Architecture and urban planning
Theory meets vision
Promotion of theory and aesthetics that shape the architects of tomorrow
Designing with Intelligence
Harnessing AI and BIM technologies to drive future-ready architecture.
Research Without Borders
Multidisciplinary and cross-field methodologies for real-world innovation.
Learning Side by Side
Direct engagement with passion—because mentorship matters.
Tech-Driven, Human-Centered
Empowering students with both digital and on-site learning methods.
Academic Leader and Partner
Education as a Process of International Cooperation
Architecture and urban planning
Politecnico Milano
The company "Graditelj-inženjering" founded the Faculty of Construction Management in 2001. In 2005, the Faculty of Construction Management, together with the Faculty of Design and the Faculty of Industrial Management, established UNION University.
Short Description
The outcome of the learning process is knowledge that enables students to become capable of independent scientific and research work in the field of architecture and urbanism.
PhD studies Architecture and urbanism they last three years and are worth 180 ESPB. Of these, 90 ECTS are acquired by passing exams in teaching subjects, and 90 ECTS are intended for the realization of a doctoral dissertation.
In the first year, the subjects are: in the first semester: Compulsory: Methodology of scientific research work and Research skills, Elective subject 1 (History, theory and criticism in architecture and urbanism and Contemporary theory of urbanism); in the second semester: Elective subject 2 - choose 2 out of 4 (Contemporary context of architecture, urban planning and construction, Human environment and technology, Architectural and urban design and interior design and Energy efficiency) and Elective subject 3 (Selected chapters from concrete structures and Sustainable development in construction). In the second year: third semester: Compulsory: Collaborative architecture and urbanism, Architecture as a medium; in the fourth semester: Mandatory: Semantic discourse on architecture and subjects related to the preparation of a doctoral dissertation: Research and publication of papers - SIR, Doctoral dissertation - theoretical foundations - SIR; fifth semester: Doctoral dissertation - study research paper 1, sixth semester: Doctoral dissertation - study research paper 2 and Doctoral dissertation (drafting and defense of the doctoral dissertation).
Doctoral studies cannot last longer than 10 years.
The student profiles his research interest by choosing the subjects he will study and take, which contribute to detailed knowledge and understanding of the field (topic) of his doctoral dissertation.
Elective subjects are chosen from the groups of proposed subjects in the study program itself.
Teaching subjects (compulsory or optional) are taught as a group or individual (mentoring).
The decision on the type of teaching and elective courses to be organized is made by the Head of Doctoral Studies upon the proposal of the committee for the quality of the study program (study group).
The purpose of the study program
The purpose of the study program is to educate students so that they are capable of high-quality and independent scientific and research work in accordance with the needs of society. On the other hand, the development of new technologies and procedures that contribute to the general development of society is enabled through the education of personnel trained to critically evaluate the research and work of others and to independently conduct original and scientifically relevant research. In addition, the purpose of this doctoral study program is to contribute to the development of science in the field of architecture and urban planning.
The Architecture and Urbanism PhD study program is designed to ensure the acquisition of competencies that are socially justifiable and useful. The Faculty of Construction Management has defined tasks and goals for the education of highly competent personnel in the field of technology, and the purpose of the Architecture and Urbanism study program is fully in line with the tasks and goals of the Faculty and with the tasks and goals of the integrated University "Union-Nikola Tesla".
Doctors of science in the field of architecture and urbanism are personnel who are qualified for independent and high-quality scientific work and for conducting relevant scientific research in the field of architecture and urbanism, that is, from all narrower scientific fields that are represented in the study program.
The education of quality PhDs is one of the basic aspects of the strategy for the development of higher education in Serbia. The existence of personnel with the highest academic education, who are engaged in the use and development of new technologies, conducting original and scientifically relevant research, and who are capable of critically evaluating the quality of the research of others, is one of the leading priorities of the Republic of Serbia. Doctors of science in the field of architecture and urban planning represent personnel who will help in the orientation of our society towards anticipation, and not only towards passive monitoring of the European economy, which has long been based on knowledge.
Personnel who are educated in the study program of doctoral studies Architecture and urban planning will be able to make a great contribution to moving the frontier of knowledge, i.e. to the development of architecture and urban planning and science in general, and also to, within the academic and professional context, contribute to the scientific, technological and cultural progress of society in Serbia.
