The Faculty of Architecture
Instruction in architecture in Croatia began as early as 1919/20 with the foundation of the Royal Technical College in Zagreb which included the Department of Architecture as one of its sections. A few years later, in 1926, the college became the Technical Faculty within the University of Zagreb. For the next thirty years the Department of Architecture in the Technical faculty was the only institution for higher architectural education. In 1956 the Technical Faculty was divided into several schools. One of them was the Faculty of Architecture, Civil engineering and Geodesy with the Department of Architecture enjoying a partially independent status. Six years later, in 1962/63, The Faculty of Architecture was created as an independent institution for architectural instruction and has remained such since then.

The Faculty of Architecture of the University of Zagreb is the only institution of higher education in Croatia combining instruction and research in the fields of architecture and urban design. The undergraduate program normally takes nine semesters to complete and is followed by a graduation thesis. Following the tradition started at the Technical College, the Faculty of Architecture nourishes the scope and tradition of engineering skills and knowledge, complemented by artistic principles and activities as an inherent feature of the architectural design process. Its curriculum is comparable to the curricula of most Schools of Architecture at European universities and to a large extent to those at universities of both North and South America. The undergraduate program is based on a balance of lectures and studios. Lectures, offering theoretical insight, consist of required core courses as well as a selection of electives. The latter are continually modified to reflect the trends in architecture and changes in the architectural profession as well as the needs of the profession. Guest lectures by both Croatian and foreign professionals are an important addition to the regular lectures provided by regular faculty.

Studio work related to architectural design and urban planning is a core aspect of the architectural instruction. Students are required to integrate and apply the acquired skills and knowledge in their projects as well as to approach various architectural and urban-planning issues in a creative and innovative way. Professional practice is not conducted solely on the faculty premises. The undergraduate program is enriched and complemented with site surveying and visits to towns in Istria as well as architectural summer schools in Motovun, Bol and Unije. The summer school in Motovun has an international flavour and has been a part of the program for more than 20 years. Field trips are a particular form of the instruction in the first four years of study. Students, guided by their teachers, visit Croatian regions and are acquainted with historical and contemporary urban design and architectural achievements.

The Faculty of Architecture is a leading institution in the education of new generations of young architects through research, professional activity and its up-to-date curriculum.