Industrial Heritage Matters: Experiential Approaches in Architectural Education

Abstract

Although industrial heritage is increasingly recognised in European discourse, it remains marginal in formal architectural curricula across the post-Yugoslav region. This study demonstrates how experiential and reflective models, tested through the Sleeping Giants project, can strengthen students’ critical awareness and professional responsibility toward dissonant industrial heritage. The findings demonstrate that field-based, collaborative, and community-oriented pedagogies facilitate a deeper contextual understanding and promote heritage protection through education. The study further argues that integrating such models into academic curricula can contribute to both the revalorisation and safeguarding of industrial heritage. The paper concludes by proposing a transferable framework for future implementation of experiential learning within architectural education.