Objectives of the study program
The goal of the study program is for students to achieve the highest scientific competence and academic knowledge and professional skills in the field Architecture and urbanism. This includes, among other things, the development of creative problem-solving skills and the ability to think critically, developing the ability to work in a team and mastering the specific practical skills needed to perform a profession.
The goal of the study program is to educate an expert who has enough adequate knowledge that is aligned with the modern directions of development of scientific disciplines in the world.
One of the special goals, which is in line with the goals of the education of experts at the Faculty of Construction Management and other doctoral students at the integrated University "Union-Nikola Tesla", is the development of students' awareness of the need for personal contribution to the development of society as a whole and environmental protection. The goal of the study program is also the education of experts in the field of teamwork, as well as the development of the ability to communicate and present one's original results to the scientific public.
The aim of the educational process in these doctoral studies is to provide students with comprehensive and complex knowledge in a particular narrow specialty through the attendance of elective courses and the supervision of mentors. Through research work within the doctoral dissertation, students are trained to independently organize and manage a scientific-research process of high quality and degree of originality, to make scientific contributions in architecture and urbanism with their inventive work, and to critically evaluate other research. In addition, graduates will develop a sense for quality verbal and written communication, independent presentation of scientific results, as well as for the establishment and development of international scientific cooperation.
The study program is designed in such a way that it follows modern and current directions of development in the field of architecture and urbanism in the world, with goals aligned with the goals of doctoral studies at leading technical universities in the world.
The objectives of the study program set in this way are in accordance with the tasks and objectives of the integrated University "Union-Nikola Tesla" as a higher education institution whose main activities are the performance of academic studies at all levels, the performance of basic, developmental and applied scientific research and the encouragement of development in technical and technological sciences.
The main goal of the study program
The main goal of the doctoral studies in Architecture and Urbanism is to prepare candidates for independent research work at a high academic level through the teaching content and application of modern education methods.
Outcomes of the study program
Enabling students to independently connect the material from the subject of doctoral studies, apply previously acquired and new knowledge, in order to see the structure of the given problem and its systematic analysis in order to draw conclusions about possible ways of solving it. Through the independent use of literature, students expand their knowledge and, by using new methods, independently and creatively use new knowledge when solving assigned problems.
Introduction to Architectural Design
The Lighthouse on the Danube” is an exam project focused on creating a unique architectural identity that reconsiders the relationship between abstract composition, functional and programmatic elements, structural and infrastructural logic, scale and proportion, perceptual experience, and spatial organization. The project is set in a panoramically prominent location within a specially protected natural urban oasis. Students are tasked with designing a lighthouse featuring an observation tower and minimal accommodation for a lighthouse keeper and their family. The design must prioritize a balance between the expressive projection of light and the ecological imperative of a structure that can be assembled and dismantled with minimal environmental impact.
MODELING
MODEL-MAKING is a course in the second year of undergraduate academic studies, taught by Prof. Dr. Vladimir Stevanović. In this course, students are trained to engage directly with the physical and three-dimensional representation of architecture on a given scale. The classes are organized in the form of lectures and practical exercises. During the lectures, students are introduced to notable examples of completed models, as well as the possibilities and effects of different materials, while in the exercises they work on their own projects, formulated through three semester assignments. The first assignment is titled OBJECT, and it focuses on a concrete and realistic representation within the given theme – a single-family residential building on terrain with an arbitrary slope. The second assignment is titled CONCEPT, and it involves abstract and experimental work with form and materials within a free theme, which students select according to an existing architectural typology. The third assignment is titled MODEL, and it refers to creating a model based on and inspired by significant works of contemporary architecture. At the submission of semester assignments, student works are evaluated based on factors such as: compliance with the task requirements, quality of the idea and formal-visual aspects, quality and precision of execution, appropriate choice and combination of materials, overall visual effect, and the architectural character of the model.
ARCHITECTURAL COMPOSITION
What we propose is that analysis of the relationship between environment and space creates spatial environments and atmospheres of architectural composition that inherently and automatically suggest and dictate the types of programs and activities that can inhabit those spaces.
What we propose is that analysis of the relationship between environment and space creates spatial environments and atmospheres of architectural composition that inherently and automatically suggest and dictate the types of programs and activities that can inhabit those spaces.
