XV, 2014/1

Editorial

In 2014 our editorial board was further beefed up, and a fresh updating of the magazine is on the horizon. In 2015 the magazine is to become visually more advanced and adapted to new media.

In this issue, we are offering five quite different contributions. First, there is a contribution from three colleagues, Branislav Folić, Saja Kosanović and Tadej Glažar, entitled »Contemporary debates on the education of architects – selected examples« in which they present an analytical investigation of changes in the field of architectural education. They present the global and local levels of education. The underlying assumption in the paper is that progress is only possible in a dialogue in which all parties are involved. Education is socially responsible work. Working in a design studio or in a seminar is essential as it is there that ideas, architectural practice and generations of students come together. An empirical approach to education also leads to the introduction of green architectural themes (landscape planning).

Beatriz Tomšič Čerkez, a prominently active architect, teacher and researcher, continues in harmony with the above. Her article »ARCHITECTURAL EDUCATION AND SCHOOLING: BETWEEN THE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AND PERCEPTION OF THE ENVIRONMENT« depicts the fundamental connection between a critical awareness of the common space and an individual living in it. She presents the issues of sustainability and inclusion of the young in the realm of architecture in a polemical manner. She encourages the thinking of secondary school students with graphically clear presentations. She discusses the re-use of public spaces alongside changes in the layout or replacement of structures. The discussion provides a refreshing approach to the issue of the city's image.

A young PhD, Larisa Brojan, has dedicated some of the past few years to bales of straw and to furthering the use of straw in architecture. In the article »ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF STRAW-BALE BUILDING« which she wrote together with Peggi L. Clouston, she defines the properties of straw bales as a building material. The advantage of straw is its capacity to be simultaneously a construction and insulation material, which eases problems when thermal bridges occur. Social prejudices were the biggest hurdle, and were sensibly overcome by analytical work done by two colleagues. This field of research is neglected and considerably under-explored. I am looking forward to fresh research studies and the results of the promotion of straw-bale construction.

A young researcher Marta Bujanda Miguel sheds light on simple vernacular architecture with her paper »VARIETIES OF MAIZE AERIAL DRYING SHEDS ACROSS EUROPE«. Her review of the related solutions is a continuation of the work of our colleague Borut Juvanec. The originality of her contribution is that she relates these structures to the economic impact of the evolution of vernacular architecture. The economy of implementation also depends on the materials selected and the structure’s design.

Our colleagues from Spain, namely Juan Saumell, Luis Antonio Álvarez and José-Carlos Salcedo, contributed the article »ARCHITECTURAL HERITAGE ON GIS SUPPORT. KNOWLEDGE AND DISSEMINATION« in which they present their research and expert work on digitising heritage and transferring it into GIS. Work in the area of architectural heritage is never finished.

It is a tradition of the first issue that it presents a report on the research programme at the Faculty of Architecture of the University of Ljubljana which is currently being led by our colleague Vojko Kilar. The programme has been running since 2013 and will terminate at the end of 2017. The programme's work is fruitful and resounding as colleagues are publishing their contributions’ results at world congresses as well as in foreign international magazines. The magazine ends with reports from those congresses. These many reports can be regarded as proof that we are active researchers capable of strengthening our domestic and international connections. Our colleagues are acknowledged experts thanks to their active commitment. Our very active colleague Borut Juvanec bears witness to this fact.

The Editor