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University of Architecture and Urbanism “Ion Mincu” – Bucharest
UAUIM→Events→Architectural Experiences IV
UAUIM Events

Architectural Experiences IV:
Educational Journeys in Architecture

May 4, 2026

1. Conference (in 3 Acts)

The “Architectural Experiences” series, organized by the Faculty of Interior Architecture (UAUIM), is an itinerant scientific initiative aimed at uniting scholars, academics, professionals, and researchers involved in various aspects of architectural research.

This fourth edition is conceived as a scientific platform exploring innovative approaches and transformative practices in architectural education, emphasizing learning as a dynamic and mobile process. Knowledge construction extends beyond the confines of formal aulas instruction and is also fostered through participatory shared experiences, movement, and active exploration.

The event will emphasize the process of education in architecture and design which is underlined through analysis of the contextual parameters, including social, cultural, environmental, and historical factors that influence the design environment. This initial phase involves researching and understanding the site, user needs, and broader societal issues to inform the design approach. Once the context is comprehensively analyzed, it integrates conceptualizing and sketching initial solutions, where creativity and critical thinking are central. The early conceptual sketches serve as a foundation for refining ideas, testing theories and developing innovative architectural responses that are both functional and aesthetically compelling. The iterative process from analysis to initial solution is crucial in cultivating a thoughtful and contextually responsive architectural practice.

Act I – Observation: A train journey from Bucharest to Brașov as a mobile laboratory.

The process begins with group formation, where participants introduce themselves and engage in collaborative activities that foster a productive environment for idea exchange. This setting encourages collaborative engagement, laying the groundwork for attentive observation of the diverse contexts, landscapes, phenomena, and interpersonal dynamics present within the group. By paying close attention to these elements, participants can better understand varying perspectives and cultural influences, enriching the design process. This approach facilitates the development of innovative, contextually sensitive solutions that leverage collective expertise and international insights, ultimately enhancing the quality and relevance of the final architectural concepts.

Act II – Analysis: Brașov becomes both subject and medium of exploration.

The process begins with a collective experience of the city, where participants immerse themselves in its atmosphere and rhythms, gaining a broad understanding of its spatial and cultural fabric. This is followed by a focused investigation of specific neighborhoods, conducted in collaboration with local students to ensure authenticity and depth. Through this collaborative effort, data is collected and then interpreted, with observations organized into meaningful patterns and insights. The analysis phase culminates in the preparation of structured outputs that synthesize city heritage, urban narratives, and collaborative engagement, ultimately shaping a comprehensive understanding of the urban environment and informing thoughtful, contextually rooted design solutions.

Act III – Communication: The return journey functions as a mobile studio.

Mixed-group seating fosters communication by encouraging participants to share knowledge, reflect on collective experiences, and produce synthesis, creating an engaging and collaborative learning environment. This approach exemplifies the spirit of the conference, where teaching through exchange and the dissemination of architectural experience are central. By facilitating diverse interactions, mixed-group seating enhances understanding, sparks new ideas, and promotes a deeper appreciation of architectural practices within a dynamic and inclusive setting.

The combination of Observation, Analysis, and Communication establishes a methodological cycle that integrates theory and practice, mobility and rootedness, external perspectives and local knowledge, resulting in outputs for both individual papers and collective workshop results.

2. Full Schedule of Activities

Day 1 Act I: OBSERVATION – Outbound Journey

12:00 – 14:30: Departure from Bucharest by train. Group formation and seating arrangement for introductions and initial team-building. Mobile workshop environment for collaborative engagement and preparation for city exploration.

14:30 – 16:00: Arrival in Brașov and check-in.

16:00 – 19:00: Collective city tour: overview of Brașov’s urban fabric.

19:00 – 20:30: Opening plenary lecture: presentation of conference objectives, introduction to next day’s activities, and explanation of the three methodological tools – Observation, Analysis, Communication.

Day 2 Act II: ANALYSIS – Work in Brașov

09:00: Departure to assigned neighborhoods; integration with University of Brașov.

09:15 – 11:30: Fieldwork: observations, sketches, photographs, and material collection within the framework of Observation.

11:30 – 13:00: Return to university facilities; presentation of selected abstracts; synthesis of collected data and initiation of Analysis phase: interpretation, organization, and preparation of outputs.

13:00 –14:00: Lunch break.

