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Branko Jeger i Miroslav Villi
Episode · #736

ZGRADONAČELNIK Branko Jeger i Miroslav Villi

Guest Branko Jeger i Miroslav VilliHosted by Ana Leko VučkovićMay 3, 2026
About this episode
What you'll hear in this conversation

Imagine a solution to housing affordability, urban decay, and accessibility challenges that doesn't require tearing down old buildings or burdening existing residents with new debt. Architects Branko Jeger and Miroslav Villi propose just that: a model to add a new residential floor and an elevator to aging five-story buildings from the 1960s, without any financial cost to the current owners. Their "Sixth Floor" initiative aims to revitalize Croatian neighborhoods by simultaneously creating new affordable housing, improving accessibility for the elderly and families, and enhancing the energy efficiency and market value of existing properties. It's a vision that rethinks urban renewal, suggesting that large-scale improvement can be achieved through clever financial engineering and shared value, rather than traditional construction models. This conversation explores how such an ambitious project could reshape cities like Zagreb, and what obstacles stand between a compelling idea and its widespread adoption.

Insights from the conversation
What to take from this episode
01
Many five-story buildings from the 1960s were officially declared four-story structures to bypass elevator requirements under old laws. This historical legislative loophole saved construction costs then, but created a quality-of-life problem for residents now; the true cost of a shortcut often emerges decades later.
02
The 'Sixth Floor' initiative offers a 'free building site' — the flat roof of existing buildings — to an investor, ideally the City of Zagreb. This allows for the creation of new housing units without acquiring new land, shifting the economic model from land purchase to shared value creation with existing residents.
03
Individual elevator installations often stall due to disagreements between ground-floor and top-floor residents over cost sharing. The 'Sixth Floor' model bypasses this by making the elevator a no-cost benefit for existing residents, paid for by the new floor's development, turning a point of contention into a shared gain.
04
The architects insist on implementing the model across entire neighborhoods, citing Borongaj's 130 buildings as an example that could yield 260 new apartments. This approach creates economies of scale, making individual elevator installations and renovations cheaper, and suggesting that urban renewal projects become more viable when planned for collective impact rather than single-building interventions.
05
Branko Jeger describes the 'Sixth Floor' project as a 'win-win' for everyone involved. Existing residents get increased property value and reduced energy costs, while the investor gains a site for new affordable housing units, demonstrating that large-scale urban improvements can be achieved through mutual benefit rather than direct financial burden.
06
For buildings like the 'tin cans' in Borongaj and Zapruđe, the proposal also includes adding balconies or terraces to each apartment. This goes beyond basic renovation to significantly enhance living quality, proving that 'affordable' doesn't have to mean 'minimalist' when thinking about urban renewal.
07
Miroslav Villi explains that 'affordable housing' in the EU context means a household spends no more than thirty percent of its income on housing costs. This benchmark highlights how high current housing costs are, and why renovation models must ensure that modernization doesn't inadvertently push costs beyond this threshold, making the improved housing unaffordable.
08
Despite presenting their project four months ago, Miroslav Villi notes they haven't been able to establish contact with the City of Zagreb or relevant ministries. Even a well-conceived solution to a pressing urban problem can struggle for official engagement, highlighting the gap between policy needs and practical implementation.
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