvesting and local production, and the use of wood products contribute to replacing fossil-based materials and to lower lowering GHG emissions. To better understand the importance of wood products to GHG emission reduction, this study aimed to present a model showing how the forest-based value chain (including construction) could help reach the Paris Agreement goals. We investigated the associated environmental impacts and their related economic costs. The results indicated that Slovenia could reach the 55 % GHG emission reduction goal within 2030 through increasing tree harvesting and using these resources to increase the number of durable wood products produced within Slovenia that store carbon for long periods and substitute for other high GHG emitting materials. However, realizing these potential reductions would rely on the building industry within Slovenia to replace fossil- and mineral-based materials with wood products.

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In Ljubljana and in its surroundings the music at a traditional funeral still consists usually of a vocal ensemble or a trumpet, but in 2016 this has increasingly tended to be replaced by a girl’s vocal and instrumental ensemble. The choice of music depends largely on the wishes of the relatives of the deceased. Folk music predominates, followed by popular music; the music requested least is classical music. The most frequently performed songs of the year 2016 were: Gozdič je že zelen, Lipa zelenela je and Nearer my God to Thee.

Vpogled v doslej neprebrano arhitektovo pisemsko zapuščino in nekatere druge zgodovinske vire temeljito spreminja vedenje o nastanku in opremi Plečnikovega domovanja v Trnovem. Glavni namen gradnje valjastega prizidka (1923–1924), ustvariti skupen dom za brate in sestro, se ni posrečil zaradi njihovih različnih življenjskih usod. Sprva so se vsi navduševali za hišo na sedanjem Ciril-Metodovem trgu 10, v kateri je stanovala sestra, a se je Andrej Plečnik po vrnitvi iz Idrije raje odločil za nakup hiše za trnovsko cerkvijo v Ljubljani. Popraviti je treba tudi trditev, da naj bi se Jože sprl z najmlajšim Janezom, nakar naj bi ta zapustil hišo v Trnovem. V resnici oba v njej nikoli nista skupaj stanovala. Tudi starejši Andrej svoje posesti ni dolgo užival, ker ga je disciplinska komisija spodila iz ljubljanske realke, na kateri je poučeval verouk. Odšel je za kateheta v Kočevje in se ni nikoli več za stalno vrnil v Ljubljano. Na koncu je arhitekt v hiši ostal sam in si jo po svoje opremil.

We present numerical results for finite-temperature T>0 thermodynamic quantities, entropy s(T), uniform susceptibility χ_{0}(T), and the Wilson ratio R(T), for several isotropic S=1/2 extended Heisenberg models, which are prototype models for planar quantum spin liquids. We consider in this context the frustrated J_{1}-J_{2} model on kagome, triangular, and square lattice, as well as the Heisenberg model on a triangular lattice with the ring exchange. Our analysis reveals that typically in the spin-liquid parameter regimes the low-temperature s(T) remains considerable, while χ_{0}(T) is reduced consistent mostly with a triplet gap. This leads to vanishing R(T→0), being the indication of a macroscopic number of singlets lying below triplet excitations. This is in contrast to the J_{1}-J_{2} Heisenberg chain, where R(T→0) either remains finite in the gapless regime, or the singlet and triplet gap are equal in the dimerized regime.

The article presents constructive reflections about some deficiencies of the recently adopted laws on spatial management and building. The critique mainly deals with inconsistent enforcement of the concept of deregulation, contents of planning documents, mechanisms of motivation, aspiration and profit, as well as neglect of initiative, the motor of spatial management. Poor communication and lack of mechanisms for achieving better architecture and spatial order are emphasised.

V prispevku so predstavljena konstruktivna razmišljanja o nekaterih pomanjkljivostih nedavno sprejetih zakonov s področij urejanja prostora in graditve objektov. Kritike zakonov so v zvezi z nedoslednim uveljavljanjem koncepta deregulacije, vsebino prostorskih aktov, mehanizmi motivacije, aspiracij in dobičkov ter zanemarjanjem pobud, ki so motorji urejanja prostora. Posebno sta izpostavljena nekomunikativnost zakonov in pomanjkanje mehanizma za doseganje kakovostne arhitekture in urejenosti okolja.

Heaven’s Cave is located in the centre of the Phong Nha-Ke Bang national park, about 500 km southern from the Vietnamese capital and 40 km from the city of Dong Hoi. Phong Nha-Ke Bang national park is protected also as a UNESCO world heritage site. Due to weak economic situation in this region as a result of lack of natural resources, karst tourism represents an important opportunity for raising the quality of live in the province. A proposal to adapt non-touristic Heaven’s Cave for tourism was presented to Karst Research Institute ZRC SAZU in 2006. Because the caves are sensitive ecosystems and all activities in them should be carefully implemented, our task was to make basic survey and map the cave, to perform a speleological and touristic research, to propose possible interventions for adapting the cave for tourism and to prepare a strategy for tourism development in this area. The latter should also show us if some interest is present among tourists for new show cave in this region. From this point of view this study does not represent systematic long-term approach for adapting a cave for tourism but rather a short study of a cave with potential to be show cave in remote area of Central Vietnam. Approach used in this study should be used in similar environments as a first step to estimate if weakly known cave is environmentally and economically suitable for development for touristic purposes. Keywords: Heaven’s Cave, Thien Duong Cave, Phong Nha-Ke Bang, Vietnam, show cave.

