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THE SETTING UP OF THE 
BUILDINGS CENTRAL 
DAT ASE 
Ema Pogorelčnik 
swwying and Mapping Authority of the Republic of 
Slovenia, Ljubljana 
Vasja Kavčič, Martin Puhar 
Jgea d.o.o., Ljubljana 
Received for publication: 25 August, 1999 
Preparecl for publication: 27 September, 1999 
Abstract 
The main objeclives and goals of the setting up of the 
Buildings Central Database are presented in this paper. 
Database contents and procedura[ aspects of the setting up of 
the Buildings Central Database are described, as well as the 
prototype of the intranet program solution enabling the 
connection of branch offices with the Main Office of the 
Surveying and Mapping Authority of the Republic of 
Slovenia. 
Keywords: buildings, central database, geodetic workshop, 
real estate, registers 
1 INTRODUCTION 
The Surveying and Mapping Authority of the Republic of Slovenia is preparing a Bill on the Registration of Real Estate, State Boundary and Spatial Units - first 
discussion, materials for interagency harrnonization with the ministries and other 
government bodies. Among other issues, the Law will also regulate real estate 
registration. Real estate rcgistration includes the setting up, the managing and the 
updating of the Land Cadastre and the Buildings Cadastre for the entire territory of 
the Republic of Slovenia. It has been estimated that there are around 1 200 000 
buildings (The count for the photogrammetric acquisition of buildings was performed 
by the Surveying and Mapping Authority of the Republic of Slovenia) and 650 000 
apartments in Slovenia. However, a unified collection of data on buildings and parts 
of buildings forming the base for titles has not been produced yet. Title registration is 
the foundation for securing of real estate transactions as well as for real estate 
taxation. Therefore, a collection of data on buildings and parts of buildings needs to. 
be set up. - · 
In the recent years, many activitics were preformed in the field of the setting up of 
data on buildings and parts of buildings. In 1994, a Buildings Cadastre project was 
implemented - Directions for cstimated operations. The project did not deal only 
with the contcnts and the procedures relatcd to the Buildings Cadastre - as the 
target data collcction should be namcd, but also with information and procedura! 
linking with the Land Cadastre. The Buildings Cadastre was defined as a technical 
Geodetski vestnik 43 ( 1999) 3 
and administrative register on buildings ancl parts of builclings. Data and procedura! 
models were acljusted to meet this definition. In 1996 the project named Operation 
Design of the Prototype IT Solution for Buildings Register Management. This 
projcct defincd the Buildings Register as a tcchnical and not an administrative 
collection of clata on buildings which should be the intermediate step on the way to 
thc setting up of the Buildings Caclastre. 
A lthough no legislation was not adopted, the Surveying and Mapping Authority of 
~the Republic of Slovenia continuecl with the preparntion of procedures for the 
acquisition ancl updating data on buiklings. They also started to prepare application 
prototypes for supporting the opcrations of the Buildings Central Database because 
legislative provisions will have to be irnplemented in a relatively short period of tirne. 
In 1998 the proccdures for the updating of the Builclings Register were dealt with in 
detail, rcgarding the Register as a technical data collection. It was clealt with 
Buildings Register updating procedures which will be implemented at branch offices 
of the Surveying ancl Mapping Authority of the Republic of Slovenia. The content of 
documentation and its keeping was defincd. At the same tirne, field acquisition of 
data on buildings was started. The photogrammetric acquisition of building contour 
lines was also started. These contour lines will reprcscnt the location part of the 
Buildings Central Database. By the ene! of 1998 the Surveying and Mapping 
Authority of the Republic of Slovenia started the projcct »The Setting Up of the 
Buildings Central Databasc Prototype«, which is duc to end in October, 1999. The 
term Buildings Register was replaced with the term Buildings Central Database (CB 
STAVBE - Slov. for buildings central databasc) when it was still defined as a 
technical data collection. Thc fundamental assumption in planning this project was 
that not local databases on buildings will be set up at individual branch offices of 
regional geocletic aclministrations followed by the setting up of a central clatabasc on 
buildings, as this was the case with the Land Cadastre, but that a central database on 
buildings will be set up. All organization units making part of the Surveying and 
Mapping Authority of the Rcpublic of Slovenia -Main Office, Regional Geocletic 
Administrations and Branch Offices will be authorized to browse and use data, as 
well as upclate them within framework of this database. 
