The village of Relyovo is conveniently located just one hour from the international airport and railway lines of Sofia, Bulgaria’s capital. It is located 60 km from Sofia and 15 km from Samokov.
The location can be reached by two roads from Sofia. The roads to Relyovo аrе well maintained and lead to Bulgaria's largest ski resort - Borovets (17 km).
The surrounding area is famous for several natural mineral water spas - Belchin and Sapareva Banya (2km and 15 km). The village has a permanent population of 320 residents. There are several shops and a restaurant, a church and a cultural centre. The inhabitants work mainly in agriculture and tourism.
The architectural beauty of this old school, the majestic nature that surrounds it and the history that links it to so many generations compel and inspire us.
The school was built in 1920 thanks to donations and the hard work of all the villagers. It is a two-storey building with 320 sqm per floorм surrounded by a 4.5-hectare courtyard. Three independent teams of certified engineers were consulted to obtain a clear diagnosis of the building's condition. They found that the whole complex was solid and structurally sound, allowing the workshops and the academy to be set up in complete safety. Behind the main school building are two smaller outbuildings, is planned to be used for sculpture and ceramics workshops and the other for materials storage. These buildings, however, need to be completely rebuilt.
Besides the work areas, the building will be completed by a residential floor that will be able to welcome up to 12 guests.
The current restoration of the old school building is done in respect and attention to detail so that it serves its new life to the full while keeping vivid the spirit of the past. We built key systems such as water and sewer, roof, floors, windows, and courtyard.
The work done so far, took us two years and several crews. With the restoration, we are capturing the building's core function, but updated and upgraded with new functional space solutions, such as studios, library and rooms.
THE RESTORATION
THE BUILDING
The heart of Novetus Foundation is in the recently restored building of the abandoned school in the village of Reylovo near Sofia. Located on a silent hill above the village it emanates peace and harmony with a majestic panoramic view of the mystical Rila Mountains.
By restoring this building and bringing it back to life, we hope to make it an example and a totem of all the values and ethical principles that Novetus will promote and bring to life. The restoration of this beautiful old school, built before the totalitarian devastation of our country, is a conscious act geared toward creating an environment conducive to the pursuit of our sustainable European development.
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