Portfolio

Below is a selection of some of the most important, and dearest to us, achievements of our association in researching, documenting, promoting, and educating about dry stone heritage and the craft of building.

Hands-on workshops

In collaboration with local partners, we continuously organize, lead, and volunteer in hands-on workshops across Croatia and abroad, with the number of events growing each year. Check the calendar in the top-right corner of our website: everyone is welcome to join in revitalizing and passing on this valuable skill.

Safeguarding the craft

Thanks to collaboration with the Ministry of Culture and Media, and upon our initiative, the skill of dry stone walling received permanent protection as an intangible cultural heritage of the Republic of Croatia in December 2016, following a three-year provisional safeguard period. The initial register of skill bearers, established after a national campaign and field research, is continuously updated and revised.

The art of dry stone walling received permanent protection in December 2016 as an intangible cultural asset of the Republic of Croatia, following a three-year period of provisional protection. In 2018, the art was inscribed on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, as a result of a joint international nomination by Cyprus, France, Greece, Croatia, Italy, Slovenia, Spain, and Switzerland under the title “Art of dry stone construction, knowledge and techniques.” In 2024, this protection was extended to Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Luxembourg, and Ireland.

Manual: Building in Stone
“Dear reader, our wish is that this publication helps you find a role for dry stone in your life – whether as a fascinating subject of study or a joyful hands-on practice.”

We are authors of Building in Stone, a handbook on dry stone heritage and walling techniques, featuring insights into Croatian dry stone traditions, a step-by-step guide to constructing and restoring various types of structures, and many other useful resources and contacts. Published in four editions by Slobodna Dalmacija, with a total circulation of 15,000 copies, the foreword, table of contents, and two full chapters (“Building a Simple Stone Hut” & “From First Wall to Mastery”) are available here and here.

Suhozid.hr
Suhozid.hr is an open public register of Croatia’s dry stone heritage, launched in 2013 to support participatory inventorying and public involvement. We coordinate, maintain, and continuously develop the system with our partners. Information on how to get involved and more details can be found here.

Commissioned expert studies
Ministry of Culture • Brijuni National Park • Kamenjak Public Institution • City of Mali Lošinj • City of Stari Grad • Municipality of Jelsa • Faculty of Agriculture, University of Zagreb

Awards and Recognitions
– Best Volunteer Organization in Liburnia (2021)
– Tripun Bokanić Award of the Pučišća Stonemasonry School and Oris House of Architecture (2019) – for outstanding educational, curatorial, publishing, critical, scientific, and theoretical work
– Ministry of Culture’s Vicko Andrić Award for contribution to the local community (2017)
– EU Prize for Cultural Heritage / Europa Nostra Award (2011)
– 47th Zagreb Salon of Architecture – Special Recognition
– The Best in Heritage – Best Presentation (2012)