14:00 – 15:00: Keynote lecture: conceptual framework for the day’s activities.

15:00 – 17:00: Group work: refinement of outputs, visualizations, and thematic mapping.

17:00 – 18:30: Plenary session: presentation of selected abstracts and preliminary findings and discussion of methodologies.

18:30 – 20:00: Final discussion and guidance for integration of outputs into publication.

20:00: Dinner.

Day 3 Act III: COMMUNICATION – Synthesis and Return Journey

10:00 – 13:00: Preparation for Communication phase on the return train.

Departure from Brașov to Bucharest: mixed-group seating for exchange of experiences, synthesis of insights, and collective reflection.

Closing remarks on the train: informal reflections and final exchange of materials.

3. Group Formation and Urban Areas of Work

During the outbound journey from Bucharest to Brașov, participants are seated in mixed configurations, forming six interdisciplinary groups composed of professors and doctoral candidates. The train thus becomes a mobile laboratory for Observation, where first exchanges, shared reflections, and preliminary mappings take place.

After the collective city tour, the six groups explore different zones of Brașov, each representing a distinct urban condition and relationship between architecture, landscape, and society.

Each group develops a final report that synthesizes its learning outcomes and identifies what knowledge can be shared with others — what we have learned and what we can teach.

During the return train journey, seating is rearranged so that participants from different groups sit together, allowing for cross-pollination of ideas and collective synthesis. This exchange completes the methodological cycle of Observation – Analysis – Communication.

4. Conference Overcomes

Teaching or Learning?

All participants in the conference will be interviewed and asked to reflect on their experience. Each of them will be invited to answer two questions:

What have you learned during the conference?

What have you taught or shared with others?

Their answers will be recorded on video, and the collected material will later be edited into a film that will serve as a collective memory of the event.

Gadget

Each participant will receive a custom-designed postcard to be written and sent from Brașov. The postcard serves both as a personal reflection and as a public gesture of communication: each message becomes a fragment of the shared experience.

On the postcard, a QR code links to the digital platform of the conference, where the videos, presentations, and workshop outcomes will be uploaded after the event. The postcard thus becomes a symbolic and physical connector between the journey, the city, and the collective memory of Architectural Experience IV.

5. Conference Proceedings

The outcomes of “Architectural Experiences IV” will be collected and published in a monographic volume, designed as both a didactic record and a collective reflection. The publication will be articulated in two complementary sections:

  1. Workshop Section – Didactic Journeys Documentation of the educational process, including group works, methodological approaches, and visual outputs from the fieldwork in Brașov. This section will highlight the pedagogical dimension of the project and the dialogue between institutions.

  2. Experiential Section – Journeys in Architecture Essays, reflections, and short papers derived from the personal and collective experiences during the conference. This part will present the theoretical and interpretative contributions that emerged through Observation, Analysis, and Communication.

Together, these two sections will form a unified narrative — a monograph that reflects on the act of traveling as a tool for architectural learning and communication.

6. Keynote Speakers

Didactic and administrative strategies in Education

Francesca Thiebat

Vice-Rector on Education University of Turin, Associate Professor, Ph.D. Arch., Department of Architecture and Design (DAD), University of Turin, Italy

Teaching areas: Architectural technology, Bioclimatic design, Life Cycle Assessment, Natural materials, Sustainable buildings.

Professional approach for Educational buildings

Danilo Vespier

VESPIER ARCHITECTS Architecture Studio, Genoa, Italy

Adjunct Professor for Clemson University, School of Architecture

Architecture for education: Requalification Aulas Sapienza Università di Roma, University Campus, Dalmine, Italy, Università degli Studi di Bergamo, Kindergarten, Porto Mantovano, Italy, Ligea Kindergarten, Lamezia Terme, Italy

15 years Associate Architect at the Renzo Piano Building Workshop, coordinating: MUSE Museo della Scienza, Trento, (2003-2013), Quartiere “Le Albere”, Trento, (2003-2014), One Sydney Harbour – Torri residenziali, Sydney (2015), Soho Tower, New York (2014-2015), Tavolo dell’Architettura Biennale Cappochin, Padova (2014), Crown Barangaroo – Torre Multifunzione, Sydney (2013), Masterplan per le Aree ex-Falk, Sesto San Giovanni (2012), National Palace Museum, Taipei, Taiwan (2012), Jardim de Braço de Prata, Lisbona (2000-2006), Concorso per il Quartiere storico della Fiera, Milano (2004), Aula Liturgica di Padre Pio, San Giovanni rotondo, FG (2004), Museo di Arte contemporanea, Sarajevo, Bosnia (2001), La “Bolla” e riqualificazione del Porto Antico, Genova, (2000).

