International Collaboration as a Catalyst for Curriculum Development through Introduction of Practical Learning Approaches in Architectural Education

Nermina Zagora; Senka Ibrišimbegović; Dženis Avdić

doi:10.3991/ijep.v16i2.58677

Authors

Nermina Zagora University of Sarajevo, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2994-3892
Senka Ibrišimbegović University of Sarajevo, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9386-3598
Dženis Avdić University of Sarajevo, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina https://orcid.org/0009-0008-8593-6460

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.3991/ijep.v16i2.58677

Keywords:

international collaboration, architectural education, experiential learning, practical learning models, theory versus practice

Abstract

This paper explores how international collaboration can serve as a catalyst for curriculum development in architectural education through the integration of practical learning approaches. It draws on the Architecture Pop-up Lab Exchange (APLE) academic project—a consortium of seven architecture schools from Italy, Norway, Croatia, Montenegro, and Bosnia and Herzegovina—developed in response to the growing demand from architectural professionals for graduates equipped with real-world competencies. The study introduces a set of criteria for the systematization of diverse practical learning activities, organized within a framework that categorizes experiences across four key pillars: formality, human resources, technical resources, and timeframe. The methodology employed in the APLE project combines workshops, site visits, surveys, interviews, and a detailed case study of pilot studios. These pilot studios, conducted at four higher education institutions (HEIs) in the Western Balkans, offer grounded insights into how practical learning is embedded in distinct local contexts and enhanced through international collaboration. The results affirm the value of practice-oriented architectural education in preparing students for the profession and, more importantly, propose a structured model for its effective implementation within higher education institutions, highlighting both shared challenges and context-specific innovations.

Author Biographies

Nermina Zagora, University of Sarajevo, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Nermina Zagora, associated professor, graduated from the Faculty
of Architecture, University of Sarajevo in 2005.
She is the receiver of the ‘Golden Badge’ award
of the University of Sarajevo. She completed
her master’s degree at the Academy of Fine
Arts Sarajevo in 2008 and her PhD studies
at the Faculty of Architecture, University of
Sarajevo in 2012. She participated in study
residencies in Spain (Barcelona, 2004), Norway
(Oslo, 2004), United Kingdom (London,
2007), Belgium (Ghent, 2009) and Japan
(Kobe, 2009). She also participated in shorter
international academic mobility programs
and projects. She is employed at the Faculty
of Architecture since 2006. She is actively
engaged in scientific research and professional
work in the design studio ‘Firma’. She received
local and reginal awards and recognitions for
her professional and scientific papers. Some
of the most significant awards she received
are the ‘Ranko Radović’ Award for critical and
theoretical articles in the field of architecture
(Republic of Serbia, 2021), for the book „Urban
Rooms of Sarajevo” (co-author D. Šamić), two
Annual AABH ‘Collegium Artisticum’ Awards
(2017 and 2022). Besides these awards she
was also awarded at many architectural
competitions. She is the vice-dean for scientific
research at the Faculty of Architecture,
University of Sarajevo, since 2023.

Senka Ibrišimbegović, University of Sarajevo, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Senka Ibrišimbegović, associate professor, graduated from the Faculty of
Architecture, Sarajevo in 2003, received her master’s
degree in Italy from Universitá di Siena/Politècnico
di Milano in 2004, and her PhD from the Faculty
of Architecture Sarajevo in 2015. She is employed
at the Faculty of Architecture since 2008. She
participated in scientific and academic stays at the
universities abroad and is still in contact with those
as collaborator. She is engaged in scientific research
and professional work in the fields of architecture,
urban planning, culture and contemporary art.
Since 2018 she is actively engaged in the process
of constructing the Museum of Contemporary Art
Ars Aevi Sarajevo, promoting the Ars Aevi collection
and improving the work of this institution. She
participates in international and local exhibitions,
conferences and projects as an author, coordinator,
commissioner and member of scientific committees.
She is the winner of many national and regional
awards both for professional and scientific projects
and also for mentored students’ projects.

Dženis Avdić, University of Sarajevo, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina

He received his professional education at the
Faculty of Architecture of the University of
Sarajevo, and was awarded the “Gold Badge”
of the University as the best student of the
First Cycle of Studies in 2011, and the “Silver
Badge” of the University for the best student of
the First and Second Cycle of Studies in 2013.
He received the title of Doctor of Technical
Sciences in the field of architecture in 2023.
He is employed at the Faculty of Architecture
of the University of Sarajevo as an assistant professor at the Department of Architectural
Structures and Construction Technology. His
recent publications include heritage buildings
in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and research
into the application of modern technological
achievements to improve the performance
of existing buildings. In addition to research
work, he also deals with heritage through his
artistic work recognized through a series of
collective exhibitions. His notable projects from
architectural practice are linked to cooperation
with the Architectural office “NOX” from
Sarajevo and the Institute for Architecture,
Urbanism and Spatial Planning in Sarajevo.

