LynxCraft · Academy
Construction, architecture and spatial planning
This glossary covers the key terms from the fields of construction, architecture and spatial planning that appear in the ACADEMY blog series. The terms are listed alphabetically by their Slovenian names.
The professional who designs the house, checks compliance with spatial planning documents, coordinates the various disciplines and prepares all the project documentation. The architect is the key project lead, responsible for the integrity of the design from idea to execution.
Chapter: 5.1, 5.2An open or partially open combination of kitchen, dining area and living area. Its size, organisation and orientation have a major impact on the quality of living and how the house feels.
Chapter: 3.1, 3.2, 3.3A carefully planned sequence of events from the start of construction to its completion. It must be realistic, include buffers for possible delays, and be updated regularly.
Chapter: 5.7A company or individual that supplies building materials, windows, doors, technical equipment and other elements needed for construction. Supplier delays are a frequent cause of extended construction schedules.
Chapter: 5.4The full set of plans, reports and supporting documents needed for design, obtaining permits and carrying out construction. It includes the conceptual design (IDZ), the building-permit documentation and the execution design.
Chapter: 2.6, 4.2, 5.1, 5.2The material submitted to the administrative unit, comprising architectural plans, technical reports, proof of the right to build, and the opinions of the competent authorities and utility infrastructure operators.
Chapter: 2.6, 5.2The design phase in which the guidelines and conditions of infrastructure operators are obtained for connections to water, electricity, sewerage and other network systems.
Chapter: 2.6, 5.2A house design that remains accessible even when stairs are no longer taken for granted. It includes elements such as a step-free entrance, sufficiently wide corridors and the possibility of installing a lift later.
Chapter: 3.5A legally secured possibility of accessing the plot. It must be formally documented, for example through an easement entered in the land register, and not merely exist in practice.
Chapter: 2.3, 2.5, 5.2A document typically associated with major infrastructure projects at the national level, such as motorways, railways or energy corridors. Plots within the impact area of a DPN are subject to special restrictions.
Chapter: 2.1The fundamental spatial planning document at the national level, setting the strategic directions for the country's spatial development and serving as the basis for preparing DPNs.
Chapter: 2.1A spatial unit within a municipality to which specific building conditions apply. Two plots in the same settlement can lie in different spatial planning units and therefore be subject to different conditions and rules.
Chapter: 2.1, 2.4The maximum permitted number of storeys or floors of a building. It is set in the spatial planning documents and is a key constraint when planning the floor layout and the height envelope of the building.
Chapter: 2.1, 2.4, 3.2The ratio between the permitted gross floor area of all storeys and the area of the plot. It limits the total size of the building and is one of the fundamental parameters in spatial planning documents. In Croatia the same ratio is the koeficijent iskoristivosti (kis), worked out from GBP, and a plan may also cap the above-ground part alone (kisn); in Poland it is the wskaźnik intensywności zabudowy, worked out from the total floor area (Pc).
Chapter: 2.1, 2.4The percentage share of the plot area that may be built over or covered by the building. It limits the building's footprint on the plot and, together with setbacks, determines the actual space available for building. In Croatia the same ratio is the koeficijent izgrađenosti (kig), measured on the building's vertical projection without balconies; in Poland it is the wskaźnik powierzchni zabudowy.
Chapter: 2.1, 2.4The visible exterior of the house, protecting it from the weather. The type of facade, the quality of workmanship and the thermal insulation beneath it have a major impact on the building's energy efficiency, durability and maintenance.
Chapter: 4.1, 5.3A sequence of deliberate steps from site preparation to finishing works. Each phase has its own logic, conditions and checks, and is a prerequisite for starting the next one.
Chapter: 5.3The Croatian design that works the building out to meet the essential requirements (structure, fire safety, energy and so on), with architectural, structural, electrical and mechanical parts (Zakon o gradnji, NN 155/25, Art. 34). For larger buildings it is filed with the building permit application. For a less complex building (manje složena zgrada), which covers most family houses, it has been drawn up after the permit since 1 January 2026: the investor attaches it to the notice of commencement of works (Art. 89) and it must be kept on site.
Professional supervision that checks the compliance of the construction with the plans, the permit and the regulations. It safeguards the quality of the work and protects the investor's financial interest against contractor errors.
