SVEUCILISTE U ZAGREBU ARHITEKTONSKI FAKULTET

Their core work

The Faculty of Architecture at the University of Zagreb applies architectural and urban design expertise to challenges of post-industrial urban regeneration, green infrastructure, and community-driven spatial transformation. They bring a design-oriented perspective to how cities can repurpose industrial heritage, integrate productive green spaces, and foster social innovation through maker spaces and creative hubs. Their work bridges physical space design with social processes like co-production and community engagement, particularly in Eastern European urban contexts.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

Their trajectory shows a clear shift from broad social innovation (maker education, youth entrepreneurship in DOIT, 2017) toward spatially-grounded urban ecology and regeneration (proGIreg 2018, CENTRINNO 2020). The early work focused on digital skills and entrepreneurial education for young people, while recent projects anchor firmly in physical urban transformation — green infrastructure, soil remediation, and repurposing industrial heritage. This evolution suggests the faculty is positioning itself at the intersection of architectural design and ecological urbanism.

Moving decisively toward nature-based solutions for post-industrial cities, combining architectural expertise with ecological restoration and community co-design.

How they like to work

Always a participant, never a coordinator — they contribute specialized architectural and urban design expertise to large, multi-partner Innovation Action consortia. With 85 unique partners across 21 countries from just 3 projects, they operate in very large consortia (averaging 28+ partners per project). This suggests they are comfortable in complex, multi-disciplinary teams and bring a specific disciplinary perspective rather than leading overall project direction.

Despite only 3 projects, they have built connections with 85 partners across 21 countries — a remarkably broad network resulting from participation in large Innovation Action consortia spanning most of Europe.

What sets them apart

They offer an Eastern European architectural faculty's perspective on urban transformation — relatively rare in H2020 consortia dominated by Western European institutions. Their specific value lies in combining spatial design expertise with understanding of post-socialist industrial landscapes and their regeneration potential. For consortium builders, they represent credible Croatian/SEE representation with genuine urban design competence in nature-based solutions.

Highlights from their portfolio

• proGIreg
  Their largest funded project (EUR 119,975) and most thematically aligned — directly connects architecture with productive green infrastructure and urban ecology.
• CENTRINNO
  Most recent project (2020-2024) focusing on industrial heritage transformation, signaling their current strategic direction in urban regeneration.