Collective Housing As New Identity in Rural Areas

Abstract

Changes in the social and cultural pattern have led to some changes in the forms of rural housing. Especially in the post-war period, more precisely 70’s and 80’s of the twentieth century, which represents the research timeframe. One of the main reasons for this is certainly the process of post-war intensive industrialization, while the other lies in the need to improve the basic amenities and services of the settlement. The paper describes the collective housing in rural areas built in Serbia as a former republic of socialist Yugoslavia. Collective housing in the countryside appears to be a real need for working class accommodation employed in industrial plants as well as housing for government officials and workers of public institutions (post office, police, schools, etc.). The archi tecture of these buildings, on the other hand, did not possess the features of regional and traditional architectural values. It belonged to a different practice embodied in the values of socialist ideology. It should also be added that the construction of such buildings was not characteristic for all forms of rural settlements. These were predominantly rural settlements of higher category which had well established centers and other elements of urban structure as well as solid demographic potential. In this sense, the research seeks to point out some relevant specifics of such construction on the one hand, and on the other to point out some of the possibilities for future spatial and functional organization of rural settlements.