This approach leads to unexpected, intuitive and innovative means of spatial programs. That being so, this kind of space infills geometrical process that can be called form of life — a defeated architecture.
UNIVERSAL PRINCIPLES OF DESIGN
‘Principles of Universal Design’ studio explores spatial composition as geometrical process shaped within a contextual void where certain design form is going to exist. The focus is not on a final form but on adaptive and potent geometrical system that guides design. This system emerges from measurable cognitive impressions of surrounding entities attributes, translated into formal spatial representations.
Design approach of this kind is universal form of concept design communication. It moves beyond fixed typologies, emphasizing process over form. Students learn to create flexible systems that generate context-aware compositions. The goal is a universal spatial logic—intelligent, responsive, and inclusive.
ARCHITECTURAL COMPOSITION
Basis of Architectural Composition’ studio embraces anti-form, where its design emerges from cognitive impressions on contextual entities and their superpositions in certain spatial void according to their spatial representations.
Various kinds of geometries emerge accordingly, while allowing spatial composition to evolve in response to context and its complex perception.
Applying this kind of data-driven design, the studio explores how spatial relationships and contextual factors inform the composition. This approach challenges conventional architectural typologies, resulting in intuitive, context sensitive anti-forms deeply connected to their surroundings.
Design of Public Buildings 1
Design of Public Buildings 1 is a course in which students explore the role of architecture within the contemporary social context through project-based work. The course emphasizes constructive techniques that shape and organize the cultural and historical identity of the city—both in its physical form and its symbolic significance.
The design brief focuses on two programmatic elements—a new school of architecture and a museum of science and technology. Beyond fulfilling their functional requirements, the project investigates how public buildings operate within a cultural system and examines their formal, structural, and symbolic capacities to transform or revitalize urban spaces of which they are both an expression and an integral part.
Design of Public Buildings 2
Design of Public Buildings 2 is a course in which students explore the role of architecture within the contemporary social context through project-based design. The course focuses on constructive techniques that inform the creation and organization of the city as a cultural and historical entity—both in its formation and its ongoing development.
The design brief includes two programmatic elements—a city theater and a vertical sports and recreation center. In addition to addressing the functional aspects of these buildings, the project examines how public architecture operates within a cultural system, and explores its formal, structural, and symbolic potential to transform or revitalize the urban fabric of which it is both an expression and an integral part.
DIZAJN U ARHITEKTURI
DESIGN IN ARCHITECTURE is a course in the fourth year of undergraduate academic studies, taught by Prof. Dr. Vladimir Stevanović. In this course, students are trained for flexible and innovative work with the visual aspects of architectural and urban structures. The classes are organized in the form of lectures and practical exercises. During the lectures, students are introduced to the visual aspects of the built environment through its representation in photography, film, painting, and sculpture, while in the exercises they work on their own projects, structured through three semester assignments. The first assignment is titled PHOTOGRAPHY, and it involves walking through the city to explore and frame similar architectural-urban structures which, as such, create a repetition effect. The second assignment is titled COLLAGE, and it involves combining and assembling fragments of existing architectural-urban structures, with the final product being a new composition of pronounced architectural character. The third assignment is titled ILLUSTRATION, and it involves a three-dimensional drawing on a freely chosen architectural theme, focusing on moving away from hyper-realistic rendering and exploring alternative possibilities of representation. At the submission of semester assignments, student works are evaluated based on the authenticity of the idea, the quality of the formal-visual composition, the appropriateness of the color scheme, as well as basic photographic, combinatorial, and drawing skills.
POSLOVNI TRGOVINSKI OBJEKTI
BUSINESS OBJECTS – Between a Visual Symbol and a Symbol of Power, set as a theoretical assumption (construct) and idea of architecture, represents a semester student project, Faculty of Architecture – Union Nikola Tesla University.
The experimental aspect of the project is based on the understanding of boundaries as membranes between the external and internal, public and private, social and intimate, permitted and forbidden. It observes the space that lies “in between” things, a space that connects by separating and separates by connecting; it observes people, objects, cultures, identities, and spaces that differ from one another.