Chapter: 4.2, 5.5An official decision of the administrative unit confirming that the planned construction complies with the spatial planning rules and that the investor has the right to build. Without it, construction is illegal.
Chapter: 2.6, 5.2, 5.7The Croatian building permit. Since 1 January 2026 (Zakon o gradnji, NN 155/25), for a less complex building, such as a family house with up to two dwellings and 400 m² GBP, it is applied for online (eDozvola) on the idejni projekt (outline design), and the planning conditions are set in the permit itself, with no separate location permit (Art. 62). It lapses if work has not started within six years of becoming final (Art. 79). Applications filed before 1 January 2026 are decided under the previous act, NN 153/13 (Art. 129).
The total floor area of all storeys, measured to the outside face of the external walls. Each market names and measures it by its own rules: in Slovenia bruto tlorisna površina (BTP, SIST ISO 9836); in Croatia građevinska (bruto) površina (GBP, defined in the Zakon o prostornom uređenju NN 155/25 and measured under the regulation NN 93/17, which leaves out open balconies, loggias and terraces and any part with a clear height under 2.0 m, and counts a storey at least 75% below ground at 0.25 as a garage or 0.50 as ancillary space; the older term BRP is still seen); in Poland powierzchnia całkowita (Pc, PN-ISO 9836). LynxCraft quotes construction cost per m² of gross floor area for Slovenian (BTP) and Croatian (GBP) plots.
Protection of the structure against the ingress of water and moisture. It is especially critical at the foundations, in basements and in wet rooms. Poor workmanship leads to moisture problems that are very hard to fix.
Chapter: 4.5, 5.3A building designed to remain liveable in later stages of life, when mobility can no longer be taken for granted. It includes accessible entrances, adequate clear corridor widths and the possibility of later adaptations.
Chapter: 3.5A space intended for moving between the individual parts of the house. Long, dark hallways with no clear purpose mean valuable square metres without any real function.
Chapter: 3.1, 3.2The official designation of a building, assigned by the municipality. It is required for registering permanent residence, receiving mail and official correspondence. It is obtained after the building is entered in the building cadastre.
Chapter: 2.6, 5.2The first serious stage of the project, in which the basic room layout, dimensions, shape of the house and orientation are defined. It serves as the basis for obtaining design conditions.
Chapter: 2.6, 5.1, 5.7The Croatian design that fixes a building's position, shape, size and use on the plot. Since 1 January 2026 the building permit for a less complex building (manje složena zgrada: up to two dwellings and 400 m² GBP, which covers most family houses) is issued on the idejni projekt, which then becomes part of the permit (Zakon o gradnji, NN 155/25).
The internal systems of the house: electrical wiring, plumbing, waste-water drainage, heating and ventilation. They must be well coordinated with each other and designed at the same time as the architectural plans.
Chapter: 3.4, 4.1, 4.2, 4.5The owner of the plot and the person driving the project, who makes the key decisions, provides the conditions for the professional teams to work, and bears full financial responsibility for the construction.
Chapter: 5.6The company or group of companies that physically builds the house and is responsible for the quality of the work. It must be carefully selected on the basis of references and clearly defined by contract.
Chapter: 5.3, 5.6The official register in which buildings are recorded. Registration is a prerequisite for obtaining a house number and for the legal protection of ownership.
Chapter: 2.6, 5.2How a Croatian spatial plan states the permitted storeys: Po (basement), S (semi-basement), P (ground floor), 1, 2 … (upper floors), Uk (recessed top floor) and Pk (attic under a pitched roof, with knee walls no higher than 1.2 m), for example Po+P+1+Pk (Pravilnik o prostornim planovima, NN 152/2023).
A storey below ground level, or a partially buried storey of the house. It is often used for parking, technical rooms or storage. Building one substantially increases construction costs.
Chapter: 2.4, 3.5, 5.3The Croatian floor area ratio: the GBP of all storeys of all buildings on the plot, basement included, divided by the plot area (Pravilnik o prostornim planovima, NN 152/23, Art. 4). A plan must cap kis and may also cap the above-ground part (kisn) and the below-ground part (kisp) separately (Art. 12). Example: 240 m² GBP above ground plus a buried ancillary basement counted at 60 m² on a 600 m² plot gives kis 0.50, kisn 0.40 and kisp 0.10.
