Sanela Klaric
Associate Professor, PhD in Technical Sciences in the field of Architecture and Urbanism, expert in sustainable architecture, specialized in circular economy, energy-efficient architecture, health, and environmental protection. With more than 25 years of experience, she has led numerous EU-funded projects, policy initiatives, and academic programs focused on responsible architecture, sustainable development, circular economy, and rural policy.
A recognized leader in green building, climate action, and regional development, she actively contributes to education, research, and public policy through the work of the Green Building Council in Bosnia and Herzegovina. She collaborates with universities, governmental and non-governmental, as well as international organizations to foster sustainable innovation.
A Member of the Parliament of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, she advocates for policies that support climate resilience and socio-economic progress. DGNB expert for green certification.
She is also the conceptual originator of the Summer School and the initiator of its development.
Vinko Šarkanji
Vinko developed his craft through many years of work at the Earth & Crafts Center for Earthen Architecture in Mošorin, near Novi Sad, where he worked as a close collaborator of architect Dragana Kojičić. During this period he was also restoring his own rammed-earth wine cellar in Baranja, in eastern Croatia, gaining valuable hands-on experience with traditional earthen building materials.
After more than a decade of refining his skills and confirming the durability and quality of his work, Vinko began working independently as a master craftsman specializing in the restoration of traditional earthen houses across the Balkans. Throughout his professional development he learned from leading experts in natural building, including Anton Auer and Herbert Gruber from Austria, Michael Fischer from Germany, and Arpad Biro from Hungary.
Today his work focuses on three main areas: restoration of interiors in traditional earthen houses, interior finishing of contemporary homes using natural materials, and educational activities, including workshops and the organization of festivals dedicated to natural, sustainable, and healthy building materials.
In recent years Vinko has also been active internationally. In Slovakia he collaborates with the company Hlinar as an associate of master craftsman Stane Prorok, while in Austria he works with the company Earthman, run by Hanna Burtscher, specializing in clay plaster applications.
He is also one of the organizers of the RegioEarth and GlinArt festivals, events dedicated to the exchange of knowledge and the promotion of natural building practices.
Recently, he completed his own project in Croatia — a small holiday house built entirely from natural materials and available for rental.
When he is not working on building projects, Vinko enjoys traveling by bicycle and exploring new, often overlooked places.
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Kristijan Zver
Kristijan comes from Slovenia and is a father of two children. For more than twenty years he has been dedicated to building houses made of straw. During this time, he has participated in around twenty projects as a project leader, ranging from smaller homes designed for two people to larger houses intended for big families.
In his work he uses exclusively natural materials, which he likes to call “virgin materials”—materials that come directly from nature. This means that materials such as straw, earth, and wood are sourced straight from fields or forests and used with minimal industrial processing. The core of his building system consists of straw bales, clay soil from the construction site (when available), and lime, all applied to a structural framework specifically adapted for straw-bale construction.
Over the years he has developed his own construction system that allows straw bales to be processed as little as possible and installed quickly and efficiently. The structural frame itself must be statically stable, while the straw together with plaster further strengthens the entire structure. Other construction approaches also exist, but he prefers to discuss them directly with clients or on the construction site.
To stabilize the plaster he uses one or two reinforcement meshes. Interior walls are plastered with clay, while exterior walls are finished with lime plaster, ensuring that the house remains completely natural, healthy, and long-lasting.
His first project was a large house built using 95% fully natural materials. The foundations were made of oak wood, while most other materials came from nearby fields and forests.
As part of his own tourist resort, he also built a small house made of straw and clay, allowing guests to experience life inside a natural, ecological home.
For Kristijan, building with natural materials is not just a profession but a way of thinking and living—creating healthy, sustainable, and warm homes that exist in harmony with nature.