2 THE PROJECT TRE SETTING UP OF THE BUJJ.LDINGS CENTRAL DATABASE 
PROTOTYPE 
The projcct The Setting Up of the Buildings Central Database Prototypc is 
implemented uncler the supervision of the Surveying and Mapping Authority of 
the Republic of Slovenia and the Government Centre of the Republic of Slovenia for 
Informatics. The project is managed in accorclance with thc standards for project 
managemcnt in sta te administration. Thc purpose of the project is the setting up of 
cligital database on buildings and the production of a software package prototype 
meeting the neecls prescribecl by lcgislation which is uncler preparation: Law on 
Gcodetic Activity, the Bill on the Rcgistration of Real Estate, State Boundary anc1 
Spatial Units - the First Discussion, Materials for Interagency Harmonization with 
the Ministries and Other Govcrnment Bodies:, the Law on Real Estate Tax. The legal 
framework for the setting up of the buildings register is also represented by the 
resolutions of the Government of the Rcpublic of Slovcnia on real estate registration 
modernization. 
Geodetski vestnik 43 (1999) 3 
3 BUILDINGS CENTRAL DATABASE 
The Buildings Central Database is a database of location and attribute data on 
buildings for thc entire country. Thc database will be updated on a regular basis. 
It enables the updating of clata on buildings on the basis of original data, direct 
access and the use of data, thc linking with other related databases, the protection of 
clata, as well as the adequate data access authorization. The Buildings Central 
Database includes attribute and location data. Beside valid data on buildings it also 
contains the history of data on buildings which enablcs the overview over a randorn 
tirne-section, data on procedures - setup, rnaintenance and issuing <lata, and data on 
areas of building acquisition - the graphic layer of the spatial extent of rnass setup 
and updating procedures. The Buildings Central Database is in active and passive 
connection with other databases. The active connection is set with databases directly 
related in terrns of their content to the operation of the Buildings Database (Land 
Cadastre data and those from the Register of Spatial Units). On the other hand, the 
passive connection.is established with databases enabling an easier use and updating 
of the Buildings Central Database ( digital orthophoto, basic topographic map at scale 
1 : 5,000, Register of Geographic Names). 
The contents of the Buildings Central Database is presented with the global entity 
model in Figure 1: 
Basic entity model of the Buildings Central Database 
T 
1 
BUILDING l :~:l~~~f++----,-j 
~-~--~ 
Register 
of Spatial Units ,-,',+----
White: entity from the Bllildings Central Database 
Grey: enWy frnm com1ected database 
Dashed: not defined 
Figure 1 
Geodetski vestnik 43 (1999) 3 
Archive of : 
Buiklings Central 1 
Database in , 
__ analog_ forn~ __ j 
REPORT 
BUILDINGS 
DATA 
ACQUISIT!Of-l 
AREA 
Relation: 
+------t-'E 
+------0+-
)0-----1-<č 
1 : 1, 11 
1 : 1, O 
1, O, n : 1, n 
The Buildings Central Database includes location and attributive data and the history 
of data on buildings. The uniform building ID is the SID building identifier, 
uniformly defined for each building in the country. Other data on buildings include: 
number of building - descriptive identifier, kept within the cadastral area, number of 
floors, ground floor area, total number of floors, eaves height, ridge height, 
foundations height, ycar of construction/restoration, ccntroid x, centroicl y, sketch 
number, acquisition clatc ancl surfaccs according to their usc. The Buildings Central 
Database includes data on the set up and updating procedures as wcll as on the 
issuing of data from the base. The Application is also linkecl with the analog archive 
and the graphic layer of areas of mass building data acquisition. The model allows a 
possible expansion with clata on parts of buildings. The expansion may also inclucle 
data on the owners and the users of parts of buildings. · 
The Buildings Central Database is linked with the Land Cadastre through the 
cadastral area number and the parcel number. However, the house number 
identifier is used to link the Buildings Central Database with the Register of Spatial 
Units. The purposc of the connection of thc Buildings Central Database with the 
Land Cadastre and the Register of Spatial Units is twofold: 
o The Buildings Central Database takes over the data on the parcel (parcels) 
on which the building lies, and the data on house numbers on the building -
the latter is the actual address of the building; 
o The registers are related in terms of procedures (at first setup ancl updating), 
mainly with the purpose to ensure an optimal harmonization of data in terms 
of their content. 
4 SETUP AND UPDAT!NG PROCEDURES OF THE BUILDINGS CENTRAL DABASE 
he updating of the Buildings Central Database will be performed at the Main 
Office of the Surveying ancl Mapping Authority of the Republic of Slovenia who 
are responsible for the implementation of mass acquisition of data on buildings, as 
well as at all branch offices of regional geodetic administrations. The latter will 
provide for the implementation of individual procedures on customer's or official 
request. Mass procedures are clivided according to the method of acquisition: 
o Photogrammctric acquisition (the unit of acquisition is one sheet of a basic 
topographic map at scale 1 : 5,00); 
o Field acquisition (the unit of acquisition is a cadastral area); 
o Takeover or linking with buildings data from other registers ( e.g. with local 
topographic databases ). 
