ZGRADONAČELNIK Ivan Markić

Guest Ivan MarkićHosted by Ana Leko VučkovićMay 3, 2026

Ivan Markić

About this episode

What you'll hear in this conversation

Croatian buildings, especially older ones, are not just aging; they are accumulating decades of deferred maintenance, a problem starkly exposed by recent earthquakes. Many owners perceive their property as a finished asset, but the reality on the ground paints a different picture: one of systemic neglect and escalating risks. Ivan Markić, a civil engineer and director at Prona-Grad, spends his days inspecting, renovating, and supervising existing structures. His work, combined with his role as a co-organizer of Graditopia Meetup—a platform for construction professionals to discuss industry challenges—gives him a clear view of the hidden vulnerabilities that most property owners overlook. He argues that without a proper maintenance plan, even seemingly minor issues can quickly become major, costly hazards. Readers will leave this conversation reconsidering their role as property owners, understanding that true security comes not from a building's initial construction date, but from a continuous, strategic approach to care and investment.

Insights from the conversation

What to take from this episode

Ivan Markić describes the core issue in Croatian building maintenance as the absence of a plan, leading to deferred investment in common areas. This postponement turns small, manageable costs into a single, enormous expense, making it harder for owners to finance when issues finally become critical.

The guest notes that over 90% of Croatia's building stock is old, with most constructed before modern anti-seismic regulations. He warns that an earthquake is a "stress test, not a certificate of safety," meaning buildings that merely survived a weaker tremor are not necessarily safe from a stronger, statistically possible event.

Technical problems in buildings, though rooted in construction era, become critical only when co-owners lack effective management and communication. Even with EU funds available to ease financial burdens, Markić points out that the real obstacle to renovation is not a lack of resources, but the absence of a unified, cooperative approach among residents.

The biggest hidden cost, according to Markić, is "maintenance without a strategy." Without a long-term plan, every necessary intervention becomes more expensive, potentially incorrect, and misaligned with the building's overall needs, leading to escalating problems that could have been foreseen.

Before 1968, anti-seismic regulations were non-existent, and even in the 70s and 80s, resistance standards were far below today's. Markić highlights how thermal insulation, once 4 cm, is now 20 cm, indicating that newer buildings aren't just technically more complex, but fundamentally built to a far higher standard of safety and energy performance.

The most common myth among co-owners, Markić observes, is the belief that "the moment they move into an apartment, the investments stop." This mindset, particularly prevalent among those who inherit property, ignores that ownership brings concrete, ongoing obligations, not just rights, leading to an accumulation of problems that become increasingly costly to address.

For major renovations like elevator installations, Markić emphasizes that presenting a large, immediate cost is a shock to residents. Instead, a key step is a "main building inspection and a maintenance plan" that phases investments over three, five, or ten years, allowing co-owners to foresee and accept costs more readily.

After the Zagreb earthquake, Markić advocated for inspecting other at-risk cities, naming Rijeka as a potential next casualty. He argues that proactively identifying and reinforcing vulnerable elements like gables and chimneys in similarly built structures can prevent significant damage and reduce threats to public safety during future seismic events.

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