Special Issue: Retrospective and Perspective: Architectural Education and Practice

Special Issue, October 2025

Retrospective and Perspective: Architectural Education and Practice

In recent decades, architecture has transcended national borders to become a truly global 
profession. This evolution has provided architects, planners, and designers with unprecedented 
opportunities to cultivate international careers, characterized by versatility in education, research 
and practice. However, despite the growing interconnectedness of the profession, cultural and 
educational backgrounds remain deeply embedded in an architect's creative DNA. 
Migration, whether voluntary or compelled, has played a pivotal role in shaping the global 
architectural landscape. Architects leave their countries of birth for a variety of reasons—
educational aspirations, career opportunities, or personal growth. Yet, in some cases, migration 
is a response to radical socio-political upheavals, such as wars, the collapse of systems, or natural 
disasters. For those affected, the challenge of starting anew in an unfamiliar environment can be 
profound, reshaping both personal and professional trajectories. From a retrospective lens, such 
experiences invite critical questions: How do displacement and cultural exchange redefine the 
architect’s role? What lessons emerge from practicing architecture in unfamiliar cultural, social, 
and political contexts? And perhaps most importantly, how does one's place of birth and formal 
education shape the trajectory of an architectural career in a world where borders are increasingly 
porous but identities remain rooted?

These questions are particularly relevant to the architectural community of Sarajevo. A city whose 
history has been shaped by diverse cultural influences and deeply scarred by war, Sarajevo 
stands as a testament to resilience, adaptability, and the coexistence of tradition and modernity. 
Its architectural heritage, encompassing Ottoman, Austro-Hungarian, and Socialist/Yugoslav 
layers, tells a story of coexistence and transformation, implicitly reflected in the experiences of 
architects whose personal and professional journeys have taken them to various parts of the 
world.

As we curate this issue, we hope to foster a dialogue that not only celebrates the diversity of 
architectural experiences but also identifies common threads that bind us as a profession. In doing 
so, we seek to shed light on how the lessons of the past can inform a more inclusive, resilient, 
and creative future for architectural education and practice. This special issue explores how 
architectural education can bridge research and practice, responding to the evolving needs of 
society. As technology reshapes every aspect of our profession, from artificial intelligence to 
sustainable materials and methods, the role of architectural education must evolve to prepare 
future professionals for a rapidly changing world. Much like driving, when we simultaneously look 
ahead and in the rearview mirror, connecting reflections on the retrospective and the perspective 
of architectural education and practice, we hope this issue will serve as a platform for critical 
discourse and a source of inspiration for architects and urban planners seeking to navigate the 
complex relationships between cultural identity and progress, education and practice in 21st Century architecture.