Photogrammetric acquisition is used for the setting up of the location part of the 
Buildings Central Database and at a la ter stage for the implemcntation of regular 
revisions. The results of the photogrammetric acquisition of data on buildings are 
also used in the topographic database of higher accuracy (TOPOS). The 
photogrammetric acquisition is supplcmented with the field identification of 
buildings which acquires those building attributes that cannot be interpreted from 
acrial photographs and established with standard surveying methods without entering 
in the building itself. Individual procedures implemented at regional geodetic 
administrations and their branch offices will ensure a constant updating of the 
Geodetski vestnik 43 ( 1999) 3 
Buildings Central Database. Basically, individual updating procedures of the 
Buildings Central Database can be implemented in three different way: updating of 
data on buildings only, updating of data on buildings as well as data in other registers 
- Land Cadastre or Register of Spatial Units, procedures for solving customer 
complaints. 
The Buildings Central Database includes the report number in accordance with the classification plan of document numbering. This report number appears in 
the form as follows: 
903KK - NNNNN/LLLL, 
Individual designations carry the meaning as follows: 
903 real estate register, 
KK 32 - changes based on applications, 33 - complaints, objections, claims, 
34 - adopted changes, 35 - applications for issuance of data 
NNNNN application serial number within the classification in the current year, 
LLLL current year. 
The procedures in the Buildings Central Database are defined in the procedure 
catalogue below: 
code procedure 
01 Setting up the Buildings Central Database 
02 Updating the Buildings Central Database under identical conditions as the 
setting up 
03 Change based upon customer's request 
04 Acquisition of data on the basis of Land Cadastre data 
05 Acquisition of data 011 the basis of the Register of Spatial Units 
06 Data takeover from other registers in a mass procedure 
07 Customer's complaint 
08 Data issuance. 
The report 11umber (subject) is the procedure idcntificatio11 number a11d at the same 
tirne the documc11tation 11umber created during the updati11g procedure. The 
documentation 011 the updating of buildings data are archived in a separate archive. 
Provided that the updating procedure is impleme11ted simultaneously with or on the 
basis of a change in the Land Cadastre i.e. an object change - a joint 
documcntation is produced for both the Land Cadastre and the Buildings Central 
Database. This documentation is assigned the Land Cadastre procedure number 
IDPOS and is archived in the Land Cadastre Archive. In this way a simple and 
economical documentation production has been ensured, for the existing 
documentation produced by the geodetic administration for the purposes of the Land 
Cadastre is supplcmented with buildings data. The advantage also lies in the fact that 
clocuments in the archive need not be reduplicated despite the fact they are in 
rclation with two different registers. 
Geodetski vestnik 43 (1999) 3 
5 APPLICA'I'ION SUPPORT 1'0 THE OPERATION OF THE BUILDINGS CENTRAL 
DATABASE 
Por the purposes of application support to the operation of the Buildings Central Database an application was produced bascd on the intranet technology. This 
application enables the setting up and the updating of the database as vvell as data 
use at the Main Office of the Surveying and Mapping Authority of the Republic of 
Slovcnia (mass procedures) and at the 46 branch offices of regional geodetic 
administrations (individual procedures). The basic functions of the application are as 
follows: 
• Reviewing, inquiring and searching in the graphic as well as attributive part 
of the database; 
• Setting up and updating of the database -mass setup procedures, updating 
under identical conditions as the setting up and the takeover of data from 
other registers ( only at the Main O ffice of the Surveying and M:apping 
Authority of the Republic of Slovenia); 
• The setting up and the updating of thc database individual change 
procedures bascd on customcr's request, clata acquisition on the basis of 
Land Caclastre data, data acquisition on thc basis of data from the Register 
of Spatial Units, customer's cornplaint( only at the branch offices of regional 
geodetic administrations); 
o Issuance of data to customers and rnass data issuance; 
• Statistics calculation; 
O System administration. 
Figure 2: User-inte1jc1cc of the ii?lranel application prototypc 
Geodetski vestnik 43 (1999) 3 
Frorn the teclmological point of vicw, the Buildings Central Databasc is a 
threc-level architccturc. It consists of an intranet client accessing the application 
servcr through the national HCOM network and indircctly the database. The 
Buildings Central Databasc is locatcd at thc Main Office of the Surveying and 
Mapping Authority of the Republic of Slovenia. It operates in the Orade 
environment and the Spatial Database Engine (SDE) used for keeping graphic data. 