Križna jama and Križna jama 2 are of important natural value. They have been known for more than hundred years from spe­leobiological, paleontological, geomorphological and touristic points of view. In 2007 the establishment of a water treatment plant on Bloke plateau raised important question: can partly cleaned water from the water treatment plant contaminate both caves and decrease their value? To answer this question a tracer test was carried out at the Bloke plateau. It showed gen­eral underground water flow from Farovščica ponor at Bloke plateau toward the Šteberščica spring at Cerknica polje. Mi­nority of recovered tracer appeared at Žerovniščica and Izvir v Podložu springs. The tracer was not detected at Studenec v Ložu and Zlatovec springs. Between ponor and springs three karst caves were observed. The highest concentration of tracer was detected in the cave Mrzla jama pri Bločicah and a much smaller concentration in the Križna jama and Križna jama 2. This shows that at middle water level the underground Farovščica stream does not flow directly through Križna jama and Križna jama 2 but near or below them. Since the tracer ap­peared in both caves only after the precipitation, underground water course can be significantly different at high water level. Tracing test also showed some characteristics of underground water flow through dolomite and characteristics of a composed aquifer with alogenic-autogenic recharge.

Copyright of Acta Historiae Artis Slovenica is the property of Scientific Research Centre of Slovenian Academy of Sciences & Arts and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The paper introduces new findings on the construction and furnishing of Plečnik's church of St Anthony in Belgrade, which are based on previously unconsidered archival material from Belgrade and Jajce. Aside from the parish chronicle, the plans, and other relevant material, this material also includes numerous letters from Plečnik to his Franciscan friend Josip Markušić, preserved at the Franciscan monastery in the Bosnian town of Jajce. As a provincial head, Markušić turned down the immature plan for the church, most likely the work of the same architect who built the monastery for the Franciscans in Belgrade two years prior. Priest fra Arkanđelo Grgić used his ecclesiastical connections to contact architect Jože Plečnik. At the beginning of 1929, the latter, without being familiar with the actual state of affairs, sent the Franciscans a sketch of a longitudinal church with a wide bell tower, reminiscent of his church in Prague. Furthermore, he offered them a less expensive alternative, a round church, which the Franciscans happily accepted. He planned the church with a high bell tower, a symbol of Catholicism in an orthodox environment, where the churches do not have bell towers. He replaced the originally planned dome with a flat ceiling as he did not trust the local masons' ability to build it, while it would also hugely exceed the financial resources of the order. After the foundations were finished, they had to decide between visible bricks or cheaper plaster. At the request of Plečnik, the Franciscans decided on visible bricks from a brick factory in Bečkerek that were almost three times more expensive. The construction of the church lasted two and a half years, and it took place during the time of the greatest economic crisis. The masons were Hungarians from Vojvodina. In its raw state, the church was completed in 1932. The works were overseen by retired architect Dušan Granić, who acted hastily and was arbitrarily responsible for some irreversible mistakes in many places. For example, at the request of the Ministry of Construction but without Plečnik's knowledge, he partially changed the foundations, because of which it was later impossible to construct a crypt. Even though Plečnik at first tried to find Serbian executants, he later entrusted the interior design to his renowned craftsmen from Ljubljana, with which Markušić, who succeed Grgić, agreed and wanted everything to be made under the architect's supervision. Regarding the altar and other equipment, Plečnik and Markušić carefully navigated between attractiveness to a wider circle of believers and high artistic quality. At the request of the Franciscans, Plečnik turned to Ivan Meštrović in regard to the statue of the patron of the church, however, he was not particularly satisfied with the work that was sent. A few months before his death, he recommended his assistant architect Janez Valentinčič to Markušić's successor fra Eduardo Žilić. Valentinčič completed some of the furnishings in the presbytery based on his teacher's plans, laid marble pavement, and built the entrance porch. He also finished the barely begun construction of the bell tower, and at the request of the Franciscans, used a reinforced concrete core with which he changed the bell tower's structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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We present a review of recent theoretical results concerning the many-body localization (MBL) phenomenon, with the emphasis on dynamical density correlations and transport quantities. They are shown to be closely related, providing a comprehensive description of the ergodic-to-nonergodic transition, consistent with experimental findings. While the focus is set mostly on the one-dimensional model of interacting spinless fermions, we also present evidence for the absence of full MBL in the one-dimensional Hubbard model and for the density-wave decay induced by the inter-chain coupling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Acta Historiae Artis Slovenica is the property of Scientific Research Centre of Slovenian Academy of Sciences & Arts and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Recent femtosecond pump-probe experiments on Mott insulators reveal charge recombination, which is in picosecond range, i.e., much faster than in clean bandgap semiconductors although excitation gaps in Mott insulators are even larger. The charge response in photo-excited insulators can be generally divided in femtosecond transient relaxation of charge excitations, which are holons and doublons, and a second slower, but still very fast, holon-doublon (HD) recombination. We present a theory of the recombination rate of the excited HD pairs, based on the two-dimensional (2D) model relevant for cuprates, which shows that such fast processes can be explained even quantitatively with the multi-magnon emission. We show that the condition for the exponential decay as observed in the experiment is the existence of the exciton, i.e., the bound HD pair. Its recombination rate is exponentially dependent on the charge gap and on the magnon energy, while the ultrafast process can be traced back to strong charge-spin coupling. We comment also fast recombination times in the one-dimensional (1D) Mott insulators, as e.g., organic salts. The recombination rate in the latter cases can be explained with the stronger coupling with phonon excitations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]