Land zoning for the development of central urban business districts is not only a limiting factor in strategic city planning and expansion but also creates an economic problem that contradicts the very concept of prosperity. Furthermore, in terms of cultural context, it limits the possibilities of meeting the contemporary demands of Belgrade and its iconic future. The city becomes a metaphor for economic and cultural status – between a visual symbol and a symbol of power.
INDIVIDUALNO STANOVANJE
THE CULTURE OF HOUSING represents a semester project in the second year of undergraduate studies in Architecture, where the main goal is to explore the spatial relations between houses, their surroundings, and interior spaces. Such a relationship is an act of identification, that is, an acknowledgment that we belong to a certain place. The experimental aspect of the project is based on the understanding of boundaries as membranes between the external and internal, public and private, social and intimate, permitted and forbidden. It observes the space that lies “in between” things, a space that connects by separating and separates by connecting; it observes people, objects, cultures, identities, and spaces that differ from one another. The physical boundary is architecture itself—that is, the boundary it marks is both spatial and material, within which a space for diversity is opened.
ARCHITECTURAL COMPOSITION
What we propose is that analysis of the relationship between environment and space creates spatial environments and atmospheres of architectural composition that inherently and automatically suggest and dictate the types of programs and activities that can inhabit those spaces.
What we propose is that analysis of the relationship between environment and space creates spatial environments and atmospheres of architectural composition that inherently and automatically suggest and dictate the types of programs and activities that can inhabit those spaces.
This approach leads to unexpected, intuitive and innovative means of spatial programs. That being so, this kind of space infills geometrical process that can be called form of life — a defeated architecture.
UNIVERSAL PRINCIPLES OF DESIGN
‘Principles of Universal Design’ studio explores spatial composition as geometrical process shaped within a contextual void where certain design form is going to exist. The focus is not on a final form but on adaptive and potent geometrical system that guides design. This system emerges from measurable cognitive impressions of surrounding entities attributes, translated into formal spatial representations.
Design approach of this kind is universal form of concept design communication. It moves beyond fixed typologies, emphasizing process over form. Students learn to create flexible systems that generate context-aware compositions. The goal is a universal spatial logic—intelligent, responsive, and inclusive.
ARCHITECTURAL COMPOSITION
Basis of Architectural Composition’ studio embraces anti-form, where its design emerges from cognitive impressions on contextual entities and their superpositions in certain spatial void according to their spatial representations.
Various kinds of geometries emerge accordingly, while allowing spatial composition to evolve in response to context and its complex perception.
Applying this kind of data-driven design, the studio explores how spatial relationships and contextual factors inform the composition. This approach challenges conventional architectural typologies, resulting in intuitive, context sensitive anti-forms deeply connected to their surroundings.
Introduction to Architectural Design
The Lighthouse on the Danube” is an exam project focused on creating a unique architectural identity that reconsiders the relationship between abstract composition, functional and programmatic elements, structural and infrastructural logic, scale and proportion, perceptual experience, and spatial organization. The project is set in a panoramically prominent location within a specially protected natural urban oasis. Students are tasked with designing a lighthouse featuring an observation tower and minimal accommodation for a lighthouse keeper and their family. The design must prioritize a balance between the expressive projection of light and the ecological imperative of a structure that can be assembled and dismantled with minimal environmental impact.
MODELING
MODELING je predmet na drugoj godini osnovnih akademskih studija kojim rukovodi prof. dr Vladimir Stevanović. Na ovom predmetu studenti se osposobljavaju za direktan kontakt sa fizičkom i trodimenzionalnom predstavom arhitekture u određenoj razmeri. Nastava se odvija u vidu predavanja i vežbi. Na predavanjima studenti se upoznaju sa uglednim primerima izrađenih maketa i mogućnostima i efektima određenih materijala, dok na vežbama rade na sopstvenim projektima koji su formulisani kroz tri semestralna zadatka. Naziv prvog zadatka je OBJEKT i odnosi se na konkretan i realističan prikaz u okviru zadate teme – jednoporodičnog stambenog objekta na terenu pod proizvoljnim nagibom. Naziv drugog zadatka je KONCEPT i odnosi se na apstraktan i eksperimentalan rad sa formom i materijalima u okviru slobodne teme koju studenti biraju prema postojećoj arhitektonskoj tipologiji. Naziv trećeg zadatka je MODEL i odnosi se na pravljenje makete po uzoru, u odnosu na primere znamenitih dela savremene arhitekture. Na predajama semestralnih zadataka, studentski radovi se procenjuju na osnovu faktora kao što su: usaglašenost sa zahtevima zadatka, kvalitet ideje i formalno-likovnih aspekata, kvalitet i preciznost izrade, adekvatan izbor i kombinacija materijala, ukupan vizuelni efekat i arhitektoničnost makete.
