Situated learning in a theory course on urbanisation: Lessons from Banja Luka

Abstract

Many theoretical and methodological efforts have been made to extend the disciplinary field of architecture and urbanism from the urban in the traditional sense to the larger territorial scales of contemporary urbanisation. This paperdiscusses the ways of studying the dispersed and polymorphic urban form that still needs to be understood. The discourse is developed around the situated learning model adequate for understanding the planetary urbanisation theory and the dispersed city. The learning model is applied inside the Urbanisation in the Western Balkan Countries course at the master's studies in Architecture and Urbanism (University of Banja Luka). The situated learning model engages students in the research of real-life context, culture and situation, and therefore, connects the theories of large-scale urbanisation with the inquiry about familiar space. Furthermore, the learning approach advocates an inquiry-based strategy to learning about urbanisation and a dispersed urban form in theoretical courses. The course employs the techniques typically taught in design studios, such as mapping, collage imagery and three-dimensional modelling. The paper could contribute to the considerations on the education of architects as professionals that will deal with the growing scales of contemporary urbanisation, specifically in the Western Balkan countries..

Collective Housing Form in the Context of the Dispersed City: Banja Luka Case Study

“…The plot and building ownership was studied paradigmatically as the history of urban property, based on content analysis of spatial regulation documents, laws, and secondary literature. The analysis of the relation between the housing form and urban form at a larger scale was based on the map study from previous research results about the dispersed urban form of Banja Luka [10].…”

“…The morphological case study presented in this paper aims to contribute to dispersed city considerations, its origin and the relation of dispersity to smaller spatial scales of urban form. Banja Luka, the case study city, has a dispersed and porous urban form generated through historical development and change (Figure 1) [10]. It is a middle-size city with recognisable spatial openness whose morphological logic needs to be understood at various scales and appropriately integrated into city planning and design.…”

Compact city or dispersed form reality: Banja Luka case study

“…The spatial scope was recognised in advance as a weak point of research. Mapping was conducted in 2020 with master students at the University of Banja Luka, Faculty of Architecture, Civil Engineering and Geodesy, within the course Urbanisation in Western Balkan countries (Novaković et al, 2020a). G. 3D study -The spatial relations between buildings, open space, human activities, and landscape in three dimensions.…”

“…These linear road formations are flowscape patterns (light red, Figure 1b). Along the rest of the edge of the urban area, the built fabric spills out towards the open land in smaller fragments (Novaković et al, 2020a).…”