The GBP of the above-ground storeys only (semi-basement, ground floor, upper floors, recessed top floor and attic) divided by the plot area (Pravilnik o prostornim planovima, NN 152/23, Art. 4). The basement does not count.
The GBP of the basement storeys divided by the plot area (Pravilnik o prostornim planovima, NN 152/23, Art. 4). A basement at least 75% below ground counts towards GBP at 0.25 as a garage or 0.50 as ancillary space (NN 93/17).
The Croatian site coverage ratio: the land under buildings divided by the plot area (Pravilnik o prostornim planovima, NN 152/23, Art. 4). The land under a building is its vertical projection, including covered open structural parts but not balconies. Example: a 120 m² footprint on a 600 m² plot gives kig 0.20.
A one-off charge paid to the Croatian municipality or town (JLS) towards local infrastructure. It is charged per m³ of building volume at the rate for the plot's zone (Zakon o komunalnom gospodarstvu, NN 68/18); balconies and uncovered terraces are left out of the volume. Network connection fees are paid separately.
A mandatory charge payable to the municipality, depending on the location, purpose and scale of the construction. It is paid before construction begins and is separate from the costs of the actual network connections.
Chapter: 4.1, 4.2The load-bearing structure of the house, which transfers all loads to the foundations and on into the ground. It can be timber, masonry or reinforced concrete. The choice affects the cost, performance and durability of the building.
Chapter: 4.1, 5.3A room with a washbasin, toilet, shower or bathtub. It must be properly organised, watertight and spacious enough for comfortable everyday use.
Chapter: 3.1, 3.2The height of the ground floor above the terrain, or the absolute elevation of the ground floor. In flood areas and other protected areas it is often prescribed and must be above a specified value.
Chapter: 2.3, 2.4A Croatian permit that sets the planning conditions for a project. Since 1 January 2026 (Zakon o prostornom uređenju, NN 155/25, Art. 154) it is issued only for the cases the act lists, such as phased or complex projects, compulsory purchase, the maritime domain and power plants, or when the applicant asks for one. A family house does not need one: its conditions are set in the building permit.
An official document issued by the municipality for a specific plot, summarising the relevant spatial planning provisions, land use designation, protection regimes, restrictions and conditions from the spatial planning documents.
Chapter: 2.1A category in the Croatian Zakon o gradnji (NN 155/25), in force since 1 January 2026: a residential building with no more than two dwellings and no more than 400 m² GBP, or a farm building up to 600 m² (Art. 3). Its building permit is issued on the idejni projekt (outline design), the glavni projekt (main design) follows the permit, site supervision covers structural stability only, and the final inspection checks only the planning conditions. Most family houses fall into it.
A living space under a pitched roof, counted as a separate storey. Spatial planning documents often set conditions for attic storeys, such as the roof pitch and the permitted knee-wall height.
Chapter: 2.4A licensed professional who supervises the construction and checks whether the building is being built in accordance with the permit, the design and the regulations. The supervisor must be independent of the contractor.
Chapter: 2.6, 5.5The officially designated use of land: building, agricultural, forest or other. It is the fundamental condition for construction, since only building land allows the construction of a residential building.
Chapter: 2.1, 2.3Ventilating the house by opening windows, without mechanical ventilation. It requires openings on at least two sides of the house for cross-ventilation, and a properly designed floor plan.
Chapter: 3.3The floor area inside the walls: gross floor area minus the area taken up by walls, columns and other structure. In Slovenia it is neto tlorisna površina (NTP, SIST ISO 9836); in Croatia it is given as neto korisna površina (NKP), measured to the finished (plastered) walls. It is usually 15-25% less than the gross floor area. In Poland the comparable figure that prices are quoted on is the usable floor area (PU).
The mandatory distance between the building and the plot boundary, a neighbouring building or a protection corridor. Setbacks reduce the actual buildable footprint and are set in the spatial planning documents.
Chapter: 2.1, 2.4, 3.2The system for draining rainwater and groundwater away from the building site and the building's surroundings. Getting it right is essential for protecting the foundations and the area around the house from moisture.
