In the last few years, Stara planina (the Balkan Mountains) and its surroundings have been improving their tourist offer. The area is protected by law, as a nature park, and the construction of new buildings requires a complex administrative procedure. Renovation of country houses is part of the usual construction procedures and is easier to carry out. Typical renovation solutions involve application of industrial materials with significant impact on the environment from the process of their production and further on. The traditional houses found in many mountains across Serbia and the Balkans are constructed using natural materials. Hence, this paper tackles the problem of renovating such dwellings by application of natural materials to improve their usability and reduce their energy and carbon footprint. An analysis is performed on a case study model of a typical house from Stara planina. The advantages of using natural materials in the process of renovating a traditional house are analysed. By using TRNSYS software, the total amount of energy demands of the house during a typical meteorological year with four scenarios (current state, walls isolated with sheep and hemp wool panels and EPS) was simulated. These materials were further analysed for their environmental impact by means of Life Cycle Analysis (LCA). In the synthesis of the research, the best results were brought into connection with the sustainable development of the architectural heritage. The results prove that natural products provide the necessary thermal comfort and have a significantly more positive impact on the environment than artificial materials. Based on this study, recommendations were created for the sustainable renovation of vernacular architecture in Serbia. The goal of the paper is to create scientific and professional evidence that local and natural materials must be used to reduce the impact of climate change and that such sustainable renovation is in accordance with modern architectural design and thermal comfort. The goal is also to fill the gap in renovation methods in Serbia, according to the principles of sustainable design.

Artistic media and techniques should be viewed as tools for solving problems in the field of architectural design. Only visually literate architect is able to give successfully create an architectural composition. The key to solving it does not exist, otherwise all compositions would be successful. Composition will be successful depending on the author’s approach to work. Therefore, the research of visual composition is more important for students of architecture than the traditional approach to the works of art, where instead of the creative idea, the focus is on skill and technique. As far as the authors know, there are no scientific works that connect visual literacy, creativity, architectural education and architectural design in this way. In order to improve the program of studies in architecture in Niš, this research was conducted through several experiments (creativity tests). Results of the research show that the students did not have enough knowledge about creativity when enrolling at the faculty. Nevertheless, it is possible to improve their creativity by changing the structure of curriculum. Recommendations for improving practical teaching are based on the overall results.

Over the past five years, generative AI has carved out a major role in architecture, especially in education and visual idea generation. Most of the time, the literature talks about AI as a tool, an assistant, or sometimes a co-creator, always highlighting efficiency and the end product in architectural design. There is a steady rise in empirical studies, yet the real impact on how young architects learn still lacks a solid theory behind it. In this systematic review, we dig into peer-reviewed work from 2015 to 2025, looking at how generative AI fits into architectural design education. Using PRISMA guidelines, we pull together findings from 40 papers across architecture, design studies, human–computer interaction and educational research. What stands out is a clear tension: on one hand, students crank out more creative work; on the other, their reflective engagement drops, especially when AI steps in as a replacement during early ideation instead of working alongside them. To address this, we introduce the idea of “AI sparring”. Here, generative AI is not just a helper—it becomes a provocateur, pushing students to think critically and develop stronger architectural concepts. Our review offers new ways to interpret AI’s role, moving beyond seeing it just as a productivity booster. Instead, we argue for AI as an active, reflective partner in education, and we lay out practical recommendations for studio-based teaching and future research. This paper is a theoretical review and conceptual proposal, and we urge future studies to test these ideas in practice.

Nаučnа oprаvdаnost istrаživаnjа savremene srpske sakralne arhitekture zаsnivа se nа društvenoj potrebi unаpređenjа аrhitektonske nаuke u sklаdu sа zаhtevimа sаvremene аrhitektonske teorije i prаkse. Na osnovu analize krize kriterijuma srpske sakralne arhitekture u 21. veku, predloženo je rešenje orgаnskog posmаtrаnja hrama. Predstavljena liturgijska shemа hrаmа predstаvljа jedаn deo ukupnog rаzumevаnjа suštine prаvoslаvnog hrаmа i u cilju sаstаvljаnjа osnovnog progrаmа zа projektovаnje srpskih prаvoslаvnih hrаmovа, potrebno je definisаti prostor koji odgovаrа svim akterima koji su uključeni u izgradnju i korišćenje crkve.

This study examines the architectural heritage of Vlasotince, a small town in southern Serbia affected by long-term depopulation, economic stagnation, and insufficient institutional mechanisms for heritage care. The research provides a comprehensive and systematically documented basis for protecting the historic urban core—Stara čaršija—using an integrated methodology that combines archival analysis, urban and architectural surveying, interviews, and extensive 3D photogrammetric documentation. The collected dataset enabled the evaluation of cultural, architectural, and urban values, the identification of a coherent spatial cultural-historical unit, and the development of a typology of degradation affecting the historic fabric. Results show that 52% of buildings within the core possess exceptional or notable value, yet degradation is widespread: 40% of buildings exhibit altered openings or portals, 29% have lost decorative plasterwork, and 23% represent new constructions incompatible with the ambient character. Mapping values and vulnerabilities at the building level allow for the definition of priority interventions. The study demonstrates that combining digital documentation, spatial analysis, and value-based assessment offers an effective framework for heritage management in small towns with limited resources. The proposed methodological model is replicable and contributes to data-driven conservation planning, supporting the sustainable revitalization of historic urban landscapes in similar regional contexts.

This paper presents the competitions for developing urban-architectural solutions for Orthodox churches in Niš which took place from 1998 to 2021. In the past two years, student competitions for churches in Niš have taken place under the theme of "Sacred Architecture" at the Faculty of Civil Engineering and Architecture, University of Niš, in cooperation with the Orthodox Diocese of Niš. In addition to documenting the award-winning works, the paper analyzes the results of the competitions, with the aim of improving competition practice. The review of the competition entries is also related to the possibility of introducing sacral architecture into architectural educational, with the aim of improving the architectural design of Serbian Orthodox churches and documenting the competitions in Niš in order to development ideas for Serbian Orthodox churches. Based on the entries presented and analysis of the award-winning solutions, the importance of this phenomenon is highlighted.