Sustainability, environmental performance and energy efficiency have become main subjects not only for the profession of architecture, but for every profession, as well. Within the scope of this conference, and more specifically the overall energy performance of buildings, the section dealing with the higher technical education has special relevance. The need for incorporating sustainability and energy parameters in higher education has been recognised for some considerable time now. As academic staff members teaching in technical courses at the Faculty of Architecture, University of Zagreb, we are always under time pressure in keeping up with the newest performances in structure and technology facing the question: How to realise and improve the graduate framework and the learning and teaching plan of environmental issues in the courses that we teach? The paper examines available study programme ‘Architecture and Urban Studies’ within the master degree programme at the Department of Architectural Technology and Building Science. The new compulsory course Architecture and Technology 1 (AT1_2018/2019) addresses the topics of building energy consumption and emissions, rational use of energy, environmental impact, high performance efficiency and sustainable building. By comparing a selection of students’ works in different groups conducted experimentally for the first time, the paper will discuss the project approach, give a critical evaluation of the selected case studies and some lessons learned from attempts to incorporate environmental issues into the unit syllabus. Through this paper we attempt to share information and deepen the discussion within the academic community. Finally, as a contribution, it is expected to increase the ways by which parameters of energy and environmental sustainability can become an integral guiding principle in the design and delivery of all academic courses offered at the Faculty.

This paper explored the temporary facilities created during the pandemic for use as COVID-19 test centers at Zaventem Airport, the main airport for the city of Brussels, Belgium. The possibilities of modular construction technology and the impact of the building envelope on users’ perception of indoor space comfort and privacy were closely observed. The three main problem statements were as follows: (1) the COVID-19 crisis indirectly influenced the creation of temporary modular buildings with glass envelopes; (2) the modular envelope is adaptable to the existing context; and (3) the envelope meets the needs of the users. This study’s objectives were to identify the critical factors for users’ well-being in temporary modular buildings, and to conduct factor comparisons among different users and between different building-enclosure systems. The study data were collected through a subjective assessment using a SWOT analysis and a survey questionnaire. The glass facade affected the users’ acceptance levels of comfort and privacy. The main results show that the users were satisfied with the level of comfort and dissatisfied with the level of privacy. This information can be used to identify areas for improvement and provide useful feedback to designers and engineers about specific design features and operating strategies for temporary modular emergency healthcare buildings.

Glass façades are being increasingly applied in the typology of office buildings. The environmental quality parameters of indoor spaces have an exceptional influence on the wellbeing and productivity of users. In the past, climate defined the architecture of a particular area. Façades of contemporary office buildings have similar characteristics regardless of their location. This study comprises four office buildings with different types of glass façades located in areas of continental and coastal climate in Croatia. Also, the research relates to a graduate study course, during which the students designed a survey to gain insight into the satisfaction of users of the analyzed buildings. The aim of this research is to explore the impact of the design of glass façades in a certain climate context on users. This paper will address the following research questions: (1) Is a fully glazed office building pleasant to work in? (2) Is a fully glazed façade an appropriate solution for office buildings in hot and sunny climates? The research results show that to achieve a comfortable indoor environment for buildings’ users, it is necessary to design the façade according to the orientation, especially in terms of glazing characteristics, a sun protection system, and window control.

The paper offers a comprehensive overview of the dynamic and challenging post-war period that architects faced following World War II. It focuses on the specific circumstances, professional changes, and social reactions that influenced their work and career paths. The aim is to provide a comprehensive biography of architect Egon Steinmann within the context of 20th-century Croatian architecture and to promote Croatian architects working in various regions, particularly in Skopje and Ohrid. It examines two significant projects designed in the first post-war phase in North Macedonia. Steinmann was sent to Skopje from September to December 1946 to work on the design of large public buildings as part of a solidarity initiative across former Yugoslavia aimed at aiding post-war reconstruction. He designed the Workers’ Resort Orce Nikolov, situated along the lakeshore of Ohrid. The Resort currently remains abandoned and neglected, facing an uncertain future. In Skopje, he collaborated with Vlado Antolić on the design of the Ministry of Internal Affairs building, which was later converted into a university building. The building no longer exists; it was destroyed in the 1963 earthquake.

This paper examines the spatial integration of post-socialist churches and parish complexes within the modernist housing estates of Novi Zagreb. Constructed after 1990 in neighbourhoods originally planned without sacral programs, these buildings represent a specific form of post-socialist urban intervention. The study employs a qualitative, comparative approach, analysing five case studies through the parameters of urban context, volumetry, spatial composition, program, and public space interface. The analysis identifies a limited set of recurring typologies that define patterns of spatial integration within the existing urban fabric. The findings indicate that these complexes do not function as dominant urban elements, but instead adapt to the open, functionally organized structure of modernist planning. Their impact on public space remains limited, as they rarely generate new centres or clearly articulated urban nodes. At the same time, the results reveal a shift from singular religious buildings toward programmatically expanded parish complexes that incorporate social and community functions. However, this transformation remains largely internal and does not lead to a significant reconfiguration of the urban structure. The paper contributes to the understanding of post-socialist urban transformation by identifying typological patterns and interpreting religious architecture as a context-dependent urban actor.