Chapter: 4.2, 4.4, 4.5The system for heating the living spaces. The choice of heating type, such as a heat pump, gas, wood biomass or district heating, has a major impact on investment costs, running costs and the carbon footprint.
Chapter: 4.1, 4.5A protected area containing buildings or landscape of special cultural significance. Building within such an area or in its immediate vicinity requires a special consent from the Institute for the Protection of Cultural Heritage.
Chapter: 2.4The municipality's fundamental spatial planning document, which sets the land use designation and the basic rules for spatial development. It is the starting point of every building project and determines what may be built and where.
Chapter: 2.1, 2.4, 2.6A more detailed spatial planning document for more demanding or complex areas, defining in greater detail the plot layout, the placement of buildings, traffic arrangements and the routing of utility infrastructure.
Chapter: 2.1, 2.3, 2.5The direction the house faces in relation to the compass points, sunlight and winds. It has a decisive effect on natural lighting, heat gains in winter and overheating in summer.
Chapter: 3.3, 5.1A room for a child, which must allow safe sleeping, studying and storage. The design must take into account changing needs across the different stages of childhood and adolescence.
Chapter: 3.2The concrete building rules for a given area, set out in the OPN or OPPN. They cover the permitted types of buildings, the number of storeys, dimensions, setbacks, design requirements and any special provisions.
Chapter: 2.1, 2.4An area at risk of flooding. Building there requires special conditions, such as minimum ground-floor levels, watertight basement walls and other protective measures.
Chapter: 2.3, 2.4A service room for washing, drying and folding laundry. Its placement in the house should follow the logic of the daily routine and allow for natural drying and a simple flow of laundry.
Chapter: 3.4The technical lines and physical connections to utility infrastructure, such as water supply, sewerage, electricity, gas and telecommunications. Actually building them is often more demanding and more expensive than expected.
Chapter: 2.3, 4.1, 4.2, 4.4Payments to the operators of individual network systems for connecting to public infrastructure. They are separate from the municipal infrastructure fee (komunalni prispevek) and are paid directly to the operator.
Chapter: 4.1, 4.2An architectural design that allows rooms to change purpose or the house to be extended without major structural interventions. An adaptable house responds more easily to changed life circumstances.
Chapter: 3.5Documentation recording the actual state of the building after construction is completed, together with any deviations from the original design. It is required for obtaining the occupancy permit.
Chapter: 2.6, 5.2The detailed instructions for building, including detailed drawings, structural calculations, installation schematics, bills of quantities and technical solutions. This is the design the contractor actually builds from.
Chapter: 2.6, 5.2, 5.7The professional or team of professionals who prepare the project documentation. The lead designer is usually a licensed architect who coordinates the work of the structural engineer and the installation designers.
Chapter: 5.2A structured financial plan for the construction, divided into basic works, optional upgrades and a reserve for unforeseen costs. A realistic budget is a precondition for a successful, less stressful project.
Chapter: 4.1, 4.4The part of the budget set aside for costs that arise despite careful planning. At least 10 to 15 % of the construction value is recommended. It is not a luxury, but an essential safeguard of a realistic budget.
Chapter: 4.3, 5.7A legal basis for using someone else's land, for example for access across a neighbouring plot or for routing a utility line. It must be formally entered in the land register.
Chapter: 2.3, 2.5A service room for storing food, seasonal equipment, cleaning supplies and small items. An inadequate storage room means things migrate into the living spaces and degrade their quality.
Chapter: 3.1, 3.2, 3.4A room for sleeping and rest. It should be set away from the busy zones of the house, provide quiet, darkness and a suitable temperature, and have sensible access to a bathroom.
Chapter: 3.1, 3.2A plot designated as building land in the spatial planning documents, which therefore allows the construction of buildings for residential or other use.
Chapter: 2.1, 2.2, 2.3Windows and doors, the key elements of the building envelope. Their quality has a decisive effect on thermal protection, sound insulation, daylight and long-term maintenance costs.
Chapter: 4.1, 4.5The most important part of the building envelope, protecting the house from precipitation and affecting its energy balance. The shape, pitch and covering of the roof are often prescribed in the spatial planning documents.
Chapter: 4.1, 5.3A room for heating systems, distribution manifolds, water heaters, filtration and other technical equipment. It must be adequately sized, accessible for maintenance and logically placed within the house design.