Design of Public Buildings 1
Design of Public Buildings 1 is a course in which students explore the role of architecture within the contemporary social context through project-based work. The course emphasizes constructive techniques that shape and organize the cultural and historical identity of the city—both in its physical form and its symbolic significance.
The design brief focuses on two programmatic elements—a new school of architecture and a museum of science and technology. Beyond fulfilling their functional requirements, the project investigates how public buildings operate within a cultural system and examines their formal, structural, and symbolic capacities to transform or revitalize urban spaces of which they are both an expression and an integral part.
Design of Public Buildings 2
Design of Public Buildings 2 is a course in which students explore the role of architecture within the contemporary social context through project-based design. The course focuses on constructive techniques that inform the creation and organization of the city as a cultural and historical entity—both in its formation and its ongoing development.
The design brief includes two programmatic elements—a city theater and a vertical sports and recreation center. In addition to addressing the functional aspects of these buildings, the project examines how public architecture operates within a cultural system, and explores its formal, structural, and symbolic potential to transform or revitalize the urban fabric of which it is both an expression and an integral part.
DIZAJN U ARHITEKTURI
DESIGN IN ARCHITECTURE is a course in the fourth year of undergraduate academic studies, taught by Prof. Dr. Vladimir Stevanović. In this course, students are trained for flexible and innovative work with the visual aspects of architectural and urban structures. The classes are organized in the form of lectures and practical exercises. During the lectures, students are introduced to the visual aspects of the built environment through its representation in photography, film, painting, and sculpture, while in the exercises they work on their own projects, structured through three semester assignments. The first assignment is titled PHOTOGRAPHY, and it involves walking through the city to explore and frame similar architectural-urban structures which, as such, create a repetition effect. The second assignment is titled COLLAGE, and it involves combining and assembling fragments of existing architectural-urban structures, with the final product being a new composition of pronounced architectural character. The third assignment is titled ILLUSTRATION, and it involves a three-dimensional drawing on a freely chosen architectural theme, focusing on moving away from hyper-realistic rendering and exploring alternative possibilities of representation. At the submission of semester assignments, student works are evaluated based on the authenticity of the idea, the quality of the formal-visual composition, the appropriateness of the color scheme, as well as basic photographic, combinatorial, and drawing skills.
POSLOVNI TRGOVINSKI OBJEKTI
BUSINESS OBJECTS – Between a Visual Symbol and a Symbol of Power, set as a theoretical assumption (construct) and idea of architecture, represents a semester student project, Faculty of Architecture – Union Nikola Tesla University.
The experimental aspect of the project is based on the understanding of boundaries as membranes between the external and internal, public and private, social and intimate, permitted and forbidden. It observes the space that lies “in between” things, a space that connects by separating and separates by connecting; it observes people, objects, cultures, identities, and spaces that differ from one another.
Land zoning for the development of central urban business districts is not only a limiting factor in strategic city planning and expansion but also creates an economic problem that contradicts the very concept of prosperity. Furthermore, in terms of cultural context, it limits the possibilities of meeting the contemporary demands of Belgrade and its iconic future. The city becomes a metaphor for economic and cultural status – between a visual symbol and a symbol of power.
INDIVIDUALNO STANOVANJE
THE CULTURE OF HOUSING represents a semester project in the second year of undergraduate studies in Architecture, where the main goal is to explore the spatial relations between houses, their surroundings, and interior spaces. Such a relationship is an act of identification, that is, an acknowledgment that we belong to a certain place. The experimental aspect of the project is based on the understanding of boundaries as membranes between the external and internal, public and private, social and intimate, permitted and forbidden. It observes the space that lies “in between” things, a space that connects by separating and separates by connecting; it observes people, objects, cultures, identities, and spaces that differ from one another. The physical boundary is architecture itself—that is, the boundary it marks is both spatial and material, within which a space for diversity is opened.