The curriculum of the University of Sarajevo Faculty of Architecture (UNSA AF) has evolved from a predominantly theoretical framework and setting imaginary tasks to recognizing and adequately responding to current topics and real social problems. However, the inert institutional character is noticeable, limiting the academic community's timely response to urgent challenges and societal changes. To eliminate the identified shortcomings and improve the education process, the Faculty of Architecture has undertaken several activities in cooperation with partnering institutions in BiH and the EU, resulting in critical self-evaluation and novel guidelines. Previous examples of collaboration with industry illustrate possible ways to improve the quality of education and raise student competencies. The newly designed ERASMUS + project “APLE” (2022) aims to integrate practice and cooperation with the real sector to transfer (applicable) knowledge into the teaching process. New formats of interaction with the real and public sector “ARCHIPRAXIS” are envisaged as a testing ground for implementing various ideas. This paper aims to present the importance and modalities of incorporating the practical component into the process of student education and the actualization of global topics in the local context. It also wants to point out the inertia and shortcomings in the existing academic procedures at different levels, which should be valorized as extracurricular activities. The experience gained, i.e., "lessons learned," should serve all actors involved in the educational process: academia, and industry, to the broader community to create a better framework for acquiring and applying knowledge.

This paper analyses the presence of sustainable elements in one of the most representative surviving examples of vernacular residential architecture from the Ottoman period, located in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The focus is on the significance of vernacular architectural elements, which can serve as an inspiration for contemporary building design in the context of sustainability. Two main aspects need to be considered: respecting the inter-relationship between humans, nature, climate, and local surroundings, and adaptation of design to the time in which it was created. Svrzo’s house complex, as National Monument, is chosen as a case study, and detailed survey was conducted regarding the presence of sustainable design principles i.e., building form, use of local materials, orientation, adaptation to local climate and topography, passive cooling and natural-induced ventilation, water, and vegetation. A traditional architectural treasure – a functional, simple, and aesthetically valuable concept, shows that ambient requirements were met with minimal energy consumption and material waste from construction to consumption, achieving a responsible ethical attitude towards the environment. The analysis also includes an evaluation of energy efficiency aspects, by comparing the actual heat transmission values of the building elements with the allowable heat transmission values, prescribed by regulation. The actual average heat transmission values are higher which indicates that although the positive impacts of using natural local materials are wide, in terms of enhancing thermal properties, these sustainability features alone are not sufficient to prevent heat losses without proper thermal insulation.

Architectural space of the 21st century confirms, for the umpteenth time that, architecture is a personified image of society: The products of architectural interventions are the final creations in time and space. The whims of the market, the linear economy model, and users' pluralistic needs generated by cultural preferences mutually develop "white elephants" - inert material, useless and expensive to deconstruct. In response to social, environmental, climate, and economic changes, the construction sector needs to revalue existing construction techniques. The lack of broader application of the circular economy model, the use of inorganic materials and chemical bonds in architectural structures, due to the loss of cultural significance or the appearance of natural disasters, are deprived of their function and produce a large amount of waste. Therefore, the reuse of organic materials derived from renewable energy sources is becoming essential for pushing further the boundaries of reversible design and energy efficiency in architectural interventions. Limits of use of the old – new materials - compressed straw are defined by comparing the results of thermal properties of the building envelope elements - U and R values and levels of reversibility through two opposite approaches to construction, on the example of the conceptual design of a housing unit affected by natural disasters. Analysing the three levels of reversibility that 21st century buildings should possess, given the existing research, the material level limit is shifted in terms of returning to nature with potentially zero environmental waste. Comparing the results of the R values of prefabricated straw structures with the R values of materials predominantly used in architectural interventions raises awareness of the importance and benefits of using compressed straw in architectural envelopes. Existing design parameters of straw structures are optimized by valorising the importance of local climate and materials used. The interaction of native - cellulosic materials breaks down dogmas related to this material and generates the architectural language of reversible and energy-efficient architectural straw products.