Chapter: 3.1, 3.4, 5.3The basic load-bearing structure of the house, transferring the building's total weight to the ground. The type of foundations depends on the geological conditions. Building the foundations is one of the first critical phases on site.
Chapter: 5.3The physical characteristics of the plot, such as slope, the geological composition of the ground and the presence of groundwater. All of this directly affects the type of foundations, foundation costs and the complexity of the external works.
Chapter: 2.3, 5.3A detailed list of deadlines for the individual phases and key milestones of the construction. It must be updated regularly and coordinated among all the participants in the build, that is, the architect, the contractor and the construction supervisor.
Chapter: 5.4, 5.7A drawing of a horizontal section through the house, showing the layout of rooms, walls and open areas. It is the most important part of the project documentation and the basis for all further decisions.
Chapter: 3.1, 3.2, 3.3Thermal insulation and other measures to reduce heat losses through the building envelope. Skimping on thermal protection lowers the initial cost but increases heating costs over the long term.
Chapter: 4.5, 5.1The Croatian occupancy permit, issued after a technical inspection of the finished building; the building may not be used without it (Zakon o gradnji, NN 155/25, Art. 94). For a less complex building the inspection checks only use, external dimensions and position on the plot against the permit and the idejni projekt, and the permit is issued within eight days of it (Art. 97, 102).
An administrative decision issued after construction is completed, confirming that the building was built in accordance with the building permit and can be legally used. Without it, permanent residence cannot be registered.
Chapter: 2.6, 5.2, 5.7Polish powierzchnia użytkowa (PU, PN-ISO 9836): the part of the net floor area that serves the building's purpose, measured to the inside face of the walls. Stairwells and technical rooms are not included. Polish house-building prices are quoted per m² of PU, and LynxCraft quotes construction cost the same way for Polish plots. Not to be confused with powierzchnia zabudowy, the building's footprint on the plot.
A protected zone along roads, railways, watercourses, power lines, gas pipelines and other infrastructure. Within it, special restrictions apply to building, planting and other interventions.
Chapter: 2.3, 2.4, 2.5The transition space from the outside world into the home, used for putting away shoes, clothes and everyday items. Its size and organisation have a strong effect on everyday comfort.
Chapter: 3.1, 3.2, 3.4A protected area near water sources and drinking-water catchments. Within it, special restrictions apply to construction, the handling of waste water and the use of chemical substances.
Chapter: 2.3, 2.4The final phase of construction, including floor finishes, tiling, interior doors, ceilings and plastering. This is where budgets are most often exceeded, because investors frequently opt for more expensive materials at this stage.
Chapter: 4.1, 4.4, 5.3The precise geometric marking of the building on the ground by means of a geodetic survey. It is carried out after the building permit is obtained and is a prerequisite for starting the earthworks.
Chapter: 5.2, 5.3The Croatian act on design, construction and use of buildings, in force since 1 January 2026 in place of NN 153/13. It introduced the less complex building (manje složena zgrada) with a permit issued on the outline design. Proceedings started before 1 January 2026 are completed under the old act (Art. 129).
The Croatian act on spatial plans and planning permits, in force since 1 January 2026 in place of NN 153/13. It keeps the location permit only for listed cases, introduces new-generation plans made in the ePlanovi system, and gives older plans seven years before they lapse (Art. 154, 238). The plan definitions of kig, kis, kisn and kisp (NN 152/23) and the GBP method (NN 93/17) stay in force (Art. 248).
Architectural elements and shading devices, such as overhangs, blinds and shutters, that protect the interior from summer overheating. It must be planned together with the size and orientation of the windows.
Chapter: 3.3, 4.5The first construction phase, which includes stripping the topsoil, excavating for the foundations and basement, preparing the sub-bases and backfilling. This is when the actual geological conditions come to light, which can substantially change the costs.
Chapter: 5.3A space for storing bicycles, garden tools, seasonal equipment and waste bins. Well-planned outdoor storage keeps the terrace tidy and the entrance clear.
Chapter: 3.4The driveway, parking, paths, terrace, fences and retaining walls. An often underestimated budget item that is nevertheless essential to the functionality and completeness of the home.
Chapter: 4.1, 4.4, 5.3