Didactic methods and methodology in Education

Emanuele Morezzi - Scientific coordinator

Assoc. prof. Ph.D., Department of Architecture and Design (DAD), University of Turin, Italy

Teaching areas: Archeological heritage, Architectural preservation, Cultural heritage Restoration.

7. Logistics and organizers

The organization of “Architectural Experiences IV” requires a coordinated framework involving multiple institutional and logistical partners. Key to the initiative is the collaboration with the regional railway and transport company, which facilitates the travel logistics and ensure that the train journey functions as an integral part of the educational experience — a moving classroom that connects the cities and the participants.

Equally central is the participation of the Transilvania University of Brașov, whose academic staff will act as local guides, lecturers, and contributors to the conference sessions. The PhD students will be actively engaged in the fieldwork and analysis activities, fostering exchange and collaboration among institutions.

The ”Ion Mincu” University of Architecture and Urbanism in Bucharest will also play a major role, contributing both academic input and student participation to the joint workshop and conference discussions. Additionally, the Politecnico di Torino will be involved in the coordination, offering methodological support, didactic collaboration, and dissemination of results.

Special attention will be devoted to the identification and engagement of further institutional and cultural partners, whose participation will enhance the organizational structure, support the event’s logistics, and strengthen the interdisciplinary and international dimension of the project.

Scientific Committee

Organizers

8. Calendar

Call for Papers / Submissions

Abstracts

Specialists in the field, professors, PhD students and profile associations are invited to submit their proposals. The participation intentions, accompanied by the contribution title, is a text containing a maximum of 500 words in English, which is expected at the e-mail address: archi.experiences@gmail.com. The text should be written only in English.

Full Paper

After receiving the abstract’s acceptance, authors may submit the extended paper (maximum 3.000 words and 6 images) for publication. Instructions for editing the extended paper will be available after abstract acceptance.

Both abstract and full papers will be double peer-reviewed.

9. Fees

Participation involves two possible types of contribution across successive phases (P1 and P2, as described below). The first phase is dedicated solely to the publishing process, while access in the second phase implies participation in the Professional Workshop and International Conference.

P1: Call for Papers / Paper Publishing

General participation of professionals, academics, PhD. Students, etc. includes:

For multi-author contributions, at least one fee is required for publication. PhD. Students are eligible for a discounted cost. Authors must confirm their participation by paying the required fee.

P2: Professional Workshop and International Conference

The event will take place in Brașov, Romania, on the 16th – 18th of October.

The workshop involvement will include:

For contributions of multiple authors, a fee is required for each participant.

Package type Paper Publishing

(PP)

 Professional Workshop

(PW)

 Social dinner - optional

(SD)

 Total package fee

P1: Call for Papers – Paper Publishing – Payment until the 10th of July 2026
PP General 80 Euro - - 80 Euro
PP Student/ UAUIM, UTB Members 60 Euro - - 60 Euro
PP* 50 Euro - - 50 Euro

P2: Professional Workshop

Payment until the 10th of July 2025
PP+PW General 80 Euro 100 Euro - 180 Euro
PP+PW Student/

UAUIM, UTB

Members

 60 Euro 100 Euro - 160 Euro
PP+PW+SD General 80 Euro 100 Euro 40 Euro 220 Euro
PP+PW+SD Student 60 Euro 100 Euro 40 Euro 200 Euro
5 x ABH Scholarship** 0 Euro 0 Euro 40 Euro (optional) 40 Euro (optional)

Notes:

PP* is related to each supplementary printed version of Full Papers publication in Architectural Experiences IV, at request (excluded delivery fee);

**The Active Building HUB Association offers PhD students 5 (five) scholarships covering publication and participation fees. The organisers will select the authors based on the quality of their contributions.

The PhD students participating in the event will be rewarded with:

Participants are responsible for arranging their own travel and accommodation for the Professional Workshop. Organisers will facilitate logistic support.

10. Partners

Contact

archi.experiences@gmail.com