The rapid urbanization of cities creates a need for construction of new collective residential buildings in all major cities of Bosnia and Herzegovina. However, residential facilities are often built without any analyses, creating unsustainable architectural structures with a very high market price. The traditional monolith construction of residential units does not allow for any transformation or adaptation of the system. This paper aims to explore the possibility of the application of alternative solutions for the construction of sustainable collective residential buildings using shipping and prefabricated modular containers. Analyzing Bosnia and Herzegovinas market, it was found that there are no empty shipping container storages, but there are a few companies which produce prefabricated modular containers which are currently not planned for residential use. These prefabricated units could be transformed and used for the construction of sustainable residential buildings with the application of simple interventions suggested in this paper. The usage of prefabricated modular containers offers the possibility of transformation of space, simple assembly and disassembly, placement on existing structures, and the lower price of living area.

Contemporary tendencies of sustainable and energy-efficient architecture imply an urgent reconsideration of society’s relationship to nature. Nowadays, building technology demands a responsible approach to construction that involves fostering of low-tech architecture, as an alternative to high-tech architecture. Those are current challenges that architects and the building technology face to improve the application of natural materials in architecture. The necessity for advancement and contemporary usage of building materials as wood, stone, soil, straw, natural insulation materials have also resulted in the increasingly present low-tech architecture. This research aims to delineate through several contemporary case studies how serious global problems related to the energy and environmental crisis are increasingly reflected in the intention towards the use of natural materials in the architectural design. These contemporary designs implement innovative solutions of natural materials in the case of building envelopes, construction details or structural elements. The comparative analytical method involves a critical reflection on the integration of natural materials between traditional vernacular application and its contemporary innovative solutions. These contemporary precedents represent diverse design approaches that reinforce the importance of environmental and ecologically responsible design. Current problems related to the energy and environmental crisis highly influence the underlying design concepts and final building design. The contemporary usage of natural materials as a building resource indicates the evolving advancement and re-evaluation of an ecologically responsible architecture. Whereas the contemporary ways of integrating natural materials carry universal values which originate from the principles of vernacular architecture.

Building envelope has significant role in the building sector. It represents immediate interaction between outside and inside environment. In dependence of its characteristics and opposed requirements, it affects on achievement of the thermal comfort of inside area and closer environment. Existing standards in the building sector dictate air tightness of an envelope, limiting air infiltration with the aim to save energy, but also influence on the inside environmental quality in situation when optimal air quality cannot be achieved due to the insufficient ventilation of the room. Besides that, building envelope in dependence of its characteristics, under the influence of Sun light, can less or better absorb heat flux and cause the temperature rise on the surface of the building. Specific characteristic of material to absorb and retain solar thermal heat, in urban environments, contributes more and more to the presence of the phenomenon known as urban heat island. For interaction of the building envelope with the environment factors, the building of Mechanical Engineering Faculty was chosen as a case study, on which the measurement of the envelope surface temperature was performed with the aim to empirically confirm presence of higher temperatures on building envelope. At the same time, the measurement of indoor air quality parameters, as carbon dioxide concentration, inside air temperature and relative humidity was performed, to estimate ventilation efficiency of inside area. Results of the measurement have shown the presence of relatively high surface temperature on the building envelope, which is the in accordance with the earlier research about the existence of higher surface temperatures in dependence of its characteristics and environment. Measurement of indoor air quality parameters showed higher carbon dioxide concentrations, especially in winter semester, which values exceeded by 60 % of recommended ones. Higher carbon dioxide concentrations are result of insufficient ventilation of the room, and it is indicator that optimal cooling system with frequent ventilation is necessary criteria that needs to be fulfilled to achieve quality inside environment from the aspect of the comfort, productivity and health of users. In the recent years, there has been noticed evident increase of the outside temperature, especially in urban area due to the construction and characteristics of applied materials in buildings, resulting also in the climate change. It is necessary to emphasize that planners and designers in the conceptual stage of construction or renovation of the buildings, incorporate solutions and decisions about the materialization of the envelope, which will affect on the reduction of urban heat island, considering as one of the energy efficiency measures.