The form of the uscr-intcrface is shown in figure L The user needs one of the 
standard Internet browsers. V1/hen the uscr s tam work a Java program is transferrecl 
into the users browser displaying data the applirntion server is preparing. The 
technological solutions for the Buildings Central Databasc are presented in detail in 
the paper titlecl Information Technology Support to Real Estate Central Databases 
(Fajfar, 1999). 
6 FlIJRTHER DEVELOPMIENT OF 'fHE BUILDINGS DATA SYSTEM 
In the years to come, the dcveloprnent of buildings data systcm will be oriented towards the harmonization of the Buildings Central Database with the prescribed 
requirements of the new legislation. The Law on the Registration of Real Estate, 
State Boundary and Spatial Units will require a transition from a technical onto an 
administrative register (Buildings Cadastre ). The Buildings Central Database will 
also have to be neared to similar registers in tcrms of content and procedures (Land 
Cadastre, Register of Spatial Units) with thc long-terms purpose to merge them in a 
single real cstate register. The proposed intcrvention law prescribing the registration 
of strata titles into the Land Register will require the Buildings Central Database be 
supplcrnented with parts of buildings ancl titles related to thcse. Databasc of holders 
of title over parts of buildings 'vvill be made uniform in this way vvith the clata from 
the parcel owners database !ocated at the Land Cadastre. This due to the fact that all 
parcel owncrs need to be registered as co-ovvners of building lots. Since the 
prescribed procedure will not enable the registration of parts of buildings before the 
allotment of the building lot, for the procedurcs will be implemented simultaneously, 
the basic requircment for the harrnonization of data on owncrs in both registers has 
already been set This relation will form a pattern for a unification of real estate 
registers in terms of their contcnt and procedures the long-terrn objective being the 
rnerging into a single real estatc register. 
7 CONCLUSION 
The increasing necel for a technical and also an administrative register of buildings 
has prompted the Surveying ancl Mapping Authority of the Republic of Slovenia 
to increase its engagernent in the setting up of the Buildings Cadastre. The setting up 
of the Buildings Central Database is actually an intermediate step towards the 
creation of the Caclastre of Buildings. The setting up of the Buildings Central 
Database, which is of technical not administrative character, enabled thc geoclctic 
administration to cover the major par of its neecls for a buildings data register. 
Beside applications within thc geodctic adrninistration, e.g. thc direct use in the 
topographic clatabase of higher accuracy, the buildings data register will enable local 
communities and other state bodies to produce and upgrade their own rcgisters 
(register of building land, register of local cornmunity real estate, register of real 
estate belonging to inclividual state bodies, etc.). 
Geodetski vestnik 43 ( l 999) 3 
he development of the buildings registration system dictate to requirements of 
the existing and future legislation, the needs of the users, general strategic 
guidelines of the Surveying and Mapping Authority of the Republic of Slovenia and 
the development of information technology offering a variety of possibilities. The 
project The Setting Up of the Buildings Central Database Prototype laid the 
foundations for a further development of real estate registration in Slovenia and also 
an innovation in the information sense for the latest intranet solutions 
have been successfully applied. We believe that through the developrnent of real 
estate registration in the direction that was set, a rnerged real estate register will 
meet the exiting needs for real estate data in Slovenia. 
Som:-ces: 
Fajfar, D. et al., Informacijska podpora centralnim nepremičninskim evidencam, Ljubljana, 1999 
Igea d.o.o., Projekt Določitev postopkov vzdrževanja Registra stavb zaključno poročilo. Ljubljana, 
Ljub[iana, 1998 
Igea, d.o.o., Projekt Svetovanje pri vzpostavitvi prototipa Centralne baze podatkov o stavbah -
poročilo z upoštevanjem popravkov p1ve in druge presoje kakovosti. Ljubljana, 1999 
Igea d.o.o., Geodetski zavod Celic, Projekt Kataster zgradb - usmeritve za predvideno delovanje. 
Ljubljana, 1994 
Ministrstvo za okolje in prostor - Geodetska uprava Republike Slovenije, Operativno navodilo za 
zajem podatkov v register stavb - fotogrametrični zajem in terenska identifikacija. Ljubljana, 
1999 
Predlog zakona o evidentiranju nepremičnin, d1žavne meje in prostorskih enot - piva obravnava, 
gradivo za medresorsko usklajevanje s pristojnimi ministrstvi in vladnimi službami. Ljubljana, 
1999 
Review: Dr. Miran Ferlan - in prepara/ion 
Borut Pegan Žvokelj, M.Se. 
Geodetski vestnik 43 (1999) 3