References

[1] V. Emprin-Gilardini, "Master builder of the Middle Ages and design build of today : an analysis and comparison," Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA, 2000.

[2] A. Leon Battista, De Re Aedificatoria (On the Art of Building in Ten Books Translated by Joseph Rykwert, Neil Leach, and Robert Tavernor), MIT Press, 1991 .

[3] Vitruvius, De architectura (The Ten Books on Architecture translated by Frank Granger), Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA: Harvard University Press, 1929.

[4] N. Shafil Ramzy, "Between the École Des Beaux-Arts and the Bauhaus: Modern Architecture as an Outcome ofthe Enlightenment Philosophy," Ain Shams Journal of Architectural Engineering (ASJAE), vol. 2, pp. 53-65, 2010.

[5] R. Schmutzler, Art Nouveau–Jugendstil (Translated by by Edouard Roditi in 1964), London, UK: Thames and Hudson, 1964.

[6] M. Droste, Bauhaus, 1919-1933: Reform and Avant-garde, Köln ; London : Taschen, 2016.

[7] S. Al-Rqaibat, S. Al-Nusair and R. Bataineh, "Enhancing architectural education through hybrid digital tools: investigating the impact on design creativity and cognitive processes," Smart Learning Environments, vol. 12, no. 1, pp. 2-22, 12, 26 (2025).

[8] M. Trebilcock, "A Model for Integrating Environmental Sustainability into Architectural Education," Journal of Green Building, vol. 6, no. 1, p. 73–82, Vol. 6 No 1 (2011).

[9] L. Abrahamzon Garcia, K. Galantini Velarde and A. L. Torres, "Augmented Reality for the Development and Reinforcement of Spatial Skills: A Case Applied to Civil Engineering Students," The International Journal of Engineering Pedagogy (iJEP), vol. 14, no. 5, pp. 88-108, Vol. 14 No. 5 (2024).

[10] M. Burazor, N. Zagora and S. Ibrišimbegović, "Incorporating Sustainability in Architectural Education: Project-Based Learning as Impetus for Curriculum Reform at the University of Sarajevo-Faculty of Architecture," Lecture Notes in Networks and Systems Springer Nature Switzerland, vol. 851, pp. 377-395, Vol 851 (2024).

[11] D. Cuff, Architecture: The Story of Practice, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA: MIT Press, 1991.

[12] B. Folić, S. Kosanović, T. Glažar and A. Fikfak, "Design-Build Concept In Architectural Education," Architecture and Urban Planning, vol. 11, no. 1, 2016.

[13] O. Chamel, "Design/Build: A Relevant Pedagogy for Architecture Education," Vitruvio International journal of Architecture Technology and Sustainability, vol. 1, no. 2, 2016.

[14] X. Otegui and K. Curione, "Active Learning, Community Engagement, and Soft Skills Development: Insights from Four Engineering Courses," International Journal of Engineering Pedagogy (iJEP), vol. 15, no. 4, pp. 76-100, 2025.

[15] M. Frost and S. Lechner, "Two conceptions of international practice: Aristotelian praxis or Wittgensteinian language-games?," RIS Review of International Studies, vol. 42, no. 2, p. 334–350, 2016.

[16] R. Parry, "Episteme and Techne", The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Winter 2024 Edition), Edward N. Zalta & Uri Nodelman," 19 July 2024. [Online]. Available: https://plato.stanford.edu/archives/win2024/entries/episteme-techne.

[17] H. Bergson, Creative evolution (English translation by Arthur Mitchell), New York, NY: Henry Holt and Company, 1907 (1911).

[18] D. A. Kolb, Experiential Learning: Experience As The Source Of Learning And Development, Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson Education, Incorporated, 2015.

[19] H. Ozdemir, A. C. Ozturk and G. K. Onal, "The Role of Informal Structures in Architectural Design Education," ICONTECH International Journal, vol. 4, no. 3, p. 11–29, 2020.

[20] S. Abdulkareem Salih, W. Alzamil , A. Ajlan, A. Azmi and S. Ismail, "Typology of Informal Learning Spaces (ILS) in Sustainable Academic Education: A Systematic Literature Review in Architecture and Urban Planning," Sustainability, vol. 16, no. 13, p. 5623, 2024.

[21] Merriam-Webster, "Merriam-Webster Dictionary," July 2025. [Online]. Available: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/homo%20faber.