The architecture initiated during the time of the Austro-Hungarian period was distinctly expressed both in Sarajevo and in the whole region of Bosnia-Herzegovina. A substantial number of these buildings was assessed for their historical, architectural, ambient and aesthetical values and, as such, represent the valuable historic heritage of these regions. Standing among them in its impressive dimension and being of a great national value is the palace of the former Provincial Government, which was designed by Josip Vancaš in Vienna (1884). The aim of the present paper is to emphasize the importance of atrial and open spaces integrated into the volume of the building. These spaces can be used to synthesize and functionally transform spaces into controlled and contextually selected forms, contemporary shapes and materials by applying functional creativity without endangering the ambience and historical values of the building. On the contrary, by closing the courtyard and atrial spaces, it would be possible to ensure a buffer zone between the interior and the exterior as well as to create a micro-climate and eliminate processes that generally occur in façades facing such spaces. These spaces could be synthesized and functionally transformed into useable, controlled and contextually selected forms by creatively applying contemporary shapes and materials without endangering the ambiance and historic values of the building. The view towards the sky through a diagonal lattice would present an association to the “lattice window” or “mušebak”, creating a comfortable microclimate. Several different structural concepts were studied. The aim of the paper was to evaluate structural concepts in terms of feasibility and energy efficiency measures pay off. There are numerous examples of transparent roof extensions introduced when rehabilitating the existing cultural-historical buildings, the extensions known for their power in terms of quality and quantity or the harmonious bond between the old and the new. The atrium roof structure will be supported on the walls of existing building. Since the roof structure would be on the interior of the building footprint it is important to consider manageable erection process.

Among other pieces of architectural historical heritage in Sarajevo, and Bosnia-Herzegovina in general, the Austro-Hungarian architecture has preserved its original architectural, artistic and engineering characteristics. Both residential and public representative urban blocks, streets and squares are of distinguishable ambience in the architectural and urban image of the city and are testifying about our architectural past. A number of buildings is valorised and protected by law in terms of their architectural, artistic and historical value. In addition, these buildings have a distinct functional, ambiental, historical, and even aesthetical value. To make them last longer, refurbishment of these buildings is challenging and presents potential and multiple benefits for the city, and beyond. Refurbishing built environment through functional reorganizing, redesign and energy efficiency measures applications could result in prolonged longevity, architectural identity preservation and interior comfort improvement. Besides, implemented measures for energy efficiency, through the refurbishment process, should optimize the needs for energy consumption in treated buildings. This paper defines options in comfort improvements and redesign, without implying risks to the building longevity, analyses interventions and energy efficiency measures which would enable potential energy saving assessment in the refurbishment process of masonry buildings. This paper also discusses the different techniques that can be adopted for conservation and preservation of historical masonry buildings from the Austro-Hungarian period dealing with energy efficiency. The works were preceded by historical research and on-site investigations. This paper describes a methodology to quantify their vulnerability. A scheme of structural retrofitting is suggested following the research conducted. Revitalization of the building consisted in the reconstruction of the old building structure, creating the inner courtyard and covering it with a glass roof.

Technology tends to standardize architecture, striving to make it uniform and resulting in a globalization of the architectural thought. The trend of contemporary architecture is not characterized by adapting to the urban or natural context. As such, new buildings are frequently put in opposition to their urban and natural context, which is often completely ignored. Solving this issue requires vernacular architectural solutions. The research presented in this paper aims to adapt technologically advanced concepts to new vernacular facade concepts. The study first provides an overview of how different factors (such as climate, location, local materials and socio-cultural factors) had influenced the vernacular building envelope. Furthermore, vernacular building envelopes are compared to contemporary building envelopes with the aim of finding out how influencing factors have changed due to technological demands. The study concludes by presenting a new building envelope concept by transposing vernacular principles to the design of contemporary building envelopes. The study shows that the harmonization of contemporary vernacular building envelope concepts and technological solutions lead us to a more genius loci (Lat. “spirit of the place”) oriented architecture. This paper suggests the evolution and generation of all of the mentioned factors in a matrix system, resulting in a completely new and unique facade solution.